A young man, a student at East Central Junior College, found a wallet belonging to a gentleman who had visited the shop there. He was walking to return it, when he met Malcolm “Puddin” Jones, his wife Lottie, and their lovely daughter, Merita, driving back to find the wallet. This is the story of how Danny and Merita Cherry met, as told to me by their daughter Rita Kay Chambers. May 26, 2018, they will celebrate their 50th anniversary!
Kay was born March 28, 1969; and when she was nine months old, they moved into the house where the Chambers now live, which was also where she grew up as an only child. Her grandparents lived across the street from her, and she says she was spoiled! In 1990 the Cherrys bought the Victorian house on the hill in Decatur.
Kay attended Newton County Academy from K-5 through her 12th grade year, when she was one of 11 students who graduated May of 1987. She went to East Central Community College and earned her associate of science degree for pre-nursing in May 1990. She then began working at Laird’s Hospital in the emergency room as a clerk and ER technician.
Her desire was to drive an ambulance, but she was too young. Finally, when she was about 21, because she had a perfect driving record, Statmedic Ambulance Company hired her. Kay was able to drive for about 1 ½ years full-time. Then in 1992 she began paramedic school at Jones County Junior College and graduated in 1993.
During the time she was in paramedic school, she began working for Willie Goss Ambulance Service, and for Newton County Ambulance Service, owned by June and Doyle Gordon, who also assisted with the EMT programs at East Central, June and Doyle instilled in Kay her love and work ethics for the EMS field. She says she tries to pass that passion on to the students today. She earned her EMT basic in 1990.
Kay was in an accident in about 2001 and suffered a back and neck injury. According to doctors, it was a miracle she was not paralyzed, but she was told she could not work in an ambulance again. She says, “So now I just teach others how to be the best EMT basic they can be, so that they can maybe become the best Paramedic they can be. I’m a lab instructor for EMT basic at East Central.”
Kay met Timothy Wayne Chambers of Hillsborough on an ambulance call in Scott County, where an accident had occurred near his family’s bait shop. Tim worked as a dispatcher at the Scott County Sheriff’s Department. It is interesting that they met because of an emergency, they were married 9/11, 1994, at Kay’s parents’ home, which had a 911 address at the time, and they are all active in the emergency service field. The family are all longstanding members of the Decatur Volunteer Fire Department, with Kay now serving as secretary/treasurer. Tim began working for MDOT April of 1997, and he is presently a guardrail superintendent.
Kay and Tim have one child, Malcolm Wayne Chambers, who was expected March 25, 1997, but born Dec. 28, 1996. He weighed two pounds, 13 ounces, was 19 inches long, was born without an immune system and given a 5 percent chance of living. Kay had toxemia and was given a 25 percent chance of survival. Through their faith and many prayers, they both came home.
Mac was very fragile, growing up. Every fall and winter season, they just stayed home as much as possible, quarantining him from colds and flu. Homeschooling him, they used Christian Liberty Academy curriculum out of Arlington Heights, Ill., for K5 through 12, and they went there for his graduation June 2015, where he graduated with honors. Mac has been attending East Central Community College and will graduate in May with an associates of applied science in computer networking technology.
Mac, a Christian since the age of about eight or nine, operates the sound and video equipment at Pine Bluff Baptist Church of Decatur, as well as the sound equipment for The Collegians at East Central. He now works at the courthouse, in an internship in the Emergency Management Office, assisting in the installation of the new 911 system. When I talked to the 911 Director Brian Taylor, he told me that Mac “has proven very valuable to our department since he’s been hired. He has actually saved us thousands of dollars because we didn’t have to hire someone with an advanced degree, yet he has been just as capable.” In June Mac also plans to begin online studies with Grand Canyon University.
When Mac was being homeschooled, he had to learn a “skill set.” His grandfather, Danny Cherry, taught him welding. He now helps with repairing and installing Christmas decorations and around Decatur. The week of Thanksgiving is when they put up the decorations and turn on the lights Thanksgiving Day. She says, “It is an honor and privilege to be known as the ‘Christmas Family.’ We enjoy hearing the stories that families tell us of how the Christmas lights are such an enjoyment to their families and their traditions.”
I asked Kay about her Christian testimony, which I always try to include in this column. Kay remembered she was putting Bible verses on wood and varnishing them at Clarke-Venable VBS when she was in about the fifth grade. She went to talk to Bro. Gus Merritt and became a Christian. While attending East Central, she became active in the Baptist Student Union where she rededicated her life in 1990. About a year ago, feeling things were just not in the right order, she was rebaptized by their current pastor, Bro. Josh Lang. They have been close friends with the pastor and his family for many years.
Tim was saved as a young teenager and was a member of Hillsboro Baptist Church until they were married, at which time he moved his membership to Clarke-Venable Memorial Baptist Church. They moved their membership to Pine Bluff Baptist Church about five years ago.
Concerning her work as an ambulance driver, paramedic, deputy coroner, EMT instructor, firefighter, and dispatcher for Newton County 911 as dispatch supervisor, she told me, “Life has been very rewarding, gratifying, but also heartbreaking, taking care of people in the community you grew up in, and life is hard. You see the good, the bad, and the ugly. But it’s good, just knowing you did your best for someone when it was their worst. Also, some say ‘thank you,’ and it means so much.”
I am definitely thankful for Kay’s work and other public servants in our community.
You may contact me at lagnesrussell@gmail.com or 601-635-3282.
