Newspaper Page Text
Thursday, April 11, 1968
‘Miss Annie’ Day Al 71 Still Finds Lite 4 A Party’
By Sara L. McGinty
(From Bibb Recorder)
Hie entertainment world has
Phyllis Diller, whose stories
about herself have brought her
nation-wide fame, but Porterdale
has "Miss Annie" Day, who is
three times as big as Miss Dil
ler and ten times as funny.
•«Miss Annie", who is the wi
dow of Frank Day, former as
sistant electrician at Porterdale,
doesn’t have to buy her mater
ial from a team of highly paid
writers. She has lived it all
and, at 71, is constantly add
ing to her repertory. She is
the kind of person hilarious things
happen to - or, rather, she is
forever doing hilarious things
and enjoys nothing better than
telling on herself.
Example: "I have always,
since weighing in at college,
weighed up toward 300. I once
went on a Sunday School picnic
to Indian Springs. It was a
beautiful day and the water look
ed so good, I wanted to go swim
ming, but I didn’t nave a suit
with me.
"I decided to rent one. When
the man asked, ‘What size?’,
I said ‘s2’. He said, ‘But 44
is the biggest thing I have’.
I said, ‘All right, Give me two
44s’. So the man put down
two 445.
"My sister, who always car
ries a card of safety pins for
emergencies, was with me. She
and I went into a dressing room.
I pulled on one suit as far up
as it would come. I put my
head through one leg of the other
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suit and one arm through the other
leg. /The other arm was left
undraped. My sister pinned the
two together at the waist, and
I was ready.
‘‘l dived, swam and had a won
derful time. On the way out
I told the preacher, ‘I hope I
haven’t embarrassed you.’ He
said, ‘Oh, no. I just wish I had
had a Kodak’.
"When 1 turned the suits back
in, I asked the man what I owed
him. He said, ‘Not a thing.
You have given my pool enough
publicity to last all summer.”
"Miss Annie" was a nurse
working in the Porterdale clinic
for 37 years. When she re
tired in November, 1964, she was
the subject of a feature story
in the Bibb Recorder, written
by Vernon Wallace, who was then
editing the paper. She is very
proud of this tribute as well
as another story written by Mr.
Wallace a week later when he
reported on a recognition dinner
62 friends had given "Miss An
nie” at Welaunee Hotel. The lead
read, " ‘Miss Annie’ Day was
Queen of a Porterdale Celebra
tion”. It told of the honoree’s
receiving an orchid corsage "ac
centuated by a thermometer, band
aids and a syringe", of the games
played on the occasion (because
no party for ‘‘Miss Annie” would
be complete without games) and
the group’s singing "For she’s
a jolly good fellow.” Among
other press notices treasured by
the retired nurse is along, glow
ing account of her many acts
of thoughtfulness, also published
in the Recorder but unsigned.
"I’ve always wondered,” she
says, "who that Anonymous
was.”
"Miss Annie” is the former
Annie Frances Lee, born in At
lanta and educated for a teach
ing career at Georgia Normal
Industrial College in Milledge
ville. She taught in Newton
County for several years, then
worked as a Home Demonstration
agent and social worker for Lock
wood Greene Mills (now
Callaway).
In her 30s, she decided she
wanted to be a nurse and studied
at Atlanta’s Grady Hospital. Up
on graduation she received a sil
ver cup for winning the highest
honors In her class.
Ask "Miss Annie” a stereo
type question and you won’t get
a stereotype answer. "What made
you decide to become a nurse?”
was the question.
"I wanted to see what went
on,” she explains, "behind the
closed doors in an operating
room. -1 thought I would see
what the doctors took out and
put back when they operated.
But I found out they worked
through a little opening, and I
never did see what they were
doing."
Her nursing career at Porter
dale led to a happy marriage
that lasted 30 years - until Mr.
Day died in 1960. She first met
her future husband when he came
into the clinic with an Injured
hand. Another nurse was on
duty with "Miss Annie" at the
time, and the injured young man
was treated by both of them.
When he showed up again about
a week later, the other nurse
looked at his hand and said,
"But your wound is healed. Why
did you come back?" He re
plied, "That fat lady told me
to come back." Before too long
the patient was married to "that
fat lady."
