Attention: Women Working

St. Clair women blaze trails
in male-dominated fields

Story by Elaine Hobson Miller
Photos by Kelsey Bain

The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the one guaranteeing women’s right to vote. It could also be the year that the Equal Rights Amendment, which guarantees equal legal rights for all Americans regardless of sex, becomes the 28th amendment.

While legal experts debate the uncertainty of the consequences of Virginia’s ERA ratification years after the original deadlines, along with the recisions of five other states, a couple of trailblazing women here in St. Clair County continue doing their jobs in male-dominated fields without concern for equal treatment.

In fact, Stephanie Foster, St. Clair’s first certified female school bus mechanic, and Belinda Crapet, the City of Springville’s first female police chief, say they got where they are with the help and encouragement of their male counterparts. For them, equal rights have never been an issue.

“The mechanics here (at the Pell City Schools bus shop) encouraged me to take the certification test, and they keep telling me I can do this,” Foster says. “Other mechanics sometimes make derogatory remarks at conferences and mechanic classes, but no one at the shop does.”

Foster, the second woman in the state to earn a school bus mechanic certification, is shop assistant for the Pell City Schools Transportation Department. Her primary job is behind a desk, where she handles morning dispatches and deals with parents calling about kids missing buses and drivers calling about fights among students.

She checks images that are captured from security cameras and sends digital copies to the Police Department when a video shows a driver not stopping while a school bus is loading or unloading. Occasionally, she fills in as a bus driver. A big part of her job is ordering parts, and being a certified mechanic comes in handy for that.

“Before, when a driverreported a problem, I had to get a work order to a mechanic, he would look at the bus, then a lot of times, I had to call a parts manufacturer for a diagram of the area where the problem was. Then the mechanic would identify which part was needed from the diagrams, and I would place the order,” she says. Now, she looks at the bus and diagrams, which she keeps on file, and determines herself which part to order. “It’s much more efficient this way,” she says. “The quicker we can get that bus back on the road, the better.”

She has been with the department since 2013 and was certified in January of last year. “You have to work in a shop five years before you can take the certification test,” she says. The three-part exam included an on-site, hands-on portion that involved a state instructor “bugging” a school bus. Foster found nine of the 10 changes the instructor made to the vehicle. “I missed the easiest one — the oil dipstick was missing,” she says.

Although she knows a piston ring from a push rod, shecan’t rebuild an engine. But she is familiar with all its parts. She helps with the state-required monthly bus inspections, hooking her laptop to the bus to find what’s causing engine lights to come on. She replaces fluids, light assemblies and switches. She is qualified to replace brake chambers, hazard and turn signal switches, and one of the most common problems in school buses — door switches. “They tend to break a lot on our new buses,” she says.

Drivers have to do safety pre-checks before each trip, mornings and after school. If they hear air escaping, or the air pressure gauge shows it isn’t building enough pressure, they know there is a leak. “I got certified because I wanted to be able to walk out to the bus and know what it is that’s leaking, not just say we have an air leak, but to tell them it’s the right rear brake chamber of a door that’s leaking air, for example,” says the 2010 graduate of Pell City High School. “Safety is important to me, and I wanted to make sure when I talk to our mechanics that I know what I’m talking about. I wanted to speak their language.”

The 27-year-old has always liked taking things apart to see what was inside and to learn how they worked. Her interest in mechanics developed as a teenager, when she hung out with her best friend, Patrick Ferguson, who worked on race cars, four-wheel drives and rock crawlers. “I was his sidekick, and he taught me a lot,” she says. She worked at Advance Auto Parts in Pell City and Leeds for two years, then as a painter’s prepper in a body shop.

Her husband, Joshua, paints vehicles for a living. The couple has two children. Their son, 7-year-old Tristan, thinks it’s cool to hang out at the shop with Mom each morning while awaiting his bus ride to school. Five-year-old Emma has shown no signs of following in Foster’s footsteps.

Kristy Lemley, shop secretary, was impressed when Foster did a road-side repair on a recent trip. “We were taking two buses to Transportation South, a bus dealer and repair shop, and the air line going to her seat busted,” Lemley said. “It made a loud noise, and Stephanie jumped. Then she hopped out of the bus, looked around and found the problem and fixed it. We went on with our trip.”

“They were air-ride seats, and mine dropped to the floor,” Foster recalls. “I couldn’t have driven the bus like that.”

 “She doesn’t give herself enough credit,” says Lemley. “She can do my job, her job, the supervisor’s job and most of the jobs of our mechanics.”

Justin Turner and Greg Davis, the other two shop mechanics, spent a lot of time helping her prepare for the state exams.

“Without those two, I would not have made it through the test,” Foster says.

Davis says he and Turner “think the world of her” and that she has been a definite asset to the shop. “If just any woman had come up to me and wanted to be trained, I would have had reservations, but I knew Stephanie’s character,” Davis says. “She has always been wise beyond her years and driven to be successful at things she does, so I had no qualms about showing her how to become a mechanic. She’s a bulldog, and when she gets something into her head, she does it. Those qualities are hard to find in any gender these days.”

This woman answers to ‘Chief’

Belinda Crapet Johnson has those same “git-‘er-done” qualities. She didn’t grow up wanting to be a police officer. She stumbled into law enforcement for lack of something to do and discovered her true calling. “My youngest child was in kindergarten, and we lived across the street from Moody City Hall,” says Crapet, who uses her middle name professionally. “I walked over to see whether the city was hiring. I got a job as part-time dispatcher. I was trained on the job.”

As a dispatcher, she would take a call, then send an officer to investigate. “I often wondered what happened on those calls,” she says. That curiosity led her to attend the Reserve (Weekend) Police Academy in 1992. “They don’t change anything in the academy because you are female,” she says. “Physical agility, firearms, all of the requirements and tests are standardized.” She prepared herself for the physical demands of the academy by running to get into shape.

 Sometime during the early 1990s, central dispatch came into the county, eliminating her job with Moody. She went to work in the county probate office. She had already finished the academy by then, so when Moody had an opening for a police officer, she joined the force.

