65 years ago, March 3, 1955
“The Bunker Hill girls’ basketball team will leave Friday morning for Pearl school, where they will meet the third place team from North Mississippi in the State B-BB Finals. Bunker Hill won second place in the South Mississippi tournaments. … James Mabry, coach, says the girls are looking forward to the state finals and expect to bring some trophies home with them. Girls on the team are Blanche Greer, Georgia Merle Polk, Katherine Robbins, Hazel Haddox, Ouida Selman, Melba Sue Barker, Janice Barker, Jannie Ramshur, Roxie Lee Smith, Betty Jo Greer, Doris Buckley, Marliyn Robbins and Juanita Ramshur.”
60 years ago, March 3, 1960
“Birthdays for Janet Ruth Lowe will be few and far between. She may be a great grandmother a long, long time before she is sweet sixteen. Her birthdays will be four years apart. Janet checked in at Marion County General Hospital on Feb. 29, the leap year daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lionell V. Lowe of Baxterville. She weight 7 pounds and 2 ounces. She is the fifth child in the family. Her brothers and sisters are Lionell Jr., 10; Debra Ann, 7; Linda Sherill, 5, and Gordon Keith, 4. Mr. Lowe is an employee of Superior Oil Company in the Baxterville area. Mrs. Lowe before her marriage was Miss Clara Nell Jones, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Jones of Lawrence County.”
“Death claimed Dr. G.C. Maxwell, 89, one of Columbia’s oldest and best-known citizens, at his home at 414 Broad St. shortly before midnight Sunday after a brief illness. He was a retired vice president and director of the Columbia Bank. Dr. Maxwell came to Columbia in 1904 and since that time had been one of its most active and prominent citizens. … He was a native of Camden, born there July 15, 1870, son of W.L. and Fannie Thornhill Maxwell, attended Camden schools and was graduated from Tulane University with a Ph.C degree. … On May 10, 1905 he was married to Miss Nell Ford, daughter of General and Mrs. Tom S. Ford. A widely loved man, Dr. Maxwell was a member of the First United Methodist Church.”
50 years ago, March 5, 1970
“Mrs. Fay L. McLean, for 11 years serving in the capacity of librarian for the people of Columbia and Marion County at Shelby Memorial Library, has retired. … The board has announced as the new full time librarian Mrs. John H. Wooten. … (McLean’s) tireless effort, enthusiasm, dynamic leadership and the ability to work harmoniously with cit officials, county officials, the library board the public indicative of her interest in the educational and cultural advantages for the people of Columbia and Marion County.”
“Mrs. Seaborn Hasson has been named principal of Improve School for the school year 1970-71, Mr. Carl Loftin, Marion County Supt. of Education, announced today.”
“The cast for ‘The Odd Couple,’ Neil Simon’s funniest stage hit, has been announced by the Columbia Community Theatre. Characters in the play and the players are Oscar Madison, Judd White; Felix Ungar, Pat Broome; Gwendolyn Pigeon, Patti Wilkinson; Cecily Pigeon, Wanda Morgan; Speed, John Davis; Murray, Dick Rankin; Roy, Jerry Wilkinson; and Vinnie, Larry Parrish.”
40 years ago, Feb. 28, 1980
"Miss Robin Beasley, member of the Marion Society, Children of American Revolution, served as an honorary page at the opening night session of the annual state conference of the Mississippi Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, Tuesday night, Feb. 19, in Jackson. The Marion Society of C.A.R. is sponsored by the Catherine Ard Chapter of DAR. Miss Beasley is the 12-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Elbert Beasley, now of Columbia. She is a student at Columbia Academy."
"Three band students from here have been selected for the Lions All-State Band, which will compete in July in the International Convention Parade in Chicago. Participating from here will be Regina Youngblood, playing clarinet; Chip Herrington, playing trumpet; and Ben Herrington, playing trombone."
30 years ago, Feb. 24, 1990
"Dr. Robert C. Coker, associate dean of Academic and Clinic Administration and professor of Community and Preventive Dentistry at the Louisiana State School of Dentistry in New Orleans has been named to serve on the Pearl River Community College Development Foundation Board. Coker, a native of Marion County and a graduate of Columbia High School, Pearl River Community College and Loyola University School of Dentistry, makes his home in Foxworth."
20 years ago, Feb. 26, 2000
"The newest, and youngest, member of Sonya Gates' first-grade class at Columbia Primary School has some unusual habits — such as chewing on shoelaces and taking frequent bathroom breaks — but she is, nevertheless, one of the most popular members of the class, and possibly the school. Christy, a Tennessee fainting goat, joined the class when she was just two days old. She turned three weeks old this Tuesday. Deanna Sitton, Gates' assistant, has raised goats for several years. ... As the runt of a set of triplets, Christy was the one left out, and had to be fed by hand. 'I was at a conference, and when I came back, she was here, so I said, 'Why not,'' Gates said, adding that the students instantly were fascinated by the baby goat."
10 years ago, Feb. 27, 2010
"The soldiers of the 155th E Company CAB will be returning from Iraq by the end of March, according to Pamela Holmes of the Family Readiness Group. ... E Company left Columbia in April 2009 for deployment and was in Iraq by June."
