December 2012

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Queen of Hearts, Queen ofFondrenMary Jo McAnally is a lively, talkative, energetic woman who cankeep a listener charmed with her quick wit and self-deprecatingstories. By profession she is a real estate broker, owner of MaryJo Bickerstaff Inc., and also the associate director of the FondrenRenaissance Foundation. “I love Fondren,” says McAnally. “I havea real heart for the area.” Fondren is defined by the foundation asthat area bounded by Mill Street to I-55 and Woodrow Wilson toNorthside Drive. “Our goal,” says McAnally, “is to improve thequality of life in the Fondren area.”

A Holiday Jazz BrunchAn invitation really sets the tone for a party. So when Lyn McMillinand Cheryl Miller sent out Christmas gift boxes containing custom-made Christmas ornaments as invites to their mother-daughterholiday jazz brunch in honor of their debutante daughters, guestsknew they were in for a treat. Daughters Lauren McMillin andMadeleine Miller were the honorees and their moms plannedevery moment of this holiday jazz brunch.

Sweetness FollowsWhen Katy Smith Houston was a little girl, she loved cooking andbaking with her Easy Bake Oven. Through the years she foundbaking therapeutic. Her newly-published cookbook, SweetnessFollows, includes recipes for 80 desserts, mouth-watering photo-graphs, and a real-life story of love, support and determination.The book is dedicated to Sam Lane and tells the story of all thepeople who loved and cared for the Lane family when an accidentalmost took Sam’s life. As Katy explains in the book’s preface, “Inthe South, friends, family and food are all tied together. This storyabout Sam celebrates all three.”

Christmas TraditionsFor many Northsiders, special Christmas activities shared withfamily and friends are an important part of the holiday season. Oldor new, big or small, traditions are woven into our Christmas cele-brations, year after year. Four Northsiders tell us about how theirfamilies celebrate the holidays.

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ContentsDECEMBER 2012 | VOLUME 7, NUMBER 10

Departments

Laura Lee Wooley/Jordan Lee Russell

Amanda Leigh Griffin/Matthew Wesley Conner

Rebekah Ann Eckols/Ryan Baroner Aldridge

Anne Dozier Sanders/Richard Kirkland McRee III

Maria Antionique Battaglia/Jonathan Drayton Lee

Haley Crisler Westbrook/Christopher Cameron Yearout

Christina Faye Cannon/Robert Kirby Boteler Jr.

Jordan Vinson McKibben/Judson Franklin Mason

Elizabeth Baldwin Vick/Joshua Dudley Kipp

December2012

555657586163636565

Engagement PartyAn engagement celebration honor-ing Lauren Wakefield and Jason Raywas held recently in the home ofWilliam and Martha Ray.

Engagement PartyA celebration of the engagement ofMary-Crosby Turner and WalkerRoberts was recently held in thehome of Debbie and Joe McCaskill.

Welcome ReceptionSeveral Northsiders hosted a partyat the Mississippi Crafts Center towelcome Holly and BrentChristensen.

WEDDINGS/ENGAGEMENTS

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PARTIES

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Food WiseMarlana Walters

Tennis AdvantageJenny Markow

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COLUMNS

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Dates for Leukemia Fund-RaiserThe 12th annual Dates for Leukemia fund-raiserwas held at recently at The South. The event isa silent date auction to benefit the Leukemiaand Lymphoma Society.

Chocolate Ball BenefitThe 2012 Chocolate Ball benefit for RonaldMcDonald House Charities of Mississippi washeld recently at the River Hills Country Club.

Dance with the Stars Preview PartyDance with the Stars preview party forMississippi Opera was held recently at St.James Episcopal Church.

Seventh Annual Storytellers BallThe seventh annual Storytellers Ball was heldrecently at the Arts Center of Mississippi. Thetheme was Blame It on the Blues.

Goodwill VolunteersGoodwill Industries of Mississippi held its annu-al awards dinner recently at the Country Clubof Jackson as a fund-raiser for GoodwillIndustries.

Enchanted Evening Under the StarsGalaEnchanted Evening Under the Stars gala bene-fiting Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital washeld recently at the Mississippi Museum of Artin the Art Garden.

Catfish and Soul Fund-RaiserCatfish and Soul, the annual fund-raiser for theHarbor House, was held recently at theMississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum.

Mad (Wo)Men Against MSFirst MasterChef winner Whitney Miller was thespecial guest at the inaugural Mad (Wo)MenAgainst MS cocktail night, held at the VikingCooking School.

MKF Board MeetingThe 47th annual meeting of the board oftrustees and the professional advisory board ofthe Mississippi Kidney Foundation was heldrecently at Nick’s Restaurant.

Saving Grace BenefitSaving Grace, a benefit for Grace House, washeld recently at St. James Episcopal Church.

The Cedars Juried Art ExhibitionReceptionThe opening reception for The Cedars 2012Juried Art Exhibition was held recently. Theshow is part of the Four Seasons of TheCedars Visual and Performing Arts Series andfeatures more than 90 works selected byWilliam Dunlap.

Farm to Table 100The first annual “Farm to Table 100” was heldrecently at Table 100. This event celebratedlocal farmers and their bounty of the season.

The Greenville Connection PartyThe Greenville Connection Party was heldrecently at the Northpointe Red Barn.

Art For Heart Donor ReceptionThe American Heart Association and the 2012Art for Heart committee hosted the Art forHeart donor reception recently at VikingCooking School.

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EVENTS

northsidesunthe

magazineA MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE

NORTHSIDE SUN NEWSPAPER P.O. BOX 16709

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI 39236601-957-1122

EDITORJimmye Sweat

WRITERSSusan Deaver • Glenda Wadsworth • Anthony Warren • Jenny Markow

Jenny Woodruff • Marlana Walters • Katie Eubanks • Judy Smith

PHOTOGRAPHERSBeth Buckley • Lonnie Kees • Christina Cannon • Chris Grillis • David Johnston

Rachel Kabukala • Anthony Warren • Jenny Woodruff

ADVERTISING DIRECTORMelanie North

ADVERTISINGKaty Agnew • Holly Dean • Amy Forsyth • Carly O’Bryant • Lauren Breazeale

ART DIRECTORWanda McCain

PRODUCTION MANAGERBeth Buckley

PRODUCTIONJo Ann WardNikki Hodum

BOOKKEEPINGDani Poe

CIRCULATIONDale Frazier • Dottie and Jeff Cole • Kerri Hawkins

THE NORTHSIDE SUN MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE NORTHSIDE SUN NEWSPAPER. ALTHOUGH THE MAGAZINE IS DISTRIBUTED FREE ON NEWSSTANDS, PAID SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR $20 ANNUALLY. FOR NEW SUB-

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ABOUT THE COVERab`bj_bo=OMNO

Katy Houston andSam Lane werephotographed byLonnie Kees forour SweetnessFollows story thismonth.


d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 17

PHOTOS BY BETH BUCKLEY


Queen of Hearts,

Queen of Fondren

BY GLENDA WADSWORTH

“I don’t like obituaries,” Mary Jo McAnally said as she sat

down for an interview, “I want people to remember me alive,”

and she soon displayed the reason why. Who could forget

her? She is a lively, talkative, energetic woman who can keep

a listener charmed with her quick wit and self-deprecating

stories.

By profession she is a real estate broker, owner of Mary Jo

Bickerstaff Inc., and also the associate director of the Fondren

Renaissance Foundation. Sarah Nelson recalls that she and

McAnally first worked together as volunteers at the foundation

before McAnally joined the staff. “She is smart, really smart.

I’ve always said I will get involved in any project if Mary Jo

can help. She is funny and full of good ideas.”

“I love Fondren,” says McAnally. “I have a real heart for the

area.” Fondren is defined by the foundation as that area

bounded by Mill Street to I-55 and Woodrow Wilson to

Northside Drive. “Our goal,” says McAnally, “is to improve the

quality of life in the Fondren area. Fourteen years ago there

was a stigma to living in this area. We wanted to make a dif-

ference. St. Dominic’s Hospital has invested a million dollars in

Fondren.”

Jim Wilkerson, Mary Jo McAnally

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 21

The foundation first turned its attention to the business area – theCapri, the Rainbow Shopping Center. “Now people are venturing out toFondren’s fine restaurants, to art shows, to the Symphony at Sunset, tothe Zippity Doo Dah parade. Our programs are free, we have made themcomfortable, casual and diverse. Fondren is filled with exciting, creative,fun people.”

The Phoenix Initiative is a partnership among St. Dominic’s HealthServices, Fondren Renaissance Foundation and the neighborhood. St.Dominic’s has dedicated $250,000 over five years to support the initia-tive. This project offered façade grants of up to $5,000 to homeownersliving on or in the west side of Fondren; homeowners had to match 25percent of the project cost.

Buddy Graham has been involved with the foundation since its begin-ning in 2002 and has served as president of the board of directors. Hebelieves that Mary Jo’s greatest gift to the foundation has been herknowledge of real estate. “She has had a real vision for the potential ofthe area, plus the organizational skills and personality to put thosevisions into action. She was influential in getting Mike Peters to pur-chase the Fondren Corner building which became the catalyst in therenaissance of the entire area. Fondren Corners led to the Duling Schoolproject which led to the construction of the Fondren Place office build-ing. The building and strengthening of the businesses in the lowerFondren area gave name recognition to that viable business area. That inturn spilled out into the entire community. Her enthusiasm and person-ality and the innumerable hours invested by Mary Jo in her work moti-vated others.”

Nelson sums it up. “Almost everything good that has been done by thefoundation can be in part attributed to Mary Jo.”

McAnally, an only child, was reared in Blytheville, Ark.,and was graduated from Blytheville High School, whereshe was a majorette. Pat Williams, a friend from theBlytheville days, reveals, “Mary Jo’s mother died when shewas 16, and she was reared by her dad, a wonderful manwho just adored her. But then everyone adored Mary Jo.She was the most popular girl in town, a cute, funny girl, areal character. In high school she took her first job, a cler-ical assistant for a local lawyer, my brother, who thoughtshe hung the moon.”

Mary Jo’s majorette skills won her a scholarship to theUniversity of Mississippi, where she was a member of theTri Delta sorority. Rae Barnett, a Tri Delta one year aheadof McAnally, recalls, “Mary Jo had more cards, letters andrecommendations than any other rushee. I remember we

were all so eager to meet her.” Tri Deltaput McAnally up for Miss University,and Barnett found her an accompanistfor her talent presentation. “She placedin the top five in the competition – areal feat for a new out-of-state student.”She was also chosen a yearbook favorite.

Mary Jo has two children: a daughter,Susan, a teacher, actress and singer inGeorgia, and a son, Michael, head bas-ketball coach at East Rankin Academy.They, in turn, have given her two grand-daughters, and a grandson. In 1975Mary Jo married Ron McAnally, who isassociated with the Mississippi StateHealth Department.

Daughter Susan recalls her childhood.“There was a period of time when I wasyoung when it was just the two of us. Itcould have been very confusing andscary, but my mother always made mefeel safe and secure. She introduced meto old black and white movies (I cannotwatch Mildred Pierce without thinking

Queen of Hearts, Queen of Fondren

Mary Jo and her daugther Susan at Jackson Prep

Miss University pageant photo

Ole Miss class favorite


of her), cooked exotic (to me) food for dinner, and encouraged ‘waytoo many pets in our house. She has always been spunky and fun, loyaland fearless, opinionated and compassionate ... she is the JuliaSugarbaker of Northeast Jackson.”

While her son was a student at Jackson Prep, Mary Jo was certifiedas a fund-raiser by Dartmouth College and worked as a fund-raiser forPrep. She also helped to organize the first professional tennis tourna-ment for the Junior League of Jackson. She has been active in numer-ous organizations and served on the board of many, including theJackson Association of Realtors, Multiple Listing Service of Jackson,Hinds County Cancer Association, Junior League of Jackson, JacksonPrep’s PAT and Jackson Tri Delta alumnae. She currently serves on theSt. Dominic’s Health Services advisory board.

Mary Jo’s enthusiasm and love of working with friends have guidedher in both her professional and volunteer work. “Friends and familykeep me going. I enjoy people – that’s why I work. I am in good healthand full of energy.”

Son Michael calls his mother “a real go-getter with excellent socialand leadership skills. Watching her I have sharpened my own socialand leadership skills, which have helped me in my life. She thrives onher associations with friends. She has never met a stranger. However,I have to warn you, there is no such thing as a short conversation withmy mom.”

Mary Jo has a delightful way of telling embarrassing stories on her-self and giggling through it all. She says, “Strange things just happen tome.” During a speech at River Hills she attempted to take a quick sip ofwater while keeping eye contact with her audience, and “I got thestraw up my nose.” Again, she was presiding at a Tri Delta meeting andgot a moth in her ear.

Joe Sherman, a close friend, tells this story. “Mary Jo was invited toa party. It turns out there were two parties on that street that night,and when Mary Jo drove down the street and saw a number of cars ata house, she parked and went inside, saw people she knew, chatted andvisited, never knowing she was at the wrong party. She can make her-self at home anywhere.”

Sherman illustrates with another tale. “This woman could talk herway into the Vatican. When a friend had an old sick family dog whichwas not expected to live, Mary Jo went to the vet’s office, talked herway into the geriatric ward to make a photo of the pet so she couldhave an artist paint its portrait to give to the dog’s owner. That’s typi-cal Mary Jo. No friendship is more genuine than hers.”

Mary Jo’s fantasy job is hosting a television cooking show. “I cookevery day. And I love to watch cooking shows on television.” After hermother died, she took charge of cooking for her dad. “I grew up eatingdifferently and thinking differently about food from most folks. I cancook rabbit with biscuits and gravy.” She is convinced that people don’tlike to cook primarily because they dislike clean-up.

She often makes hors d’oeuvres for foundation events at the Cedars.“It started early on when caterers were ‘way outside our budget,” saysGraham. “Typical Mary Jo, she jumped right in there, went home thatnight and returned the next day with food platters of her best recipes.Everything she does she does well, and she has a natural instinct forcooking. She could run a restaurant. Of course now the foundation isestablished, and we have caterers vying for the opportunity to serve atour events.”

