Thanks so much for the description of the DAR dedication. I have forwarded on to my relatives so that even the non-genealogy-bent could share in the experience. Very well written! Jean Hattiesburg, MS On Tue, 1 Jun 2004 10:17:29 -0500 "Keith & Marilyn Dowdy" <k.dowdy@mchsi.com> writes: > "Track Suit And Rubber Shoes" OR "How Everything Went Wrong And > Turned Out > All Right." > > > > On Friday, the day before the dedication ceremony, the temperature > had risen > to the nineties and it was hot and humid when my family left our > cabin in > the middle of un-civilization, on a mission to locate the church to > see what > we'd need to do to get the reception hall ready. My dad had > forgotten a > necessary prescription, so we stopped at the first pharmacy we saw > to try to > arrange a call-in from his physician back home. It was a long wait > in the > parking lot while he and Keith, our family pharmacist, went inside > to take > care of business. I had forgotten to phone Charlie Porter, the > Veterans > Service Officer who was coordinating the military portion of the > ceremony, > to go over the program and work out any kinks. "Oh, no," I thought, > "he's > going to want to bail on me because I can't remember a little > courtesy of a > phone call." While we were waiting I thought I'd try it, and I did > connect > but we were both on cell phones so you can imagine how that was > going. He > said, "Ok, I'll meet you somewhere. Where are you right now?" I > replied > "Marietta" and he asked where. I told him the name of the > drugstore, and he > says, "I don't believe it, I'm heading your way right now. I'll be > there in > five minutes." He met us in the parking lot of Slater Drug Company > and we > reviewed our plans on the hood of the van. He was very apologetic > that he > couldn't arrange a rifle salute, but he had arranged for the ROTC > Color > Guard from Furman University and the National Chaplain for the SAR > was > planning to attend as well. He was as friendly and accommodating a > gentleman as I'd ever met, and before we parted he directed us to > Beechwood > Farms, where he declared we would find "the best strawberries in the > world." > Keith and company returned with the news that we'd have to locate > another > pharmacy, as that one couldn't help. Charlie directed us to another > store, > and when we took the wrong turn flagged us and led us there > himself. > > > > Later, when we arrived at the church, immediately we noticed the > Tyger > Baptist Church sign out front, with a message that read, "Welcome > Reuben > Barrett Descendants". I got out of the car and stood reading the > sign, > thinking about what it meant that this church family embraced us as > one of > their own without really knowing any of us. I turned my gaze toward > the > cemetery, my eyes searching out the stone with the brass emblem in > the > center, the one I'd waited so long to see. We hurried over to read > the > inscription, and to touch the stone which symbolized our kinship > with this > church and this land. Buried in the dirt, I found a remnant of a > miniature > flag, a tattered sentinel left a year earlier by descendants like > me, who > had come from near and far to connect with this monument, this > soldier, this > land that appeals to our yearning for home. > > > > We'd been in the cemetery only a few minutes when a gray utility > van > stopped, and a young man got out and walked toward us with a smile > and open > arms. I suspected, and he confirmed that he was Jake Darnell, > pastor of > Tyger Baptist Church. He said he'd been working down the road, but > had been > expecting us so he stopped work immediately when he saw us in the > cemetery > and came over to greet us. He pointed out some other interesting > graves in > the cemetery; he told us legends about the people and stories about > the > location of the earliest church building; and he pointed out the > large stone > on the rise above the cemetery that is reported to be the > cornerstone of the > original church. Jake opened the doors of the church for us > literally and > figuratively; welcomed us to use the facility in any way we wished, > and > offered to do whatever necessary for our dedication ceremony to be > the event > we envisioned. He guided our tour of the church, showing us the > lines of > additions and updates that have taken place over the years. He > shared with > us the oldest photo of the church which hangs in his office, and > gave us > copies of the church history that was printed for the 175th > Anniversary > Homecoming Celebration. > > > > We made the Beechwood Farms detour when we left the church and it > was one of > the highlights of the trip. We went wild and bought vegetables and > jam, as > well as two gallons of strawberries. One gallon we reserved for > the > dedication refreshments, the other we sliced to serve over angel > food cake > and ice cream back at the cabin. We balanced it out with a stir-fry > supper, > to fight off the guilt of something that tasted so good! > > > > Later that day I spoke on the phone with Susan Darnell (one of those > rare > times when we were actually able to get cellular service) and she > asked me > how we wanted to set up in the church. We had a discussion about > tablecloths and flower arrangements, and agreed to talk again later > that > evening. Of course, I forgot that when we returned to our cabin > near Table > Rock, we would again be in a cellular black hole. Wouldn't you know > the > adorable cabin I rented was truly a retreat from civilization, one > without a > telephone? My sister and I planned some emergency provisions for > dressing up > the fellowship hall, and off I went