“I was was there six or eight years and was one of the first school resource officers in that city,” she says. “This was around the time of the Columbine (Colorado) school shooting.” She was a police officer in Odenville from 2001-2008, served briefly on the Ragland police force, then went to Springville in 2010. “I started as a patrol officer, was promoted to investigator, then I was appointed chief in 2018,” she says. “I had the rank of sergeant in Odenville but was hired as a patrol officer here.”

Although she’s the first female police chief for Springville, Crapet is quick to point out that she isn’t the first woman police chief in St. Clair County. “Branchville has had two women police chiefs, Wendy Long and the late Joann Lowe, and Argo has had one, Rebecca Downing,” she says.

According to a recent article by the Associated Press, only five of the nation’s 50 largest police departments are led by women. A 2013 survey by the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives showed only 169 women leading the more than 1,500 law enforcement agencies across the United States that responded to the survey. A 2018 survey reported by Statista, an online business data platform, said only 26.7% of law enforcement officers are female. Springville has two females out of 11 officers, including Chief Crapet.

Even though she’s the chief, Crapet doesn’t wear a full or Class A uniform all the time. “That’s for dress-up,” she says. She usually works in a Class B uniform, which consists of a Polo-type shirt and black or khaki pants. Her five children grew up seeing their mom in a police uniform, but her eight grandchildren and two great-grands are still getting used to the idea.

“The grandkids don’t usually see me with gun and badge,” she says. “One day I walked into the house of my 3-year-old grandson in full uniform and he said, ‘Nana, what are you doing?’ I said, ‘I’m a police officer.’ He just looked at me.’ Another grandchild had to do a history project and chose female law enforcement officers in Alabama as her topic.”

As for how she would feel about one of her grandchildren going into law enforcement, she says she would support her — or him. So far not one has expressed an interest in it. “I was school resource officer at Moody High School when my kids were there,” she says. “That was awkward for them.”

 Her job requires a lot of administrative work in her office at City Hall. That office could best be described as “executive unisex.” A four-month dry-erase calendar hangs on a wall behind her large desk. “A Policeman’s Prayer” banner hangs on another wall, alongside a painting of rocking chairs and an American flag on a country front porch. Facing the desk is a flat-screen television hanging next to a Back-the-Blue wreath. A vacuum cleaner sits next to a coffee pot.

Theoretically, Crapet only has to spend 40 hours per week in her office or in her unmarked patrol car. Realistically, she is on call 24 hours a day. She doesn’t get called out much in the middle of the night, though. “I had to go out more when I was an investigator,” she says. “My husband hardly knew when I was gone.”

She likes getting out of the office, talking with business owners, their employees and people on the street. She wants them to know she cares. “I go to school events, too,” she says. “I’m best at community relations. I love that and working with children.”

Frank Mathews, a police investigator for Springville, has known Crapet for 17 years. “She’s a great chief, she’s doing an excellent job,” he says. “It’s the experience she has behind her that makes her so good. She’s been there, done that. She has come up through the ranks. Blue is blue — male or female.”

Springville Mayor William Isley says he recommended Crapet to the City Council upon the recommendation of former Chief Bill Lyle when Lyle retired. “She wears the hat well,” he says. “She works hard to retain the officers we have and makes sure they stay up-to-date on all their certifications. I’m impressed with her. She’s in a male-dominated profession, but this lady has walked into it and stood tall. She demands the respect of all who work for her. I fully support her in all she does.” Crapet says she and Cathy Goodwin, a lieutenant with the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department, have been around longer than any other female law enforcement officers in the county. “I’ve got 29 years of service, 25 of them on the street,” she says. In all that time, she has caught no flack about being female, neither from fellow officers nor from people in the communities in which she has served. “I’ve had a lot of good mentoring from male officers through the years,” she says. “I’ve seen a lot of women come and go. I’m still here because I’m just stubborn. When you come into this field, as long as you realize you are held to the same standard as male officers, you will be fine.”

Pickleball?

It’s all the new rage

Story by Eryn Ellard

Photos by Carol Pappas

The winter chill is starting to wear off, and those sweet, sweet, fleeting days of spring are upon us again. For outdoor lovers, there’s a new game in town — pickleball. Combining tennis, badminton and ping-pong, pickleball has become one of America’s fastest growing recreational sports.

The pickleball craze, which first began in the Sun Belt region about a decade ago, has made its way to St. Clair County, and residents are coming in droves to secure a court every day at the newly renovated Pell City Civic Center.

Tennis pro of Pell City Sarah Stewart has taught tennis for over 20 years and played the sport her entire life. Her heart belongs to the sport, as she has molded her career around her love for the game and the students she coaches – and she is amazed at the turnout the Civic Center has had for pickleball.

Stewart said several of the tennis courts have been taped off to create special pickleball courts, which unlike their tennis counterparts — make the court much shorter. “This game really isn’t your grandma’s sport, it gets competitive and is definitely a great workout,” Stewart said. “There are a lot of people who don’t enjoy tennis, but love pickleball.”

The game itself has a quirky set of rules — for example, players need not find themselves in “the kitchen,” otherwise the rules of the game are quick and easy to learn. Doubles are most popular, although singles are also popular. An entire match usually lasts around 15 minutes. Players also do not have to worry about expensive gear, the sport is played with an oversized ping pong paddle and a whiffle ball, which according to Stewart is another attractive feature about the game. “You can get a paddle and a package of whiffle balls at any sporting goods store for less than $30 and be ready to go, where other racqueted sports can become costly with equipment.”

The game is simple, keep hitting the ball back and forth until someone makes a mistake. The game ends when the first team reaches 11 points and is ahead of the opponent by two points.

There also is a seven-foot area directly on each side of the net, which is considered a “no volley zone,” and in pickleball this is called “the kitchen.” The reason for having this badminton spin, “the kitchen,” is to keep players from making slam shots over the net, resulting in players making more planned out shots. It also adds more margin for error for the opposing team.

Many teams will make up their own penalties for stepping into “the kitchen,” from loss of point to forfeiting the match. Like tennis, both players serve once before handing the serve to the other team.

A player must allow the whiffle ball to bounce at least once before hitting it back on the first serve. The initial serve must be under-handed, as well as all other contact with the ball, and the hit must be no higher than the player’s bellybutton and clear the net and “kitchen.”

