Opinion

Christmas #2 It was to be a surprise but didn’t turn out like Brie and I had planned. We were going to wait till all the guys had gone to bed and put up a Christmas Tree.

My conversation with a 4 year old: HER: Is this your house? ME: No HER: Whose is it? ME: I don’t really know the owners. HER: Then why are you here? ME: Where is your mother? HER: I can run a lot when I drink lots of water.

It is hard to believe that we have now been battling COVID-19 for almost two years. The year 2020 broke many records and most of us held our breath that 2021 would bring some much-needed respite. None of could have imagined how long this pandemic would drag on, much less the impact that it would have on our community, our state, and our nation. That impact has been felt by individuals, families, and businesses throughout our region.

The dialect of our forbears is for me an unending study. Recent Internet research reminded me of word usages and meanings heard in my time. This column will show some of the more instructive or at least more amusing.

Presley and I attended the Martin Luther King, Jr Walk, sponsored by the Eddie Mae Herron Center, on Monday morning. I regrettably say this was my first time attending this annual event. It sure was cold, but that didn’t stop a nice crowd of people from showing up. We decided to take our pride and joy, Rozie, with us. Rozie is a 4-year-old shih tzu who completely rules our lives. She’s perfect in every single way and loved being at the walk and seeing everyone.

Taxes & Investing Allow me to make abundantly clear that I am not a CPA or accountant. Please consult a qualified tax professional on a regular basis for your personal finances and situations.

So we had a snow this past week. Not the 4” to 8” predicted, and it started to melt while it was still falling. But it was pretty–a Winter Wonderland. That song started going through my mind watching the snow pile up. And I remembered how I used to get the words so wrong when I was a child–something I suspect we’ve all done with one song or another.

Covid hit me like a semi-truck last week. One minute I am cruising down the highway, singing at the top of my lungs and the next minute I am literally being pulled over for speeding because I feel so bad, I just want to crawl in bed. The nice State Trooper stood the appropriate 6 foot away and took a picture of my driver’s license because he didn’t want to touch it. I just kept saying, “Here, take my driver’s license and go write me my ticket.” And he kept saying, “I don’t want to touch that thing.” “But sir, I was speeding because I feel bad, so take my license and write me my ticket,” I pleaded. He finally just said, “go.” Not that I was proud of my speeding, but I really didn’t feel good, and I was willing to take my punishment but I was thrilled not to infect him and lose money due to my heavy foot that just wanted to go home.

The next few weeks will be featuring wellknown citizens of Randolph County during the mid-1800’s. Some may be familiar or related ancestors of our readers. If so, comments are welcome to share their stories of our subjects. Most of these will not be known of by me and will only be the highlights of their lives and their contribution to the development of Randolph County. H.W. Ball, farmer and stock raiser from Dalton was born in 1840 in Independence County and was the son of Benjamin F. and Elizabeth (Dillard) Ball, both natives of Virginia. Mrs. Ball died in 1848, but not until she had 13 children. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. H.W. received but a limited education and at the age of 18 engaged in driving a hack from Batesville to Smithville. He later engaged in boating on the Black River, from Jackson Port to Pocahontas. Later, he engaged in agricultural pursuits, until about 1862, when he joined the Confederate army under General McCarver, and served 12 months. He then returned home and remained there until about 1864, when he assisted in raising a company for the Union forces, and served for 11 months. After being disbanded, Mr. Ball moved to Illinois (good decision), stayed there for 2 years, and then moved back to Arkansas, where he again engaged in farming in the Black River bottoms. His first crop was made with a steer, but the second year, he bought a yoke of steers. He cleared 20 acres of land of the 80 acres he had purchased, but at the end of 4 years, sold this for $800.00 and moved to Sharp County, purchased a farm for $900.00, and remained there for 10 years. He then sold out for the same price he had paid and moved to the Dalton area in 1880 where he paid $750.00 for 240 acres, later adding another 80 acres. He was twice married, first to Mildred K. Baker, daughter of Harrison Baker, and became the father of 9 children with her. He had served 2 terms as Justice of the Peace in Sharp County, and was elected for a third term, but did not serve. After coming to Randolph County, he was elected justice for one term and later served as school director for a number of terms. His first wife died in 1881 and he married a second time to Cynthia J. Jones of Sharp County. No mention of any additional children is made. H.W. Ball was a Republican, member of the Masonic Lodge, and was also a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. If there is any additioal information orinteresting stories about him, we would like to hear them. Next week, the contributions of John W. Bennett to early Randolph County history. ‘Til then..