Opinion

Well the big FFA Auction is history for another year, they had a big turnout. I sat in our drive here next door and watched them in full sale frenzy. Guys came from all over pulling empty trailers behind them. Filled with great anticipation of the loaded trailers they would return home with. Their faces registered more excitement than Christmas morning, for the goodies here were more than hankies, socks, or underwear! A shower came up and got everyone and everything nice and wet, except for their buying spirit, it hadn’t been dampened in the least.

Life in the Birdell community was closeknit, and a culture of great pride was evident in the late 19th century and early to mid-20th century. Time, logistical freedom, the pursuit of employment, and personal preferences have changed the landscape and the people who once lived here. Several family names are recalled in the early history of the Birdell community. Names such as Barden, Dunn, Pettyjohn, and Hufstedler were common and their influence in the community was felt before the turn of the century. Their religious belief was primarily Church of Christ, although records from the past show their earlier religious affiliation was probably one of the Mennonite sects. (Many Mennonite families share the Hufstedler name as Hostetler, which is common in the Randolph County Mennonite community today.) They were, at that time, one of the only Republican strongholds in the county. I remember my granddad, Jeff Hufstedler and his siblings, being staunch Republicans, a trait that has also faded with time. In an almost unheard-of occurrence, 2 Birdell Republicans, Joseph Hufstedler and Hubert C. Hollowell, son of Hubert and Ellen Hufstedler Hollowell, were elected to the offices of County Judge and Tax Assessor, respectively, in the 1910 general election in Randolph County.

The decline of storytelling is an unfortunate hallmark of the present generation. When most information is received by the movement of the thumbs, it is apparent why our basic communications have changed. When the Maynard Redneck Institute for Advanced Studies convenes at the Maynard Cafe and Maynard card room, this genre of expression is still alive and well. Many gifted humorists, local historians and “good ole boys” who are learned in the dialect, expressions, and stories of yesteryear bring much mirth and depth to our sessions. This column will recall some of the best that can be told within the parameters of propriety and avoidance of lawsuits.

When you think of St. Patrick’s Day, you might think of green beer, shot glass necklaces that say, “Kiss Me, I’m Irish.” That’s all well and good, but you might not know much about the holiday’s origins or the saint it celebrates.

We know Spring is just around the corner when we start seeing green!!! Yes, it’s time to buy that corned beef and all the trimmings for the quintessential St. Patrick’s Day Meal.

March is Women’s History Month! This week we want to highlight two African-American midwives from Arkansas. Mamie Odessa Hale Garland (1910–1979) and our own Ada Shockley Oaks (1877-1978).

Eight things I think I think, early March edition. Arkansas High School Basketball State Championship games are in full swing this week, and the occasion never fails to remind me of some of the great Pocahontas Redskin teams of the past.