After the match’s initial serve and bounce, players can hit the ball back and forth without allowing it to bounce again. A point can also only be scored by the serving team. 

For Smith, she enjoys watching some of the more advanced teams making calculated decisions, with their partners. “It definitely is a mental game,” she said. “Even though the court is much smaller than a tennis court, you have to be ready and be just as quick.”

She also added that the health benefits are great. “One of my regulars reserved a court, and they played for the longest time. When he was finished playing several matches, he was surprised to see he had taken in over 7,000 steps.”  But there is a less amount of running, jarring and straining to big muscle groups, unlike in tennis. “I can definitely see how it is so popular … because anyone can play. It is a quick game, easy to pick up, and it is far less strenuous on the body than other rec sports,” Smith said.

Pell City local Rodney White plays the sport with his neighbor as his partner for doubles. White said they both enjoy the sport because it is low impact, but also competitive. Holding the number 1 spot as reigning pickleball champions of First United Methodist Churches of Greater Birmingham, the Gherkins said they are so glad the city has updated its facilities to include the sport, and are so happy to hear the upcoming news of an indoor court coming to the Civic Center as well.

 “An indoor court will be just what we need in this Alabama heat,” White said. “We didn’t get near the practice we needed last summer to get ready for tournament play due to the heat and humidity—it was brutal.”

The Pell City City Council also approved funding to replace the flooring in the multi-purpose room, which will allow for an inside pickleball court. Civic Center Manager Valerie Painter said they are so excited about the new flooring and the expansion of activities the Civic Center will be able to offer. The new flooring is called Elasti-Plus, which according to Painter, is much more conducive to indoor exercise, and still looks good. 

“It has a cushioned feel and will give us the ability to expand our class offerings to include higher impact classes that put more strain on the knees or joints, such as dance classes or High Impact Aerobics,” Painter said.  In addition, a pickleball court will be painted on the floor which will give the community access to indoor play.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer the community two outdoor courts at the Tennis Center and soon we will be able to offer an indoor court as well,” Painter said. 

“The addition of these three courts goes right along with the City’s desire to make the Civic Center a more active space that offers a little something for everyone at a very affordable price.”

Currently the Civic Center does not have any paddles or balls, so players need to bring their own, and call and reserve a court for $5.

Chandler Mountain landmark

Mt. Lebanon First Congregational Methodist Church

Story by Joe Whitten

Submitted photos

Pioneers settling here were generally people of the Christian faith, and very soon they formed churches. First Baptist Springville (1817) and Ashville United Methodist (1818) are documented as over 200 years old.

Two hundred years ago, St. Clair County’s forested mountains and lush valleys had welcomed a number of pioneer families into its boundaries. Early written accounts record that these hearty settlers established homes among the Native Americans who populated the area until their removal by President Andrew Jackson.

But oral history speaks of an older one. In the 1975 Some Early Alabama Churches, published by The Alabama Society Daughters of the American Revolution, is found written about today’s Macedonia Baptist in Ragland, “… this church is said to be the oldest church in St. Clair County, and it is thought [that] it was organized in 1812.” However, it gives no source for this date, and so far, none has been found. One hopes that someday an old diary or family Bible might establish the correct date of this church. Presbyterian churches appeared later in the 19th century, and as the century progressed, populations increased, and churches sprang up throughout St. Clair County. Several of these will turn 200 years old in a few years, and many have celebrated over 100 years of existence.

One of the loveliest places in St. Clair is Chandler Mountain’s high plateau, which extends about 10 miles in northwest St. Clair County. Today it is the county’s garden spot, but it lay a wooded wilderness when Joel Chandler settled at its base in the early 1800s. Oral history states that hunters had a trail up the mountain near Chandler’s home, and it came to be called Chandler’s Mountain. Over time, the apostrophe “s” dropped off, and we have today’s name.

Vivian Qualls, in her History of Steele Alabama, records that in 1855 Cicero Johnson was the first brave soul to forge his way up the mountain to settle. Gradually, other settlers followed, but it wasn’t until 1905 that the first church was established there. However, community worship and revivals occurred before 1905, for people of faith have always worshiped together in some fashion even when denominational churches had not organized. Established churches existed at the foot of the mountain, but getting there wasn’t easy, for the trip would have been by foot, horseback or wagon down a mountain trail. Like any early settlement community, believers met together in homes to worship as often they could.

One of the early settlers, Hezekiah McWaters, was a Methodist preacher, and Mrs. Qualls writes that he preached and conducted revivals in Greasy Cove at the foot of the mountain.

The roots of today’s Mt. Lebanon rest solidly in Ellijay, Ga., for a large percentage of early Chandler Mountain settlers came from there. Among those were the Robinson brothers, Bob, Jake and Dan. It was through the influence of this family that the mountain’s first church came into being.

Another Robinson brother, William J., a Congregational minister, would travel from Ellijay to Chandler and conduct revivals. It was a big event when William visited, and the collective Robinson families would attend his revival services. As a result of the 1905 revival, Mt. Lebanon Congregational Church organized with 11 charter members: William Robinson, J.J. Robinson, Elvina Robinson, Daniel Robinson, Elizabeth Robinson, Della Robinson, J.B. “Bent” Engle, Lucy Engle, Hettie Hyatt, Delia Wood and Ollie Engle Wood. Bent Engle sold the church two acres on which to build a sanctuary. Cost? $4.

William Robinson served as the first pastor of Mt. Lebanon from 1905-1911. He moved from the mountain, but in 1912, he returned to preach the revival services, and during that revival fell ill and died. His remains were interred in the cemetery across the road from Mt. Lebanon church.

The Congregational Church came to America through the English Puritans who suffered persecution for their non-Anglican doctrines. Coming to America, the Puritans established in 1620 the Parish Church, Plymouth, Mass., as the first Congregational Church in America. By 1640, 18 churches had been established in Massachusetts.

Jonathan Edwards, considered America’s greatest theologian, pastored a Congregation church when he preached the sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” A sermon documented as having a profound effect during the 18th century revival movement known as the First Great Awaking.

We don’t know who brought the Congregational Church to Ellijay, but we do know that members of that denomination moved to Chandler Mountain and organized Mt. Lebanon Congregational Church.

