Episcopal Church Trinity Parish in Searcy Arkansas is on the grow....

The two large white houses in the background of the first church picture were directly across the street (Arch) from the then Post Office, now a court house buidling.  Anyway, our of our classmates, Mike Roberts (SHS'53) lived there with his mother, aunt and sisters.  Later Johnny Matheny (cousin) came to live and go to high school.  Then another cousin, Suzanne Angel, came to live and go to school.  I remember HER because my husband became besotted and dated her a few times before she dumped him for Jimmy Sims. ha.ha.   All these kids I've named plus some of Mike's friends would sit out on the porch of that house and watch what and who was going up and down the street.  the post office was a very busy place in those good old days.   I was jealous that they had such a good view and access to what all was going on in Searcy.   I was never invited to sit on the porch.

Anita Fuller

Most of the girls were, at one time or other, besotted with Johnny Matheny.  He actually spelled his name Jonny.  He could sing in a voice that sounded exactly like Nat "King" Cole.  He also smoked, that was very "risque" we all thought.   (also his breath "stank" I thought)....

Believe it or not, I was never besotted with Jonny, but one of my best friends, Mildred Taylor, was.  The reason I knew about him singing and cigarette breath is......he was an excellent dancer and such a nice boy he would dance with every girl at the dance at least once.  I never remember him having a date, he always came stag and dance with everyone.

Later he joined the Air Force, and began writing me letters, on that Air Force thin, blue stationery.  I answered him back faithfully and later found out he was writing any and everybody who would write him back.  Oh well. 

Anita Fuller

There will be a funeral in this church Monday afternoon at 2:00:  a prominent person of Searcy has died:  Dr. Welton A. Hudgins, dentist, but during WWII, a pharmacist in the navy.  His obituary in today's newspaper states he was the head pharmacist in the navy, stationed in Washington, D.C. and personal pharmacist to then President Franklin D. Roosevelt.    He was my dentist for many years, too.   Playing "6 Degrees of Separation" that means that I, along with many others in Searcy, have a close connection to Franklin and Eleanor.

Anita Fuller

That is one beautiful church, and I once went to a Christmas Eve service there, in l959.   How do I remember the date?  That's another story.

Barbara, that wasn't Paula writing about Dr. Hudgins, it was ME, Anita!  I think you might need to have an eye exam, your glasses might just need changing.

Anita Fuller

DO NOT change it.  I still say, your Active Rain fans probably get tired of seeing my name and reading my comments so often.   It's o.k.  The Christmas story is nothing:  just that I wanted to be present at the birth of a friend's baby at Hawkins Hospital.   She went into labor and I was called out of the service at the Episcopal Church.  The baby is still living in Searcy:  Johnny George Key, you might know him.  I'll bet Dude does.

Anita Fuller

Barbra hey!, I have a pretty good copy of your original photo from the internet. I have been meaning to ask your permission to use it on the website for the church. http://trinityepiscopalsearcy.org/. I hope you are doing fine!

Brad Vanaman