Welcome to “The Little Town with a Big Heart”
Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, which will be May 25th this year, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season.
Early Observances of Memorial Day: The Civil War, which ended in the spring of 1865, claimed more lives than any conflict in U.S. history and required the establishment of the country’s first national cemeteries. By the late 1860s, Americans in various towns and cities had begun holding springtime tributes to these countless fallen soldiers, decorating their graves with flowers and reciting prayers.
On May 5, 1868, General John A. Logan, leader of an organization for Northern Civil War veterans, called for a nationwide day of remembrance later that month. “The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village and hamlet churchyard in the land,” he proclaimed.
On the first Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, and 5,000 participants decorated the graves of the 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried there. The History of Memorial Day, as Decoration Day gradually came to be known, originally honored only those lost while fighting in the Civil War. But during World War I the United States found itself embroiled in another major conflict, and the holiday evolved to commemorate American military personnel who died in all wars, including World War II, The Vietnam War, The Korean War and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Americans also observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries and memorials. Some people wear a red poppy in remembrance of those fallen in war—a tradition that began with a World War I poem. On a less somber note, many people take weekend trips or throw parties and barbecues on the holiday, perhaps because Memorial Day weekend—the long weekend comprising the Saturday and Sunday before Memorial Day and Memorial Day itself—unofficially marks the beginning of summer. Everyone have a safe Memorial weekend amid the Covid-19.
Deepest sympathy is extended to the family of Jerry Dale Pearson.
Deepest sympathy is extended to the family of Teresa W. Skinner, 61, of Hickory died on Wednesday, May 6, 2020. Memorial services will be held at a later date.
Prayer Requests: Jean Brown, Jerry Pearson family, Teresa Skinner family, Baby Elena Rae Russell, first responders, firefighters, nurses, doctors, government, president, everyone that is involved in the medical field, Norma Jean Majure, Grayson McMullian, Ellis Acord, Ronnie Blass, Cayce and Mary Bufkin, Jim Cates, Karen Todd, Denise Todd, Jerry May, Randy Crapps, Norman Snowden, Logan Skinner, Michael Scott Reed, Tommie Everett, Carl Jones, Joshua Black, Trey Wilbourn, Dylan Walker, Hope Parks, Ally Gressett, Caleb Carr, Barbara Blass, Annie Therrin, Mike Walton, Vickie Davidson, Marty Turner, Alana McMullan, Doyle McMullan and Cili Norman.
Shut-Ins: Royce and Sara Richardson, Jimmie Craig and Stephanie Roland.
Birthdays for the Week: May 20 to Faye Henley, Stephen Powell Sr. and Junior Brackeen in memory; May 21 to Paige McKinion and Ray Strebeck; May 22 to Mary Oglesbee in memory and Josh Westbrook; May 23 to Bobby Chaney in memory; May 25 to Earline Everett in memory, Linda Clark and Jayden River; May 26 to Jacob Veenestra, Bryant Williams and Bernice Brackeen in memory. Wishing everyone a happy birthday!
Anniversaries for the Week: May 21 to Rick and Claire Hasselle; May 24 to Billy and Angela Spears; May 26 to Randy and Debbie Godwin, and Wayne and Katie Overstreet (my son and daughter in law from Atlanta)!
Recipe for the Week: Easy Shepherd’s Pie
Ingredients: 1 1/2 to 2 pounds potatoes (about 3 large potatoes), peeled and quartered, 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) butter, 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups), 1-2 cups vegetables—diced carrots, corn, peas, 1 1/2 lbs ground round beef, 1/2 cup beef broth, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice
Directions: Boil the potatoes - Place the peeled and quartered potatoes in medium sized pot. Cover with at least an inch of cold water. Add a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender (about 20 minutes). 2. Sauté vegetables: While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until tender, about 6 to 10 minutes. If you are including vegetables, add them according to their cooking time. Carrots should be cooked with the onions, because they take as long to cook as the onions do. If you are including peas or corn, add them toward the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat starts to cook, as they take very little cooking time. 3. Add the ground beef, then Worcestershire sauce and broth: Add ground beef to the pan with the onions and vegetables. Cook until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper. Add the Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Bring the broth to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth if necessary to keep the meat from drying out. 4. Mash the cooked potatoes: When the potatoes are done cooking (a fork can easily pierce), remove them from the pot and place them in a bowl with the remaining 4 Tbsp of butter. Mash with a fork or potato masher, and season with salt and pepper to taste. 5 Layer the meat mixture and mashed potatoes in a casserole dish: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread the beef, onions, and vegetables (if using) in an even layer in a large baking dish. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top of the ground beef. Rough up the surface of the mashed potatoes with a fork so there are peaks that will get well browned. You can even use a fork to make creative designs in the mashed potatoes. 6. Bake in oven: Place in a 400°F oven and cook until browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes. If necessary, broil for the last few minutes to help the surface of the mashed potatoes brown. (Be careful when broiling using Pyrex or glass dishes, they have been known to shatter under the high heat of the broiler. It’s not a worry if you are using a ceramic or metal casserole dish.)
Suggested variations; Put a layer of creamed corn between the ground beef and the mashed potatoes. Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over the top of the mashed potatoes before baking.
From the communities of Hickory, Berry, Sand Springs, Mount Vernon and Poplar Springs, email or call floraoverstreet64@gmail.com or call 601-479-9044 with your news.