Her energy and enthusiasm extend to everyone she knows. “I havealways been amazed at the number of friends my mother has,” saysSusan. “Last summer her friends arranged a party for a milestonebirthday. The invitations included an image of Wonder Woman withmy mother’s head photo-shopped on top. She absolutely turned thetables on them and showed up for the party in a homemade WonderWoman costume, complete with boots, wig, and cape. I also loved thefact that there were both recent professional colleagues there, as wellas ladies dating back to the Tri Delta sorority house at Ole Miss.”

Sherman says, “Mary Jo is a superhero. She has two speeds, fast andstop, no neutral. If anyone needs her any time of day or night, she isright there for them.” She is a wonder woman.

Says Mary Jo, “This is my favorite appetizer. It is also a great side dish. By family request, I

make this for every holiday meal. The secret is marinating the mushrooms in the Marsala

wine for approximately 30 minutes.”

SAUSAGE-STUFFED MUSHROOMS1 large carton of white mushrooms

5 Tbs. good olive oil

1/4 cup of Marsala wine

1 lb. sausage

1/2 bunch green onions (use white and green parts minced)

2 garlic cloves minced

2/3 cup Panko crumbs

1 small container mascarpone cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbs minced fresh parsley leaves

4 drops Tabasco

Salt and Pepper to taste

Remove the stems from the mushrooms, chop finely and set aside. Place mushroom caps in abowl and toss with 3 tbs. of olive oil and Marsala.

Heat remaining 2 tbs oil in skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, crumbing with wooden spoon and cook for 8-10 minutes until brown. Add

chopped mushroom stems and cook 3 more minutes. Stir in onion and garlic and cook another2-3 minutes. Stir Panko crumbs into mixture. Finally, swirl in mascarpone and continue cookinguntil mascarpone has melted and mixture is even and creamy. Remove from heat and add parme-san, parsley and seasonings. Let cool before filling mushroom. Arrange in baking dish. Pour anyremaining marinating wine over stuffed mushrooms and cook approximately 50 minutes at 325degrees until stuffing is browned.

Mary Goodwin, Mary Jo, Lucy Goodwin

Michael, Walker, Amber, Mary Jo and Ron McAnally

Susan Goodwin and Mary Jo

Mary Pryor Sherman, Mary Jo, Joe Sherman, Ron McAnally

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 23


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A HolidayJazz Brunch

n invitation really sets the tone

for a party.

So when Lyn McMillin and Cheryl

Miller sent out Christmas gift boxes

containing custom-made Christmas or-

naments as invites to their mother-

daughter holiday jazz brunch in honor

of their debutante daughters, guests

knew they were in for a treat.

Each invitation went through a

painstaking process. First, red shatter-

proof ball ornaments were selected

and the invitation was printed on each

one. Cheryl hand-painted the inside of

each box, and the women attached a

debutante ball photograph of the girls

under the lid of each box. “We hand-

tied the ornaments with green satin rib-

bon and nestled them in red and green

shred,” McMillin said. “Finally, we tied

the decorative boxes with green raffia,

created custom Christmas labels and

attached Christmas postage stamps.”

The result? Guests received a gift in

their mailboxes. The boxes were so

convincing that one guest placed it

under her Christmas tree without open-

ing it.

Daughters Lauren McMillin and

Madeleine Miller were the honorees

and their moms planned every moment

of this holiday jazz brunch with help in

holiday decorations from John Dowdle

and Wendy Putt with catering.

BY JENNY WOODRUFF

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS TODDA


Debutante parties have different guidelines in dif-ferent cities, but the requirements here usuallyspecify that the parties must be held within a two-week period during the holiday season. Typically,several debutantes are honored at the same time.Since Lauren and Madeleine have been friendssince kindergarten, the mothers decided this wouldbe a perfect combination. “If you are hosting a partywith someone, it’s important that you share thesame vision and know what your budget is,”McMillin said. “Cheryl and I talked early on aboutwhat we wanted this party to be and we worked to-gether to create the event that we both envisioned.”

The first step to planning a fabulous holiday partyis setting the date, according to Miller. “Christmasis easy because your house is already decorated andall you really have to do is fluff.” Also having plentyof time to plan, choosing a location, setting abudget and choosing a theme are important stepsto planning the perfect party, according to Miller.“We started planning in May and chose Lyn’s housefor the party because it is absolutely beautiful. Itwas made for a party.”

“Having a theme helped pull everything together,”McMillin said.

The next step is enlisting help with planning. Theladies decided they would contact Wendy Putt.

“We met with her and we knew it was a great fit,”Miller said. They worked together to create a jazzbrunch menu that tied together Louisiana jazz fla-vor with Mississippi holiday delicacies.

They then determined the guest list. “We wantedthis to be a very special day for our daughters,”McMillin said. “In addition to the debutantes andtheir mothers, we also invited close friends, familymembers, and women who had played a significantrole in our daughters’ lives. We would have loved to

have been able to include more people, but spacerestrictions and budget required that we keep theevent manageable.”

Cheryl and Lyn worked off each other’s strengthsand divided the party details. “She is very creativeand played a huge role in how everything looked,and I worked more behind the scenes with organiz-ing everything,” McMillin said. The theme was im-portant to the party and, according to McMillin, thewhite dress theme was something that evolvedthrough the process. “We wanted to display theirdebutante gowns because many of the people who

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 29

Dennis, Madeleine and Cheryl MillerDavid, Lauren and Lyn McMillan


came to the brunch were not at the actual debutanteball,” she said. “We realized that many significant oc-casions in their lives featured white dresses, so wedisplayed photographs from those occasions in silverframes.”

The girls’ debutante gowns were on mannequinson the front porch for guests to view as they arrived.Their long white gloves were on a chest in the foyer,along with a photograph in an antique silver frameof the girls hugging (the same photo from the invita-tions).

“We had a display we called ‘Significant WhiteDresses’ that reflected Lauren and Madeleine’s longhistory together,” McMillin said.

The idea for this began when the women foundpictures of the girls when they were both angels inBallet Mississippi’s “The Nutcracker.” They realizedthey shared many special occasions where they worewhite dresses, including confirmation at GallowayMemorial United Methodist Church, fourth-gradegraduation, and St. Andrew’s May Day. “Along withphotographs of the girls in christening gowns, wehad toddler photos, St. Andrew’s May Day photos,high school photos and their debutante photos,”McMillin said.

Guests enjoyed the brunch, which was served onthe dining room table. “A secondary theme camefrom the mannequins and angels with trumpets dis-played on the front porch,” McMillin said. “We con-tinued that idea on the dining room table with anangel as the focal centerpiece, nestled in a Christmaswreath and surrounded by red roses.” Putt added tothe look by having different staff members createtheir own signature arrangement for each of sevendifferent antique silver trumpet vases displayed onthe table.

“We hung the red balls we used in the invitationsin a display on the sideboard,” Miller said. Using adistressed wrought-iron Christmas tree McMillin al-ready had, Dowdle incorporated the ornaments intothe display by adding miniature gold trumpets andfilling in with fresh Christmas greens. Not only did itcomplete the look, but it also filled the air with thesmell of Christmas.

Their fathers, David McMillin and Dennis Miller,served drinks on the back porch in silver goblets –Shirley Temples for the girls and mimosas for themoms. Dessert was white chocolate mouse in mar-tini glasses with “L” or “M” in each glass with achocolate covered strawberry at the base.

“We gave each debutante an engraved silversnowflake Christmas ornament, and those wereplaced in ‘purse’ boxes that lined the staircase,”McMillin said. “We are hoping that the ornaments

A Holiday Jazz Brunch

Lauren McMillin with her grandparents, Carolyn and Bill HeardPatricia Stewart with her granddaughter Madeleine Miller

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 31

will bring back fond memories each year when thegirls display them on their own Christmas trees.”

Raphael Semmes and his Jazz Trio roamed theparty, combining jazz favorites with holiday classics.“The music really added to the overall mood, andeveryone loved the atmosphere,” Miller said. “Wewere fortunate to have live music, but recordedmusic would have been our backup plan.” Profes-sional photographer Chris Todd was brought in tocapture the day. “It was really a luxury having Chrishandle all of the photography,” McMillin said. “It al-lowed us to concentrate on the event and not have toworry about taking pictures. I think it is always agood idea to have someone other than the hostessesphotograph the event. If you can’t afford a profes-sional, then enlist a friend to get some great picturesfor you.”

The party was a hit and the girls loved it. “This wasall done out of pure love,” Miller said.

According to the women, there is a way to plan afabulous party and stay within your budget. “Wetried to do this cost effectively,” she said. “We didmuch of the tedious work ourselves, and we hadtime to work to make sure things fell within ourbudget.” Allowing plenty of time is the one piece ofadvice the women strongly encourage for party plan-ners. “You must start early enough so you have timeto plan all of the details and allow for unexpectedsurprises,” Miller said. “Things have a way of takinglonger than you planned, and you want your eventpreparation to be enjoyable instead of stressful.”

The bottom line, according to McMillin, is to fig-ure out the end goal. “We knew early on that wewanted a special day for our daughters, and wewanted our guests to feel special as well,” McMillinsaid. “Typically, however, hostesses are exhaustedbefore the event even starts. Careful planning al-lowed us to relax and enjoy the day. The end result isthat we all had a wonderful day that we will alwayscherish and remember.”

A Holiday Jazz Brunch

Debutante Club of Mississippi Board MembersIrene Mangum, V.A. Patterson, Estelle Mockbee, Jane Roper

Madeleine and Lauren with Mary Frances Stephens

Raphael Semmes and his Jazz TrioAudrey Sidney with Sidney and Cheryl Anthony

Frances Walton with Walton and Kelly Fenelon


d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 33

I-55N at Northside Dr, Exit 100 • www.highlandvillagems.com facebook.com/highlandvillagems

twitter.com/hvmississippi pinterest.com/hvmississippiShops open Mon-Sat 10A-6P • Restaurant hours may vary

Pics with Santa by Lisa Patti: Check our website, www.highlandvillagems.com for schedule.

A Daisy A Day • Albriton’s Jewelers • Annelle Primos & Assoc. • Beagle Bagel Cafe Bravo! • Buffalo Peak Outfitters • Char Restaurant & Bar • Cook & Love Shoes • CrazyCat Bakers • D Squared • Dancing Divas • Early Settler • EarthWalk • Fresh InkGingersnaps • Girlfriends • High Cotton • Highland Village Chevron • Highland VillageConcepts • Inside-Out • J Stewart • Julep Restaurant & Bar • Juniker Jewelry CompanyMaison Weiss • McGehee Cruise & Vacation • Mississippi Medical Massage TherapyMon Ami Spa & Laser Center • Mozingo Clothiers • Nursery Rhymes • Olde TymeCommissary • Organizers • Oriental Shoppe • Paul Anthony’s Market • Pilates Placeof Mississippi • Place Setting • Polkadot Pony • Pure Barre • SAS Shoes • SpectaclesSuper D Drugs • Talbots • Talbots Petites • Talbots Woman • Trustmark National BankTurkoyz • Turkoyz@Home • Ulmer’s Stride Rite Shoes • Whitehead Street Clothiers

Magical Moments. Treasured Memories.

Special Gifts.

Creating the Happiest of Holidays for Years to Come.


WEETNESSFOLLOWSS

BY SUSAN DEAVER

hen Katy Smith Houston was a little girl, she loved cook-

ing and baking with her Easy Bake Oven. Her three brothers

liked everything she made. Through the years she found

baking therapeutic. Her newly-published cookbook,

Sweetness Follows, includes recipes for 80 desserts,

mouth-watering photographs, and a real-life story of love,

support and determination. The book is dedicated to Sam

Lane and tells the story of all the people who loved and

cared for the Lane family when an accident almost took

Sam’s life. As Katy explains in the book’s preface, “In the

South, friends, family and food are all tied together. This

story about Sam celebrates all three.”

W

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 37

“The boys shared so many experiences and milestones through the years,” explains Katy, “and Sam became part of our family.” (Katy Houston, Sweetness Follows)


am’s mother, Leila Bogy Lane, and Katywere childhood friends. Their sons, Sam

and Andrew, were born just three months apartand have been friends “since they were crawlers,”says Leila. “The boys shared so many experiencesand milestones through the years,” explains Katy,“and Sam became part of our family.” Then oneFriday afternoon in the boys’ junior year at theUniversity of Georgia, Sam was riding his bikewith a group in an organized ride to raise bicycleawareness when the unthinkable happened. Hewas hit by a drunk driver and sustained life-threatening injuries. Doctors initially told familyand friends that he would not make it through thenight. Thankfully, he survived, but faced a longand uncertain road of recovery. While Samremained in a five-week coma, he was flown toSt. Dominic’s Hospital. During the following two-month stay at Methodist Rehabilitation Center hereceived intensive physical, occupational andspeech therapy.

“The accident hit us all very hard,” sharesAndrew Houston. “What followed was anabsolute miracle on the part of many, but particu-larly Sam. He continually worked through frus-trating barrier after barrier, and has continued tofight when most people would have given up.”

Katy visited Sam regularly during his long reha-bilitation, but was at a loss as to how to supporthim, his mother and the family. Doing nothingwas not an option. Katy decided she would bakefor Sam, and when he was finally able to comehome, Katy told him she was going to “feed himback to health.” While Sam undertook physicaltherapy and continued to recover, she bakedhomemade desserts and delivered a different oneto Sam every Monday morning – for 62 weeks.Even if she was going to be out of town, she madesure the desserts were delivered. This continueduntil Sam moved to Oxford to resume his studiesat Ole Miss. Standing on Sam’s doorstep onMonday mornings was Katy’s way of saying “I amwith you in this and I care about you,” sheexplains. “In my mind I was saying if this bringsyou one ounce of happiness today, I will havedone what I tried to do.”