Mt. Lebanon’s name has changed more than once over the years as the original Congregational denomination became less traditionally biblical in their theology. In the 1970s, the denomination’s name changed to United Church of Christ, which changed the meaning of “congregational” church. Therefore, on Oct. 24, 1981, Mt. Lebanon held a conference to discuss membership in the First Congregational Methodist denomination. A month later, the church voted to make the change, and on Dec. 18, 1981, Lebanon was accepted to full membership. Today, the church’s name is Mt. Lebanon First Congregational Methodist Church. The denomination’s headquarters is in Boaz.

Early minutes record interesting history. In the November 1928 business meeting, offerings received from members totaled $28.44. After paying National Conference dues and other expenses, $6.95 was “cash turned over to church treasurer.”

From August 1947 a penciled note in the record books states that it was a wonderful year with nearly “100 conversions. Mary (Ma) Smith said, ‘the whole of Chandler Mountain got saved.’”

Unlike the United Methodist, the First Congregational Methodist local church owns its own property, chooses its pastors, baptizes by emersion and oversees itself rather than being presided over by bishops.

The church records contain the names of all who have served as pastors. The pastor who served from 1933 to 1936, Annie Moats, is of interest, for women pastors were not approved by most churches in those days. According to Mt. Lebanon’s history booklet, Annie and Alley Mathis “Mac” Moats came to Chandler Mountain in the early 1930s. Of German ancestry, Annie Struckmeyer Moats was an ordained Congregational minister. Having pastored churches in Cullman and Lawrence counties, she met and married Mac Moats in one of those counties. Annie died in 1937 and was buried in the Mt. Lebanon Cemetery. The Moats’ granddaughter, Barbara Robinson, was a member of Mt. Lebanon from 1959 until her death on April 13, 2019, age 92. Barbara’s husband, C.L., was a church member from 1948 until his death on Sept. 27, 2018, age 91, and served as a deacon until his death. He was a direct descendant of charter member Dan Robinson.

In the 1940s, Mt. Lebanon replaced the original wooden church with one of cement blocks painted white. This building had a covered porch at the entrance and three new Sunday school rooms at the back. These rooms were fitted with doors that folded so the space could also be used as a fellowship hall.

As years passed, the block church was bricked and a steeple added in the mid-1980s. Around 1989, the church added a Fellowship Hall and in the 1990s installed a baptistry in the sanctuary and added more restrooms and a pastor’s study. The 2000s saw the inside of the sanctuary refurbished with new drywall, carpet and lighting in time for the 100th anniversary in 2005.

Prior to the baptistry being added, Susan Kell remembers when the church baptized converts in the creek and later in Chandler Mountain Lake. Karen Beasley recalls being baptized in the lake. “I was baptized in Chandler Mountain Lake by Carl Gaskin and Wayne Deweese. It was so funny, because my sister-in-law, Faye Beasley, was being baptized the same day, and her dog went out into the lake, and we couldn’t get that dog to go back, and the preachers finally said, ‘Well, just let him come on out.’ And they went ahead with the baptizing.”

However, a building with all conveniences is not the church; the individual members and the pastor who shepherds them are the church. So it has been with Mt. Lebanon, and it has flourished through the years because of the members’ faithfulness in serving God and in nurturing family and friends.

Caring for one another

The story is told of a teenage couple who wed and started married life in relative’s home. This did not work out and the adolescent couple suddenly found themselves without a place to live. Needing work, the husband went to a member of Mt. Lebanon, told him his predicament, asked, “Could I farm with you?”

This godly farmer and his wife took the couple under their compassionate wings and provided the help needed. The farmer is now in Heaven, but not forgotten, for the young man learned to farm well and successfully. Recently, he saw the farmer’s widow and told her, “Your family has meant a lot to me. Your husband put me on my first tractor, and told me, ‘Farm.’”

Yearly events at Mt. Lebanon include the Easter Sunrise Service; Homecoming every fourth Sunday in May; Women’s Conference in August; an October Fall Festival with soup, chili and desserts; then in December, participation in Franklin Graham’s international Samaritan’s Purse ministry, a Christmas program, and a fellowship meal. Of the Easter Sunrise Service, Susan Kell said, “That is a beautiful service. It’s outside, right on the bluff overlooking the distance.”

Many of Mt. Lebanon’s activities and events occur in cooperation with Chandler Mt. Baptist and churches in the valley. Karen Beasley told of the October Trunk-or-Treat event. “Our men always come together and cook the hotdogs — we do 700 — and everybody helps wrap hotdogs. This event is sponsored by all the area churches donating and working together.” No hotdogs remain when the fun night ends.

Youth Night includes all churches. “We have Youth Service,” Karen said, “where we do a community Youth Night with all the local churches — Ashville First Baptist, Chandler Mt. Baptist, Steele Baptist, Deerman’s Chapel and Reeves Grove. We do that on nearly every fourth Sunday night. The churches rotate. Susan’s grandson, Garrett Spears, played the guitar at our last one at Chandler Mt. Baptist.”

Four churches work together to prepare Backpack Buddies. This local mission outreach provides nutritious food for families who need help in providing for their families.

A nursing home visit each month is another local mission’s outreach. “We go to the Attalla nursing home and Gadsden Healthcare,” Susan Kell said. “Brother Alvin Turner, our pastor, brings a short sermon, and the residents enjoy that spiritual contact — even the staff enjoys it. Our choir members who are not working also go. We take a keyboard with us. The lady who plays it is in her 80s, but you’d not know it. Afterwards, we go out to lunch.”

Mt. Lebanon has international missions outreach as well. For several years, the church has partnered with New Desire Christian Ministries Church and Mission in La Ermita, Honduras.

Bro. Alvin Turner has pastored Mt. Lebanon for 16 years, which is a testimony to his ministry considering the fact that some churches change ministers often. In an interview, he said that growth in numbers is good if it is connected with spiritual growth. His heartfelt desire is for the church members to continue to grow spiritually as the years progress.

In speaking of Mt. Lebanon’s missions’ work, Bro. Alvin’s voice revealed the excitement. “Going on a mission trip will change your life.” He feels blessed to have made several mission trips, for the church has worked a number of years in Honduras at La Ermita with a mission and a church owned and run by New Desire Christian Ministries. Mt. Lebanon has helped support them financially and physically with constructing buildings there. By returning year after year to the same place, the church has built a relationship with the community. Bro. Turner sees these mission trips as obeying God’s command to “go into all the world” and share the Gospel.

