Tag: Other Stories

Shall We Dance?

Dale Owen shares music around the world

Story by Paul South
Submitted Photos

As a journalism student at Troy State (now Troy University), Dale Owen landed a job at an AM radio station near campus.

“They had a show on Saturday morning that played crooner music,” Owen said. “The station manager just wanted someone to keep the seat warm while the program aired. But I found out it was an incredible genre of music.”

His time “keeping the seat warm” sparked something more.

“It really lit a fire in me,” Owen said. “I decided that if I ever had control over my own show, I’d play that kind of music.”

Almost 30 years later, Owen’s love for the music of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, Rosemary Clooney, Ella Fitzgerald and countless other contributors to the great American songbook still burns.

And each week from a home studio in Pell City, he shares that love with the world. Owen records The Crooners with Dale Owen for Alabama Public Radio. The show airs from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Sunday evenings on the APR, but thanks to technology, is available to be heard ‘round the globe. Commercial radio may have forgotten the music of our parents, grandparents and beyond, but for Owen and APR over the past 21 years, the music and memories linger like the taste of timeless fine wine.

Owen’s post college path didn’t start as a stroll down a musical memory lane. The Marietta, Ga., native began his professional life as a producer at CNN, first in Atlanta, then at the network’s Detroit Bureau.

But after six years, Michigan winters drove him back South. Owen went to work at the University of Alabama’s Center for Public Radio and Television in Tuscaloosa as operations director for the Alabama Public Radio network of stations, which reaches not only across Alabama, but into Tennessee, Georgia, Mississippi and Florida. He also worked for National Public Radio as a local anchor for the network’s signature news programs, Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

In Tuscaloosa, he pitched the idea for The Crooners to then program director Roger Duvall. “I loved Sinatra and the crooners, of course, and fortunately, he went for it,” Owen recalled.

After 11 years at the Capstone, Owen would eventually relocate to Pell City, his wife’s hometown. And from Pell City, Owen crafts what APR music director David Duff calls, Owen’s “labor of love.”

“One of the missions of public radio is to serve underserved audiences,” Duff said. “Certainly, we do that with classical music, but we do that with specialty shows on the weekend like The Crooners. You’d be hard pressed to find that on most radio stations. We felt like it was a market we could serve and it’s proved to be very successful. It serves a niche that might not be served otherwise.”

Brittany Young, program director and content manager for APR, put it simply. “People love the show,” she said. “They just love the fact that he plays the classics. . .the music that lasts forever. You can play it today. You can play it 20 years from now, and it’s still amazing. It takes you back to a place where you first heard it. People love that.”

The Crooners has a devout following, Young said. “If you were to take it away from them, then there would be an uproar,” she said. “Those loyal listeners, they’ll let you know. . .They expect to hear it every Sunday from 6 to 8 and as long as it’s there, they’re good. But if you took it away, I’m sure we’d get a lot of backlash.”

The success of the program came quickly. What began as a one-hour broadcast was expanded to two hours after only a year. And listeners span the generations. Owen learned that quickly during a pledge drive for the listener-supported network while he was still broadcasting from Tuscaloosa.

“When I was still in Tuscaloosa in 2001, we would get calls from college kids, some in Auburn, some in Tuscaloosa and other parts of the state,” Owen said. “(They’d say) ‘I only have about $5 to contribute. I’m a college student on a fixed income, but I really love your show.’ The show has done well.”

What’s the attraction of the music that resonates even today, not just in the classic singers of yesteryear, but also in modern rock and pop stars, from Rod Stewart and Linda Ronstadt, to Annie Lennox of the Eurhythmics and Brian Setzer of The Stray Cats?

“It’s something different for every person that listens. But I think if you’re talking about standards and even torch songs, there’s a certain longing for love,” Owen said. “The songs that are written by the great composers – Rodgers and Hart, George and Ira Gershwin – they just found a way to reach down into that hole and just pull out the feelings and emotions so many people have about love and about loss.”

The recipe for timeless music combines a great voice, with great music and lyrics and a great arranger. Owen points to the classic Sinatra album, In the Wee Small Hours, arranged by Nelson Riddle, as an example.

“I think that music just created a bond with something that all people have to be loved and a feeling of loss,” Owen said. “When you’ve got great writers and lyricists and great singers like Andy Williams and Sinatra and Tony Bennett that can present that, it just all melts together. It’s like a perfect storm.”

There’s a set formula for a timeless classic.

“Most of your standard music has two elements that are crucial to great music and that is, a great vocalist and a great lyricist/composer. Those are the two elements you’ve got to have to make the perfect song,” Owen said. “Crooner music exhibits that time and time again. It comes together for that perfect storm that people say, “Yeah, that’s exactly how I feel about it.”

Lots of people love Owen’s Sunday night perfect storm of great songs. Some reach out on social media. Others send in requests for Sunday night dinner parties. For Owen, those are precious encouragements.

“That’s huge for me. It’s a real affirmation that (the show) makes an impact on people’s lives,” Owen said.

He said he feels a strong connection to his listeners. For Owen, the fire for the music and for pleasing his listeners still burns. And audiences around the world can access the show any time. “I don’t know what people’s perceptions are of people on the radio,” he said. “But I hope they know I’m a real guy who loves this real music and wants them to have an experience when they listen. I want them to know they’re listening to a friend that has something very much in common with them.” l

Editor’s Note: You can tune in to The Crooners with Dale Owen on Alabama Public Radio at 90.3 FM every Sunday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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Steel Magnolia

Ashville’s Mattie Lou Teague Crow

Story and photos by Jerry Smith
Submitted photos

Those of us who work with history sometimes stand on broad shoulders as we search for every pertinent detail, no matter how obscure, to ensure the veracity of our offerings.

Accurate, comprehensive input is as vital to us as a blueprint is to a construction foreman. Occasionally, we encounter a single book by an author who writes as if they were actually there. Such a work is History of St. Clair County, Alabama by Ashville’s Mattie Lou Teague Crow, the one go-to book for most beginning researchers.

While other writers such as Rubye Hall Edge Sisson (From Trout Creek To Ragland) and Vivian Buffington Qualls (History of Steele, Alabama) have expanded our knowledge of their communities, Mrs. Crow’s book is the single, definitive work that covers the whole county.

Writer and historian Joe Whitten fondly characterized his colleague as “… a Southern lady through and through, with an iron fist inside a velvet glove. When necessary, she would not hesitate to remove the glove.”

She’s reputed to have arranged a business meeting with a very important official from Montgomery. When he walked in the door of the restaurant and sat down, she immediately chastised him for not removing his hat in the presence of a lady.

Her penchant for history began in early childhood while living in her mother’s hotel and boarding house. In those days, Ashville was a bustling city with lots of opportunity for her to pester guests and travelers for every detail of their adventures and knowledge of the outside world.