with Keith in tow, looking for > the Sam's > Wholesale Club for refreshments and table covers. I don't know why, > but the > late hour didn't phase me and I just assumed if I was awake then the > Sam's > Club must be open. Well, duh. At 10:30 pm on a weeknight? There > was a > WalMart open nearby, and this Wally-wise shopper found a enough of > the items > on my list to get by. A stop by Ingles' on our way back to > un-civilization, > and we had everything we needed. > > > > A few hours and a little sleep later, it was time to leave for the > church. > The refreshments (except the frozen lemonade-it would be added last > minute) > went into the cooler and were loaded in the van; the printed > programs and > the trumpet were laid on the back seat, we slipped our "dress" > clothes into > a garment bag to change into once we'd finished the setup and > decorations, > and we were off. > > > > I recognized Jim immediately when we arrived at the church, and he > and Jan > helped us unload the van. As we walked into the fellowship hall, we > couldn' > t believe our eyes. The tables were laid with white cloths, and > topped with > lovely flower and candle centerpieces, the buffet table sported a > gorgeous > centerpiece, and the chairs had been set up at the cemetery. Just as > we had > discussed. Jake and Susan took care of it all. Once we recovered > from the > shock, we set about preparing the refreshments so they'd be ready > when we > returned from the cemetery. Sister started preparing the > strawberries. > Mama started her melon balls. Hallie and Larry had arrived by then, > and > they, Jim and Jan stepped in and lent a hand where they could. I > started > preparing the olive spread for the ham roll-ups. Now where were the > nuts? > "Sis, did you pack the nuts? No? Okay, no problem, we'll send > someone on an > emergency run." Ok, I thought, I'll go ahead and mix up the > lemonade. > Checked the cooler, checked the freezer. "Did we pack the frozen > lemonade?" > ? Okay add that to the emergency list. Jan snagged Jim and they set > out > to find a grocery store while we finished up. Okay, the Color > Guard > arrived. Better get everyone changed. "Keith, did you bring in the > hanging > bag?" "No? It must be still in the van. Bring it in, ok?" > "Uh-Oh." "What > uh-oh? What do you MEAN there's NO HANGING BAG IN THE VAN????? I > am > wearing a track suit and my rubber sandals! You have to go get the > clothing > bag." Sadly, it was too late. There wasn't time to drive back to > un-civilization for the clothes. I had to face my sister and my > mother and > tell them we'd forgotten their clothes, that we'd all have to go as > we were, > speaking part or not. The Chaplain of the National SAR and the > representatives of the South Carolina DAR had arrived. Dressed to > the nines, > no less, and asking for me. No time for regrets now. I slapped on > some > mascara and lipstick. I made one mumbled apology for the state of > my dress, > and forged ahead. (Thank God for anti-depressants. And > anti-anxiety-ants.) > I sucked in my breath and straightened my spine and decided if Pvt. > Reuben > Barrett could face the British Army for me, I could face 30 friendly > people > in my track suit and rubber shoes for him. > > > > The actual ceremony was moving, patriotic, and spiritual. The > precise > cadence of the Color Guard bearing our flag, the pealing trumpet > rendition > of the National Anthem, the prayer, the words said in praise and > honor of > our ancestor, the wreaths laid at the tomb as a memorial to the man > who > walked away from his family in order to provide a legacy of freedom > to those > who came after, and the final, lonely wail of taps--there was a > presence > with us that balmy afternoon as the sun slid behind a thunderhead > and a > light breeze gently dried the dampness of the day from our skin. > There was > a poignant pause as we rose to make our way back to the cool, > refreshing, > air conditioned hall, when the descendants, at least, took a long > look > around as if acknowledging the presence of paternal pride. Not one > thing > could have taken from us that familial feeling, and the certainty of > honor > affixed at last to that grave where our personal patriot lay. > > > > We enjoyed some fairly fabulous lemonade and some nibbling tidbits, > thanks > to Jim and Jan, who saved the day, and enjoyed the company of newly > discovered family and friends. Larry expertly rounded up the > relatives for > an assortment of group pictures, & captured some of it on video as > well. > Rev. Jake and Susan Darnell and the members of Tyger Baptist church > embraced > our family in fellowship as if they'd known us all our lives, as > they did > for those of you who were there last year. > > > > After the crowd thinned we went looking for the broom closet and > under the > stairs we discovered a tree stump embedded in a dirt wall that was > left > exposed when the basement addition was built. How long since it had > been a > growing tree? How many times had our ancestors walked across that > very > mound, leaving the footprints we would follow to discover their > history? How > I wanted a handful of that ancient earth! I let it lie. Not one > grain could > have made that day a better memory. > > > > P.S. I want to thank all the BARRETT family members who helped make > this day > possible. I feel very grateful to have been able to represent you > at this > monumental event. > > > > Love, Marilyn Dowdy > > > ==== BARRETT-REUBEN-SC Mailing List ==== > Please tell your Barrett Relatives online about our list....we would > all love to meet more cousins!!! > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 > > >