The Mighty Moo decorated for Christmas!

 Nice Christmas decorations for the annual Navy Base San Diego OPERATION HOLIDAY LIGHTS. The photo was posted on the facebook page of the USS COWPENS (CG83) also known as "The Mighty Moo" which is one of the Third Fleet's finest ships!   

Holiday decorations in my home town

 Holiday decorations in my little hometown of Cowpens, South Carolina.   The old train depot was built in1896 and was in service until the mid 1950's. It has been at this spot as a museum since the mid  90's. My mom and dad celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary here.  

Anyone ready for a white Christmas??

 My little old home town of Cowpens SC received 

quite the snowfall in 2016 .  

Maybe we will  have a white Christmas this year?  

Memories of Christmas in Cowpens

 

Memories of Christmas a long time ago in Cowpens SC.  Martin's Drug Store in Cowpens decorated for Christmas. 

The owners, George Dean and Maude Martin are pictured with another employee.

(This is the building with the Chinese restaurant now)  

Cowpens - Memories from the 1950's

 Memories of life in the 50's  in Cowpens SC.  When I was a child, I hated the long shopping trips to Spartanburg.  This picture shows the bridge on US 29 with the Converse Mill on the right. We would always end up behind a truck or a Model T Ford on this two lane road with no passing lane.  It would take forever to get up this hill on  our way to the big city.   

Ancestors from Scotland

 I was able to help my grandson Gideon do an ancestors project for school in PA this week. Using our ancestry.com  family tree, we were able to see that on my mother's side of the  family , her 6th great grandfather Hector McIntosh was born in 1750 in Scotland.  He married Mary McCoy (who was born in America)  in 1782 in North Carolina. We can only guess how old he was when he immigrated to America.  They both died in North Carolina.  Gideon also made this drawing of what Hector may have looked like.  We know the Scottish brought over the bagpiping tradition and wore tartan (kilts).  

Rev. William Henry Coley (September 1, 1947 - February 16, 2022)

 

Pastor Henry Coley was the second pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Cowpens, SC.  My mom and dad really appreciated his love and concern for them over the years.  (Dad was pastor of Calvary from 1965-1985)  I am posting this  on my family blog because he felt like family to many of us.  He was there for mom when she needed him the most, after dad passed away. He along with our son Joshua conducted the funeral . He even conducted Aunt Earline's funeral years ago.  He was known to visit many of our family members in the hospital and at home , even though they attended another church. He is greatly missed.  His obituary is below:

As he would always tell everyone, "If you've heard that Rev. William Henry Coley is deceased, don't you believe it. He's more alive than he's ever been!" After a long battle with cancer, on Wednesday, February 16, at age 74, William Henry Coley passed over into Heaven - HOME - where he will spend eternity with his Father God and Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

William (Henry) was born September 1, 1947, to John Clarence Coley and Annie Mary Evington Coley in Campobello, S.C

He is survived by his loving wife, Jenny; his two children, Mark Coley of Canton, GA. (Maria) and Amy Coley Vernon (Chris) of Campobello. Also surviving are grandson, Nuggie Vernon (Kasey); granddaughter, Presley Coley; great-grandson, Kastahn Brock; and great-granddaughter, Addy Vernon; two sisters, Jean Solesbee and Mary Ann Mitchell.

He was predeceased by six brothers, JC Coley, Oneal Coley, Joe Coley, Fred Coley, Leonard Coley and Charles Coley.

He was a graduate of Chapman High School. He went on to study at Tabernacle Baptist College. For years, he was a faithful member and Sunday School teacher of Parkway Baptist Church until 1985, when God called him into ministry to preach The Gospel at Calvary Baptist Church in Cowpens, S.C.

It is at Calvary that he faithfully served and pastored for nearly 37 years. Before he became sick, he had only missed one service in just shy of 30 years. Every Sunday and Wednesday, he was devoted to being in his place in the pulpit, preaching The Gospel with excitement and teaching his congregation how to become better Christians and encouraging them to love and pray for one another - and others. The rest of the week, he was out visiting those in the hospital and those who were sick or home-bound, showing support to those in need, calling to check on his flock, on his knees fervently praying, and witnessing and testifying to anyone who would listen. He sacrificed so much of his time and denied himself daily in order to serve God and others. He had a special love for people and a gift for being able to share their joys and sorrows and found great joy in seeing people's lives changed by a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Rev. Coley loved hard, and he preached hard. He preached The Truth and never apologized for it, because he loved people enough to. He also possessed a playful sense of humor, always sharing his good old Coleyology! He was blessed with wisdom, blessed with love, and blessed with a gift for sharing both. He always said, "When I'm in the pulpit, I'm your preacher and I'm gonna lay it on you, and when I'm not in the pulpit, I'm your pastor and your best friend."

