Caption: In this photo from 50 years ago, Aug. 1, 1968: For the third straight year, the Columbia High School cheerleaders took the first place trophy at the Williams Cheerleaders Clinic in Laurel. On Wednesday and Thursday of the last week they got the first place ribbons, and on Friday they captured the trophy. The cheerleaders are, front row, from left, Donna Haddox, Ann Sims, Ann Campbell and Sandra Height. Back row, Vivian Moore, Diane Weems, Terri Forbes and Olive McBride.
65 years ago, Aug. 6, 1953
“One officer and 15 enlisted men of Troop G 1st Mississippi Cavalry, which was organized in Columbia in early 1917, met Friday night, July 31 at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur H. Robbins on Highway 24 East for the second annual reunion of the organization. The troop was organized immediately upon the outbreak of World War I and was composed of three officers and 115 enlisted men. During the war three men, Ezra L. Langston, Fleet Johnson and Homer B. Branton, were killed in action and two, James W. Powell and Ott C. Lowe, died of illness. … Those attending the reunion with wives or some other member of the family were: 1st Lt. W.R. Owens and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Fred H. Robertson, Oliver E. Edwards, Jake Johnson, C.M. Simmons and son, Mr. and Mrs. George Dewey Reeves, Mr. and Mrs. Herman E. Cosper, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur H. Robbins, Judge and Mrs. Sebe Dale, Mr. and Mrs. Claude Gates, Frank Regan, Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Rawls, Elijah J. (Bud) Poole Jr., Mr. and Mrs. Murray Johnson, John Alva Pittman and Leland H. Tyrone.”
“We are carrying a picture this week of Harrison Jefferson, a tenant on Beechwood Farm at Lampton, who sent us a bouquet this week. The bouquet was six bolls of fluffy white cotton, the first we had received so far. Harrison has about a dozen children, and reports no labor problem where crop gathering is concerned.”
60 years ago, Aug. 7, 1958
“Miss Alexine Gibson comes to First Baptist Church on Aug. 16 to serve as Director of Elementary Education, having charge of work with juniors, primaries, beginners, nursery and cradle roll work in the Sunday School, Training Union and W.M.U. Miss Gibson is a native of McComb.”
“Twelve Boy Scouts from Troop 440, Western Division, Columbia, registered Sunday for the second week of camping activities at Camp Attawah, making a total of 109 in camp this week and 214 for the two weeks. … Roscoe Alford is the Scoutmaster of Troop 440. Scouts in camp are Willis Chambliss, Aaron Montgomery, Sammie Jackson, Adolphus McKinney, Alvin Chambliss, Claude Fortenberry, Adolph Randolph, Lonie Moses, Jerry Henry, David Lumzy, James McClendon and Ellis Daniel.”
50 years ago, Aug. 1, 1968
“Plans are getting well underway for a Sesquicentennial Celebration of the chartering of Columbia as the fourth municipality in the State of Mississippi. Suggestions for making this the biggest event in 150 years are invited. The celebration will be held Oct. 31 through Nov. 2. It will be a cooperatively sponsored event by the Retail Merchants Committee of the Marion County Chamber of Commerce and the Marion County Historical Society. It will feature old costumes and items of historical interest.”
40 years ago, Aug. 3, 1978
“An observant rural mail carrier Monday morning succeeded in getting a man from under a bush hog which had fallen on him. Shelby Fortenberry was making his round on RFD 6, Columbia, just after 10 a.m. when he saw a man pinned under a bush hog and stopped to extricate him. Vollie Dukes, who resides near Friendship Baptist Church, was pinned under the machine which was across his right arm. He was laying face down and unable to help himself in any way. By main strength Mr. Fortenberry managed to ‘manhandle’ the machine and extricate Mr. Dukes, who was in considerable pain. … He had tried to turn the machine up on its side so that he could remove some wire tangled underneath it.”
30 years ago, Aug. 4, 1988
“Services for the Rev. Clifford James Smyly, 78, who died July 30, 1988 at his home in Columbia, were held Monday, Aug. 1 at First Baptist Church of Columbia. … He was ordained at the First Baptist Church of Columbia in 1930 and pastured for 58 years in Texas, Kentucky, Mississippi and Florida. … After retiring in 1975, he returned to Columbia in 1979 where he served as interim pastor for several area churches until the time of his death.”
“Dr. Charles C. Thompson Jr., 78, a prominent Columbia physician and civic leader, died of heart failure on July 31, 1988, at his home in Columbia. … Born in Columbia on Aug. 18, 1909, Dr. Thompson was the eldest son of Dr. Charles Clifford Thompson Sr. and Jeanette Ford Thompson. Dr. Thompson was the third generation of his family to practice medicine in Marion County. His mother’s family, the Fords, were pioneer settlers of the county. Dr. Thompson was graduated from Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tenn., and received a B.S. degree from Vanderbilt University in 1931 and an M.D. degree from there in 1934. … After completing a residency at Presbyterian Hospital in New York, Dr. Thompson returned to Columbia to practice internal medicine. He served during World War II as a U.S. Army battalion surgeon with the rank of major in the Pacific Theater, where he earned the Bronze Star.” n