Life at the Teague Hotel

Mattie Lou was born near Ashville in 1903, the same year the Wright Brothers first flew. She was the seventh and youngest child of Talulah (Nunneley) and John Rowan Teague. Her father, a farmer, died when she was only 2.

Quoting an entry in Heritage of St. Clair County by Mary McClendon Fouts, “… Lula Teague could not support her family on the farm, so she moved to Ashville and took in sewing for a time.

“There was a large two-storied house built by Curtiss Grubb Beason, about the time that Ashville was incorporated, where the Union State Bank stands today. Lula Teague’s brother, Robert Nunneley, and his wife Emma had operated it (as the Village Inn) for many years.

“Robert decided to retire, and Lula then operated it until her death in 1942. Her daughter, Annie, operated it for 10 or more years after that. This … is where their seven children grew up. It was a sad day in 1960 when the old hotel was demolished.”

Also in Heritage, Mattie Lou’s sister, Annie (Teague) McClendon recalls: “I remember how our mother bought this old house in the year of 1909 and moved us there: Grandmother Nunneley, Uncle Rufus, my four brothers, my little sister (Mattie Lou) and myself.

“After she made a small down payment on the place, we had no money, so we all worked, helping as best we could. The boys helped, not only with the chores, but at any little job they could find, in order to buy their clothes and shoes and help with the expenses. I stopped school to help with the housework. Our baby sister did her part, too.

“I remember the big kitchen and dining room where so much food was prepared and served.” Mattie Lou’s daughter, Ellen (Crow) Smith, adds that a lot of that food came from the family garden, chicken coop and smokehouse. She also says her mother’s job was ironing linen napkins for the dinner table, a job she hated and prophetically swore that when she grew up she would invent paper napkins that could be used once then thrown away.

Annie continues, “We had a black mammy whom we loved very much. She was Josephine Smith, often called Mammy Jo. She was with us about 30 years.

“I remember how Mama got up long before daylight and worked long after dark. I remember the cheerful living room with open fire and piano, where we all gathered to sing. Our mother loved this part of the day most.

“I remember the big front room where the ‘drummers’ slept and where they showed their samples on tables or wooden planks laid across the foots of beds. I remember the doctors and their families who lived in this house and called it home, … and the teachers who boarded here (during school terms).

“I remember when our little sister (Mattie Lou) went away to school … and how we looked forward to Christmas and Thanksgiving, when she would be home.”

An obsessively inquisitive young Mattie Lou found a gold mine of knowledge among guests who lived at the hotel, many of whom were much educated and experienced in life.

In a 1999 News-Aegis story, Joe Whitten writes, “Born when this county was still in swaddling clothes, Mattie Lou lived in St Clair County for nearly a hundred years. As a girl and young woman, she heard Civil War battle stories from the old veterans themselves.

“She learned of Reconstruction hardships from the men and women who lived in Ashville in those days. It is no mystery why history was a life-long passion with her.”

Every one Mattie Lou met knew things that she yearned to discover and understand. She often eavesdropped to hear uncensored war stories as old soldiers chatted on the front porch after supper.

As a child, she loved to sneak into courtrooms during trials, sitting in the back row to avoid attention, but the judge would order his bailiff to remove her and her friends when a particularly heinous matter was before the bench,

She diligently collected and annotated an unrivaled historical database. It’s said that her hope chest was full of historical documents instead of linens and personal items. In a sense, she was the history Wikipedia of her day.

Mattie Lou becomes Mrs. Crow

Ellen tells that her future father, 25-year-old Abner (Ab) Hodges Crow, spent much of his leisure time at a wooden bench on the town square, chatting with his buddies as young men are wont to do. Naturally, this talk often included the opposite sex, which probably hasn’t changed since the days of the Pyramids.

Mattie Lou, some 11 years younger than Ab, sometimes walked by with a group of friends. He had his own way of expressing admiration and, once the girls were out of earshot, was known to say, “One day I’m going to be compelled to marry that girl.”

Ab was not known for being straitlaced and, given the age difference, her mother was not really fond of them getting married. Mattie Lou said in a Birmingham News story, “Momma told the man I married that I had to have at least two years of college education before I could settle down.”

Like any obedient but strong-minded young woman of that post-Victorian era, Mattie Lou accepted this condition, and immediately after graduating high school in 1921, she went to Alabama College for Women, which is now the University of Montevallo. She and Ab were married a few years later.

He’d learned a little about the pharmacy business while working for Dewberry Drugs in Birmingham and established a drugstore on the square in Ashville. Ab had no formal teaching in drugs, so had to employ a full-time pharmacist.

In 1932, the local sheriff was killed in action. Ab was appointed by the governor to complete the late sheriff’s term and was re-elected, serving a total of about eight years. Ellen recalls going with her father to homes out in the countryside, to inform families of the loss of one of their own. These trips were part of the sheriff’s duties, since there were no telephones.

Ellen said they usually went after her father had closed the drugstore for the day and, with no rural electricity, most of these grim visits were in pitch dark, where they often encountered snarling dogs in the middle of the night.

She adds that her father was a compassionate man who never turned away a hobo or transient during the Depression. They were not allowed in the house, but Mattie Lou would tell them to wait on the front steps of the Methodist church, and Sheriff Ab would allow them to eat and sleep in the jail overnight.

Heritage hoarder

A well-educated woman, Mattie Lou also attended Jacksonville State Teachers’ College and University of Alabama, with degrees in elementary and secondary education and library science. Teaching was in her genes. Her grandfather, E.B. Teague, was a superintendent of education. Her father was principal of Springville School.

One of her first official assignments was a school for farmers’ and migrant workers’ children on Chandler Mountain. Rather than commute every day, she stayed in the homes of farm families and shared their lifestyle.

Mattie Lou taught at several St. Clair and Jefferson County schools, directed libraries at Judson College, Samford University and Homewood High School, and taught library science at night at UAB. But all the while she was stockpiling documents and information that would fuel her true avocation, preserving heritage.

By the early 1960s she had published a short history of Ashville Baptist Church, followed in 1973 by her most important single work, The History of St. Clair County, Alabama, the first book of its kind for our county. It endures to this day as a superbly written, comprehensive resource for all who would follow her lead.

Four years later, she produced Diary of a Confederate Soldier—John Washington Inzer 1834-1928, which edited and preserved the Civil War memoirs of one of Ashville’s premier citizens. It’s a treasure for Civil War buffs, as it factually portrays lesser-known factors, events and emotions as written by a highly literate man who served in a losing battle, then became a working part of Alabama’s re-entry into the United States after Appomattox.

Joe Whitten adds, “Perhaps her crowning achievement was the Ashville Museum and Archives. Dedicated in 1989, the Archive was originally in a room at the Ashville Library. Mrs. Crow believed it was important for us to know who we are and where we came from.

“She once commented, ‘Give me a name and I can take it back six generations.’ After listening to her recount names, dates and places, some of us wondered if she couldn’t take one or two families all the way back to Adam and Eve!”