Henry Coley loved being a pastor, and he loved his family! If you had a nickname from him, you know you were loved!

Until his very last breath, he remained in the humble spirit of the Lord. With his hand holding on to his Bible, he was praising our Lord and giving Him glory! He was a man of great unwavering faith on which he built his life, who always strove to remain in close fellowship with the Lord and truly desired to live a great life of purpose - in God's will. Well done to a good and faithful servant!

Visitation was held at 2 pm Sunday February 20 followed by funeral service at 3 pm at Calvary Baptist Church in Cowpens, 451 Pleasant Valley Drive, Spartanburg 29307. Burial will follow the service in the church cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, those who desire may donate to Calvary Baptist Church in effort to carry on his legacy and love for the church.

Seawright Funeral Home, Inman SC  

The early Baggett years in Pine Bluff

 We found this photo of Cindy's dad and his brothers and sister

taken at a studio in Pine Bluff in the  early 1940's. 

Joel Layton Baggett, Jr (left) with his sister Robbie Kay Baggett Blackstock , 

and brothers Kelsea (front) and Ralph (Sonny) on the right.   

"Memories like the corners of my mind"

Remembering Aunt Louise:

I ran across this photo from 2010, when my mom and dad went with us to Arkansas for vacation.  We were able to stop in Jefferson City TN on the way back to SC and visit with my mother's sister (Aunt Louise) .  She is in Heaven now (she died May 31st) and so is my dad(he died July 2018)  

We miss them both.  

"So it's the laughter,  

We will remember,  

Whenever we remember the way we were" 

Mary Louise Rice McDaniel (September 25, 1927 - May 31, 2022)

 Mary Louise McDaniel, age 94, of Jefferson City TN, passed away on May 31, 2022. What can one say about a life well lived? Mary Louise McDaniel (affectionately known to her sons as Mama Mac, mom and to coworkers as Ms. Mac) lived a long and fruitful life.  She was born on September 25, 1927 to the Reverend John and  Ethel Rice in the town of Whitney, South Carolina. She worked in a cotton mill while she was in high school to help support her parents.  She was able to get a work scholarship to attend nursing college in Spartanburg, South Carolina and attended school from 1947 to 1951 (three and a half years). She said college was tough, especially chemistry and anatomy, but she worked hard and made good grades. She received her state board license as a RN in 1951. She moved to Jefferson City, TN in 1952 and started working at Jefferson Memorial Hospital until her retirement in 1990. After retirement, she was able to travel the world a bit. She said her favorite places were California and Hawaii, but she mostly enjoyed working in the garden and growing flowers at her home on Julienne Drive. 

Louise loved her children and prayed for them constantly as they grew up in the tumultuous 60's and 70's and continued to pray for them until the day she died on May 31, 2022. Louise would want you to know that she was a Christian, loved her church community at Faith Baptist Church and that she is in a much better place now. Godspeed mom. We will miss you greatly. 

She is preceded in death by parents, John and Ethel Rice; husband James McDaniel and brother James Rice. She is survived by her sons, Michael Edgar Greene and Patrick Anthony Greene; granddaughters Stephanie Atkinson and Shanna Atkinson; great grandchildren Sparrow, Sage and River, and her sister Martha Rice Franklin (from Cowpens,SC).  

Graveside service 12:00 PM Saturday, June 4 2022 at Mitchell Springs Cemetery with Rev. John Pinkston officiating.  Family and friends may call at their convenience Friday June 3 2022 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm at Fielden Funeral Home in New Market TN. 

Dick Vitale’s letter to Coach K | College Basketball on ESPN

Walking on streets of gold !

 Today Preacher Henry  Coley, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Cowpens, went home to be with the Lord and Savior , Jesus Christ! 

He is walking on the streets of gold, no more night, no more pain ... 

I can  just imagine .... him and my dad Preacher Gene Franklin hugging each other!  

This picture was from the 50th anniversary of the church in  2015. My dad, "Preacher Franklin" started the church in 1965 and  "Preacher Coley" took over in  1985 and pastored the  church for almost 37 years.  He will be missed by all (we are still missing my dad too)