This weekly delivery soon came to be known asthe “Treat of the Week,” and reminded Sam of thetreats he had enjoyed often in the kitchen of theHoustons’ home. He now hopes that others enjoythe recipes included in the cookbook as much ashe did, and encourages everyone to “rememberhow much a little sweetness adds to life.”

Leila Lane shared that “the Treats of the Weekwere the highlight of every Monday for over ayear, and exemplify the sweet, caring sustainingsupport we received from hundreds of peopleduring Sam’s recovery.” She also described howSam came up with the title for Katy’s cookbook.

“The Athens, Ga., music scene was a big drawfor both Sam and Andrew. One of several majorbands that got their start in Athens, R.E.M., has asong titled ‘Sweetness Follows.’ Sam chose this

for the cookbook,” shared Leila, “alluding not onlyto the sweetness of a dessert that follows a meal,but also to the sweetness of friends and the entirecommunities of Athens and Jackson to our familyafter Sam’s accident. With the recipes now sharedin this book, their sweetness will continue forothers.”

When Katy contacted R.E.M. about using theirsong title for her cookbook, she discovered thatthe band’s manager, Bertis Downs, lives near thelocation of Sam’s accident. He is also a bike rider,had heard about Sam’s accident, and was happy tohear of his recovery. “My family and I weremoved by the love, compassion, dedication andoverall grace embodied in the whole (cookbook)project,” Downs explained in an e-mail. Touchedby the story, the band gave Katy permission to usethe song title, and offered to spread the wordabout the cookbook by posting about it on theband’s Web site.

Katy and Jamie, her husband of 32 years, havebeen in a supper club with Leila and her husbandSam, for 30 years. Sam shares that everyonealways looks forward to Katy’s desserts.

Grateful for the support his family receivedfrom others after his son’s accident, he adds,“When you go through something like this, youlook back and think – how did we get throughthis? God was with us every step of the way.”Sam encouraged Katy for several years to pub-lish a cookbook with the Treat of the Weekrecipes.

Because she did not want to repeat a recipe forthe Treat of the Week, Katy kept a list of therecipes she used. Even with the list, when shefinally decided to publish the book, gatheringthe recipes was a big undertaking. Some recipeswere shared by family and friends, others hadbeen cut from magazines through the years, andall had stories and history. One favorite,Chocolate Toffee Bars, was from Katy’s mother,Nancy Smith. “Each year our teachers lookedforward to receiving mother’s Chocolate ToffeeBars as Christmas gifts,” Katy said, but therewas never an actual recipe for the treat. She andher mother “both knew to add enough darkchocolate to the milk chocolate until it tastedright and managed to come up with writtendirections for the book, however.”

“I will be the happiest of all to have this book inmy kitchen,” Katy said. “Now all of my favoritesare in one book instead of stuffed into a recipebox, in a file, or in one of the many cookbooks onmy shelf.”

Katy attended a two-day seminar in Nashville,presented by Favorite Recipes Press, to see justwhat she was getting herself into. The compre-hensive publishing manual she received was “likemanna from heaven,” says Katy. “I had regulardeadlines to meet, which really held me to task.And everyone I worked with along the way waswonderful.”

Editorial Director Mary Cummings met the

Northsider on that first visit to Nashville, and wasvery encouraging to her from the beginning. “Inaddition to being the feel-good book of the year,”shares Mary, “Sweetness Follows is also the sweet-est book of the year. Not only does the bookchronicle what one caring person can do to helpturn tragedy into triumph, but it also contains themost delicious assortment of Southern dessert

recipes to be found anywhere. However, thegreatest treat of all is the chance to meet, throughthe story and food, Katy Houston who, wherevershe goes, sweetness follows.”

Publishing Consultant Sheila Thomas acknowl-edged Katy moved forward with dedication anddetermination. “Katy quickly pulled together agroup of friends to test her recipes and that groupexpanded to friends of friends who heard aboutthe project and wanted to be a part of it,”explained Sheila. “Katy is truly an amazing per-son - and I am so blessed and very proud to haveplayed a small part in the development of thisvery special cookbook.”

In addition to testing, recipes were evaluated

WEETNESSFOLLOWSSS

“In addition to being the feel-good book of

the year, Sweetness Follows is also the

sweetest book of the year. Not only does the

book chronicle what one caring person can

do to help turn tragedy into triumph, but it

also contains the most delicious assortment of

Southern dessert recipes to be found any-

where. However, the greatest treat of all is

the chance to meet, through the story and

food, Katy Houston who, wherever she goes,

sweetness follows.” (Mary Cummings, editorial director, Favorite Recipes Press)

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 39

WEETNESSFOLLOWSS

Book Credits:

“Sweetness Follows”

by Katy Houston

www.sweetnessfollows.com

Photography by Greg Campbell

Food styled by Patty Roper

“This is the firstcookbook that I

read which broughttears to my eyes. It

will motivate read-ers to understand

how a simple act ofkindness through

sharing good foodcan motivate, heal

and stimulate.” (Blog of David Kempf,

president, SouthwesternPublishing Group, Inc.)


and rated by friends who met on a weekly basis toreceive recipes and evaluation forms. This was acrucial part of the process, and these friends madevaluable suggestions along the way. “Doing thiseach week was no easy task,” explains Katy.“Imagine when we got to the cake section andsome of my empty nest friends were asked tomake two three-layer cakes in one week. Therewas a lot of sharing going on. I will always be sograteful for the enthusiasm and commitment ofthese special friends.”

Some friends and family members were asked totaste certain recipes to select a certain sauce orother element. “The tasting for the bread puddingrecipes ended in a 50-50 tie, so I ended up includ-ing two entirely different versions in the book,”Katy said.

Jamie recalls the recipe-tasting process: “If therecipe didn’t produce the perfect dessert, it wasrevised and retested until perfection wasachieved. Those that weren’t perfect in Katy’seyes were still delicious. Neighbors, family,friends and co-workers thoroughly enjoyed themand many of us benefited (some in the form of acouple of pounds) from the making of this book.In the end Sweetness Follows is Katy’s labor oflove and a ‘sweet’ tribute to Sam and the Lanefamily.”

“Our family received so much love and supportduring this process,” Katy said, “much like theLane family did after Sam’s accident.” Katy’sfriend Patty Roper styled the food for photographsin her own home, working with photographerGreg Campbell. “I certainly had the dream teamwith Patty and Greg,” Katy said. “They haveworked together for over 10 years, so they knewexactly what the other meant when they talkedlighting, angles, etc.” Patty’s daughter, Beth, was aclassmate of Sam and Andrew so this project heldspecial meaning for her. Chapters begin withwhimsical photos of Sam, offering insight to hiswit, intellect and personality. Quotes about Samfrom his family, high school football coach andteachers, doctors, nurses and others tie into somerecipes. In the end, everything came together,

including authorization from both Ole Miss andthe University of Georgia to use their logos in thebook. Katy was especially pleased and surprisedto be allowed to use the latter, explaining that“Georgia never lets anyone use it.”

Sweetness Follows became available in earlyOctober of this year, and Sam and Katy have beenbusy with book signings. A lot has happenedsince the book – and the story – began. Sam hasmade remarkable progress. He ultimately wasgraduated from the University of Georgia, and hisparents hosted a graduation celebration, completewith dinner and music. Family, friends, and med-ical staff from Athens, Jackson, and numerousother towns joined in the celebration. He movedto Boulder last May and hikes the Rockies when-ever he can. This summer he spent a monthadventuring more than 7,000 miles of NorthAmerica. “I came away from all those trips know-ing that the people I was fortunate enough to

grow up around are world-class,” explains Sam.“Katy Houston is world-class – and I would saythat without even referring to her culinaryprowess,” he continues. “Mrs. Houston’s commit-ment was one of the examples of the time andeffort given by such an amazing community asJackson.”

“For Mom, helping the Lanes along the way justmade sense,” shares Katy’s son Andrew. “Therewas never a doubt as to how much she cared, andwhat she was willing to do. Sweetness Follows is atribute to Sam, the Lanes, and how much we careabout them.”

In her 128-page cookbook, Katy wrote: “I wouldask that when you make a recipe from this bookthat you would stop and say a prayer for Sam ashe continues to improve. I was in a Bible studyyears ago and our leader, Jo Lynn Swayze, wouldend every lesson with this prayer, ‘And now God, Iwant to thank you for what you’re gonna do.’ Thatis my prayer for Sam and for this book, ‘And nowGod, I want to thank you for what you’re gonnado.’”

Portions of the proceeds from this book will begiven to the Wilson Research Foundation atMethodist Rehabilitation in Jackson.

Katy Smith Houston is a native of Columbus.Her educational background is in communica-tions and her previous work experience includes

business development and marketing for a localbank and broadcast advertising sales. She staysbusy with church activities and volunteer workwith Gateway Rescue Mission. She is also a mem-ber of Joyful Noise, a singing group sponsored bythe Junior League of Jackson that performs andsings for the elderly.

Jamie Houston is an attorney and CPA with theWatkins and Eager Law Firm, where he specializesin corporate and business law, tax and estate plan-ning and administration.

The couple have two sons. Oldest son Jamie ismarried to Rebecca, and works for The MolpusWoodlands Group in Madison. Andrew is singleand pursuing a master’s of architecture.

ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH STRAWBERRIES

1 large prepared angel food cake

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (16-ounce) package frozen sweetened sliced

strawberries, thawed, well drained and pat-

ted dry

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons sugar

3 or 4 whole fresh strawberries (optional)

Freeze the cake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Combine the cream cheese and condensed

milk in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Slice

the cake horizontally into 4 equal layers. Place

the bottom layer of the cake on a serving plate.

Spread with one-third of the cream cheese mix-

ture and top with one-third of the strawberries.

Repeat the layering twice and top with the

remaining cake layer. Beat the whipping cream

with the sugar in a chilled mixing bowl to firm

peaks. Frost the side, top and middle of the

cake with the whipped cream. Garnish with the

fresh strawberries. Chill for of least 3 hours or

until set.

Makes 10 to 12 servings

“Katy Houston is world-class

– and I would say that without

even referring to her culinary

prowess. Mrs. Houston’s com-

mitment was one of the exam-

ples of the time and effort

given by such an amazing

community as Jackson.”

(Sam Lane)

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 41

MACADAMIA ‘BUTTER’ COOKIES WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES

2/3 cup toasted macadamia nuts

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped

1/3 cup chopped toasted macadamia nuts

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Process 2/3 cup macadamia nuts in a food

processor to a smooth consistency, about 2

minutes. Combine with 1/2 cup granulated

sugar and the brown sugar in a large mixing

bowl; mix well. Add the egg and vanilla and mix

well.

Stir together the flour, baking soda, salt and

nutmeg; add to the sugar mixture. Beat on low

speed just until combined (mixture will be very

thick). Stir in the cranberries and 1/3 cup

chopped macadamia nuts. Chill the dough for

10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Divide the

dough into 30 equal portions and roll each into

a ball. Place 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a

shallow dish. Press each dough ball lightly into

the sugar. Place the dough balls sugar-side up

on a baking parchment-lined baking sheet.

Flatten with a fork. Dip the fork in water and

press the tops of the cookies again to form a

crisscross pattern.

Bake for 8 to 9 minutes or until golden.

Remove the cookies and cool on a wire rack.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

SOUR CREAM APPLE STREUSEL PIE1 refrigerator pie pastry

FILLING

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

1 egg

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt


2 to 3 tart cooking apples, peeled and cut

into 1/4-inch slices (3 cups)

STREUSEL TOPPING

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted if desired

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold butter, cut into small

pieces

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Unroll the

pie pastry and line a 9-inch pie plate; crimp or

flute the edge.

For the filling, combine the sugar, sour cream,

egg, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and vanilla in

a large mixing bowl; beat on medium speed for

1 to 2 minutes or until well mixed. Stir in the

apples. Spoon into the pastry shell.

For the topping, combine the flour, sugar,

pecans and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in the but-

ter until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the filling.

Bake for 25 minutes. Bake, covered with foil,

for 10 to 15 minutes longer or until the filling is

bubbly. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Chill

until serving time. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Make 8 servings.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE TARTAnother time, use a refrigerator pie pastry for

the crust of this tart. Line the tart pan with the

pastry and prebake as directed.

1/2 (16- to 18-ounce) roll refrigerator sugar

cookie dough

1/1 1/4 cups heavy cream

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whipped cream (optional)

Baking cocoa (optional)

Chocolate shavings (optional)

Mint sprigs (optional)

Raspberries (optional)

Position an oven rack in the bottom third of

the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Flatten the cookie dough on a lightly floured

surface; roll out to a 12-inch round. Place in a 9-

inch tart pan with removable bottom and press

over the bottom and up the side of the pan,

folding over any excess to form thick edge.

Freeze for 20 minutes.

Line the dough-lined pan with foil, extending

the foil over the edge; fill with pie weights or

dried beans. Bake for 25 minutes or until set.

Remove the foil and weights. Bake for 10 min-

utes longer or until golden brown. Remove the

pan to a wire rack to cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 250

degrees. Position the oven rack in the middle

of the oven. Microwave the cream in a large

microwave-safe bowl on high for 2 to 3 minutes

or until barely simmering. Add the chocolates

and stir until melted and smooth. Whisk in the

eggs and vanilla. Pour into the prepared crust.

Bake for 25 minutes or until almost set. Turn

off the oven and let the tart stand with the oven

door closed for 30 minutes. Remove the pan to

a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Chill

for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days before serv-

ing. If refrigerated for several hours, let stand at

room temperature for 1 1/2 hours before serv-

ing. Use whipped cream as a top layer or

spoon into individual servings. Garnish with

baking cocoa, chocolate shavings, mint sprigs

and/or raspberries.