Joe affirms that recently-retired archivist Charlene Simpson has virtually equaled her mentor’s level of expertise in ancestral name-dropping. Both will be sorely missed.

Every public document, official record, land deed, obsolete file, minutes of meetings, every scrap of yesteryear was sacred to Mattie Lou. She prevented several hundred pounds of courthouse documents from being burned, as evidenced by charred edges on some which were snatched from a roaring bonfire by Mattie Lou herself.

In a Birmingham News story by Melanie Jones, Mrs. Crow is quoted in her later years, “Why I’m just an old country lady that does as she pleases. My husband died 30 years ago and my children were both at the university. I sold the drug store and went back to school. I had a feeling Ashville would be very drab if I sat still.”

According to another News writer, Mike Easterling, Mattie Lou got an elementary education degree from Jacksonville State Teachers College (now Jacksonville State University) in 1949, then got a secondary degree in 1950, not long after Ab’s death. She later joined her children, Ellen and Pete, at the University of Alabama, getting a master’s degree in library science.

And she was true to her word about not sitting still. She managed, delegated, arm-twisted, conspired and charmed her way through a bewildering list of historical quests and civil projects, most of which would not have succeeded without her dynamic spirit.

In the same News story, she is quoted, “You don’t get to my age unless you stir up some trouble now and then. I’ve fought with some folks like a tiger to get something done. But it gets done, and then we’re friends. You just gotta shake ‘em up a bit.”

Relocating history

While some strive to move mountains, Mrs. Crow was content to move a huge, historic, 132-year-old, two-story building across town to save it from the wrecking ball. It had been moved before to a location beside the Ashville City Jail, but once again was in the way of progress.

A lover of all things historic, she could not bear to see this fine old structure demolished. Reluctant to put themselves at odds with the indomitable Mrs. Crow, the County Commission agreed that she could have the old building provided she moved it somewhere else, and soon.

Her crusade resulted in a new action group called Save The Ashville Masonic Lodge Council. In a mighty effort that’s still legendary among Ashville natives, Mrs. Crow spearheaded an effort to raise some $12,000 to cover expenses.

It took only two months to secure these funds as well as a nearby piece of property donated by Jack Inzer in memory of his grandfathers, both of whom were Masons and lay at rest in nearby City Cemetery.

It’s been said there was no door upon which she would not knock, no favor left uncalled, no politician immune to her bullyragging until the job was done and, with Mrs. Crow in the catbird seat, the 132-year-old Masonic Lodge soon found itself being moved to a third location.

The Masonic Lodge has been placed on the prestigious Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage. It now sits peacefully about a block from Ashville’s town square, serving as a monument to Ashville’s history and to its matron saint.

The Mattie Lou Teague Crow Museum upstairs contains many of her mementos. It’s presently open only by appointment. Call Ashville Archives for more information if you wish to visit. It’s a nice place to savor genuine antiquity.

In a 1990 Birmingham News story by Elma Bell, Council Member Hope Burger said, “As a result of Mattie Lou’s hysterics, all this is taking place. … This whole thing has been a team effort.”

Such was the stuff of which St. Clair’s own Steel Magnolia was made.

A ‘legendarian’ passes

Some years before retirement, the widowed Mattie Lou and her sister-in-law, Gladys Teague, operated a small antiques shop in a little gingerbread-trimmed white house beside Roses & Lace Bed & Breakfast. It was the former Ashville Academy, so she named it Academy Antiques.

She spent several of her last years quietly reminiscing about her prodigious life in a book-lined apartment adjacent to daughter Ellen’s former home in Irondale. Mattie Lou donated most of her vast collections to be shared by one and all at Ashville Archives.

She delighted in telling ghost stories to groups of children at Irondale Library. A 1982 Birmingham News article by Garland Reeves relates that one of her favorites was the sad saga of Old Tawassee, an Indian who stayed behind after his brothers were expelled from Alabama on the Trail of Tears.

Tawassee was hanged for civil mischief and is reputed to have haunted the town on that same day every year afterward by making his skeleton rattle in a local doctor’s closet and shaking the limb from which he was hanged.

Joe Whitten wrote in the News-Aegis, “On the day the archives was dedicated, she said ‘I haven’t done anything. I’ve twisted a few arms to get stuff done, but it was others who did all the work.’ But it was her love for a county and a place called home that inspired her.”

In the same article, Joe eulogizes his friend and colleague, “On a sun-washed, blue-sky day last week, Mattie Lou Teague Crow was brought back to the county and the town she loved, and was laid to rest in Ashville Cemetery.

“It was a fitting day to say farewell to a lady who left us an impressive legacy of books, biographical sketches and human interest articles about St. Clair County.

“She’s found a new place to call home now. I wonder if she’s taking notes for her next book?”

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Emory Cox

Anatomy of a rising political star

Story by Leigh Pritchett
Photos by Mike Callahan
Submitted photos

Emory Cox sat on the lakeside patio of his Pell City home, laughing and talking with a stranger as if with a long-time friend.

He discussed politics, society, government and the state of domestic and foreign affairs. With the certainty that comes from first-hand knowledge, he assessed the work of sundry politicians.

This was a brief moment of respite after a summer in the company of newsmakers.

During his summer break from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., the 21-year-old junior served internships in the Capitol Hill office of U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-AL; with the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs (the chairman of which is U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-AL), and in the office of Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange.

Once during Cox’s time in Washington, there was an “armed shooter” alert in his building. “That was wild,” Cox said. Thankfully, it was a false alarm.

At least twice during his internship in Alabama, Cox saw history unfold:

– He attended former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore’s first hearing before the Judicial Inquiry Commission.

– He went to a parole hearing for Thomas Blanton, who was convicted in the 1963 bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham that claimed the lives of four African-American girls.

Cox has long been interested in law and politics. In college, he is studying economics and American history, intending to pursue a master’s degree in business administration and ultimately a law degree.

His choice for graduate school is likely to be the University of Alabama. His father, Ray, was a golfer there and his grandfather, long-time Pell City dentist and former mayor Dr. Bam Cox (deceased), played on the 1941 National Championship football team.

This past summer was actually Cox’s fourth for serving internships in government offices.

Before his senior year in high school, Cox was an intern in Congressman Mike Rogers’ office in Washington, D.C.

“That was definitely a good, growing-up experience,” Cox said. Living alone and taking care of finances, laundry, meals, and everything else “definitely gives you more respect for your parents. … You remember to say, ‘Thank you,’ (to them) more often.”

His mother, Annette, never doubted that he was ready for the venture. “I had every confidence that he was mature enough to behave responsibly away from home,” she said. “… I knew that living and interning in Washington would be a wonderful learning experience for Emory. From age 11 forward, he planned our family vacations and was always at ease when traveling. We have close friends in the D.C. area who I knew would be there for him if any issues arose.”

The summer between high school and college, Cox assisted Bill Armistead, chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. Then, during summer break 2015, Cox worked in the office of Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and with Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill.

