I dedicate this week’s column to the memory of those persons who are connected to this community. Our prayers and condolences are with their families.

Ray Savage, Jr.’s wife, Ruth of Kannapolis, North Carolina, passed away in April. Ray Savage, Jr. was born and reared in Coal City and attended the Coal City School.

Sarah Helen Crump Smith’s Husband, Earnest, Passed away recently. Earnest of Grant, Alabama, was a World War II veteran. He was wounded in the war. Betty Crump Zackie who is a widow of Sarah Helen’s late brother, Jack Crump; (he was her first husband), and some of her children and grandchildren attended Earnest Smith’s funeral. Interment was in a cemetery in Grant near where the Smith’s lived.

Sarah Helen Crump and her siblings who were born to the Edward Carl “Custer” Crump, Sr. and the late Pansy Crump were all born and reared in Coal City, attended the Coal City School and some of them lived in this community for the most part of their lives. Some of their offspring continue to live here.

L.C. Sanford of Fruithurst, Alabama, formerly of Coal City, passed away recently. He is a brother to Ester Sanford Garner of Coal City. L.C. and Esther’s parents came to Coal City and established residence here many years ago. They are both deceased. They came to Coal City from Fruithurst.

L.C. was buried in Mt. Peron Cemetery, Fruithurst, which adjoins the church, which L.C. and his wife and family attended and were members. Their late parents also attended that same church and were actively involved in the church.

My paternal, first cousin, Kathy Kennedy Wood, 57, passed away April 29, 2009 at her residence in Houston, Texas. Kathy who is the daughter of my late aunt, Mittie Black Kennedy and my late uncle, William D. “Bill” Kennedy, grew up in Coal City. Other than her parents, her brother, James Ed Jackson who was also formerly of Coal City, preceded her in death.

Kathy is survived by her husband, Lonnie Wood and one daughter and son-in-law, Shelly and Jeff Knight also of Houston, Texas.

Jimmy Neal Nix, 72, of Pell City, formerly of Coal City, passed away May 17, 2009, at his residence.

Jimmy was mine and my sibling’s maternal cousin and he and his wife, Martha Bryant Nix were/are among our closest friends.

Jimmy, his late parents, Fred and Ruby Campbell Mix, his late brother, Bobby Joe Nix and his brother, Jerry Nix who survives, lived on the hill just above our log house in Coal City. They were our nearest neighbors. Our late Daddies, Fred Nix and Joe black were like two brothers.

The Nix family was at our house every day. They always came when the weather was stormy. “Mr. Fred” as we affectionately referred to him, said that he felt safe with us in that little log house.

We hold many precious memories of the Nix family and, of course, of Jimmy and Martha in these later years.

When my brother and sister-in-law, Joe “Cliff” and Beverly Black of Mobile came for our great-niece’s, Ashley Higginbotham’s wedding on April 17, “Cliff”, Beverly and I went to visit Jimmy and Martha. Even though “Cliff” and Beverly were here for a very few hours, they made sure they would visit Jimmy and Martha also, our cousins, Tandy and Carolyn Payne during their short visit here. Looking back, we are so glad they did get to visit them. And, of course, I went with them to visit both families.

“Cliff” and Beverly came back to attend Jimmy’s funeral.

Jimmy was a devoted Christian and was an active member of Broken Arrow Baptist Church up until he became disabled to attend. He was the “handy-man” at Broken Arrow. He was continually doing repairs on the church building.

Actually, I don’t have the space to do justice to Jimmy Nix’s character in this column. He was truly a gentleman. And he was so likeable. He had a fantastic sense of humor. He always had something funny to say when he was with others. He had a great host of friends.

Interment was in St. Clair Memorial Gardens in Coal City.

Louise Owen Jones Davis, 89, of Coal City, passed away May 19, 2009. Louise was a devoted Christian and an active member of Harkey’s Chapel United Methodist Church until she became disabled to attend.

She was a lifelong resident of Coal City. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Mr. Jones and Carl “Button” Davis, two daughters, Linda Jones Sumner and Paula Davis.

Louise will long be remembered for her kind, loving and gentle spirit. I am so thankful to God to have known her and to have had the privilege of worshipping God with her in church services at Harkey’s Chapel United Methodist Church.

Interment was in Oak Ridge Cemetery in Pell City.

George William Edge, 77, of Coal City, passed away May 27, 2009. George was a Christian and was of the Baptist faith. He was a businessman. He owned and operated Edge Transmission Shop in Coal City. He was in the Army and served his stint during the Korean War.

His wife, Doris, preceded him in death. Survivors are four daughter, Connie Edge Garrett, Vicky and husband, Barry Bright, Kathy Willis and Lisa and husband, Danny Layton, sister, Jewel McCrory, two brothers, Woodard Edge and Curtis Edge, eight grandchildren and ten great grandchildren.

Interment was in St. Clair Memorial Gardens in Coal City.

Please make a note of the following change in Mt. Moriah’s Vacation Bible School announcement that has been published in this newspaper for the past three weeks:

Thursday Night, June 4th the Bible School will start at 6:00pm and the families are invited to come at 7:30pm for Family Night.