Newspaper Page Text
Page 4A - Pike County Journal Reporter - Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Opinions
Eugenia Price’s contributions to Georgia
BY BARBARA LATTA
kbkj@bellsouth.net
Those who enjoy
historical fiction may have
read Eugenia Price’s nov
els. Because of her writ
ing, the coastal region of
Georgia and Christ Church
on St. Simons Island have
become sought-after tour
ist attractions.
She was born in 1916
in West Virginia. At the
age of 10 and under the
encouragement of her
mother, she decided she
wanted to be a writer. Af
ter graduation from high
school Eugenia dropped
that idea and pursued
a career in dentistry as
the only female enrolled
in Ohio’s Northwestern
Dentistry School. But
the writing bug bit again
and she transferred to
the University of Chicago
with a major in philoso
phy. She didn’t earn her
degree but was hired at
NBC to write daytime
TV shows. After moving
to Proctor and Gamble,
Eugenia started her own
production of TV serials,
Joyce Jordan, M.D. As
her popularity grew, she
became a co-host for the
Christian radio series,
Unshackled.
In 1961 she traveled
south for a book signing
of one of her 11 pub
lished non-fiction books
and visited St. Simon’s
Island for the first time.
After reading about the
young minister, Anson
Dodge, who rebuilt Christ
Church after the damage
incurred during the Civil
War, curiosity spurred re
search. Three years were
spent, along with co
writer Joyce Blackburn,
interviewing members
of the Dodge family and
residents of the island.
As a result of their
findings, Price wrote the
St. Simons Trilogy, Light
house, New Moon Rising,
and The Beloved Invader.
These novels were based
on actual persons, but
some of her
later novels were
composed of
fictitious char
acters. She once
said in a news
paper interview,
“Research for
my earliest St.
Simons stories
came out of the
brains of the
oldest people 1 could
find and out of people’s
dresser drawers.”
Eugenia moved to St.
Simons and spent her last
31 years of life on the is
land and became active in
community involvement.
She supported historic
sites such as the Light
house Museum, Fort Fred
erica National Monument,
Coastal Georgia Historical
Society and the Georgia
Sea Island Festival.
She was inducted into
the Georgia Writers Hall
of Fame in 2017. Eugenia
Price died on May 28,
1996 and is buried in
the cemetery of Christ
Church where
visitors can also
find the grave
of Anson Dodge
and other
members of the
Dodge family
A walk
through the
grounds under
the canopy of
moss-covered
oak trees ending with a
tour of the antique church
sanctuary will transport
visitors back in time. The
ancient grave markers
reveal family histories
and legacies of those
who have gone before us.
Because of Anson Dodge’s
efforts, we still have the
beautiful architecture
of the preserved Christ
Church.
Those who have never
visited St. Simons Island
through Price’s novels are
not only missing a history
lesson, but also a view of
the state’s coast from an
other person’s eyes. After
reading these books, a
trip to St. Simons and the
surrounding area comes
alive with new details and
knowledge.
Georgians can thank
Eugenia Price for protect
ing the integrity of the
coastal region and for
bringing vision to the
need for preservation
of the past. Because of
her efforts, writing, and
investigations we have
the conservation of the
islands, restored build
ings, and family stories
to enjoy and learn from.
Eugenia Price’s books
have sold over 40 million
copies and most of them
have been on the New
York Times bestseller
list. Her last novel, The
Waiting Time, was pub
lished after her death.
She is known to have
said she had two conver
sions, one to Christianity
in 1949 and the second
one to the south and the
coast of Georgia in 1961.
As we learn from her
books, we can be more
SUGEN1A PB1CE
JUNE 22.
MAY 28;
actor, mu ediinuAiOH
‘ TO jlESUi. CHRIST
- ocxoaas, a.
shs wv&tn
LIGHT-..
and ETERHITY
AMD LOVE
A.NP ALL
’ ■ MIME.
AT LAST, sa
PHOTO BY BARBARA LATTA
Eugenia Price’s grave in the
cemetery at Christ Church on
St. Simons Island.
influenced from the
epitaph on her tomb
which reads, “Light...and
eternity and love and all
are mine at last.”
Barbara Latta is a freelance writer
who posts online articles at barbara-
latta.blogspot.com and contributes
to the devotion website Christian
Devotions.
There’s nothing like
a mother’s love
BY RACHEL McBANIEL
news@pikecountygeorgia.com
I think it’s fair to say
that you don’t really
realize what you have
until it’s gone. For those
of you who have lost
parents, you
know the sad
truth of that
statement.
My precious
mother is still
very much
alive and 1 am
so thankful
for that and
for all that she does for
me! Many of the things
1 enjoy doing with her
I now enjoy doing with
my kids - baking, art,
planting and hiking are
just a few. She was an
amazing athlete and 1
definitely learned my
spirit of competition
from her. My daughter
is an athlete as well and
her grandmother’s de
termination can be seen
every time she heads to
the mound for her fast-
pitch travel ball team.
The pandemic has
changed things for my
mother and 1 some but
we are still seeing each
other regularly while
taking precautions to
ensure my mother is
around for years to
come.