Preparing for politics

Cox’s interests are many. He enjoys kayaking, swimming, traveling, playing golf and tennis, and visiting family, friends and neighbors. Following politics is definitely one of his hobbies.

And yes, he does have political aspirations. He quickly added, however, that he does not want to be a career politician. Instead, he wants his public service to be in the truest sense — only for a short time and only with prior private sector experience.

“I’m a huge supporter of term limits,” said Cox, who participates in the St. Clair County Republican Party when he is home. “That’s the way the Founders wanted it.”

In the various internships, Cox believes he has observed the traits of effective leadership.

He admires what he saw in Armistead, whom Cox describes as a moral, ethical, spiritual person.

Through that internship, Cox met Dr. Ben Carson, who later would become a GOP contender in the 2016 Presidential race. “Dr. Carson is a brilliant man of sincere conviction whose life story proves that, with hard work, anyone can succeed in America,” Cox said. “I admire his thoughtful approach to complex problems and believe that he would be an excellent secretary of health or education in a Presidential cabinet.”

As for Sessions, Cox said, “He is attuned to the people of Alabama and deeply grounded in faith.” Even during a busy time of advising then-GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump, attending to Senate business, and meeting with constituents, Sessions still spent time with Cox. “(He) took time to talk to and mentor and encourage a young person.”

Cox found Strange to be a mountain of a man … literally. Though Cox stands six feet tall, he was dwarfed by Strange’s stature. Even so, Cox said Strange is “approachable” and “down to earth.”

Each of the internships left an impression on Cox, who left an impression as well.

“Emory brought an unwavering passion for hard work and an enthusiasm for tackling any assignment,” said Mike Lewis, communications director in Strange’s office. “We wish his internship had not ended so soon.”

College life

Cox’s busy summer is an extension of his busy college life.

In addition to his course load, he is chairman of the College Republican Club at Washington and Lee University and was appointed by the university’s president to serve on the student financial aid committee. Also, he was elected to a Student Government body that formulates a course of action in student disciplinary matters.

In the Lexington, Va., community, he is involved in the Rockbridge County Republican Party, as well as Robert E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church. He said he and friends go to church together as a way to keep each other accountable.

More importantly, though, they attend church because faith has an all-encompassing importance in a person’s life.

At home, Cox is a member of Pell City First United Methodist Church.

Being with other followers of Christ Jesus is an essential ingredient in Cox’s recipe for success in college. The recipe reads like this: “go to class (of course); study hard and find a church home to stay grounded in faith.”

In church, “you meet people in the community. It keeps you grounded,” Cox said. “It keeps faith in the forefront. … I know how important faith is in my life.”

Faith, Cox explained, instills moral and ethical values. It leads a person to treat everyone with respect, and affirms the presence of the all-powerful God, who is far greater than we are and is in control of everything.

When individuals who make policies, laws and decisions are people of faith, they serve with integrity the voters they represent, Cox said. “We need more people like that in public office.”

Early life

Cox shares a common experience with so many of the historical figures who shaped our nation: he lived his early years in a cabin. Until age 2, his family lived in a 500-square-foot, A-frame cabin at Seddon Shores before moving to their current home.

Through eighth grade, Cox attended Pell City schools and then went to The Altamont School in Birmingham for high school.

Cox said his parents — both entrepreneurs — instilled in him values, perseverance and determination.

“No matter the task, no matter what you might be doing in life, do it 100 percent,” Cox said, recalling what his father taught him. “Find your passion and devote yourself to it.”

Before Cox was born, his father, Ray, founded Metro Bank by going door to door to sell stock in it. The first location opened in Pell City. Now, the bank operates nine sites in St. Clair, Etowah, Talladega and Cleburne counties.

Annette Cox ran her own Pell City business, called Potpourri Gifts & Antiques. Emory Cox said his mother passed to him the legacy of hard work she learned growing up on a farm in South Alabama.

Ray Cox was driven, passionate and diligent, Emory Cox continued. “He was very good at treating people with respect, no matter what walk of life. That’s a goal that I set for myself.”

Ray Cox was also adept at balancing responsibilities and, as a result, was a great father, his son said.

When Emory Cox was quite young, his dad was diagnosed with cancer and given only six months to live. For 18 months, Ray Cox continued to work and to create special family memories. After a two-year battle with the disease, Ray Cox succumbed to cancer in 2005.

Emory Cox was nine years old.

Cox said his mother “handled (Dad’s) passing with such strength and grace and determination. … She was determined to raise me in a way she thought he would be proud of. She was always strong, always supportive, always there for me. … I love her dearly.”

Losing a parent, Cox said, brings the realization that relationships are important and each day with those we love is to be cherished.

Annette Cox said her son “stepped up as an adult overnight. We had to learn to depend on each other and, as a result, have a great relationship. It has been amazing to watch Emory grow into a young man that I know his Dad would be so proud of. I feel honored to be his mother.”

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Springville, AL

Marching to its own rhythm

Story by Paul South
Photos by Susan Wall

In one sense, Springville rocks to the gentle rhythm of a quintessential Southern small town, where folks speak to everyone – even strangers – on the street. In the mornings, locals and visitors feast on steaming plates of biscuits and gravy at Springville Café, a meat-and-three at lunch, seasoning their food with talk of politics and football and gossip.

They worry when their neighbors are sick, celebrate when a new baby is born and mourn when a neighbor passes away. It’s a rhythm of Springville Tiger football on fall Friday nights and heartfelt prayers on sun-washed Sunday mornings.

But in another sense, this town of nearly 4,100 souls marches to its own drumbeat, crowding the local library for the latest literature, tapping their toes at intimate music venues like Local Color, or celebrating local artists and craftspeople at Homestead Hollow. It loves the cool, clear water of Big Canoe Creek, the same ancient waters that brought Native peoples and white settlers to the area centuries ago.

This town that once boasted its own college cherishes history and education, like the Old Rock School, crafted from stones yanked out of the ground by locals, and the current Springville High School that strives for excellence in and out of the classroom

Like its sister cities in St. Clair County, Springville is growing, but at its own pace, with its own sense of how things should be done. It’s a stained-glass window of a town, vibrant in life and color, where the light of possibility shines through.

“Springville is a very welcome, gentle, conservative-minded but progressive-thinking city for people to live in. All of those are here,” said Springville Mayor William “Butch” Isley. “They are all seeking for it to be slow and easy for people to live here. The daily life here is easy. The town is welcoming and warm to all who come here. That’s why I’m here.”

A rich history

Why the Springville area’s first settlers came here is simple: Water, pure water. The area’s crystal clear waters from natural springs made it a popular rest stop for Native peoples and later European pioneers who traveled through and settled in the area. The first settlers came to Springville – first known as Big Springs – before Alabama achieved statehood in 1819. The first church was established in 1817. With the establishment of the first post office in 1833, the town’s name was changed to Pinkhill, but was again changed a year later to Springville. The town was incorporated in December 1880.

