Mt. Olivet News

We had a wonderful graduation party at the church on Sunday night for Abby Close, Jayme Gordon, and Tate Anderson. Jayme graduated from Gateway Christian School and Abby and Tate will be South Panola graduates.

Abby is the only student from South Panola to ever receive a soccer scholarship. She will be attending Northwest Community College. She was a sweet piano student of mine and received numerous medals in both band and soccer.

Tate was an outstanding pitcher for the Tigers and enjoys all sports, especially deer hunting. He will continue his career with the Mississippi Delta Community College Trojans.

Jayme was a top student at Gateway Christian where she won many honors. As a 4-H member she participated in many archery events, and will be in the state championship this summer. She will be enrolled at Itawamba Community College this fall.

Each graduate received many gifts and each was given a Bible as a gift from the church.

We were honored to have Mike and Judy French attend services at Mt. Olivet Sunday. Mike brought a stirring message about how the government, politics, and society are lowering standards, and Christians are standing by and letting them do it.

People everywhere are gaining interest in the Panola County Singing Convention to be held at Mt. Olivet on Sunday, Sept. 25.

I heard from Maxine Ledbetter White from Wynne, AR. She grew up in Batesville and lived in the Dummy Line area. She was part of a quartet with the Millsaps, Clesta Fae, Maxine, and Martha. She attended Stamps-Baxter Musical School where they were taught to sing by shaped notes.

She is planning to attend the singing convention. She left Panola County in 1947. She has written a book entitled “Form the Delta to the Ridge” that will be out soon. It depicts life in the Mississippi Delta and around Crowley’s Ridge in Arkansas. 

Benjamin Crowley was the first white settler to reach that area of Arkansas near the present-day Paragould area in the 1820s. The Civil War skirmish at Chalk Bluff was fought on Crowley’s Ridge on May 1-2, 1862.

The ridge is a unique formation that rises above the plains of the Mississippi River by 250 to 550 feet. It runs some 150 miles from Southeastern Missouri to the Mississippi River near Helena, AR.

At one time, the ridge was thought to have been an island between the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.

Call or text me with story ideas or questions at 901-828-8824.