Makes 16 servings

BOSTON CREAM PIECAKE

1 (2-layer) package yellow cake mix

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

4 eggs, at room temperature

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup water


CUSTARD FILLING

2/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups milk

3 egg yolks

WEETNESSFOLLOWSS


1 tablespoon butter

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

CHOCOLATE ICING

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup baking cocoa

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter


1 to 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar

For the cake, preheat the oven to 350

degrees. Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with foil,

extending the foil over the edges. Coat with

nonstick cooking spray. Combine the cake

ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat on

low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides

of the bowl; beat on medium speed for 2 to 3

minutes or until smooth and thick. Pour into the

prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or

until the cake tests done. Cool on a wire rack.

Chill for 1 hour. Lift the cake from the pan with

the foil and remove the foil. Slice the cake hori-

zontally into 2 thin layers. Place the bottom

cake layer back into the pan.

For the filling, combine the sugar, cornstarch

and salt in large microwave-safe bowl. Whisk in

the milk until blended. Cook on high for 8 min-

utes, stirring after 4 minutes. Whisk the egg

yolks in a small bowl until blended. Whisk in 1/2

cup of the hot milk mixture. Whisk the egg

yolks into the hot milk mixture. Cook on high

for 2 to 3 minutes until thickened, stirring and

checking the consistency every minute. Stir in

the butter and vanilla. Chill, covered, for 2 to 3

hours.

For the icing, combine the granulated sugar

and baking cocoa in a saucepan. Add the milk

and corn syrup and mix well. Bring to a gentle

rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat; stir in the butter and

vanilla. Cool for 10 minutes, then beat in the

confectioners sugar until thickened but

pourable. Spread desired amount of the cus-

tard filling over the cake and top with the

remaining cake layer. Spread the icing over the

top. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight

before serving.

Makes 12 servings

Note: This recipe freezes well for up to 8

weeks.

Jamie, Andrew and Katy Houston, Sam, Leila and Sam Lane

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 43

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or many Northsiders, special Christmas activities shared with

family and friends are an importantpart of the holiday season. Old or new,big or small, traditions are woven intoour Christmas celebrations, year afteryear.

In our blended family, one of ourfavorite activities is making Christmascookies, a tradition started by mymother and grandmother. When mysister Marsha and I were little girls, wewould run home from school to helpice and decorate the sugar cookies thatour mother and grandmother hadalready baked. As Marsha and I grew

older, we were allowed to use the wooden rolling pin to roll out thick dough and metalcookie cutters to shape the yummy cookies. There were Santa and reindeer cookies,plus bells, hearts and Christmas trees, and we always made a gingerbread man foreach member of our family.

My mother Barbara and I have loved shar-ing this tradition with my stepdaughterBrooke for the past decade. We still usesome of the same metal cookie cutters, andhave also added some new ones throughthe years. This year we are excited to haveBrooke’s two-year-old daughter, MaddieGrace, join us for the first time. We sus-pect that Maddie Grace will like the icingand sprinkles best, and that will be justfine with her mother, grandmother andgreat-grandmother.

Thank you so much to the Adams,Lefoldt and Stowe families for sharingtheir Christmas traditions in this fea-ture. I highly recommend that youenjoy a cup of hot chocolate while you readtheir stories. Some of their traditions may already be part of your cele-brations, or you just might find some new ones to share.

Ho ho ho and Merry Christmas to all.

lthough Chuck and Becky Adams have lived in Jackson for 38 of their 40 years of marriage, both spent their early years in central Arkansas. Most

of their family members live within 30 minutes of each other, near Little Rock, andthat is where Chuck, Becky, and their family have always celebrated Christmas.Everyone helps with cooking, baking and preparations, and Christmas is hosted indifferent family homes each year. But even “over the river and through the woods,”Santa always knows where to find the Adams family.

When their two children – Kate and Chad – were young, the family would oftengo to a farm to cut their own Christmas tree. Some years, Chuck had to stay inJackson to work, so Becky and the children would leave a few days ahead of him tovisit family. For many of the trips, unknown to the children of course, presents fromSanta were safely hidden in the car and traveled along with the family.

Several years ago Becky started knitting stockings for the family to use at home inRidgeland. Everyone picks out their own designand stockings are added as new members comeinto the family. Santa fills the stockings withcandy and gifts. Often he includes a smallwrapped treat (especially when Kate andChad were small) in special wrapping paperwith a note in a shaky script from Santa.(Santa has saved some of that special paperfor grandchildren too.) Last year the guysreceived remote control helicopters in theirstockings. It was a fun day with helicopterszipping around the house as the guyslearned to control them. More than oncestray choppers had to be rescued from aledge around the top of the living roomwall.

Chuck’s family gathering includes 26people and Becky’s family numbers 22,so instead of a gift exchange, the families

celebrate with a fun “Dirty Santa” game. Everyone brings one giftto share and steal, and numbers are drawn to see who gets to choose a gift first. A

gift may be “stolen” twice by other family members before it is safe for its final ownerto keep. Varying from year to year, some gifts are more appealing than others, butwhat makes the less appealing ones fun – and popular – is that they may have moneyhidden inside the gift.

Kate is now 36 and lives in New York with her husband Ravee. Although his fam-ily in India does not celebrate Christmas, Ravee has embraced Kate’s family celebra-tions. Chad, 33, and his wife Leah live in Washington, D.C., with their 19-month-olddaughter, Livi. They all make the annual trip to Arkansas to join in the familyChristmas celebrations.

Mistletoe Marketplace kicks off the holiday season for Becky, as it does for manyothers, and her holiday shopping is not complete without a few Mistletoe purchas-es. As a sustaining member of the Junior League of Jackson, Becky has also volun-teered her talents and many hours of her time for this event. For many years, sus-taining members like Becky worked at the event’s coffee shop and gift wrap. In 2002,Becky was asked to help manage and recruit sustainers for the Mistletoe informationbooth. A decade later, Becky is still helping shoppers and merchants with directions,shopping bags, baby carriers, and of course, lots of helpful information.

Christmas TraditionsBY SUSAN DEAVER

F

A

Maddie Grace, first visit with Santa Alicia Deaver, Brooke Deaver McCoy, Barbara Laing

Chuck and Becky Adams and family

The children with Santa.


hen Lisa, Amy and Natalie Lefoldt were little, their father Larry always took the girls shopping for their mother’s special Christmas gift, and

his mother Earlene made their Christmas stockings. The girls’ mother, Mary Anne,planned after-school caroling parties in their neighborhood, complete with treats andhot chocolate.

The family has always celebrated with Larry’s family on the Sunday beforeChristmas, now known as “the Lefoldt Christmas,” and with Mary Anne’s family onChristmas Day. Mary Anne’s Lebanese heritage includes traditions and deliciousfoods that are always part of their Christmas celebrations, but the longest-held Lefoldttradition is an annual Christmas Eve open house Larry and Mary Anne began hostingin 1973. The couple has been married for 42 years, and this year will mark the 40thyear they have hosted their Christmas Eve open house.

Family and close friends have always been invited for Christmas Eve, and as thethree girls got older, they invited their friends too. If someone knew a friend withouta place to go Christmas Eve, they are always welcomed at the Lefoldt home. Manylongtime friends still attend and bring their children and grandchildren. All three

Lefoldt girls are married and have their own children, and their friends often comewith their families, too. The Lefoldts welcome all their guests with open arms andinvite all to feel comfortable in their home.

Each year, between 30 and 60 guests enjoy a set menu chosen by Mary Anne, fea-turing traditional Lebanese food made from her mother’s recipes. Always on the menuare baked kibbee with pita bread, taboulee salad, pork tenderloin with rolls, dirty rice,Lebanese meatballs, Mediterranean layered dip, and spinach Madeline. Lebanese pas-tries, including baklava and assorted cookies and cakes are also served, and friendsoften add to the menu by bringing a dish, which is always very much appreciated.

Santa has always been a part of the open house celebration too. For many years,Santa came all the way from Tupelo – he was the friend of a neighbor – and visitedwith the children. He invited them to sit on his knee and would read the Christmasstory to everyone. In recent years, Santa – now a local high school student – comes tothe front door, where he merrily waves to everyone before leaving an eagerly antici-pated bag filled with gifts for the children. Mary Anne often shares homemade good-ies or happies with their guests, and for the past decade she has given ornaments toeach child who attends theopen house.

Christmas is always a busyand fun time for the Lefoldts.Larry and Mary Anne espe-cially enjoy sharing Christmastraditions with their daughtersand their families. Theirgrandchildren include twogirls (Victoria, 10, and Addie,22 months) and two boys(John Kennedy, 10, and Baker,one). Mary Anne’s 98-year-old mother cooked for andhosted her family celebration until just two years ago. Now Mary Anne’s family, likeLarry’s, rotates hosting duties among family members, and only the children andgrandmothers receive gifts.

hen they married in 1994, Larry and Paige Stowe each had two almost-grown daughters and two sets of family Christmas traditions. Larry’s two

daughters, Wendy and Kim, were 21 and 19. Paige’s two daughters, Laura and Stacy,were 19 and 16. Through the years, while the family has enjoyed the old traditions, theyhave also had lots of fun creating new ones of their own.

In the early years, before any of the girls were married, the family attended theChristmas Eve service at Christ United Methodist Church, and afterward Larry wouldread “Twas the Night Before Christmas” to everyone at home. Larry and Paige boughteveryone pajamas to wear on Christmas morning when they opened gifts, and Larrywoke up the girls by singing Christmas carols and squirting them with silly string. Thefamily baked and ate sausage pinwheels on Christmas morning and drank their hotchocolate, cider or coffee out of Gail Pittman Christmas mugs, which each girl receivedevery Christmas, along with a Gail Pittman ornament. There were scavenger hunts forthe girls’ biggest presents, and everyone ate a big Christmas meal together.

All of the girls are now married with children, giving Larry and Paige nine grandchil-dren. Laura, Kim, Stacy and their families live in the Jackson area, while Wendy and her

family live in Nashville.The grandchildren (sixgirls and three boys)range in age from two tonine.

The families recentlystarted a new tradition,which begins atThanksgiving. Paigehas collected Santa fig-urines for many years,and to help start newcollections, each adultreceives a Santa figurine after Thanksgiving dinner. Each child receives an ornament,and Larry (Grandpa) and Paige (Nana) also mail their Christmas cards the Friday afterThanksgiving, which is a tradition they established together. The Christmas card alwaysincludes either the entire family or just the grandchildren with Grandpa and Nana.

Larry and Paige have gone to a Christmas tree farm to cut down their tree for manyyears, a tradition that each girl has continued after marrying. And the granddaughtersenjoy making sugar cookies with Nana – with lots of sprinkles. Each grandchild has hisor her own stocking, which hangs on the mantel in the family room, and each of the 19family members has a Christmas ornament with his or her name on it.

The families still attend the Christmas Eve service at Christ United Methodist and cel-ebrate Christmas together on Christmas Eve so the grandchildren can be home onChristmas morning and have the day to enjoy their toys. Everyone gathers at Larry andPaige’s home to open gifts and enjoy a big family meal. And Larry still reads “Twas theNight Before Christmas.”

On Christmas morning, Larry and Paige still eat sausage pinwheels – and each fami-ly makes their own now as well. Larry and Paige also visit the families at home to seewhat Santa has brought the grandchildren. Each year, the couple also chooses a cause orfamily and gives gifts in honor of their family. They feel so richly blessed, and try tochoose a meaningful way to bless others.

Larry and Paige Stowe and family

The nine grandchildren

John Kennedy and Victoria Nowell, Addie Dutton

W

Larry and Mary Anne Lefoldt and familyW

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 47

The day after Thanksgiving, things get a lit-tle nutty around the Walters’ house. Not becauseit’s Black Friday, but it’s the time when mybeloved collection of nutcrackers descend fromthe attic and take their holiday post - standing atattention atop our mantle. There are really bignutcrackers and very tiny nutcrackers; nutcrack-ers that light up and nutcrackers that play music;nutcrackers that sparkle and nutcrackers withfurry hats – there are far too many to mention,but I adore each and every one of them.

My children have the nutty gene, too. A fewweeks ago we were out running errands andquite by accident we stumbled upon a display ofnutcrackers dressed like firemen and police offi-cers. In this particular circumstance, the kids did-n’t even have to say “please” when asking if theycould have one. Without hesitation, I added theservice men to our collection.

The ever-growing entourage of wooden fig-urines has my husband a little concerned - sincetheir only function is to crack nuts. Heath thinksmy collection is a little twisted since his nick-name is “Nut.” I promise I do not make thesethings up. Apparently, Heath’s head resembled

the shape of a peanut (orsome of his high schoolbaseball buddiesthought), and for whatev-er reason the nicknameNut has stuck with him tothis day.

Note: I may have awarped sense of humor,but I did not begin accu-mulating nutcrackers togive my husband a com-plex. The fact is, my holi-day collection beganlong before I ever methim; but the fact that myholiday decorationsmake Heath a littleuneasy is an unintention-al bonus.

Nutcrackers may scaresome folks, but I findthem to be adorable in addition to being func-tional, which makes them the perfect thing tocollect. People often collect angels, Santas or

snowmen, but those figurines can’t really do any-thing. The way I see it, if I really do go nuts andthings don’t work out selling pots and pans at

The Everyday Gourmet, I could alwaysplant some pecan trees and put my lit-tle army of nutcrackers to work.

Currently, I am not an ADF member(Arbor Day Foundation), but I am abeliever that being a little nutty (espe-cially during the holidays) is normal. Thechaos and stresses of the season canbe enough to make even the most sta-ble person crack under pressure. Theholidays are a perfect time to add nutsto your diet. One handful of crackednuts is an excellent source of fiber, vita-mins and minerals. Nuts taste greatright out of the shell or even betterwhen salted, sugared or spiced. WithChristmas right around the corner, I’veincluded some of my favorite nutrecipes: pecan pralines for giving,spiced almonds for snacking, and wal-nut chutney to pair with your holidayham.

From our nutty family to yours, MerryChristmas! The Walters – Heath “Nut,”Marlana, Maris and Heath Jr.