Descendants of families who settled in Springville in its earliest days – Woodall, McClendon, Bradford, Forman and others – still call Springville home.

A co-educational academy was built in 1861 and in 1873 was renamed Springville High School. The 1870s were marked with both triumph and tragedy. The Alabama Great Southern Railway came through the town in 1870. Sadly, the advent of the railroad brought with it the dreaded disease cholera, killing many of the railroad workers.

Telephone and electricity came to Springville in the first quarter of the 20^th century. And the town’s water and sewer system came into being in 1935, in the heart of the Great Depression. In 1957, a new city hall was constructed.

Donna Davis is part of a cadre of volunteers working at the Springville Museum and Archives. Once located in the upstairs portion of the Springville Public Library, when the library moved to a new building, the museum made the Masonic Lodge on Main Street its home.

In late October, Davis and the museum volunteers bustled, decorating for a Christmas exhibit. She remembers one of the milepost moments of Springville history, the explosion at the local train depot in January 1969.

“I was in the second grade, and it was two days past my birthday, and I remember it very well. We were all in school on that day,” Davis recalled. “What I remember was the panic of everyone. We all were evacuated from the school and ran up the hill behind the school, trying to get to safety. The explosions were shattering the windows of the houses around town.”

In the panic, children piled into the cars of neighbors to get home. Firefighters from as far away as Birmingham, as well as the Alabama National Guard came to fight the blaze, sparked when a train carrying propane exploded. Miraculously, despite the damage to buildings, no one was killed.

One former town landmark, now gone, brings happier memories. Residents of a certain age will remember a lake constructed by the city in the heart of town. Filled with carp, bream and trout, the lake was popular for picnics and other social events, as well as for folks who simply wanted to feed the fish. A hill behind the lake was home to Easter sunrise services, a celebration of resurrection and renewal.

Springville Lake was a popular spot until the late 1960s when the state health department ordered that the lake be covered over and filled with dirt, opening the floodgates of protest. Letters to the editor flooded local newspapers, and the lake’s closure generated coverage from big city papers.

Writing in the Birmingham News more than 40 years ago, the late Frank Sikora reported, “Springville Lake was a natural park. You could hardly walk around the place through the crowds that came on July 4. Now it’s gone. Where the water was, there is now only red-yellow dirt. Nobody wanted it to happen, but it did.”

The lake was the heart of the town, said lifelong resident Donna Davis. In the early part of the 20^th century, Springville had its own college, attracting students from as far away as Texas, many of whom roomed at local homes. Spring Lake College burned down in 1912.

The lake even spawned a number of businesses, flour mills and axe handle mills and hotels. Most notable was the Herron Hotel, which attracted politicians, movie stars and travelers who flocked to Springville to dine.

“It was famous for its fried chicken, which you could get for 50 cents,” Davis said.

Big Canoe Creek and other tributaries of the Coosa River have helped the city keep its time-honored ties to the water. And as water enriches life, some natives of Springville have enriched and entertained America, like former major-league ballplayer Artie Wilson, a four-time all-star in the Negro Leagues who hit .402 in 1948.

Wilson broke briefly into the National League, where he was a teammate of Hall-of-Famer and Fairfield, Ala., native Willie Mays. Wilson was also a four-time batting champ in the Pacific Coast League.

Aubrey Willis Williams was head of FDR’s National Youth Administration during the New Deal. He was also assistant federal relief administrator during the Depression, the second-highest ranking American relief official at the time.

And the late Springville native Hank Patterson performed the unforgettable role of Fred Ziffel in the classic television comedy, Green Acres. Patterson also had a recurring role in Gunsmoke and appeared in a number of television classics, including The Twilight Zone and Perry Mason.

Smart growth, economic diversity

Like other municipalities in St. Clair County, Springville is growing. In the past 12 months, 50 new homes have either been completed or are in progress, a sign that the housing market is coming out of the recession of 2007-08, Isley said.

St. Clair County Realtor Josh Kell agreed. New rooftops are becoming common in Springville after years of an almost flat-lined housing market. Kell and his late father built one of the new developments in Springville, Village Trace.

“Especially in the past year, you’ve seen a lot of new construction in Springville, more than the last several years,” he said.

Proximity to I-59 is a key selling point, Kell said, attracting newcomers from Jefferson County.

As far as future trends, unless something unforeseen happens, Kell sees continued residential growth.

“I see a lot of continued growth,” he said. “There’s still plenty of opportunity for new rooftops, barring something similar to what we just came out of.”

At the heart of the community’s overall economy? Pride.

“The businesses are very focused on that community,” said Don Smith, executive director of the St. Clair County Economic Development Authority. “Pride is at an absolute high in Springville.”

The town, with rare exception, has operated on a cash basis and has more than $2 million in its rainy-day fund, Isley said. The town has invested some $500,000 annually in recreational facilities and is also working toward sidewalks, curbed and lighted downtown streets as part of a state-sponsored Streetscapes program.

The city has seen growth of new restaurants and businesses along its part of the I-59 corridor and hopes to attract a hotel chain. But Isley would also like to see St. Clair cities along the interstate team up to develop economically.

“We’re happy with our retail, but we want to try to partner and market with our sister cities, Argo, Odenville, … Ashville and Steele,” Isley said. “I think that we should be promoting our I-59 corridor as sister cities. We’re a team player in that regard.”

While the town wants to market itself to the wider world, its citizens are the priority, as evidenced by the dedication to parks and other amenities. One of the cornerstones of Springville’s economic development is a longstanding commitment to a community blueprint aimed at maintaining the traditional character of Springville.

“That commitment was already in place back when I became the mayor. That commitment has been in place with all of or mayors to help maintain the downtown district – home to the historic district. We have had a concerted effort with the local preservation society and the historical society to maintain the character of the town and to improve it.”

Springville has held fast to its blueprint, with positive results.

“They wanted quality-built neighborhoods. They wanted quality developments and didn’t change because of the whims of the times. They’ve been very selective about what they’ve been involved with,” Smith said. “They’ve been very particular about how they grew, and they wanted to grow in a certain manner.”

Smith can see Springville becoming a community more deeply committed to the arts, like a smaller version of Fairhope, Ala., in the future. But it could also be a draw for IT businesses.

A big hurdle economically is finding suitable property currently for sale.

“The challenge for Springville is to continue to redevelop their activities. They need to look to expand without losing their identity.”

Cherished Education

There’s been a school in Springville since the middle of the 19^th century. The city’s deep educational heritage and love for it is evidenced by the preservation society’s efforts to restore the old Rock School and expansion at the Springville Public Library.

The belief in education and love for creativity flows through local schools, said Springville High School Principal Virgil Winslett.

“You don’t have a lot of arts funding for the school. But we have visual arts. We have a very strong band program. We have a choir and choir classes. One thing about Springville High School is we try to be the best we can in every facet. We try to give 110 percent in every aspect.”