"Miss Annie” is a party-goer
who would put Elsa Maxwell to
shame. When I first met her
last December, she said she
had seven invitations to Christ
mas parties. Social Worker,
Mae Hardman, said, "She al
most always wins the prizes in
the games, because she made
up the games."
In past years she was in de
mand to play Santa Claus at
Christmas parties. She was San
ta 23 times for the North Cov
ington Church. She turned down
such requests last Christmas be
cause she now has to use a cane
and "I hate to look so decrepit."
One never knew what would
happen when "Miss Annie" was
Santa. Once she came on Ho
ho-hoing when her audience
started making more noise than
she was making. "TTie squeal
ing was coming from the grown
folks," she recalls. "Then I
discovered I had my suit on
backwards. I had dressed in
the dark. But I made a joke
of it and got through it.”
Annie and Frank Day had one
son, Frank Stanley Day, who lives
with his wife and daughter, Su
san, in Lawrence, Kansas. Every
other year "Miss Annie" flies
out to Kansas to see her son
and his family. On alternate
summers, they fly to Georgia to
see her. It was on one of these
flights to Kansas that "Miss
Annie" shook up an airline host
ess*
She has a number of family
antiques, including an old French
clock she wanted to give her
son. She thought the safest way
to get the clock to Kansas was
to take it with her. So she
put it in a big shopping bag and
held it all the way.
When the hostess came by, she
stopped, frozen, by "Miss An
nie’s" seat. From her lap came
a ticking sound. Trying to sup
press her panic, she asked,
"What have you got in that bag?"
All innocence, "Miss Annie"
opened the bag. "I’ve got Grand
ma’s clock," she answered - as
if everyone travels on a plane
with Grandma’s clock ticking a
way.
For serious biographical pur
poses, it should be noted that
"Miss Annie" has been president
twice of the Porterdale Woman’s
Club, as well as the WSCS and
PTA, and has held offices in
the Eastern Star. In an equally
serious tone she will tell you
she once won a floating contest
in the Porterdale swimming pool
by staying afloat a couple of
hours while the other contes
tants "flipped and flapped” and
wore themselves out. "I just
lay there,” she says, “and read
the Bibb Recorder and ate my
supper when someone brought
it to me."
"Miss Annie" caused her fri
ends grave concern recently when
she was in a traffic accident.
After colliding with a car on a
busy thoroughfare, and damaging
her own car considerably, she
kept driving. About 20 min
utes later, from her sister’s
home, she phoned the Porterdale
Chief of Police.
"Where are you, Miss Annie?”
he yelled. "I’ve got road blocks
set up trying to find you."
"I’m not lost," said "Miss
Annie" calmly. “I had just bought
my sister a Kentucky fried chick
en lunch and I had to get it to
her while it was hot. I’m ready
now to tell you about my acci
dent."
"Miss Annie" had to appear
in court, but because she had
eventually called to report the
accident, the judge dis missed her
case.
"Miss Annie" lives alone with
a pet canary named Sylvester.
She bought Sylvester with a guar
antee that he could be returned
if he didn’t sing in 30 days.
After 29 days the bird hadn’t
opened his mouth except to eat.
"Miss Annie” phoned a friend
who does her shopping for her
and asked that she come pick
up Sylvester and return him be
fore the guarantee ran out. She
had just hung up the phone when
Sylvester started chirping and
trilling and hasn’t stopped yet.
Tell "Miss Annie” that she
ought to be on television and she
wiU tell you about her radio de
but in the ’4os on nationwide
radio. She was on a vacation
in New York when she was in
the studio audience of a show
called "Sisters of the Skillet.”
Naturally, she was chosen for an
audience participation stunt. She
sang ‘‘Carry Me Back to Old
Virginny” and then did the
Charleston with a very small
musician from the studio orches
tra. Os course, she gave Bibb
Manufacturing Company and Por
terdale, Georgia a plug.
If the show had been on tele
vision instead of radio and they
had allowed "Miss Annie” to
talk for a few minutes, they
would never have let her come
back to Georgia.
§ News Notes From §
I \
? By Mrs. Roy Kimble f
Mrs. Annie Berry of Conyers
spent the weekend with Mrs. Etta
Kimble.
** ♦ ♦
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Kimble’s
guests Sunday were Mr. and Mrs.
George Ballard and Margie, Mr.
and Mrs. Randy Fincher, Mrs.
