65 years ago, Sept. 30, 1954
“Dan Harvey has been elected as president of the Future Farmers of America chapter at the Marion-Walthall school. Other officers elected were Bud Pittman, vice president; Charles Craft, secretary-treasurer and J.N. Sauls Jr., reporter.”
60 years ago, Oct. 1, 1959
“Mayor Maurice Dantin has proclaimed National Business Women’s Week in Columbia. The week’s activity will begin Sunday morning at the home of Mrs. Pearl Waldrop on Church Street, where members of the Business and Professional Women’s Club will gather for coffee from 8:30 until 9:30 a.m. That afternoon they will attend a tea in Hattiesburg honoring Miss Evelyn Gandy, who was elected state treasurer during the August primaries.”
“The Miss America sorority sisters were out-sistered here Tuesday night when Miss Julie Nell Singley transferred the crown of the Marion County Farm Bureau queen to her sister, Miss Mary Vivian Singley. Crowned as the Farm Bureau King in the county was Charles Pittman, a student of West Marion High School and son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Pittman. Miss Singley, a student at Columbia High School, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Vasco Singley. Selected as first alternate king and queen were Phyllis Holmes and Ray Larry Fornea, both students at West Marion. Second alternates were Charles Fortenberry, Bunker Hill, and Linda Blue, Hub. Queen contestants were Brenda Thomas, Phyllis Holmes, Sandra Beets, Patsy Watts, Mary Vivian Singley, Violet Morris, Carolyn Jo Morris, Linda Blue, Donna Loftin and Sue Williams. King contestants were Ray Larry Fornea, Mickey Stewart, Charles Pittman, David Watts, Charles Fortenberry, Coy Lee Holman, Philip Singley Jr. and Cassie Tullos.”
50 years ago, Oct. 2, 1969
“Rev. Mel Craft, pastor of First Baptist Church in Magee, will be a featured speaker at the 150th annual meeting of the Marion County Baptist Association. Rev. Sam Creel of Bunker Hill is the moderator.”
“A one-third scale model of the Spaceship Columbia which carried the first men to the moon and back will be on display at the Frontier Fair in Columbia Saturday, it was confirmed by a call from NASA to Vernon Pearson Tuesday. Mr. Pearson, overall chairman of the Frontier Fair activities and manger of the Marion County Chamber of Commerce, said the display will be featured in the McLean Building on Courthouse Square as one of the many attractions of the day.”
40 years ago, Sept. 27, 1979
“Preparations are underway for the annual Charity Ball sponsored by Columbia Junior Auxiliary. ‘Holiday Magic’ is this year’s theme for the Nov. 30 event to be held at the Columbia Country Club. Tommy McNeese will emcee the gala event. … Mrs. Bobby Graves and Mrs. Billy Berry are co-chairman of the ball.”
“Sandy Pittman of Columbia was the winner of the grand prize, a Moped, given by participating members of the Marion County Chamber of Commerce in a Pearl River Valley EPA promotion last week.”
30 years ago, Sept. 28, 1989
“William A. Pittman, president and chief executive officer of Citizens Bank in Columbia, announced this week that Adrian L. ‘Roy’ Dearman has joined the bank’s staff effective Sept. 25. Dearman, who is now associated with Citizens Bank as senior vice president, came to Columbia from Tylertown, where he served as vice president of Trustmark National Bank, Tylertown, since August 1986.”
20 years ago, Sept. 30, 1999
“Janet Breakfield of Columbia will have her first album out in about two weeks, but area residents can get a sneak preview during the Marion County Historical Society’s Annual Flea Market and Heritage Festival on Oct. 2 at the Columbia City Park. The album, ‘Through My Eyes,’ will be released by Taner Records and will be available locally within the next couple weeks at Cameron Studios.”
10 years ago, Sept. 26, 1999
“On Wednesday morning, students at several local schools met around their schools’ flagpoles prior to the start of classes to pray for their communities, schools, family and friends, as part of the annual See You at the Pole event. See You at the Pole is a student-initiated, student-organized and student-led event that began in 1990 when a small group of students in Burleson, Texas, decided to pray for their schools, gathering around the flagpole to pray for their friends.”