Current Mt. Lebanon deacons are Josh Kell, Jerrell Jordan, Jason Ballard, Steve Bryant, Eddie Beasley and Johnny Beasley. Bro. Alvin said that he and the deacons “have a wonderful relationship” working together in the church. Brothers, Eddie and Johnny Beasley, are descended from early Chandler Mountain settler Bob Robinson.

For the music of the church, Sandra Dobbins, pianist, and Bro. Alvin, choir director, work together in selecting congregational songs and choir specials.

When asked about the church’s senior member, Frances Kell, Bro. Alvin spoke of her as “an amazing lady” who is a godly influence in the church and community. He also spoke of Frances’ husband, Ernest, and of his work in the church, recalling that “he didn’t like to spend money.” And that’s a good thing since a church is using God’s money given by its members.

When asked about church members who are or were influential in the church, Karen Beasley and Susan Kell both responded with these names: Aunt Margaret Fore, Ernest Kell and Wayne Deweese. Both ladies talked of Deweese, telling how people used to walk to Mt. Lebanon, and “… you’d see them coming through the fields and hear the most beautiful singing as they sang all the way to church.” Ernest Kell’s widow, 94-year-old Frances, is a sustaining influence in the church today.

Of Ernest Kell, Susan said, “My father-in-law, Ernest, remembered coming from Ellijay to the mountain in a wagon. He said he walked a lot of the way, but when it would rain, he would get up in the wagon, and his mother would cover him with her long dress. He said somebody had been here and came back to Ellijay and said, ‘That’s where we need to go; there’s all sorts of farmland.’ He was 12 years old.”

An autumn drive up the mountain with the sunshine making a stained-glass canopy of arching multi-colored trees ended at Frances Kell’s home. Although in her 90s, she remains more active than many folks who are years younger. She drives herself to church and Steele Nutrition Center during the day, but confides, “I don’t drive at night.”

She and Ernest married right after he came home from World War II and settled in to farming, first growing cotton and then tomatoes. She recalled the early freeze of 1948 that caused enormous loss to the farmers. “We were picking tomatoes in that field right over there, and somebody said, ‘We’d better turn our buckets over, it’s gonna snow tonight.’ We turned the buckets over, but we didn’t think it would. But boy did it come a big one.” Interestingly she did not mention the financial loss, which gives evidence of faith and courage in the face of adversity.

She spoke lovingly of her church and workers there, mentioning Margaret Fore as having taught the Kell children in Sunday school. She told how Ernest had been a deacon, a Sunday school teacher and the song leader for many years. “He attended those old-timey singing schools,” she recalled, “and he really learned music. I went, but I didn’t learn it. When he was getting to where he’d forget which verse he should be on — that problem had started to set in — they were trying to decide on a new song leader. They talked to one they were interested in, and when they asked what he’d charge, he said, ‘Why, I’ll not charge you anything.’ And Ernest spoke up and said, ‘That’s your man!’” Declining in some ways, perhaps, but he was still thrifty with church monies. That was Ernest Kell.

Revivals, fellowship kindle memories

When asked if she remembered any special church event, she told of a revival conducted by Bro. Bean. “He tried to bring it to a close three times, and it kept going — went on for three weeks. People were going to the altar and getting saved. That was the revival that Ma (Mary) Smith said, ‘Everybody on the mountain got saved.’ And all of her family did get saved, and they were grown men. People prayed back then,” she said thoughtfully.

Every church-going person knows funny things sometimes happen in church meetings, and Frances’ memories go down this path. “People would shout back then,” she said. “Bellie Hyatt was shouting in a service one day, and she looked out the window and saw their mules had got loose from the wagon. She stopped shouting long enough to tell her husband, ‘Quinten, the mules are loose!,’ then went back to shouting.”

Another memory came to mind. “Aunt Mollie Barnes shouted, too. She had long hair that she rolled up in a knot on the back of her head, like women did back then. She’d get to shouting and her hair would shake loose, and bobby pins would go flying. Joe, her husband, would come behind her picking up the pins off the floor and give them to her when her shouting was over.”

The subject of church fellowship dinners came up, and when asked what special dishes she took, she replied, “I usually take cakes. I used to take different ones, but now they like for me to bring my strawberry cake.” This cake is famous at Mt. Lebanon for it is Frances’ own recipe. “My husband’s favorite cake was coconut — you know, the old-fashioned kind with seven-minute icing. Well, one year we had so many strawberries that I wondered why I couldn’t use strawberries and sugar instead of coconut and sugar for the icing. So, I tried it, and they loved it.

“I have a friend who’s been bedridden for years, and he loves that cake. So, I made him one for his birthday. I enjoy doing that for people.” Frances may never have given thought to this, but she has a ministry of baking that is as useful in God’s work as any other area of service. Recently on the PBS The Great British Baking Show, a contestant said this of her cooking: “When I cook for family and friends I mix in love. If I’m kneading dough, I knead in love; if I’m mixing cake batter, I mix in love. I bake with love.” That seems to describe Frances Kell’s method as well.

When Frances’ great grandson, William “Will” Kell Spears, was asked what he loved about his great-grandmother’s cooking, he said, “Her biscuits! Nobody can make biscuits like she does. I’ve tried and mother has tried, but we can’t make them as good.” When Frances heard this, she laughed and said, “They just don’t try often enough. I’ve been making ‘em a long time.”

Will Spears is a sophomore at the University of Mobile majoring in Special Education, and he bears the hallmarks of a godly heritage received from great-grandparents, grandparents, parents and church. At age 12, he went on his first mission trip to Honduras, and has returned seven more times. In January 2019, he wrote in an online article, “I truly have no words to describe how grateful I am that God has allowed me to be a part of New Desire Honduras from the very beginning, and has allowed me to experience His presence at work. … This ministry … has challenged me to grow in my faith, to love more, to listen and trust God’s will for my life, and to know that we serve a God who is good and can make even the worst of situations display His majesty and sovereignty over our lives.”

