By JIM STEELE
There are some days, even when sunny, that when it rains, it pours.
Today was one of those days. This week, we learned of the passing of Jane Atkins and today Ludie Gaines and Tinsy Martin.
All three were special friends to my family and me.
I remember back in eighth grade band class, preparing to join the Marching Rebel junior high band for the upcoming spring parade season when band director Charles Pruneau had to miss a day of school. I don't recall if he was out of town or ill, but we had a substitute band teacher that day. It was Mrs. Atkins.
At the time, I didn't know who she was or that she had any musical background. When we arrived in that old hangar that served as the band room in those days, on the next to where the old agriculture department was on the ground of the current middle school, there stood this lady at the director's lectern with baton in hand.
When the day was done, I knew this lady had earned her stripes. She would read the score, stop us, correct us, take us section by section and tried to make us improve. On the rare occasion that Mr. Pruneau missed, sometimes band class turned into nothing more than an unplanned study hall. Not with Mrs. Atkins. She made us better even during her short tenure.
Four years later, when I was about to embark to the University of Cincinnati for college, my mom was discussing my decision to go there with Mrs. Atkins. The broadcast school was located in the UC College Conservatory of Music, otherwise known as CCM. Mrs. Atkins was all over it. She knew about CCM, how prestigious it was and had actually taken some music courses there. CCM is sort of the midwestern Juliard, so she had earned even more of my respect.
Mrs. Atkins liked exploring the boundaries beyond McKenzie, even taking one-day excursions to take in shows or to shop in New York City, then returning home on the same day. Even though she moved to Nashville, she maintained her home here in McKenzie. She always had a love of this city. Sadly, Mrs. Atkins passed away this past weekend.
If there was an entry in Webster's Dictionary for "The Great American Success Story," you might find a picture of Ben and Ludie Gaines under the entry. Ben died a couple of years ago and it was with shock and sadness that I learned of the death of Ludie Gaines Wednesday.
She was the backbone of this authentically American success story. She and her husband started their furniture empire from their garage and built it into a world-wide empire. Equally impressive is the fact that son Ben Jr. has done the same thing for himself, with New Generations Furniture.
Mrs. Gaines was so proud of her family and exuded a glow of happiness and affection everywhere she went. When working in print here in town, she often came in my office to visit, sometimes showing me something about Ben Sr. or bringing me something that she thought my mom and dad would like to share.
She was proud of her husband's service in World War 2 and feared this generation might forget the sacrifices that her generation made during a frightening time in this country's history.
Mrs. Gaines cared so much for the youth of this city. I mentioned before that my sister and I had the privilege to wear the Gaines names on our summer softball and baseball uniforms. The Gaines family cared enough about the youth to make sure the kids had a forum in which to hone their athletic skills. Incidentally, both of our teams won our respective league championships. My sis played on the first girls' softball league team back in the mid 1970s and I played on the Babe Ruth team that won it all back in 1975.
She was often at her grandchildren's athletic events and I often watched her make the trek up and down the bleachers at Rebel Field or the MHS gym to watch Jennifer, Jessica, Jake or John play or cheer.
One thing I won't soon forget is the fact that Ludie was a pillar of strength. She witnessed and endured many hardships growing up and dealt with family crises and still maintained with dignity and grace. She always faced life, good and bad, with a smile and a positive attitude. I dare say she is a great role model for all to follow.
Tinsy Martin was a unique character. She was often inquisitive, always positive, generally outspoken, but always in a good way. She died Tuesday night.
Mrs. Martin struggled through health problems over the past few years, yet tried to get as much enjoyment out of life as she could. Even while trying to recover from her battery of maladies, she would take part in the dances at the McKenzie Healthcare Center, go out to eat with friends and family and keep up with the goings on in town.
She was often the goalkeeper for her son Phillip and all of his friends, me included. We often would play ball in the backyard (some of the titanic contests took place under the lights, I'm told). Many times she would chauffer Phillip and a contingent of his friends who needed orthodontic work to Jackson.
Tinsy loved Bethel basketball and often would tell her husband Ross that she was going to the games with or without him. Once, she took a road trip on the Bethel pep bus to LeMoyne-Owen in Memphis and almost got left behind. She was a trooper.
She loved and worried about her kids, Phillip and Carol and grandchildren as well as her great-grandchildren, almost to a fault, but that's the kind of devotion she had.
Despite all of her health problems, she always greeted me with a smile and a positive word, followed by series of questions about my friends, family, personal life, etc. I'd ask her how she was feeling and she would smile and insist that she was "doing a lot better."
Like Mrs. Atkins and Mrs. Gaines, Tinsy was one of a kind. All three will be missed and thoughts and prayers go out to the families.