Helen Fincher and Morris, Mr.
and Mrs. Dean Rutledge and Brad,
Mr. and Mrs. Lynn Arnold and
Kelly, Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie
Barnes of Porterdale, Mr. and
Mrs. W. A. Brock, grandparents
of Covington and Mr. and Mrs.
Harvey Farmer and children of
Conyers.
« * * *
Mr. and Mrs. Buddy Roberts
were Saturday night supper
guests of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin
Moss.
** * *
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Brock and
son of Covington visited Mr. and
Mrs. Thomas Kimble recently.
** * *
Mrs. Edward Cowan visited
Mrs. Edwin Moss Wednesday
morning.
** * *
Those spending Sunday In Mys
tic were Mr. and Mrs. Roy Kim
ble and Douglas, Mr. and Mrs.
Donald Kimble of Loganville,
Mrs. Annie Berry of Conyers and
Mrs. Etta Kimble and family.
»» * *
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Moss,
Diane and Frankie and Miss Sy
bil Chandler of Milstead enjoyed
celebrating the 50th Wedding
Anniversary Sunday afternoon of
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Moss.
** * *
Mr. and Mrs. Randy Fincher
moved into their new trailer Mon
day In our community.
** * *
Deepest sympathy Is extended
to Mr. and Mrs. Giles Richardson
at the death of their son, Danny,
who was killed on April 3 in Viet
nam.
THE COVINGTON NEWS
Notes From j
Lanier Shropshire of Coving
ton visited his grandparents, Mr.
and Mrs. Carey Copeland this
weekend and attended church with
his grandmother on Sunday.
** ♦ ♦
Mrs. Don Wood, Jr. and sons,
Trey and Jim, spent Saturday
with her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
C. H. Jones.
♦♦ * ♦
Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Jones
attended the funeral of Willie
Flem Jones at the Red Oak Meth
odist Church on Jackson Road
on Saturday.
** ♦ ♦
Mrs. J. B. Spears, Jr. re
mains at the bedside of her
father, N. R. Henderson, who
continues ill in a Douglasville
Hospital. We wish for him a
complete and rapid recovery.
** ♦ ♦
Mrs. Owen Banks spent Sat
urday night and Sunday with her
children, Mr. and Mrs. Sonny
McElheney and Tracey of Deca
tur.
♦* * ♦
Mrs. Chester Jones attended
church at the Methodist Church
in Covington on Sunday morning
where her granddaughter, Angela
Sharp was baptized. She was
the dinner guest of her mother
and sister, Mrs. J. A. McClure
and Bess.
** * *
Kim Pace of Decatur was the
weekend guest of her grandpar
ents, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Hitch
cock.
♦♦ * ♦
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hard
man of Decatur were the Satur
day afternoon guests of their
aunt, Mrs. Mattie India Sigman.
*♦ ♦ ♦
The Dobbs family annual re
union was held on Sunday at the
Community House. A large num
ber of friends and relatives from
far and near attended.
** ♦ ♦
Rev. and Mrs. J. L. Drake
of Monroe were Sunday guests
of Mr. and Mrs. Ewell Luns
ford. Rev. Drake is presently
serving as interim pastor of
Mansfield Baptist Church.
** * *
Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Hays were
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Cousins Third
: Graders Visit
! Grant Park
On Friday March 29, at 9:00
a.m., 105 third grade pupils and
their four teachers; Miss Hard
nett, Miss Smith, Miss McCord
and Miss Thompson boarded two
buses for a visit to Grant Park.
The visit had been prompted
by the urgent need for the pu
pils to see how some of na
ture’s creatures look and react.
The pupils had studied about
mammals and it was felt by
their teachers that this visit
would be a worthwhile one. This
proved to be true. Much en
thusiasm was stirred as the bus
es approached the Park and much
excitement arose as the viewing
begun.
Tbe animals that seemed to
arouse most curiosity were the
Reptiles. However Willie B.
and the Johnson Twin received
heaps of glances.
The buses departed enroute
to Covington after lunch and ar
rived here at 2:00.
To those who made this trip
possible, the TTiird Graders lav
ish upon you, a very warm;
"Thank You”.
dinner guests of Mrs. Ruth Skin
ner on Sunday.
** ♦ ♦
Mr. and Mrs. Jasper Hays
and children from Miami, Flor
ida made several short stops
in Mansfield Monday to see re
latives and friends.