Of Will’s 2018 trip to Africa, Will told in an interview, “My Trip to Kenya changed me in ways I could have never imagined. I went on this trip to serve, love and share the Gospel with the people in a large village outside of Nairobi. I didn’t expect, however, to be taught so much myself, about God’s love, His faithfulness, and what true worship looks like from the amazing people I met there. … It truly rocked my world. Join me in praying for the believers in Africa, Honduras and America, and know that we are all called to make disciples, whether it be across the sea or across the street.”

Near the end of his Honduras article, Will wrote, “The people who make up the New Desire Christian Church are some of the most loving people you will ever meet in this world.” These words seem to describe Mt. Lebanon First Congregational Methodist Church as well. You’d be welcomed to worship with them on a Sunday or to join them for Bible study on Wednesday evening.

Try to visit on a day when they’re having fellowship lunch afterwards and Frances Kell is there with her famous strawberry cake. You’ll find food for both soul and body at this historic St. Clair County church.

St. Clair Tourism

Blair Goodgame promoting county in new post

Story by Leigh Pritchett

Photos by Graham Hadley and submitted photos

Blair Goodgame has been to 15 countries spanning four continents.

Though she relishes traveling, she tends to share Dorothy’s sentiments in “The Wizard of Oz”: “There’s no place like home! There’s no place like home!”

Enjoying the place she calls home … and encouraging others to do so … is what Goodgame does on a daily basis.

In September 2019, she became tourism coordinator with St. Clair County Economic Development Council (EDC). “It is a brand-new position and program, part of the EDC’s five-year plan, Partnership for Tomorrow,” Goodgame said. “We are in year one of that.” Hiring a tourism coordinator was one of the first-year goals.

As tourism coordinator, Goodgame spends her days exploring and discovering different aspects of St. Clair County and promoting them to potential visitors, businesses and industries.

Tourism “goes hand-in-hand with economic development,” Goodgame said. She called tourism a “clean” industry that is indicative of a vibrant life within a community. Such vitality is what business prospects want to see in a locale they are considering.

In quick succession, Goodgame enumerates one asset of the county after another, starting with the resort areas Neely Henry Lake in northern St. Clair and Logan Martin Lake in southern St. Clair. She adds to that Horse Pens 40 near Steele, Mustang Museum in Odenville and the Forever Wild park near Springville. She points out that the county has outfitters, outlets for kayaking, extreme sports parks, bouldering destinations, competitive events, motorcycle racing, off-road trails, aerobatics flight instruction, summer camps, national tournaments, nature preserves and Moody’s Miracle League, a baseball league for people with special needs.

As for the arts, St. Clair has a prolific visual, musical and theatrical community, Goodgame continues. A few examples would be galleries, concerts, entertainment, songwriters and music festivals and stage productions. She also mentioned learning opportunities, such as music schools and dance studios.

Plus, there are wedding chapels and venues for parties, reunions, receptions, conventions and conferences.

“We’re learning more every day. … (There are) so many more things I didn’t realize we have here … (and) other people in the county were not aware of also,” said Goodgame.

In addition to all that, Talladega Superspeedway to the east of St. Clair and Barber Motorsports Park to the west bring visitors through the county, visitors who may stop to eat, shop or refuel, Goodgame said.

“It is also hoped that the more people who visit on a regular basis, some of them will want to actually live and work in our community,” said Jason Roberts, EDC’s director of industry and workforce development.

When that happens, Roberts said, the county’s population increases, as does its workforce, which naturally appeals to prospective businesses and industries.

Among Goodgame’s responsibilities as tourism coordinator are compiling an encompassing list of sites, venues, parks, events and opportunities countywide; creating a calendar of events in the county; getting input from communities on promoting what they have to offer; establishing a multimedia means for disseminating information about St. Clair’s tourism aspects and using regional and state resources to spread the information beyond the county’s borders.

Soon, she will engage a branding company to create a slogan that captures the essence of St. Clair in a few words.

“Blair has really hit the ground running and has already begun cataloging and identifying assets throughout the county, while also building relationships statewide with other tourism organizations,” said Don Smith, EDC’s executive director. “She is preparing to begin a branding campaign the beginning of 2020, as well as meeting with event organizers for a variety of events in the spring. We had very high expectations for Blair after the extensive search (for a tourism coordinator), and she continues to impress us all daily. She is the perfect embodiment of our county’s tourism opportunities.”

Goodgame grew up on marinas and in campgrounds in the Pell City area, enjoying St. Clair’s warm climate and beautiful scenery. Logan Martin Lake and the great outdoors were her playground.

“I’ve always had a love of the outdoors, and the water still resonates with me,” Goodgame said.

She credits her mother, Cindy Goodgame, with nurturing that desire to be in nature. “She is always supportive. She shares a love of the outdoors,” said Blair Goodgame, who kayaks, camps, gardens and participates in community theater and yoga classes. “… (She) made me the woman I am today.”

After graduating from The Donoho School in Anniston, Goodgame majored in English at Auburn University and minored in art history. Her plan was to become an attorney. To prepare, she served as a congressional intern in the office of U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-AL.

Yet, at law school orientation in 2009, she decided this was not the path her life should take. She returned to Pell City and became operations assistant for Goodley Corp., the family business.

“I love Pell City. I love St. Clair County. It’s home,” said Goodgame, who lives in a 1902 farmhouse.

In 2011, she became owner of Lakeside Package and Fine Spirits, which she operated almost five years at her family’s Lakeside Landing RV Park & Marina. Determined that Lakeside Package should be an “experience” rather than just a store, Goodgame offered party supplies and events, such as wine tastings and an appearance by Tim Smith from the television show, “Moonshiners.”

That marketing strategy translated into a sales increase of at least 35 percent each year. Pell City Chamber of Commerce selected hers as “emerging business of the year” in 2013.

The business venture, Alexandra Blair Calligraphy and Celebrations, has operated concurrently with her other work endeavors. As an artist and event specialist, Goodgame plans weddings, showers, birthdays and other memorable occasions and produces the artistic elements and hand-lettered envelopes needed.