As it has throughout its history, Springville loves its schools.

“Without a doubt this is one of the strongest bases of support for all of our schools,” Winslett said. “We have great support from the mayor and City Council, the Fire Department, the Police Department. When we need help, we get it.”

As an example, the city stepped to the plate to help Springville High repair and upgrade its baseball and softball fields after dugouts were destroyed in a storm.

“They’re that way all the time. They are very supportive of what we do,” Winslett said.

The schools are also willing to help with local city youth sports program. It’s a two-way street, Winslett said.

Parental involvement is also a big positive for Springville schools.

“Our teachers feel like they’re supported. There’s a good relationship between parents and teachers. That shows in the academic success of the school,” Winslett said.

Part of its academic success is the school’s course offerings.

“We’re now an A-Plus College-Rated School,” Winslett said. “We were given a three-year grant. We offer six AP classes and dual enrollment through Jefferson State Community College, which allow students to earn college credit while in high school.”

Winslett has been an educator in Springville for more than two decades. He’s home. New teachers who come from outside to teach in Springville rave about the schools.

“It’s not a struggle to get up and come to work every day,” he said. “You get up. You’re excited about coming to work. We’ve got good kids here. I don’t know of a kid here who would say he or she is not proud to be a Springville Tiger.

“Springville has grown a lot since I’ve been here, but it still has that small-town feel. People talk to one another and take care of one another. You go to school and go to church with the same people. There’s something about that sense of community you won’t find in a bigger place. To me, that’s very important to me and my family.”

Two other avenues for education are the recently-expanded Springville Public Library and the Springville Museum and Archives. Both celebrate literature and the arts. The library recently expanded, adding a young people’s literature annex and also celebrates a local artist and author of the month.

On a recent morning, even though it was early, Library Director Jamie Twente was busy, as the library bustled with readers. A book group meets here monthly.

But the library, while it celebrates literature, also cherishes the arts. It offers quilting classes, Cherokee leaf printing, folklore, even martial arts.

The library also offers a variety of services: copying, printing and job-search resources. The library recently received a $20,000 grant for additional computers.

But as with every library, books are at the heart of the facility. Twente said readers at the Springville Library accounted for half of the circulation of the St. Clair County Library System. The Springville Library is now independent.

“Per capita we were checking out seven items per person,” Twente said. “People here like to read. They love the printed word. We have artists with no formal training who can do amazing things I could never do. I feel fortunate to live here.”

The pace of life in Springville lends itself to a love of the written word and the arts.

“It’s a very friendly place. It’s a very charming place. People here love their community, but they also love their private time to pursue their interests.”

The new children’s annex was at different times the Springville City Hall and the local fire station. A huge bay window allows light to stream into the new annex.

“Keeping the downtown area alive is good for the downtown and good for the community,” she said.

As for the Springville Museum and Archives, one of its featured exhibits is a piece from one of the World Trade Center Twin Towers, on loan from the Port Authority of New York. The towers were destroyed by terrorists Sept. 11, 2001.

While this month, the museum is celebrating classic Christmas decorations and toys, it’s also building its collection of historical archives. Every Springville High yearbook has been preserved digitally. The museum is also working to preserve old newspapers and records, a treasure trove for historians and genealogists.

The museum, along with the historic preservation society, is working to preserve the old Rock School.

It was built in 1921, and “we’re trying to renovate it and get it back to its former glory,” Davis said.

The Springville Historic Preservation Society is also working to restore a building known as “The White House” for use as a welcome center.

These efforts, aimed at preserving Springville’s past for the future, are another facet of the character of the town. The museum staff is a cadre of volunteers working without pay.

“The people, when needed, will join forces together to help each other, and most of the people who’ve lived here all their lives and even the people who have moved in have a strong love for Springville. They are really dedicated to their town.

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Running

Cross Country in St. Clair

Story by Carol Pappas
Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr.

A methodical thud of a rubber sole hitting a dirt trail below – a dozen or more pair of them – emanate from the woods just beyond St. Clair County High School’s campus in Odenville.

It is almost like a cadence, interrupted and punctuated by the distinct inhales and exhales of determined runners. It’s a sound heard all summer long as the high school’s cross country team prepared for battle across the state.

At home, their arena is a 3.1-mile path cut through woods, up hills, around bends and under the canopy of towering hardwoods and pines.

“We’re proud of the hills,” said former Coach Mason Dye, who helped former Principal Brian Terry realize his dream of having a cross country track. “It’s a challenging course.”

“It’s unique in the county,” added Terry. “It’s almost unique in the state.”

The course twists and winds all around the campus. There’s even a pond runners make their way around, and its diverse landscape is perfect for non-competitors, too, who just want to take a walk in the woods. The trail is open to the public.

Terry has since retired from St. Clair County High School but is working in Georgia. “I run it when I’m home on weekends…for nostalgia,” said Terry, a track athlete himself in his younger days at Samford University.

On a hot, summer day, surrounded by young, aspiring cross country runners when Terry was still principal, he and Dye talked of the genesis of the course. The cross country program is now in its fourth year. “I started working on it six or seven years ago,” Terry said. He had a “vision” of what it should be, and he set out to make it happen.

Two miles were laid out courtesy of a Soil and Water Conservation grant to build a nature trail. Scooter Dorsett helped in the project.

“Cross country to me is a sport that attracts a group of kids who don’t have another niche. They’re loners. They’re bright. They’re not football players,” he said, noting that it gives them an outlet in which they excel.

“It brings in a group of kids who need to do their thing,” Terry added. “The kids tend to unify.” It becomes a team sport.

“They become like family running together,” Dye said, adding that it is co-ed.

When Dye, who also ran track in college, arrived on campus, the course was finished. “He put the vision into play,” Terry said of his young coach.

It has had a tremendous impact on athletics. Five students from St. Clair County High have already earned track scholarships. More than a dozen schools held a meet in the fall with more than 300 athletes participating.

And the Odenville course has been a catalyst for growth in other programs around the county. “Every school in the county now has a cross country team except Ragland,” Terry said. “Cross country is growing and evolving as a sport. It builds excitement.”

Parents and volunteers maintain the course, and the community is beginning to learn about its existence and about the sport itself. “The community as whole is unfamiliar with what cross country is,” Terry said.

But now, awareness is increasing and with it, there is heightened interest from middle school and high school students. “We don’t cut,” Dye said. “It is not limited to a set roster.”

By its very nature, it encourages more and more to become involved. And, like Dye and Terry, these runners see they can grow personally and physically, and they can compete for scholarships.

“Track and field paid my way through Samford,” Terry said, and he wanted to see other young people provided with the same opportunities he had. “It’s a great sport to be a part of.”

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Joe Whitten

Historian, storyteller, teacher: A life well lived

Story and photos by Jerry C. Smith
Submitted photos

The usual love triangles pale in comparison with Odenville educator and historian Joe Whitten’s quadrangle of passions. In no particular order, they are St. Clair County history, Gail Elaine McGeoch, hundreds of grateful students and the Lord, whom he credits for bringing it all together.