FOODWISE

Marlana Walters, ProprietorThe Everyday Gourmet

THE NUTCRACKERSTHE DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING

TAKE THEIR HOLIDAY POSTT E X T A N D P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y M A R L A N A W A L T E R S


FOODWISE

EASIEST, TASTIEST PRALINES EVER No one has to know they only have 4 ingredients…

INGREDIENTS1 package Zuzu’s Praline Candy Mix

1/2 stick salted butter

5 ounce can evaporated milk

2 cups pecans

DIRECTIONSPlace 3 to 4 feet of spooning paper of your

choice onto a flat surface. You may use waxpaper, aluminum foil, parchment or freezer wrap.Surface should be well buttered or sprayed withcooking spray. A suggested spooning surface isthe waxy side of freezer wrap coated with all-natural cooking spray.

Combine entire contents of Zuzu’s PralineCandy Mix, 5 oz. evaporated milk and 1/2 sticksalted butter in 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boilon medium heat, stirring constantly with wood-en, plastic or metal spoon. When mix begins toboil around edges, turn heat to high, stop stir-ring, and boil for exactly 1 minute. Remove fromheat and add 2 cups of pecans. Stir continuous-ly to cool. A 5 minute cool time will yield aspread out praline. A 6 to 7 minute cool time willyield a taller, fuller praline. My favorite is a 10minute cool time before spooning out the mix-ture.

Spoon cooled praline mixture onto preparedsurface. Pralines will be cool and firm enough toremove in about 15 minutes. Wrap each pralineindividually or store in an air-tight container tokeep fresh.

Note: When pralines are spooned onto anungreased surface, they may develop “sugarblooms.” These white spots are completelyharmless and are naturally occurring re-crystaliz-ing of sugar due to lack of a moisture barrier.

SPICED ALMONDSA great snack for munching during the holidays

INGREDIENTS1 egg white

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

6 cups unsalted almonds

DIRECTIONSPreheat oven to 300F. Beat egg white until

soft and foamy. Combine spices, sugar and but-ter; whisk into egg white. Stir in almonds untilwell coated; spread mixture in single layer ontoSilpat lined cookie sheet.

Bake almonds for 15 minutes, then removefrom oven and stir. Using a spatula, stir and sep-arate nuts. Reduce oven to 250F and returnnuts to bake until medium brown, about 10 min-utes. Remove from oven; toss, and stir again.

Remove the almonds from baking pan andtransfer to a sheet of aluminum foil, separatethe nuts to keep clusters from forming. Let the

nuts stand until cooled and the sugar has hard-ened, about 10 minutes. Store in an airtight con-tainer.

PEACH-WALNUT CHUTNEY Perfect with grilled pork or wild game

INGREDIENTS1 Tablespoon of unsalted butter

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1/4 cup raisins

1/2 small tomato, peeled, seeded and

chopped

1 can diced peaches in heavy syrup, un-

drained

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

DIRECTIONSMelt the butter in a medium sauté pan or skil-

let over medium-high heat. Add the onion andginger, and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, stirringconstantly. Add raisins, tomato, peaches, wine,balsamic vinegar and salt. Bring the mixture to aboil, reduce heat to low, and simmer the chut-ney for about 20 minutes, or until thickened; stirfrequently, especially toward the end of thecooking time to prevent scorching. Add the wal-nuts and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve warm withpork or wild game.

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 49


USTA Southern recently hired Geoff Norton to serve as the new USTA Mississippi

tennis service representative. Geoff replaces Russell Dendy who has returned

to the USTA Mississippi state office as director of community development and

junior team tennis. Norton comes to Mississippi from Augusta, Ga., where he

served as the director of tennis for the Augusta Recreation and Parks

Department. Geoff has been involved with tennis over the last 30 plus years and brings a

vast knowledge of tennis. He has worked for Dennis Van der Meer at the Van der Meer

Pacific Corporation in Tokyo, as a coach, academy consultant and staff educator, was

involved with the USTA in White Plains, N.Y., working in areas of adult and senior competi-

tive play and technical programs, served as the director of development for the United

States Professional Tennis Registry (USPTR), and he owned and operated a tennis manage-

ment company in Houston, Texas, that offered full programming for juniors and adults.

Dennis Van der Meer has this to say about Norton, “Geoff’s complete understanding of the

game will be an asset to any player’s development.”

Norton attended Tyler Junior College and Kennedy Western University. Among some of

his many achievements are, in 2000 the Texas Alliance of Accredited Private Schools hon-

ored him with a Contribution to Excellence in Education award, he was awarded the 2002

Texas Professional of the Year by the USPTR, and in 2008 he was awarded the

International Wheelchair Coach of the Year by the USPTR. In addition to serving as staff at

the USTA national office, he also is a former USTA Georgia board member and committee

member.

Welcome to Mississippi, Geoff.

USTA League is improving its structure to enhance your playing experience starting with

the 2013 championship season. Under the new structure in Mississippi, there will be three

divisions; adult, mixed doubles, and combo doubles. The adult division is broken down into

18 and over, 40 and over, 55 and over, and 65 and over. The Mixed Doubles will be 18 and

over, 40 and over, and 55 and over. Combo Doubles will be 18 and over, 40 and over, 55

and over, and 65 and over. “We are so excited about the new changes; we feel our players

are really going to benefit from them, says Director of Adult Leagues Lindsey Sartain.

The Capital Area Bar Association (CABA) hosted its annual Battle of the Barristers Tennis

Tournament at River Hills Club recently. Participants enjoyed an afternoon filled with good

food, fabulous weather, and smashing tennis. Players participated in a round robin mixed-

up doubles format. At the conclusion of eight rounds of play, scores were tallied and four

participants had tied for the lead. Will Ballard, Jay Jacobus, Whit Rayner and Quentin

Whitwell played in a heated playoff which resulted in Will Ballard and Whit Rayner being

“crowned” champions. They donned their winning barrister wigs with pride. Not to be out-

done, David Maron and Wes Webb were named court jesters for the event, having proven

to be the most entertaining players on the court. They were the recipients of gift certificates

for tennis lessons with River Hills Director of Tennis and Head Tennis Professional Dave

Randall. Door prize winners were Venecca Green Mason, David Clark, Will Ballard, Quentin

Whitwell, Wes Webb, and Elizabeth Maron.

The tournament raised $1,000 for the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project (MVLP), a

501(c) (3) nonprofit legal aid organization. Formed in 1982, MVLP is the nation’s first formal

association of a state bar association, the Mississippi Bar Association, and the Legal

Services Corporation (LSC). MVLP’s longstanding relationship with the Mississippi Bar and

the LSC has resulted in a professional and productive partnership with attorneys unselfishly

offering their time and talents to serve Mississippi’s poor and less fortunate. “MVLP’s part-

nership with the Capital Area Bar Association has meant so much to our staff, our volun-

teers and our clients. The support we receive from the annual Battle of the Barristers

Tennis Tournament goes such a long way toward helping us fulfill our mission of providing

high quality legal assistance to low-income Mississippians,” said MVLP General Counsel

qbkkfp ^as^kq̂ db

by JENNY MARKOWA N D T H E M A N Y B L E S S I N G S T H A T Y O U H A V E

C H R I S T M A S I S R I G H T A R O U N D T H E C O R N E R

ENJOY THE SEASON

1. Andrew Sweat finished as the finalist in the boys 10 division.2. Callie Billman won the girls 12 division.3. Juliett Finch was the winner in the girls 10 division.4. Megan Humphreys won the girls 14 division.5. Meredith Roberts was the finalist in the girls 18 division.6. Turner Yates won the girls 16 division.


P Q

N O

R S

qbkkfp ^as^kq̂ dbTiffany M. Graves.

Ridgeland Tennis Center was the host for the Chick-fil-A Junior Open Championships

held October 20-21. This tournament draws many of the top players from across the entire

Southern Section as it is a Level 3 Southern event, and this was the largest draw to date

for Mississippi with more than 300 juniors playing. Chick-fil-A was the sponsor for this

event with Cabot Lodge North and Homewood Suites serving as the host hotels. In addi-

tion to Ridgeland Tennis Center, the courts at Parham Bridges are always used for play, but

this year additional sites were added to accommodate play. The overflow matches were

played at the Country Club of Jackson, Reservoir Y, and River Hills.

Julio Godreau, director of the Mississippi Tennis Academy at Parham Bridges, hosted a

tournament player camp on Friday night to allow participants to have live ball and point

play to help them prepare for tournament play the following day. Northside juniors showed

up to play. Winning in the girls 10 was Juliette Finch, 12s was Callie Billman, 14s was Megan

Humphreys, and the 16s was Turner Yates. Meredith Roberts was the finalist in the girls 18s.

On the boys side, Andrew Sweat was the finalist in the 10s and Robert Mounger in the 18s.

It’s very hard to believe that Christmas is right around the corner. During this busy time,

don’t forget to take time to enjoy the many blessings that you have. We get so wrapped up

doing stuff, we often forget to sit and enjoy. I hope each of you have a wonderful

Christmas.

As always, for all of your tennis needs, go to www.mstennis.com, you can find us on

Facebook at USTA Mississippi or Twitter @USTA Mississippi.

NM NN

T VU

NO

NP

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NR

7. Mike Malouf Jr.8. Wes Webb, Anna Moak9. Stephanie Jones, Anna Moak, Mike Malouf Jr.10. Court jesters Wes Webb and David Maron11. Winning barristers Whit Rayner and Will Ballard12. Wearing ‘tennis whites’ and playing with wooden racquets on the courts at CCJ; Debbie

McNeely was the chairperson for this tournament.13. Another fun and beautiful day on our CCJ courts for our junior play day (from left) Gatlin

Hixon, Hays Dubberly, Ellis Abdo, Sara Grea Walker, parent coordinator - George Abdo,Lillie Walker, Charles Beneke, Jack McClintock and Megan O’Mara

14. CCJ Member Guest: First place - Sally Birdsall, Charles Greenlee, Jill Millette; secondplace - Cathy Crain, Paul Millette; third place - Debbie McNeely (chairperson) andJeremy Birdsall

15. During the recent Super Senior State Championships in Greenwood, Peyton Irby’s teamwon the men’s 3.5 division and will play in the Sectional Championships in Columbus, Ga.,at the end of November. Peyton Irby; (front) James Cullins, David White, Cleve Barham,Johnny Anthony, Don Roberts. Not pictured: Frederick Casher, Fred Banks, George Terry

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 53

the northside sun magazine

IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE

our wedding policy

F O R C OV E R I N G W E D D I N G S &

E N G AG E M E N T A N N O U N C E M E N T S

Please type, double space, your article in story format.

No forms are used by the Sun.

All write-ups should be submitted by the first day of the

month for the following month’s publication.

Please include photos. At least one photo will be featured

with each wedding and engagement announcement.

More will be used as space permits.

If a stamped, self-addressed envelope is enclosed,

every effort will be made to return photos.

Please include a daytime phone number on all releases.

Payment is due with submission.

Wedding announcements are $150 and are full page.

Engagement announcements are a half page for $90.

Mail to Northside Sun Magazine,

P.O. Box 16709, Jackson, 39236; or e-mail to

[email protected]. Deliveries are also

accepted at our office at 246 Briarwood Dr.

For more information, call 601.957.1123.

The Sun accepts no responsibility for unsolicited stories, artwork or photographs.

E


Laura Lee Wooley and Jordan Lee Russell were united in marriage at

6 p.m. June 2 at Northminster Baptist Church. The Rev. Charles E.

Poole officiated the ceremony.

The bride is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. John Russell Wooley. She is the

granddaughter of Dr. and Mrs. O.B. Wooley Jr. of Jackson and Dr. and Mrs. O.E.

Dickinson of Dallas.

The bridegroom is the son of Amy Bennett Russell and the late Dr. Randy

Herschel Russell. He is the grandson of Ann Gordon Russell of Ridgeland and

the late Herschel Ellsworth Russell, and Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Early Bennett of

Meridian.

The bride, escorted by her father and given in marriage by her parents, wore a

designer gown of ivory French Alencon lace and English netting. The strapless

gown featured a sweetheart neckline with a silhouette accented by repeated

bands of Alencon lace along the bodice and the skirt. The matching veil was

cathedral length of silken illusion trimmed in lace. She carried a bouquet of solid

white vendella roses wrapped with lace and beading from her mother’s wedding

veil.

Attending the bride as maids of honor were her sisters Kari Louise Wooley and

Jean Marie Wooley. Bridesmaids were Elizabeth McBee Aiken, Victoria Laine

Applewhite, Aubrey Field Beckham, Amanda Leigh Griffin Conner, Ivy Catherine

Davis, Tana Jane Louise Graham, Laura Kathryn House, Eliza Crone Ingram,

Krysten Diana Keyes and Olivia Dixon Lott. They wore gowns of navy silk chiffon

adorned by navy satin sashes and carried hand-tied bouquets of blue

hydrangeas.

The bridegroom’s grandfather, Leonard Early Bennett, was the best man.

Groomsmen were Kevin John Batte, Jason Thomas Brooks, William Francis Gillis

Jr., Robert Chisholm Grenfell, Phillip Alton Harrison Jr., Robert Crawford Martin,

Jackson Harris McLarty, Paul Anthony Rector, Matthew Elder Rutherford Jr. and

Andrew Quinn Weeks.

Following the ceremony, the bride’s parents hosted a reception at the Country

Club of Jackson with music provided by the Memphis Soul Review. The bride’s

cake was a five-layer classic wedding cake topped and decorated with cascad-

ing blue hydrangeas. The bridegroom’s cake was a three-tiered chocolate cake

with peanut butter icing decorated with the bridegroom’s monogram.

On the eve of the wedding, the bridegroom’s mother hosted a rehearsal dinner

at River Hills Club followed by a

“Post Toast” event with music pro-

vided by Pryor and the

Tombstones. On the day of the

wedding, family members hon-

ored the wedding guests with a

brunch.

After a wedding trip to the

Dominican Republic, the couple

lives in Washington, D.C., where

the bride is the office manager for

the Republican State Leadership

Committee and the bridegroom is

the communications director for

Mississippi Congressman Alan

Nunnelee.