In the community, Goodgame was president of Pell City Rotary Club and district Rotary governor, a board member of Pell City Chamber of Commerce, a graduate of Alabama Leadership Initiative, and a graduate and board member of Leadership St. Clair (which is an EDC program). In 2014, the Rotary Club deemed her “Rotarian of the Year” and a “Paul Harris Fellow.” She would receive the latter award again in 2015 and 2018.

Recently, Goodgame was selected to serve on the PARCA Roundtable of the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama.

To help those in need, Goodgame serves as board of trustees secretary for Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama and was chairwoman of the YWCA Purse and Passion fundraising luncheon in St. Clair. During her four years as Purse and Passion chairwoman, corporate and community support for the St. Clair luncheon increased manifold, reaching $105,000 in 2017. In 2014, the Alabama Chapter of Fundraising Professionals chose Goodgame “volunteer of the year.”

Candice Hill, EDC’s retail/marketing specialist, sees Goodgame as the ideal fit for the tourism coordinator position.

“Blair has a vast knowledge of tourism assets in St. Clair County, as she has a history here and has always been an explorer of things around her,” Hill said. “In both her educational background and her personal experience, she has a host of abilities to bring to the table for tourism in St. Clair County. I believe that her spirit and energy, along with her love for St. Clair County, will make her very successful in this position.”

Goodgame finds that the more she discovers and learns about the county, the more enthusiastic she is to call attention to those assets.

She excitedly talks about one of her ideas, which is to establish “trails” through St. Clair for things like barbecue tasting, birding, history, outlaws and moonshiners, locally made items, you-pick farms. …

“Our options,” she said, “are endless right now.”

Editor’s Note: St. Clair County Economic Development Council is funded through the St. Clair County Commission and private partners. The EDC is housed on the campus of Jefferson State Community College in Pell City.

Big Canoe Creek

Kayaking in nature’s splendor

Story by Linda Long

Submitted photos

Get out the paddles, the oars and canoes. Don’t forget fishing poles, tackle boxes and bait. Throw in those binoculars for some serious birdwatching. Some have even spotted an eagle or two. Oh, and don’t forget the sunscreen.

Folks in and around St. Clair County are heralding the arrival of spring and all it has to offer. Tops on just about everybody’s favorites “to do” list is Big Canoe Creek. The treasured waterway runs through Ashville and Springville, providing adventures not only for kayaks and canoes, but also for fishing enthusiasts, birdwatchers and anybody who’s seeking to unplug and unwind.

For Meg Hays, who along with husband Perry own Big Canoe Creek Outfitters in Springville, getting out on the creek is almost a spiritual experience.

“We offer a trip down the creek where people get to experience nature in a different way … a way that a lot a lot of people never get to see,” Hays says. “It’s peaceful here. It’s quiet. We see all kinds of wildlife, a very diverse group of fish and birds, egrets, owls, hawks. I mean all kinds of birds. 

We even have a couple of bald eagles that live around here.”

She believes the creek’s solitude is a big draw for many visitors. “You don’t pass any civilization. You’re just out there in the woods.

Paddling the creek provides a great family time to enjoy nature together. “I think that’s why a lot of people have come to see us.”

Randall Vann, owner of Yak tha Creek in Ashville, couldn’t agree more. “We’re all outdoors people here at my house. We’ve always enjoyed being outdoors, whether it’s on the water or in the woods. We’re passionate about it. We spend a lot of our downtime enjoying the nature that God has given us.”

Vann gives his business address as “off the side of the road, on Highway 231, at the bridge coming into Ashville.” Folks seem to have no trouble following those directions. On a weekend day from April through Labor Day, cars are lined up at the bridge, their passengers ready for an adventure on the creek.

“It’s about a three to three-and-a-half-hour trip,” said Vann, “although there is no time limit. We’ve got people who come just to fish. They’ll stay from eight in the morning till dark.”

But for the most part, Vann says, they come to “pretty much, just enjoy the creek, the scenery and the weather. They get in their boats and may have to paddle a little bit to stay straight, but typically, they just get out there with a Bluetooth speaker listening to music with a group of friends. They just hang out. They’ll find a place by the side of the creek to go swimming. It’s just a place to relax. Sometimes we get a mom and dad and a couple of kids, and the kids like to race their parents to see who gets back first.”

Yak tha Creek opened in 2016. Since that time, according to Vann, “we’ve grown and grown and grown. We started out with 12 little store-bought boats and one pickup truck. Now, we can handle about 60 people at a time,” he said. “We have a passenger van to haul people, and we run three pickup trucks all weekend long.”

He says visitors come from all across Alabama.

Vann’s success seems to reflect a national trend in kayaking. According to a recent report in

Time, kayaking has risen to one of the fastest growing sports in the nation. It has grown to more than 8 million active participants, marking a substantial increase from 3.5 million just 10 years ago.

Hays isn’t surprised by the boat’s growing popularity. “Anybody can kayak,” she said. “One of the beauties of this section of the creek that we’re on is that it is very beginner friendly. We’ve had so many newbies come through. They had never been in a kayak before, and they loved it. They learned the boat and how to paddle and were able to make it to the end. They said they couldn’t wait to come back.”

There is also, no age limit on who can paddle the creek. “I’ve sent them down as young as six and as old as 78,” she recalled. “We also had a 2-year-old ride the creek in a tandem boat, where the parent paddles in the back.”

The Outfitters have recently opened four primitive campsites, complete with picnic tables, fire rings and tent areas. The business is open year-round, seven days a week. Reservations are $35 for a single kayak; $50 for a double. The shuttle fee with your own boat is $10.

Yak tha Creek is open weekends, April through Labor Day, and weekdays with prior arrangements. Cost is $30 per kayak and $5 for your own boat.

Discounts are offered to the military, nurses, teachers, fire and police.

Group discounts are available with five or more renting.

Doug Morrison, president of the conservation group, Friends of Canoe Creek, has said, “paddling the creek is giving people a chance to explore, to stop and see, if they will pay attention. They’ll see that when you paddle up a creek, you tend to observe nature more than just walking outside in your backyard. When you paddle up a creek, you will see all kinds of creatures. In today’s society there’s just not enough outdoor recreation. People are too plugged into their electronic devices.”

Marion Frazier

A beacon of love, hope and service

Story by Joe Whitten

Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr.