Joe was born in 1938 in Bryant, Alabama, a Jackson County town that dangles near the edge of Sand Mountain, almost in Georgia. His father, Nathan Whitten, died that same year. Joe’s mother, Lorene Hawkins Whitten, remarried four years later to John Armstrong, a teacher and Cumberland Presbyterian minister.

Under his stepfather’s surname, Joe went to Glencoe High School in Etowah County until the 12th-grade, then was sent to Bob Jones Academy in Greenville, South Carolina, to complete high school prior to beginning college at Bob Jones University.

Graduating in 1960, his first degree at Bob Jones was a speech minor in English. While at the Academy, Joe reverted to his birth name of Whitten, as he had never been officially adopted by his stepfather.

Joe’s involuntary exile to Bob Jones became a godsend, for many reasons. Not only did he have his old name back, but he had also escaped a strict household where he’d never been able to make any decisions of his own. “I had a new name, new friends, a new place and never looked back,” he says.

After graduation in 1960, he sought employment suited to his education and ambition, but only succeeded in finding work at a sauerkraut factory in Seattle, Washington, that he wryly defined as “the most miserable job ever.” Vowing to do better, he returned to Bob Jones in 1961 to continue his studies.

This time, he specialized in education courses. After graduation, his mother, who worked at Jacksonville State University, urged him to explore Calhoun and Etowah counties for an entry-level teaching position.

After months of fruitless search, Joe had almost made up his mind to join the Air Force when he got word of an opening in a school that was being built in a tiny burg called Odenville in St. Clair County. He’d heard of the place, but had never been there.

Young teacher hired

At his interview with Principal Dodd Cox, Joe was told that the job was in a new grades 7-12 school currently under construction. “I’ll take it,” he quickly replied. The principal reminded him that he didn’t know a thing about the position and should probably hear the rest of the offer before making up his mind.

Joe says their conversation went something like this:

Principal: “You will be teaching eighth-grade English, ninth-grade English and seventh-grade Math.”
Joe: “I’ll take it.”
Principal: “But wait, the school isn’t even finished yet. …”
Joe: “I’ll take it.”
Principal: “It only pays $350 a month for 10 months a year. …”
Joe: “I’ll take it.”

And thus, on the day after Labor Day in 1961, at age 23, Joseph Whitten began a career that made him a living legend in Odenville education. In all, he taught more than three generations of St. Clair youngsters before retiring at the turn of the century and is a revered guest at every class year reunion.

“Mr. Whitten” was only 5 years older than some of his students, but Mr. Cox insisted his teachers control everything in their classrooms.

Joe relates, “The last thing you wanted to do was take a student out of class and march him to the principal’s office. You took care of it yourself. All us teachers knew it and, more importantly, so did the kids.”

Among his students were those who would one day make a difference in St. Clair County: Sheriff Terry Surles; Coroner Dennis Russell; practically everyone on the Odenville Water Board; Pell City businessman Connie Myers, who would later become principal of St. Clair County High School; and retired teacher Mary Kelley, who taught physical education and health at Odenville before being assigned to the Board of Education, where she served until her retirement in 1999.

“Mr. Whitten was different from any teacher I had ever met,” Mary says. “He was very talented, witty, educated and respected by his students as well as the community of Odenville. As an English teacher, his objective was for students to learn the information and participate in class discussions. These skills worked well – in school and in later life – by providing us with the self-confidence and ability to communicate well with others.”

As the school counselor, Joe’s door was open to students, teachers and support personnel. His professional knowledge provided students with advice and encouragement in the resolution of school and personal issues.

Of his demeanor in class, several respondents agreed that, while Joe was outwardly easy going and gentle, he had ways of getting attention when needed, and everyone knew when to shut up and listen.

Odenville’s Scott Burton tells of his shouting out during an unruly moment in his library class, “Silence, you vile wretches!,” and remembers a sign posted on Mr. Whittten’s desk that fairly warned one and all: CAUTION: DISPOSITION SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.

Both Mary and Scott said everyone wanted to be in his classes. They found his delivery quite entertaining as he acted out various passages from English literature. He always found ways to make education fun and still managed to help them learn and retain what they’d learned.

According to Scott, Mr. Whitten’s adherence to classroom decorum extended even to paperwork that students turned in. He would not accept sheets torn from a spiral-bound notebook because of their ragged edges, and was known to call kids to the front of the class, hand them scissors and demand they remove those “frizzy” borders. Scott also credits him with being the only English teacher who could make sentence diagramming understandable.

There are enough Mr. Whitten stories told by former students to fill a small book. A local favorite involves one of his Speech classes in which he asked various students to stand and speak on some subject with which they were most familiar.

One boy eagerly volunteered at the beginning of class and took his place at the front of the room. This boy was Odenville’s legendary Slow-Talking John, who was a master at taking forever to tell anything.

His chosen subject was “How To Build A House.” John began by drawing a rectangular set of lines on the blackboard, then said, “This … is … the … footing …,” then proceeded to describe in agonizingly slow, ponderous detail exactly how to dig a foundation wall, pour concrete, etc.

Joe says that by the time John’s house had reached its interior walls, the bell had rung, and he was too numb to do anything but dismiss the class.

While they were sitting on Joe’s front porch some 14 years later, Joe mentioned that day to John, who laughed out loud and explained that the other kids in class had taken up a collection and paid John to speak first so they would not have to recite their own work.

Scott says the one thing that really sticks with him to this day as a result of having Mr. Whitten for a teacher is a deep appreciation for the works of Charles Dickens, Joe’s favorite author. Scott recalls the kids acting out speaking parts while reading Oliver Twist and David Copperfield aloud in class. Scott adds that he would love to do A Christmas Carol today, with Mr. Whitten playing Ebeneezer Scrooge.

The creation of the Odenville/St. Clair County School System is a historical epic in its own right. From its very beginnings in 1864 as a one-room cabin at Hardin’s shop on Springville Road to today’s sprawling campus just east of town, its establishment was an uphill battle all the way.

The school’s history is far too complex to explore here, but the entire saga is neatly summarized in Whitten’s Odenville, Alabama, A History of Our Town 1821-1992.

Many local pioneers and other notables were heavily involved, including entrepreneur Watt T. Brown, Governor Comer and Judge John Inzer. They took special pride in the fact they had beaten Pell City for the honor of having one of the first county high schools in the state.

In 1960, the main building was razed, and a third-generation structure of impressive proportions and excellent design was built. Now grades 1-12 were all on the same campus, divided only by clever architecture. Over the years, he taught English, speech, mathematics, and also served as librarian and counselor for the grammar school. One might feel that Joe and the new school grew up together. As he once remarked, “I wasn’t born in Odenville, but I got here as fast as I could.”