Laura Lee Wooley & Jordan Lee RussellJUNE 2, 2012

NORTHMINSTER BAPTIST CHURCH • JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI

WEDDINGS

Mr. and Mrs. Jordan Lee Russell

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 55

Amanda Leigh Griffin and Matthew Wesley Conner were united in mar-

riage at 6:30 p.m. March 10 at Oxford-University United Methodist

Church in Oxford. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William

Kennedy Griffin III of Jackson. She is the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Alfred

Franklin Honeycutt of Calhoun City, and Mrs. William Kennedy Griffin Jr. and the late

Mr. Griffin of Gloster.

The bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs.

Ronnie Lynn Conner of Oxford. He is the

grandson of Violet Jobe of Bristol, Tenn., Mr.

and Mrs. Max Whitehead, and Mr. and Mrs.

Richard Lee Conner, all of Oxford.

The ceremony was officiated by the Rev.

Warren Black and the Rev. Fish Robinson.

Music was presented by Jason Derrick,

organist; John Schuessein, trumpeter; and Mr.

and Mrs. Caleb Cook, vocalists. Scripture was

read by Andy Kilpatrick.

Given in marriage by her father, the bride

wore a designer gown with a strapless sweet-

heart neckline, featuring a modified mermaid

silhouette with tulle and was adorned with

lace and crystals. She carried a colorful bou-

quet of roses and hydrangeas. She wore

pearl earrings and a necklace which were

gifts from her father.

Kelsey Powell Griffin, sister of the bride, was maid of honor. Bridesmaids were

Katherine Lynn Barkett, Brooke Leslie Beard, Marianna Faust Blackburn, Caroline

England Church, Mallory Lynn Conner Cooley, Olivia Terrell Faust, Tana Jane Louise

Graham, Madeleine Kavanay Griffin, Mollie Carroll Griffin, Augusta Mathilde Smith and

Laura Lee Wooley.

The bridegroom’s father and Michael Jake Gibbs were men of honor. Groomsmen

were William Kennedy Griffin IV, William Britt, Howard Duvall Flautt, Matthew Abide

Malouf, and Jason Scott Russell.

Program attendants were Elizabeth McBee Aiken, Alice Westbrook Blackmon,

Katherine Cox, and Parker Litchliter.

Following the ceremony, the bride’s parents hosted a reception at the Lyric Oxford

where guests

enjoyed Southern

fare and music by

the Memphis Soul

Revue. On the eve of

the wedding, the

bridegroom’s parents

hosted a rehearsal

dinner at City

Grocery.

Following a wed-

ding trip to Virgin

Gorda, British Virgin

Islands, the couple is

at home in Oxford.

Amanda Leigh Griffin & Matthew Wesley ConnerMARCH 10, 2012

OXFORD-UNIVERSITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH • OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI

WEDDINGS

Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Wesley Conner


Rebekah Ann Eckols and Ryan Baroner Aldridge were married

November 19 at 11 a.m. at Driftwood United Methodist Church in

Driftwood, Texas. The Rev. Barry Fulton officiated.

The church has been a special place of worship for generations of the Eckols family,

with the bride’s great-great-grandfather having donated the property in the late 1800s.

A garland of white roses, hydrangeas and peonies adorned the wooden cross at the

altar.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Edwin Eckols of Austin. The bride-

groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Hugh Aldridge of Jackson.

Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore a satin couture strapless designer

gown, featuring a crumb catcher neckline and gently gathered bodice with an A-line

skirt. Covered buttons cascaded the back ending in a chapel length train. She wore an

elbow length tulle veil and carried a bouquet of white peonies.

Matron of honor was Megan Maund Houser of Austin. The bridegroom’s father was

best man.

Grace Elizabeth Eckols and Mary Frances Eckols, nieces of the bride, were flower

girls. Hollis Winder Eckols and Hudson Grey Eckols, nephews of the bride, were ring

bearers.

Following the ceremony, the bride’s parents and Virginia Lavner hosted a brunch at

Green Pastures in Austin.

Two weeks later, the bride’s parents hosted a reception at Latrobe’s on Royal in New

Orleans. Music was

provided by ELS. A

brunch was held at

Galatoire’s hosted

by Mr. and Mrs.

Doug Maund,

Jennifer Maund,

and Mr. and Mrs.

Corby Houser.

The couple was

honored with a

party in the home

of Dr. and Mrs. Sam

Peeples in

Ridgeland. Co-

hosts and host-

esses were

Messieurs and

Mesdames Tom

Alexander, T.J. Anderson, Bill

Boteler, Paul Calhoun, Sam

Denney, Rob Finch, Ken Guthrie,

Bob Harrison, Norman Joseph,

Jack Lane, Ken Magee, Chuck

McIntosh, Frank Montgomery,

Bill Tann, Charles Waterloo,

Thomas Wiley, Miss Amy Russell,

Julie Staires, and Sheree Tynes.

The couple is at home in

Jackson.

Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Baroner Aldridge

Rebekah Ann Eckols & Ryan Baroner Aldridge NOVEMBER 19, 2011

DRIFTWOOD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH • DRIFTWOOD, TEXAS

WEDDINGS

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 57

Anne Dozier Sanders and Richard Kirkland McRee III were united in mar-

riage at 6:30 p.m. August 18 at the Cathedral of the Immaculate

Conception. The Rev. Msgr. Warren Wall officiated.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Judson Sanders of Mobile. She is

the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Maynard Judson Sanders and the late Mr. and Mrs.

Milton Sebastian Pullen of Mobile. The bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard

Kirkland McRee Jr. He is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. William Wright Majure of

Jackson, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Richard Kirkland McRee of Holcomb.

Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore

an ivory designer gown and handmade cathedral-

length veil. Her bouquet was an arrangement of

cream, white, and ivory blooms.

Regan Ewing Kostmayer was matron of honor.

Bridesmaids were Katherine Elizabeth Allen,

Renee Nicole Barone, Margaret Miller Clement,

Mary Bailey Crow, Frances Celeste Houston, Jean

Damrich Hunt, Kara Elaine Massey, Leah Basham

Pfeiffer, Lila Sharp Sanders, Laney Simar Sanders

and Mary Virginia Terrell. They wore orchid chiffon

designer gowns and carried lavender bouquets.

The bridegroom’s father was best man.

Groomsmen were Kevin John Batte, Jacob Peter

Fisher IV, Conner Barnett Gunn, Lawrence Wilburn

Long III, Mark Majure McRee, William Darden

North, John Ewell Roberts, Maynard Judson

Sanders II, Thomas Scott Sanders, Mark Harter Simpson and Tyler Patrick Stevens.

Don Robinson Baker II and John Blaylock Holder were ushers. They wore tuxedos

with white dinner jackets and orchid boutonnieres.

Following the ceremony, guests were invited to a reception at the Country Club of

Mobile, where they danced to the Motown band, 4 Barrel Funk, under a lavender lit

tent. The five-tiered wedding cake was decorated with lavender flowers. The bride-

groom’s cake was Mississippi State-themed. The couple exited the reception under a

canopy of sparklers.

On the eve of the wedding, the bridegroom’s parents hosted a rehearsal dinner at

Mobile’s Athelstan Club. Decorations included arrangements of white flowers, green-

ery and candles. Tables were constructed out of wood from the McRee family farm.

Twinkling lights

and lanterns hung

from the balcony.

After traveling to

Anguilla for a wed-

ding trip, the cou-

ple now lives in

Mobile. The bride-

groom is co-owner

of M&M

Construction

Materials, and the

bride is an account

executive at

LivingSocial.

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Kirkland McRee III

Anne Dozier Sanders & Richard Kirkland McRee IIIAUGUST 18, 2012

CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION • MOBILE, ALABAMA

WEDDINGS



Maria Antionique Battaglia and Jonathan Drayton Lee were united in

marriage at 6:30 p.m. June 9, aboard the Solaris cruise yacht in

Sandestin. Dr. Gordon Sansing of Brandon officiated the ceremony.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony David Battaglia of Brandon. She is

the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Anthony D. (Tony) Battaglia of Jackson, and

the late Mr. and Mrs. Horace Davis of Hattiesburg.

The bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Drayton Lee of Forest. He is the

grandson of Chief Justice (Retired) Roy Noble Lee and the late Mrs. Lee of Forest, and

the late Mr. and Mrs. Edward John Abraham of Vicksburg.

Given in marriage by her parents and escorted by her father, the bride wore an ivory

organza designer strapless gown. The softly ruched bodice featured a sweetheart

neckline. Hand-beaded Swarovski crystals and pearls adorned the waist. The ball

gown skirt of asymmetrical layers of organza ended in a semi-chapel train. The bride

carried a bouquet of amaretto Roses hand-

tied with ivory satin ribbon. The bouquet,

highlighted by crystal sprays with a crystal

jewel in the center of each rose, lovingly

held an antique brooch belonging to the

bride’s grandmother.

As “something borrowed,” she wore the

bridegroom’s grandmother’s diamond pen-

dant which his mother had presented to

her on her wedding day. As “something

old,” she wore the bridegroom’s mother’s

pearl bracelet. As a wedding gift from the

bridegroom, the bride wore pearl earrings.

Kristi Johnson and Shanel Barney, sisters

of the bride, were matrons of honor. Mary

Carolyn Bennett was maid of honor.

Bridesmaids were Rachel Herrington-Bilbro, Jade Dunnaway, Tasha Stuart, Brittany

Rosella, Jessie Bennett, Haley Harpole and Bethany Phillips.

The bridegroom’s father was best man. Groomsmen were Anthony Battaglia, brother

of the bride; Dr. Sloane Fortinberry, Brian Jones, Dr. Michael Reed, Dr. Freddie Woods,

Ryan Rogers, Michael Martin, Jared Clark, Mitch Davis, Ross

Dean and Hunter Davenport.

Flower girls were Maley Johnson and Preslie Stuart, nieces of

the bride. Eason Johnson, nephew of the bride, was ring bearer.

Ushers were Lee Johnson and Shad Stuart, brother of the bride.

Following the ceremony at sunset, a reception was hosted by

the couple’s parents. Guests enjoyed a buffet dinner and enter-

tainment as they cruised Destin’s Choctawhatchee Bay.

On the eve of the wedding, the bridegroom’s parents hosted a

seated dinner for wedding guests at La Famaglia in Destin.

Following a wedding trip to the Dominican Republic, the cou-

ple is at home in Madison, where the bridegroom is a second

year medical student at the University of Mississippi School of

Medicine and the bride is associated with Nathans of Ridgeland.

Prior to their wedding day, the couple was honored with an

engagement party at Lake Caroline hosted by family and

friends, and a bridal tea at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Gene

Walker in Forest.

Maria Antionique Battaglia & Jonathan Drayton LeeJUNE 9, 2012

ABOARD THE SOLARIS CRUISE YACHT • SANDESTIN, FLORIDA

WEDDINGS

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Drayton Lee

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Dr. and Mrs. David Orien Westbrook announce the engagement of their daughter, Haley

Crisler Westbrook, to Christopher Cameron Yearout, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Gusty

Yearout of Birmingham. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mrs. Robert Blanton Crisler

III of Jackson and the late Mr. Crisler, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Orien Westbrook of Flora. The bride-

groom is the grandson of Jean Robertson Ragsdale and the late Milton Clay Ragsdale III, the late

Adrianne Costellos Boyd, the late William Thomas Yearout and Joseph Henry Boyd, all of Birmingham.

Miss Westbrook is a 2003 honor graduate of Jackson Preparatory School. She was graduated magna

cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast news from the University of Georgia where she was a

member of Phi Mu sorority. She was presented by the Debutante Club of Mississippi in 2004. Miss

Westbrook was graduated from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 2008 with

a master’s degree in journalism. She is a television news reporter with the ABC affiliate ABC 33/40 in

Birmingham. Miss Westbrook is also a violinist with the Red Mountain Chamber Orchestra.

Yearout is a 2004 graduate of Mountain Brook High School. He was graduated with a bachelor’s

degree in economics from Auburn University in 2008, where he was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity.

He received his juris doctorate, cum laude, from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law in

2011, where he served as an editor of the Cumberland Law Review. He is an attorney with Lightfoot,

Franklin and White LLP in Birmingham.

The couple will exchange vows January 26 at First Baptist Church of Jackson, with a reception to follow

at The South. The will make their home in Birmingham.

Haley Crisler Westbrook

Haley Crisler Westbrook& Christopher Cameron Yearout

JANUARY 26, 2013FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF JACKSON • JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI

Christina Faye Cannon of Brandon, and Robert Kirby Boteler Jr. of Jackson, announce their

engagement. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Pettus, and the

daughter of Eva Faye Harris, all of Brandon. Miss Cannon is a former district manager for

CUPS Espresso Café. She attended Hellenic International Studies for Art and Photography in Paros,

Greece, before returning to Jackson to start The Quarter Gallery and Photography by Christina. Her pas-

sion for photography led her to Fondren where she owns One Blu Wall Gallery, also the current location

of her photography studio. Miss Cannon attends Bellwether Methodist Church where she participates in

international mission work, most recently in Hyderabad, India. She has served on the board for Salt and

Light Ministries and currently serves on the board for Mustard Seed Faith Foundation of India.

The prospective bridegroom is the grandson of Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Lee Boteler of Leland, and the late

Mr. and Mrs. Paul Nash Nunnery Sr. of Clinton. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kirby Boteler of

Jackson. He is a graduate of Mississippi College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He

is the director of information technology at Waggoner Engineering Inc. Boteler is a member of the Rotary

Club of Downtown Jackson and a graduate of Leadership Mississippi. He attends Bellwether Methodist

Church where the couple first met.

The couple will exchange vows December 7 at 6 p.m. at Northminster Baptist Church with a reception

to follow at the Auditorium.Robert Kirby Boteler Jr., Christina Faye Cannon

Christina Faye Cannon& Robert Kirby Boteler Jr.