Submitted photos

“How would I describe Marion Frazier?” Bill Hereford, asked, echoing the interviewer’s question. “That’s easy — dynamite comes in small packages. Marion is a great community leader and friend who lives her faith. She gives me chills when she sings our national anthem.”

If you don’t know Marion Frazier, you’ve missed knowing a Pell City personality whose countenance and demeanor radiates her love for God, family, church and community. She has a deep concern for others — a life principle instilled in her by her mother, Lizzie Roberson. Marion voiced this when she spoke of her students as “the students I served.” Only the rarest of the best see teaching as a service to students.

“My mother was one to help people in the community,” Marion recalled, “She instilled in us that we needed to help somebody when they need it … and that’s what I’ve done.”

Born to John H. and Lizzie Roberson, Marion grew up in a home full of love. The family was one of togetherness that included evenings at the fireplace singing, playing games and mom making popcorn ball treats. These times contributed to a large family learning to live together. Her parents believed, “All of us want to live and want to be in harmony. That’s what we were taught at home. We didn’t fight at home.” She paused, then with a laugh confessed, “But we took care of each other if we needed to when we got outside!”

Her community influence started in 1967 at Eden Elementary School, and she’s been a driving force since then in the betterment of Pell City and St. Clair County. “She is dedicated to the betterment of the community,” said Sherry Bowers.

For 32 years, she “served” Pell City’s children. Her first year at Eden, she had a combined first- and second-grade class, which presented difficulties, she admitted. However, it was a good year. “Although I was the only black teacher there,” she remembered, “they took me under their wings — teachers, parents and children. … And all those children at Eden school, I loved them. I still get letters from them, and I see them in town and we just had a wonderful year.” She taught at Eden seven years, at Iola Roberts nine years, and finished her career teaching at Kennedy. She emphasized that she enjoyed teaching in each of those schools. All of her “children” were under her wings of love and acceptance.

“Marion Frazier was an exceptional teacher who loved her students and was dedicated to meeting each one’s individual needs,” said Sherry Pate, Marion’s principal at Kennedy. “She not only educated minds but also hearts. Mrs. Frazier’s spiritual beliefs spilled over into the lives of her students. It was an honor and pleasure to work with my good friend, Marion Frazier.”

Her God-given compassion got her appointed to the YWCA Purse and Passion Steering Committee. “Purse and Passion is a part of the YWCA,” Marion explains. “We work to fund Our Place, a home for abused women and children from St. Clair and Blount counties. It has been in existence since 2008. I came on the Steering Committee in 2010.”

The biggest fundraiser for this is the summer luncheon. At this event, tables are sponsored by individuals who invite friends to come who know they’ll be asked to donate to the local domestic violence shelter. Corporate and private foundation gifts are collected or pledged prior to the luncheon. The event raised $54,000 in 2019, though naturally the amount fluctuates year by year. According to the August 8, 2019, St. Clair Times article, Purse and Passion has helped raise $650,000 over the past 10 years.

Blair Goodgame, who served as co-chair of the event, considered Marion’s help as vital to the luncheon’s success, saying, “Marion has been an invaluable asset to the YWCA Purse and Passion Luncheon. Serving on the steering committee and as a table captain for many years, Marion has contributed not only her time, but also her talents. She often sings the National Anthem at the luncheon. As her voice fills the First United Methodist Church’s Beacon, it puts a smile on the faces of everyone in attendance … She is a true blessing for the St. Clair County community.”

For more than 20 years, Marion has served on the boards of The Children’s Place and DHR. The Children’s Place provides help for abused children. An April luncheon raises funds for this important facility. The director of DHR meets with the board to bring concerns to them for their counsel. “Marion and I worked together as DHR board members,” said Rev. Paul Brasher. “She is one of the most caring and tender-hearted persons I’ve ever known. She’s a fantastic person and a fantastic Christian that I really respect. It’s an honor to be her co-worker.”

Marie Manning spoke of Marion’s work in helping college students financially. “She has served on the Scholarship Committee of the Delta Epsilon Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma to provide students with funds for college. … She is truly a leader in her community and the city.”

With a servant’s heart, her sunshine disposition has blessed many people at St. Vincent’s St. Clair Hospital, where Marion has volunteered as a Pink Lady for 26 years.

She has served patients by reading to them and family members by praying with them in the chapel, and she now works in the gift shop. Undoubtedly, she has brought comfort to a hospital room through her singing, for songs can soothe the troubled soul.

Church is a sustaining force in her life. She’s been active in First Missionary Baptist Church, Pell City, since childhood. “I was over the Youth Department for 27 years,” she said. “My mother was a singer, and I enjoy singing. I have been singing in the choir since I was in the youth choir, and then the adult choir, and now I’m still singing in the senior choir.” Of their September 2019 Women’s Conference, she said, “We brought in a speaker, a singer — she was a recording artist — and we had a splendid time!”

Although having given up a lot of her church responsibilities, she’s still over the program committee and does all the programs for special events. “She has worked in the church and community for many years, and I’m certain her efforts are appreciated by many,” said Dr. Jeffrey Wilson, her pastor,

Her sphere of service extends beyond the local church, for since 2000, she has been secretary of the Mount Zion Coosa Valley District Association of churches serving St. Clair and Jefferson counties.

Married to Jesse Frazier for 46 and a half years, they have one son and daughter-in-law, Jamey and Kimberly Frazier, who are parents to Isabella.

Kimberly Frazier wrote, “To my second Mother, You have been the best mother-in-law anyone could ask for. You portray everything good in the world, and I am honored to be your daughter. You are always there for us, without hesitation, and with loving, open arms. Thank you for the father and husband you raised for Isabella and me. He carries your Godly spirit. You mean the world to us, GG.”

Marion’s mother was the great influence in her life, and the love of God the guiding force. A song she loves is Dottie Rambo’s “He Looked beyond My Faults and Saw My Need.” The concluding stanza reads: “I shall forever lift mine eyes to Calvary / To view the cross where Jesus died for me. / How marvelous the grace that caught my falling soul; / He looked beyond my faults and saw my needs.”

Marion Frazier has looked beyond the faults of others, saw their need and sought to lift up wounded, falling people to give them help and hope.

Faith and dynamite — that’s Marion Frazier. And when faith and dynamite join hands, step aside. l