Gail, a love story

A beautiful young lady in Miss Mabe’s Bible class at Bob Jones raised her hand to answer a question. Joe, who was sitting behind her and had wanted to answer first, grabbed her arm to try to lower her hand. This incensed her, and she reminded him in no uncertain terms that this school had a rule against opposite sexes physically touching one another.

Like many relationships, theirs got off to an unusual start, but Joe Whitten and Gail McGeoch of Cambridge, New York, quickly became friends and remained so for the rest of their stay at Bob Jones. They went their separate ways after Gail’s graduation in 1961.

After eight years of being completely out of touch, Joe received a letter which Gail claimed God had told her to write. She was in Pensacola, Florida, at the time. Joe phoned her, and they talked for nearly three hours. He said the long-distance phone bill was horrendous, but he never regretted paying a penny of it.

They married in 1971, thus beginning a long, beneficent, storybook life together that would warm everyone they met. Gail often defined their marriage as a “strange and wonderful relationship,” always adding, “You’re strange; I’m wonderful.”

Gail and Joe resided in a vintage house built by an Odenville newspaper editor named Luther Maddox. When Joe first came to Odenville, he lived at the Cahaba Hotel, which no longer stands. Later, he boarded with the Bartletts, who lived next door to Maddox. Joe said its restoration was a real challenge, but today it is of museum quality inside and out.

Gail taught school at Ragland for a while, then transferred to Odenville, where she taught in the elementary grades. Her classroom was next to the library where Joe worked at the time.

Every person I’ve interviewed admires the same things about Gail – her wonderfully warm smile, loving, benign personality and immaculate reputation. The Whittens were very popular with all the students. Together, they were a dream team.

Scott added that Mrs. Whitten loved the snow and always got all excited over the first flake that fell. He also tells a rather amusing story about her coffee habits.

Every day she would make fresh coffee, but first she would carry the pot to an open window on the second floor, holler YOO-HOO, then throw out the old coffee and grounds, never looking to see if anyone was standing below. Everyone quickly learned to avoid that area during morning hours.

Gail played piano and sang in the choir of several churches, as part of a musical family that included Joe on the church organ. Joe praises Gail for proofreading his historical works, and helping to make them the useful volumes they became.

She led an exemplary life, but her greatest moments were yet to come.

Joe, the historian

As if taking scores of St. Clair’s kids under his wing wasn’t enough, Joe also became an educational outlet for the rest of us. If you’re seeking obscure information about almost any historical aspect of St. Clair County, you will sooner or later work with Joe.

Between Joe and recently-retired County Archivist Charlene Simpson, there’s practically nothing one can’t learn about our history. I’ve used both resources for many stories you read in this magazine, as well as my own published works.

Both Charlene and Joe will hasten to say they learned at the hands of veteran chroniclers such as Rubye Hall Edge Sisson (From Trout Creek To Ragland), Mattie Lou Teague Crow (History Of St. Clair County and Diary Of A Confederate Soldier) and Vivian Buffington Qualls (History Of Steele, Alabama).

Joe has published several books of his own, as well as scores of historical society periodicals, papers, meeting minutes and surveys. He worked extensively with the late Garland Minor, who located and annotated hundreds of Civil War burial sites in our area, obtaining markers and other memorials for them.

Joe joined the St. Clair Historical Society shortly after it was formed in the early 1990s by the legendary historian and writer, Mattie Lou Teague Crow, in order to save the historic Looney House from demolition. Joe’s contributions include a nicely-done periodical called Cherish, which is still archived in many local libraries and is an excellent source of research material.

Charlene recalls his frequent visits to her St. Clair County Archives when it was in the Ashville Library building as well as two later locations on the town square. She says Joe was always pleasant, never declined to pause in his own work to help others and added much to the usefulness of that department.

Charlene says his favorite thing was going through archival copies of old St. Clair newspapers, looking for interesting, poignant or just plain funny wedding announcements, epitaphs and other bits of Victorian-era news for his two books, By Murder, Accident & Natural Causes and Wedding Bells &Funeral Knells, both of which are still available.

His first published books were a genealogical study of his Hawkins family, a history of St. Clair High School called Where The Saints Have Trod, a compendium of 18 local church histories called In The Shadow of the Almighty, and the aforementioned Odenville, Alabama – A History of Our Town. All these works still find heavy usage as research materials, especially from St. Clair youngsters working on yearly history projects for a statewide contest with finals in Montgomery.

All his reference works have proper indices, often a large proportion of the book itself. He considers a wasted effort any reference book that is not properly indexed, and totally useless if there’s no index at all.

Joe also serves as a board member for County Archive as well as Odenville’s Fortson Museum. Over the years, he’s donated countless display items and reference works to both places, including a wonderful old foot-pump organ that now graces the Fortson collections.

Joe, the poet

One of Joe’s favorite pursuits is writing poetry, particularly oddly-punctuated verse that doesn’t rhyme. He’s an active member of the Alabama State Poetry Society, and his works have fared well in regional contests. He’s printed several chapbooks of his poems, and at one time was the official Poet of the Year of Alabama.

Joe’s love of poetry goes all the way back to his high school days, when he often penned satirical works about his teachers, much to their chagrin and the delight of his fellow students.

One of his proudest possessions is a framed piece of sheet music with one of his poems, Evensong, as its lyrics. Written especially for Joe’s poem, the music got a lot of exposure as part of a Year 2000 millennium project sponsored by the White House Millennium Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Evensong can be found in Joe’s latest book of poetry, Learning To Tell Time.

Joe takes special pride in helping to connect an American family with a group in France working to erect a memorial to American flyers who had crashed there during World War II. One of those flyers was Richard Smith, whose family had contacted Joe for further information from an obituary he had collected. Smith’s family was invited to France for the dedication ceremony.

Dark clouds gather

A few years ago, Gail was stricken with cancer, marking the beginning of an epic struggle that gave courage to many others who were fighting their own battles. Her unflappable persona remained unchanged for the entire ordeal, always beaming that special smile that could not help but warm those around her.

Her passing in 2010 marked the end of 39 years of an idyllic marriage for Joe and Gail Whitten and brought hundreds into mourning.

Joe says she was cheerful until the very end. He recalls one of their last conversations on the day before her passing, when she was heavily infused with pain medicine and somewhat groggy.

He asked, “Do you know who I am?” She replied sweetly, “Of course I know who you are, Joe.” Some hours later, he leaned over close and whispered a final “I love you.”

Her answer: “I love you, too, whoever you are,” her eyes dancing as she spoke.

Finding peace

Joe says that God moved into their home after Gail passed and has kept him company through his years of loss and resolution. He’s since become involved in mission work to Ecuador as well as extensive world travel and plans to write a few more books.

Perhaps the first stanza of his signature poem, Evensong, tells it best:

The world is quieter now.
Mist rises to mist
and a quietness comes to me
like the quietness of an old house
that whispers long-loved contentment
to past and present.

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