DECEMBER 7, 2012NORTHMINSTER BAPTIST CHURCH • JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI

ENGAGEMENTS

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Mr. and Mrs. Douglass Dale McKibben announce the engagement of their daughter,

Jordan Vinson McKibben, to Judson Franklin Mason, son of Glenda Gardner Mason and

the late James Bryant Mason.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Margaret McKibben and the late Dale Harbour McKibben of

Jackson, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Reggie Vinson of West Point. The prospective bridegroom is the

grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. James Lee Mason of Newton, and Bobbie McCrae Gardner and the

late William Earl Gardner of Meridian.

Miss McKibben is a 2004 graduate of Jackson Preparatory School and a 2008 graduate of the

University of Mississippi, where she was a member of Chi Omega sorority. She received her juris doctor-

ate from Mississippi College School of Law in 2011. Miss McKibben is associated with Forman Perry

Watkins Krutz and Tardy.

Mason was graduated with honors from Newton County High School in 2005. He attended Mississippi

College where he was a member of Rotaract Men’s Club. He was graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s

degree in biology. Mason is associated with M&F Bank in Madison.

The couple will exchange vows December 29 at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church at 6 p.m. A recep-

tion will follow at Union Station.Judson Franklin Mason, Jordan Vinson McKibben

Jordan Vinson McKibben& Judson Franklin Mason

DECEMBER 29, 2012ST. LUKE’S UNITED METHODIST CHURCH • JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI

Mrs. Marvin York Vick Jr. of Dallas announces the engagement of her daughter, Elizabeth

Baldwin Vick, to Joshua Dudley Kipp, son of Mr. and Mrs. Crane Davis Kipp. Miss Vick is

also the daughter of the late Marvin York Vick Jr. The bride-elect is the granddaughter of

Donald Mull Baldwin and the late Mrs. Donald Mull Baldwin of Lenexa, Kan., and the late Mr. and Mrs.

Marvin York Vick Sr. of Madisonville, Texas. The prospective bridegroom is the grandson of the late Dr.

and Mrs. Dean Carl Kipp of Dallas and the late Mr. and Mrs. James Dudley Buford of Jackson. Miss Vick

is a 2000 graduate of Madisonville High School and a 2004 graduate of the University of Texas where

she received a bachelor’s degree in communication studies. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority.

Miss Vick is pursuing a master’s in counseling from Dallas Theological Seminary and will receive her

degree in August. Kipp was graduated with honors from Jackson Preparatory School in 2004. He was

graduated magna cum laude in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the Sally

McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi where he served as student director

of the Honors College. He was a member of Delta Psi fraternity. He was graduated magna cum laude in

2011 from the University of Texas School of Law where he was managing editor of The Review of

Litigation. He is an attorney with Carrington, Coleman, Sloman and Blumenthal, LLP in Dallas.

The couple will exchange vows December 29 at Providence Presbyterian Church in Dallas. The couple

will live in Dallas. Elizabeth Baldwin Vick, Joshua Dudley Kipp

Elizabeth Baldwin Vick& Joshua Dudley Kipp

DECEMBER 29, 2012PROVIDENCE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH • DALLAS, TEXAS

ENGAGEMENTS

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parties A N D C E L E B R A T I O N S

Pat and Sarah Courter, Lauren Wakefield, and Wanda Courter

Martha Ray, Lauren Wakefield, Jason and William Ray

Anna Katherine Ray, Elizabeth WatsonMicky and Becky CowanJudy and Norton McKeigney

Barbara and Col. Reed Wakefield, Lauren Wakefield, Jason Ray, Carolyn and Mark Wakefield

engagement partyAn engagement celebration honoring Lauren

Wakefield and Jason Ray was held recently inthe home of William and Martha Ray. Festivitiesincluded Cajun music by Ryan Simon and theAcadien Band from Breaux Bridge, La., andLouisiana cuisine prepared by Julie Levanway.Karen McKie decorated for the party.

Miss Wakefield is the daughter of Mr. andMrs. Mark Wakefield. Ray is the son of Dr. andMrs. John Ray.

Co-hosts and hostesses were Wanda andPat Courter, Becky and Micky Cowan, Caroland Dennis Craig, Terre and Hardy Harris,Susan Ferrell, Kathie and Chuck Lott, Amy andJohn MacNeill, Debra and David McIntosh,Tami and Tony McInvale, Patti and Bill Marshall,Robin and Louie Propst, Cynthia and JamesRay, and Martha Jean and Fred Ray.

The couple will be married December 8 atBriarwood United Methodist Church.

LaurenWakefield

and Jason Ray

engagementparty.

Mark, Carolyn and Lauren Wakefield, Jason, Pam and John Ray



Leila and Sam Lane, Jana and Lee Ragland

Walker Roberts, Mary-Crosby Turner

Emily McLaurin, Dana FisherLance and Vicki BenefieldAnnette Watson, Shirley and Jack Geary

Tante Roberts, Randy Weeks, Walker Roberts, Mary-Crosby Turner, Jeannie Falkner

engagement partyA celebration of the engagement of Mary-Crosby Turner and Walker Roberts

was recently held in the home of Debbie and Joe McCaskill. The wedding willbe March 23 at Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church with the receptionat Old Capitol Inn.

Co-hosts and hostesses were Suzie and Jeff Adcock, Vicki and LanceBenefield, Pam and Gary Cirilli, Ann and Larry Collins, Gail and John England,Tonya and Larry Favreau, Kathleen and Bill Geary, Peggy and Larry Goldstein,

Louise and John Hartlein, Terre and Hardy Harris, Evie and Kirk Hines, Georgeand Whit Johnson, Sheila and Ricky Keyes, Leila and Sam Lane;

Also, Ginny Lloyd, Tammy and Anse McLaurin, Donna and William Mills,Jeanne and Mitch Monsour, Catherine and Tom Quaka, Jana and Lee Ragland,Lisa and Kenneth Reed, Nancy and Al Roberts, Barbara and Fred Rushton,Scottie and Burdette Russ, Dawn and Elliott Thomas, Debbie and TerryThornton, and Annette Watson.

MaryCrosby-

Turner andWalker

Robertsengagement

party

Jon and Pam Turner, Walker Roberts, Mary-Crosby Turner, Raney-Mills and Sean Kiely


Perry Taylor, Jake Black, Jay Jernigan, Davis RobertsKrysten Keyes, Alex Barraza, Mary-Crosby Turner, Alex McCaskill, Haley Crosby,

Michelle Reach

Diane Neeley, Gayle England, Suzie AdcockHunter and Suzanne Cade, Don Smith, Varner StewartBarbara Rushton, Jack Phillips, Elinor Jackson, Robin Kennedy

Blair Shaw, Chloe LloydParker and Chelsea Berry

Walker Roberts, Mary-Crosby Turner, Dolly GoingsDoug and Carol McKinnin, Nancy RobbinsDebbi and Joe McCaskill, Tammy McLaurin

Harrison Smith, Katie Hazard, Sean Douglas, Jeannie Falkner, Randy Weeks

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 69

Sean and Raney-Mills Keily, Jon Turner, William and Thomas Mills, Mark and DavidAdcock; (front) Pam, O.J. and Smamie Turner, Walker Roberts, Mary-Crosby Turner,

Donna Mills, Jeff, Suzie and Anna Adcock

Jana Ragland, Donna Mills, Suzie Adcock, Nancy Roberts, Scottie Russ, AnnetteWatson; (front) Sheila Keyes, Pam Cirilli, Vickie Benefield, Dawn Thomas, Ann Collins,

Katherine Quaka, Barbara Rushton, Debbie McCaskil, Leila Lane, Gayle England

Betse Parsons, George Johnson, Collins JohnsonJay Turner, Julie McGregor, Jon Turner Shirley Turner, Julie and Meredith McGregor, Jane Allen McCrory, Jay Turner


d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 71


Malcolm White, Nancy Perkins, Richard Patrick

Tony DiFatta, Holly Lange

Mayo Flynt, Mike McCreeryLindsay and Justin BufordHolly Christensen, Alicia Baladi, Elizabeth Alley

Melissa DiFatta, Melissa Pringle, Dorothy Hawkins, Jennifer Allen, Holly Lange

welcome receptionSeveral Northsiders hosted a party at the

Mississippi Crafts Center to welcome Holly andBrent Christensen. The Christensens moved toJackson where Brent is the new executivedirector of the Mississippi DevelopmentAuthority.

Hosts and hostesses included Renee and

Conrad Ebner, Blakely and Ron Fender,Jennifer and Peder Johnson, Holly and AlanLange, Sharon and Mark McCreery, Kathleenand Mack Mitchell, Michelle and David Pharr,Elee and Tate Reeves, and Jennifer and WilsonStribling.

Shown are scenes from the party.

Holly andBrent

Christensenwelcomereception

Stephanie and Mark Garriger, Sarah Dabney Gillespie, Sydney Allen,Brent and Holly Christensen


Kathleen and Mack Mitchell, Crisler and Doug Boone, Michael HeidelbergDavid Pharr, Alicia Baladi, Melissa Pringle, Brent Christensen

Virginia and Rob Farr Matt and Inglish DeVoss, Michelle Pharr Rob and Phoebe Pearigen

Scott and Amanda Overby Dennis Schwarzaver, Penny Prenshaw

Conrad and Renee Ebner, Sharon McCreeryPhoebe Pearigen, Blakely and Ron Fender

Sam Pooley, Caroline and Jonathan Compretta, Sylvia Pooley

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DATES FORLEUKEMIA FUND-RAISERThe 12th annual Dates for Leukemiafund-raiser was held at recently at TheSouth. The event is a silent date auctionto benefit the Leukemia and LymphomaSociety. More than $23,000 was raisedfor LLS. Jamie Woods and TammyBouchillan started the fund-raiser 12years ago. Mary Beth McDonald, Ouida Watson, Carolyn Harrison Jancsi Artz, Howard Ballou, Jeanhee Kang

Sabrina and Clay Sutherland, Stephanie VannBrittany Horton, Nick Tarlton, Courtney ParksGrant and Jennifer Parker

Leslie Abt, Katherine Nicosia, Felice Serrett, Tasha Taylor Melinda Patterson, Grant McGee, Camille Moenkhaus, Linda Massengale

Bill Stover, Sandra Webb Tammy Bouchillon, Jamie Woods Susan Mitchell, Todd Wimberly Kristen Cooper Kline, Doc Davis

EVENTS


Darryl Breland, Robert PooleyAlice Way, Jeff Querin, Rachel Horn, Melody MoodyClaire Barker, Heath Patterson

Ryan Chase, Jenny Woodruff, Cris Dockery, Kathleen Fitzpatrick, Chuck Tomasello Josh Robinson, Doug Jeter, Kym Morgan, Andrew Smith

Ralph and Fran Flood, Mindy Bowers, Jeff Mote Morgan Wigley, Lucy Gibson, Melanie Sand, Steven Rankin

Kim Purvis, Amy Chesney, Regan Wallace, Tanya Grace John and Rhonda Newell Mike Slaughter, Jan Collins, Johnny Morgan

DATES FOR LEUKEMIA FUND-RAISER

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CHOCOLATE BALLBENEFITThe 2012 Chocolate Ball benefit forRonald McDonald House Charities ofMississippi was held recently at theRiver Hills Country Club.

Sandra Butler, Ronald McDonald, Anna Kendall, Koby Wofford Judy and Harold Blake, Christy Montgomery

Angela Morehead, Cathy and Ned TrottiJimmy and Rhonda Cromwell, Bret and Rachael KenyonMyles and Amanda Cross

Daren Siddons, Nicole and Phyllis Small, Colleen and Philip Palmer, Gary Small Al, Danita and Allison Joyner, Fredda and Tom Robinson

Jimmye and Andy Sweat Nola Gibson, Charlotte Bass Boomer and Lisa Brush Courtney Convertino, Pam Sultan

EVENTS


Jake Smith, Ruth Ann Rigby, Joel BrownFrenchie and Buddy Graham, Dell HumphriesVerlin and Nolin Cook

Steve and Diana Warden, Mike and Linda Warner, Cindy and Ron Emery Emma Lou Horrell, Mary Grace Brown Jona Keeton, Li Vemulakonda

David Dumeyer, Linda Allen and Phillip Ley Steve Davidson, Khaki Cole Guy and Kara Giesecke Virginia and David Allen

CHOCOLATE BALL BENEFIT

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DANCE WITH THESTARS PREVIEWPARTYDance with the Stars preview party forMississippi Opera was held recently atSt. James Episcopal Church.Shown are scenes from the party.

Harriet Kuykendall, Jean Brewer, Richard McRae Harris and Margaret Collier, Betty Bivins

Tippy Garner, Elbert Bivins, Hogan AllenSue Lobrano, Paul and Kerry ParkerJohn Murphy, Barbara Travis

Dickens Fournet, Becky and Don Potts, Sujan Gihimire, Brandi Fournet Peyton Prospere, Sibyl Child, Sujan Gihimire, Kerry Parker, John Malone

Patti Sullivan, Pamela Prather Cassandra Walter, Margee Wohner Marlane Dove, Merina Dillard

EVENTS


Tippy Garner, Ellen McLeanHarris and Margaret Collier, Michelle HudsonSarah and Sujan Gihimire

Sue Lobrano, Edward and Viola Dacus, Sandy McKellar Lynn Wedemeyer, Foye Bycofski, Jim Child

DANCE WITH THE STARS PREVIEW PARTY

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SEVENTH ANNUALSTORYTELLERS BALLThe seventh annual Storytellers Ball washeld recently at the Arts Center ofMississippi. The theme was Blame It onthe Blues. Proceeds benefit the GreaterJackson Arts Council. Shown are scenesfrom the ball.