*♦ ♦ *
C. E. Piper of Covington is
on an extended visit with his
children, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Dav
is.
** * *
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Smith
and family spent Sunday after
noon in Gray.
♦♦ ♦ ♦
Mrs. Trellie Banks is on the
sick list at this time. We ex
tend to- her best wishes for a
speedy recovery.
♦♦ ♦ ♦
Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Evans
had as their guests on Sunday
their children and grandchildren,
Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Evans, Mr.
and Mrs. Shelton Evans and Tim
my of Porterdale, Mr. and Mrs.
O. L. Wagner, Kenny, Kathy and
Mike, Joe Stephens and Miss
Evelyn Sewell of Atlanta, Mrs.
Frances Galloway and Steve of
Brookhaven, Mr. and Mrs. Robert
Curtis, Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Cur
tis and Kathy, Mr. and Mrs. Bill
Stewart of Decatur, Mr. and Mrs.
Claud Morgan and children. They
all helped Mrs. Evans to cele
brate her 73rd birthday. We
wish for Mrs. Evans many more
Happy Birthdays.
♦* * *
Dr. Robert Cardell of the Uni
versity of Virginia is visiting
his mother, Mrs. Louise Car
dell. Other visitors of Mrs. Car
dell were Mr. and Mrs. Don
Car dell and little daughter, Don
nie of McDonough over the week
end.
** * *
Members of the Garden Club
spent Wednesday In Macon. Tbey
visited the Indian Mounds, the
Hay House and other Interest
ing spots of beauty.
** * *
Mrs. M. D. Bledsoe and Mrs.
Melba Spears attended a business
meeting in Atlanta one night last
week and had dinner at the Ri
viera Hotel.
** * ♦
Mrs. C. H. Hays was the guest
of Mrs. F. S. Jones and Mar
lon on Monday night.
♦♦ ♦ ♦
Mrs. W. E. Scarbrough spent
the weekend In Decatur with her
sister, Mrs. Ruth Jones.
♦♦ ♦ ♦
Mrs. Jim Coody of Covington
was the supper guest of Mr.
and Mrs. W. E. Scarbrough on
Monday night.
** * *
Tbe Mansfield Methodist W.S.
C.S. met on Monday at the church.
Mrs. Thomas Smith gave a most
interesting program.
*♦ ♦ ♦
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Davis
and children of Dahlonega spent
the weekend with their parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Davis.
♦* ♦ *
Miss Barbara Anne Morely
and brother, Frank Morely of
Sandy Springs and Tom Greer
of Covington spent Sunday after
noon with Mr. and Mrs. C. E.
Roquemore. Rev. and Mrs. J. L.
Drake of Monroe called on the
Roquemores a short while Sun
day.
♦* * ♦
Mr. and Mrs. Larry Parnell
announce the birth of a baby
girl on Friday morning, April
5, at Newton County Hospital.
She has been given the name,
Lisa Robin.
** * *
Everyone Is Invited to attend
the special service at the Mans
field Methodist Church Easter
Sunday at 7:30 P.M. The pro
gram will be as follows: Dra
matic Monologues rendered by
Rev. T. E. Betts, pastor; "Pi
late" by Virginia Doss - Man
Upon Earth; "Simon of Cyrene"
by Chester A. McPheters; and
"Galian" by Virginia Doss - Man
Upon Earth.
** ♦ ♦
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Harwell
of Covington visited their mo
ther, Mrs. Mattie India Sigman,
on Sunday afternoon.
/
Charles Lassiter
On Dean’s List
At Wake Forest
WINSTON-SALEM, N. C. —
Charles Butler Lassiter, son of
Mr. and Mrs. E. G. Lassiter of
4150 Brookhaven Dr., Covington,
Ga., has qualified for the fall
semester dean’s list at Wake
Forest University.
Lassiter Is a sophomore and Is
majoring In physics. He Is a
member of the Men’s Residence
Council.
Wallace Peterson
Takes Research
Institute Job
CARBONDALE, ILL. — Wal
ace Peterson, son of Mrs.
Lillie R. Peterson of (4104 Can
non) Covington, Ga., has been em
ployed as a technical assistant
by the IIT Research Institute In
Chicago, according to the South
ern Illinois University Placement
Services.
Peterson received his bachelor
of science degree in biology In the
SIU College of Education last
year.
Attend (fytvicti
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