It wasn’t until having
children of my own that
1 realized just what be
ing a mother is - a non
stop job of putting oth
ers wishes and needs
ahead of your own.
A mother has to be
a full time provider
while standing in as the
family’s chef, nurse,
tutor, housekeeper,
counselor,event plan
ner, chauffer, activity
director, cheerleader
and coach. Oftentimes
mothers have to fill
many other roles for
their children and fami
lies and others.
While there
are times when
1 want to throw
my hands up
and do what 1
want, the bless
ings 1 see as my
children thrive
and prosper are
worth all of the sacrific
es. Even though these
days the sweet, hugga-
ble toddlers have been
replaced with moody
and messy pre-teens
that sometimes make
me want to tear my hair
out! Now I know what
1 put my own mother
through and I’m thank
ful she put up with me
even when I was a brat
who wanted only to
please myself.
So I want to wish
my mom a very Happy
Mother’s Day and say
thank you to all the
mothers in this commu
nity. Without you, Pike
wouldn’t be the won
derful place it is. You’ve
taught your children
some difficult lessons
and you’ve put others
first for the greater
good of future genera
tions.
Send us a letter to
the editor about what
your mother means
to you, even if she has
passed from this world.
Drop them by the office
or email them to news@
pikecountygeorgia.com.
mmMM
SUBMITTED PHOTO
New officers for the Pike County Retired Educators Association were sworn in recently. Pictured are (l-r) president Mike Beres,
GREA District 8 director Janice Habersham, president elect Dr. James Turpin, treasurer Judy Turpin, recording secretary Barbara
Messer and corresponding secretary Diane Beres.
Local Retired Educators take office
The Pike County
Retired Educators Asso
ciation held its monthly
meeting April 26 at
Mount Olive Church in
Molena. Janice Haber
sham, director of the
Georgia REA Area 8, was
present to instruct and
install new officers.
The new PCREA of
ficers include president
Mike Beres, president
elect Dr. James Turpin,
treasurer Judy Turpin,
recording secretary Bar
bara Messer and corre
sponding secretary Diane
Beres.
There were 24 mem
bers in attendance at
the meeting and Barbara
Messer shared an update
on the PCREA Scholar
ship for students who
plan to become future
educators. She said
PCREA is going to work
hard this next year to in
crease the amount of the
scholarship and possibly
the number of recipients.
Judy Turpin discussed
honoring the 2019-2020
and 2020-2021 retired and
retiring teachers. Bonnie
Byrd noted that she has
set up a web site on Face-
book for PCREA and she
encouraged all retired
teachers to join. Jamie
Crawford presented an
inspirational message on
hope.
District 131 Rep. Beth
Camp was the guest
speaker for the meet
ing and discussed many
issues related to present
and retired educators.
“We want to encour
age all Pike County teach
ers and everyone who
has been a part of the
education system to at
tend. You do not have to
be a teacher to be part of
this group,” said PCREA
corresponding secretary
Diane Beres. “We would
love to have any staff,
bus drivers, custodians,
spouses of all of the
above to come and join
in the love that we all
share for our students
here in Pike County. We
plan to have a great year
and our next meeting is
Sept. 27 at 11 a.m. in the
basement of Mount Olive
Church in Molena. We
want to thank the mem
bers and staff of Mount
Olive for being so gra
cious to allow us to meet
in their beautiful facility.
We also encourage mem
bers to attend the Area
Meeting at Macedonia
Baptist Church in Macon
on Aug. 10. Information
will be on the Facebook
page.”
Pike County
Journal
Reporter
www.pikecountygeorgia.com
P.0. Box 789
16026 Barnesville St.
Zebulon, Ga. 30295
770.567.3446
The Pike County Journal
Reporter is the official
organ of Pike County, the
cities of Zebulon, Molena,
Meansville, Williamson
and Concord. It is
published weekly by
Hometown Newspapers
Inc. Second class
postage is paid at the
Zebulon, Ga Post Office.
Publishers: Walter and
Laura Geiger; staff:
Jennifer Taylor,
Brenda Sanchez and
Rachel McDaniel.
AT PIKE
BY BWAIN W. PENN
100 YEARS AGO
May 6, 1921: Cities and counties across Geor
gia pledged quotas as part of a $5,000,000 fund
for Greater Georgia Tech. From largest to mod
est, some were: Atlanta, $1.5 million; Augusta,
$278,000; Concord, $1,100; Meansville, $650; Mo
lena, $425; Williamson, $680; Zebulon, $1,450.
75 YEARS AGO
May 9, 1946: County school superintendent
Harold T. Daniel announced the first carload
of bricks were delivered to Meansville, making
chances good of finishing the building by Septem
ber. Three more carloads were needed: the next
promised within a week and the rest “soon after.”
50 YEARS AGO
May 6,1971: Zebulon United Methodist Church
announced plans to build a new parsonage on prop
erty it purchased in 1969. Yeager construction built
the 2650 square feet, four bedroom, home and the
present Meansville Street parsonage would be sold.
25 YEARS AGO
May 8, 1996: Although the Pike County school
bus was not involved, an accident nearby raised
concern for students’ safety. A car, stopped next
to an idling bus for students to board, was rear
ended by a distracted driver.