DeeDee and Sonya Anderson, Becki Hicks Libba Wilkes, Charley Frye, Alexandra Wilkes-Long

Carl Ellis, Shannon and Earsley QuinnRowell and Rhonda Saunders, Randy and Ben RogersLinda Brune, Rosemary Maxey

Misty Winningham, Keri McGowan, Candace Hare, Lydia Moore, Constance Shelby Brad Applewhite, Meredith Virden, Kelly Wright, Breland Applewhite

Sandra and Julian Murchison Lea Gunter, Pamela Hancock Kathy Molpus, Jancsi Artz Ginger Watkins, Don Jacobs

EVENTS


Alon Bee, Pam Partridge, Mark BoundsH.C. Porter, Mark Wiggs, Jane and Brent AlexanderChris Kirwin, Gina Haugh

Richard and Sherry Partridge, James Hendrix, Pamela Hancock Cynthia Buchanan, David Watkins, Jayne and Brad Jackson

David and Sarah Cade, Clay and Ann Purcell Tommy Reaves, Donna Coulson, Rebecca Prewitt, James Hatten

Lynda and Robert Lesley George Humphrey II, Lindsey Pittman Dexter Blanchard, Cara Troiani Audra Myers, Gus Perez

SEVENTH ANNUAL STORYTELLERS BALL

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Beth James, Lisa Randall, Jeanhee MuseMonique Davis, Natalie Long, LaTasha WillisBenee Wallace, Steve Biggers

Donna Ladd, Todd Stauffer Philip and Cheri Barnes Melissa and Ron Applewhite Bill and Teresa Wasser

SEVENTH ANNUAL STORYTELLERS BALL


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d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 89

GOODWILLVOLUNTEERSGoodwill Industries of Mississippi heldits annual awards dinner recently at theCountry Club of Jackson as a fund-raiserfor Goodwill Industries.The event recognized volunteer effortsof those who gave of their time and tal-ents to improve the lives of others. Thedinner was followed by a presentation ofthe honorees.

Betty Graves, Stephanie Garriaga, Susan Garrard, James Graves Sister Celestine, Sister Trinita, Ed Brunini

Henry Holifield, Haden and Tish HughesRon and Gypsy Russell, Denise and Louis WrightJackie Petrus, Pam Partridge

Gayle Papa, Suzanne Stephens, Michelle and Russ Hawkins, Tom Papa, Sis and Guy Hovis Ben Burnett, Mary, Pat and Carlene Scanlon, Anna Burnett

Jancsi Artz, Charlotte Corley Deidra and Fred Bell Nora Frances McRae, Theresa Brady Susie Brabec, Bonnie Wiggers

EVENTS


Donald Truett, Betty Rushton; (front) Marie and Harold MayerBettye Jolly, Anna Burnett, Grady JollyLinda and David Derrick

Bo and Mary Helen Bowen, Muller Addkison, Claudia and Robert Hauberg Claude and Karis Harbarger, Deidra Bell, Janis and Deral Knight

David and Lyn McMillan, Sandy and Mac Temple Charla Howard, Irene and David Brownlee, Morgan Wiggers

Chris Carmichael, Susan Christensen Tommy Williams, Doug Swayze, Dean Alexander, Chuck and Corrine Sampson Tobi Miller, Gray Wiggers, Lauren Mozingo

GOODWILL VOLUNTEERS

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GOODWILL VOLUNTEERS

Napolean Johnson, Donna and Brian SimsBen, John Grady, Phillip and Anna BurnettJohn and Nell Flynt

Nan Graves Goodman, June Stone, Marsha and Tim Cannon Jamie and Katy Houston, Paul and Perrie Calhoun

Jenny, Hank and Sandra Holman, Len and Sally Martin Tim and Vicki Ellis, Henry Burkhalter, Gene Wright

J.G. and Phil Burnett Emma Grace, Dale, Marsha and John Dale Dieckman Kimberly and Shawn Conerly, Margo and Shelby Burnside


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ENCHANTEDEVENING UNDERTHE STARS GALAEnchanted Evening Under the Stars galabenefiting Blair E. Batson Children’sHospital was held recently at theMississippi Museum of Art in the ArtGarden. The gala included a live art auc-tion, food, a raffle for $5,000, and musicfrom KARMA.

Frances McCain, Lucy Mazzaferro, Howard and Susan Jones Melanie Schade, Judy Packard, Michele Revord

Bryan Jameson, Liz and Chip WalkerJackie Petrus, Andrew Rivard, Kara and Guy GieseckJustin and Melanie Schade

Bill Ray, Marcy Nessel, Lesly Murray, Steve Edds Paul and Fair Hurst, Cathy and Joey Havens

Richard Coker, Kathy Briner Kelley and Brad Gatlin Audrey and Jim Wilkerson Jimmy and Jona Keeton

EVENTS


Tena McKenzie, Jim Albritton, Laura HodgeKim and Mickey Paduda, Shannon and Kevin HahnSuzan and Tommy Thames

Laura and Chris Walters, Jancsi Artz, Beth James, Kathy Molpus Elizabeth and Jeff Upchurch, Shelly and Patrick Gough

Scott and Karma Williams, Jessica and Jeffrey Lohmeier Stephen Barnette, Katie, Deb and Mike Lightsey

Mart and Lyllian McMullan Alan and Holly Lange Scott Palmer, Ann Brock Amanda and Beth Alliston

ENCHANTED EVENING UNDER THE STARS GALA

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CATFISH AND SOULANNUAL FUND-RAISERCatfish and Soul, the annual fund-raiserfor the Harbor House, was held recentlyat the Mississippi Agriculture andForestry Museum.Shown are scenes from the event.

Daniel and Byron Warrington, Molly Gough, John Buford Trost and Pam Friedler, Sean Guy

Melissa Summers, Sharen Powell, Julie CraftPaula Nelson, Marlena and Philip Pickering, Craig NelsonJake and Frank Garrison

Forrest Gholston, Rick Young, Glenn Lamons, Phil Cook, Jim Garner Jessie and Nancy Lane, Gail Sykes, Ty Rogers

Stina Jacobs, Billy Wynn Sarah Johnson, Marianne Wynn Merlyna Decker, Stephanie Crawford Charlanne and Dale Schwindamann

EVENTS


Brook Bailey, Pam Martin, Pam Moore, Shirley MilesCalvin Michel, Chester Mixon, Tammy Golden, Kevin CornellVenera Brown, Suzanne Ferriss

Peggy and Johnny Sweat Laura and Al Underwood Steve and Nelene Nedford Jerri and Morgan Avery

Catherine, Brett and Brett Ashy Jayne Jones, Tommy Marshall, Susan Taylor Antonio Williams, Stacey Hester, Tivo Espino

Shirley Kosser, Kim Brown Sara Porter, Dalton Thames Pam and Corlise Thomas William Goodman, Nell Knox

CATFISH AND SOUL ANNUAL FUND-RAISER

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MAD (WO)MENAGAINST MSFirst MasterChef winner Whitney Millerwas the special guest at the inauguralMad (Wo)Men Against MS cocktailnight, held at the Viking CookingSchool. The event featured a cookingdemonstration, silent auction andCocktails for a Cure drawing.

Laura Leverett, Jamie Russell Mary Ellen Stancill, Lora Bingham, Dorothy Stancill

Anne Daly, Robin Rae Burns, Jamie RussellHiweda Jones, Charles Doty, Phyllis EppsSandra Buchanan, Ginger Robbins

Bobby and Leigh Anne Coleman, Melissa Pringle, Brenda Scaggs Shay and Anne Daly, Jamie Russell, Phillip Yarbrough

Kaye B. Allen, Kim Haynes Pamela and Pat Smith Jessie and Becky Leverette Malissa and Melvin Johnson

EVENTS


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MKF BOARDMEETINGThe 47th annual meeting of the board oftrustees and the professional advisoryboard of the Mississippi KidneyFoundation was held recently at Nick’sRestaurant.

Donna Smith, Dr. Alvin Brent, Bonnie Coleman Theresa Fuller, Jeff McPherson, Lee Parrott

Henry Skelton, Bill CrimDrs. Luis Juncos and Catheirne Wells, Tina Walker, Dr. Otis GowdyDrs. Chris Anderson and John Bower

Jim Walden, Cal Wells Brian Rippee, Max Yates Kent Wilkinson, Jerry Fuller

EVENTS


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d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 103

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SAVING GRACEBENEFITSaving Grace, a benefit for Grace House,was held recently at St. James EpiscopalChurch. Entertainers included the GraceHouse choir, James Martin and Friendsfeaturing Dr. Russell Thomas Jr., FredKnobloch and special guest Greg‘Fingers’ Taylor, and dancing byLatinismo. Shown are scenes from theevent.

Grace Duckworth, James Martin, Betty Allin Melissa Crouch, Ann Whitehurst, Peter Clark

Frank Puryear, Adam StringerMargaret McLarty, Tommy Weems, the Rev. Molly McWadeJody Donald, Traci Copeland

Beth Elliot, Jim Dollaride Art Minton, Janice Pearson, Jan Watson Misti Dossett, Coleen O’Brien

the Revs. Rob Hill and Molly McWade Lucy Ferron, Sandy McKellar Jackie Ellens, Jim Jackson Rusty and Linda Smith

EVENTS

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d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 109

THE CEDARS JURIEDART EXHIBITIONRECEPTIONThe opening reception for The Cedars2012 Juried Art Exhibition was heldrecently. The show is part of the FourSeasons of The Cedars Visual andPerforming Arts Series and featuresmore than 90 works selected by WilliamDunlap.

Cathie Moore, Linda Wilson, Steve Douglas Debbie Minor, Elizabeth Thweatt, Tammy Hodges

Betsy Nation, Ann Brock, Bill NationDebbie Rayner, Jim Wilkirson, Russell Christie Equonya Razan, Nateasha Carter

Katrina Arrington, Brian Howard, Elizabeth and John Thweatt Kathy Love, Cecille Wardlaw, Pam Wharton, Emily Mosley

Robert and Sara Margaret Johnson Donnie Moore, Joyce Pantall Carol and Tom Rietvelt Vicky Boteler, Sarah McTaggart

EVENTS


Chung-Fan Chang, Packer McBrideMary Jo McAnally, Jan Farrington, Tom and Laurilyn FortnerJomarius White, Keyonte Jackson

Charlie and Vivian Williams, Susan Shands and Howard Jones Pam and Kit Kinsey Mack Osborne, Jo Lynn Michael

Mary Calamity, Katie Mills, Heidi Pitre Larry Singleton, Ken and Jane Jones Kay and Sue Watts Rhonda Blasingame, Mona Crowell

Emily Mosley, Jarrod Patridge Frances and Allen Gardner Sam Clark, Jessica Wood J.D. and Meredith May

THE CEDARS JURIED ART EXHIBITION RECEPTION

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FARM TO TABLE 100

The first annual “Farm to Table 100” washeld recently at Table 100. This eventcelebrated local farmers and their boun-ty of the season. The night includedappetizers with specialty cocktails, livemusic, staff and local farmers “meet andgreet,” a silent auction, and a three-course meal with live music and wine. Aportion of the proceeds was donated toFarm Families of Mississippi.

Peggy Magee, Lil Grant, Mary Knight Tim Cooper, June Rogers, Cindy Hunt

Chris Eaton, C.A. Hall, Bert GreenAndy and Jennifer Ostrenga, Amanda and Jamie EatonLiza and Rick Looser

Chris McDonald, Derek Howard, Adam Briscoe, Sam Montgomery Kristen and Sidney Allen, Anna and Jon Pearson

Tate and Elee Reeves Karen and Bill Crews Lisa and Jamie Foy Chance and Chrysler Carter

EVENTS


Abby Phillips, Anna Richardson, Winnie RubinBrittany Reyer, Anna Paisleigh, Jody Reyer, Rebecca DoddCarrie McPeters, Jason Kramer

Mike and Nell Stack, Debbie and Andy Kilpatrick Sara Pannel, Sibby, Kiley and Justin Lewis

Becky and John Tatum Brad Brister, Cindy and Andy Christian Sheramie Shore, Bill Latham, Jancsi Artz

Libby and Ted Kendall Harriett Course, Danderia Walker Lisa Foy, Deirdre Danahar Mary and Gordan Lyons

FARM TO TABLE 100

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THE GREENVILLECONNECTION PARTY The Greenville Connection Party washeld recently at the Northpointe RedBarn.Shown are scenes from the event.

Sug and Doe Signa, Amy Smith Maur McKie, Lynn and Herbert Hays Thompson

Mike Foresman, Denise Wilson, Gene JohnstonWhit, Debbie and Elizabeth RaynerMary Lou Sorey, Vicki Dantone

J.J. and Matt Christian, Christina and Taylor Polk Brenda Davidson, Rick Hudgens, Joe and Mary-Jeanne Bouton

Ken Banks, Benny Dykes Barbara Travis, Chere Hitt Stegall Majre Northway, Charles Purvis Maur and Karen McKie

EVENTS


Sug and Doe SignaVal Vickery, Charles and Etta Cox, Jill FuteyElizabeth Koestler, Nathan Luter

Nonie Joyner, Fred Ingram, Larry Joiner, Benella Albinder John Causey, Frank SmithLinda and Randy Dismuke

Jeff DeMatteis, Madelyn Montjoy, Amy Smith David Wilson, Patty Layman Horton Carolyn McCrary, Butch Wailes Linda and Bob Wilson

Fountain and Sandy Barksdale Ed and Jean Lancaster Anne Kossman, Sally Ibsen Scottie Davis, Charles Purvis

THE GREENVILLE CONNECTION PARTY

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ART FOR HEARTDONOR RECEPTIONThe American Heart Association andthe 2012 Art for Heart committee host-ed the Art for Heart donor receptionrecently at Viking Cooking School.Shown are scenes from the reception.

Alon Bee, Frances and Billy Ware Chris Shoukry, Lisa and Pat Busby

Giorgio Aru, Lisa and Larry Ratzlaff Rosa Wilson, Michelle Alexander, Christiana WilliamsJan and Lawrence Farrington

Martin and Mary Taylor Peder and Jennifer Johnson Maggi and Lee Lampton

Stan and Becky Herrin John and Nancy Price Mart McMullan, Jan Farrington

EVENTS

d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 2 117

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December 2012

Documents

christmas traditionsfor

lane family

fondren area

christmas gift boxes

special christmas activities

christmas celebra

holiday season

foundation asthat area