While driving along Main Street in Webb, I happened to see an old friend putting out lamps and merchandise on the sidewalk of what was once her church. Debra and Rev. James Hall have recently opened a thrift store and James is now a popular visiting preacher busy almost each weekend.
Their store, located at 120 Main, was neatly filled with clothing, shoes, jewelry, tables of small items, purses and some antique items all arranged and color coordinated. Debra proudly showed some homemade quilts she fashioned from donated fabrics.
Walking around the store, she proudly showed different benches, tables, hampers and signs she made herself out of salvaged wood.
When asked what was the happiest day in her life, she quickly replied: “when I found Christ and gained peace of mind.” Having been raised in Mound Bayou under the strong hand of a stern father, then marrying a stern man and moving to Chicago, then Memphis, it wasn’t until her sister encouraged her to return to Mississippi that she found the peace of mind she needed in her soul and husband Rev. Hall.
Debra has a strong faith and has been visited by angels many times. Lacking food once, she answered a knock on the door and a lady was giving out food vouchers. Several times strangers have paid for her groceries in the checkout line. Once, Debra was walking down the road and felt something move her body to the side of the road as a semitruck barely missed her. The greatest miracle was when she received a new kidney five years ago after having only been on the waiting list five months.
Let me tell you, I was moved by how Debra takes nothing and turns it into something trying to make her living in this world. She doesn’t buy the items she sells, she relies on family and friends to donate their unwanted or ill-fitting items. I invite you to think of Debra and if you are fall cleaning, and not having a garage sale or have items that still have a use, she will accept your items and with a generous heart is often moved to pass on items to those in need.
While visiting with Debra in the store, a familiar face popped in to see what was going on. T.C. Jones from Sumner said, “I’m just being nosey because I used to work here when I was a teenager.” I followed T.C. home and continued our journey down memory lane.
As T.C. recalls, Mr. and Mrs. George Berry used to have a grocery store in that building with a full-service meat department in back. Customers could order special cuts of meat sliced to order from the full-time butcher. T.C. was hired to help the ladies carry their bags to their cars, clean the store and stock the shelves. He worked after school at West Tallahatchie and on Saturdays.
Later on, his parents had a Pure Oil station in Webb at the main intersection selling quick pickup food items and full-service auto services. Immediately after high school, T.C enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he spent three years in Germany and served seven years total. He loved the military and kinda regrets not making it a career sometimes.
After the Army, T.C. graduated from Delta State with a Master of Psychology. He worked as a school psychologist and assistant principal in Holmes County and Lexington. He chose that career path in order to help all students regardless of their learning abilities.
Having worked in all Tallahatchie school systems administering achievement tests, he became the ACT test administrator at Holmes Community College. His favorite job, he recommends working in a community college if ever offered.
Happy at home with his outside dogs and his inside dogs, he quickly showed me inside where I counted 17 framed scholastic achievements including a 3.5 GPA from Delta State.
It is remarkable when you really get to talk to your neighbors. I look forward to visiting with you.
