MARY LOUISE KEYSER WILLIAMS CREEL

MARY LOUISE KEYSER WILLIAMS CREEL 1916-2007 Mary Louise Creel of Pace went to be with the Lord on January 28, 2007. She was born in Pea Ridge to Samuel and Mary Keyser. Mary Louise lived most of her life in Santa Rosa and Escambia counties. She and her husband, James Durward Williams, owned and operated several businesses both in Santa Rosa and Escambia counties. After Durward's death, she married Doyal Creel of Ocoee, Florida, and they built a home in Chumuckla. She and Doyal made several mission trips taking Bibles into China and Honduras. While on one trip to Honduras, a revolution broke out, and they barely escaped after the mission was bombed. She has been a Christian, all her life. Mrs. Creel was a member of Lawton Street Baptist Church, Eastern Star, Wallace Home Makers Club, Golden Spinners Campers, and NAARF. She enjoyed loving fellowship at the meal site in Pace where she played dominoes with her friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers, Sherwood, Newman, and Julian Keyser. Mrs. Creel is survived by her children, Dr. James Durward (Nina) Williams, of St. Petersburg, Dr. M. Catherine (Dr. Jim) Jowers, of Milton, and Marsha Williams of Pensacola; step children, Rev. Jimmy (Shirley) Creel, Rev. Jerry (Peggy) Creel and Jeannie (Tommy) Womble; fourteen grandchildren; thirteen great grandchildren; and three great-great granddaughters; her "caregiver", Dorothy Champion; and many friends and relatives. Funeral services for Mrs. Creel will be at 10AM, Wednesday, January 31, 2007, at Lewis Funeral Homes Milton Chapel, with Rev. Clarence Brockman and Dr. James Williams officiating. Burial will follow in Milton Cemetery with LEWIS FUNERAL HOME directing. The family will receive friends from 6:00-8:00PM, Tuesday, January 30, 2007, at Lewis Funeral Home in Milton. Pallbearers will be members of the Lawton Street Baptist Church. Flowers are welcome, or you may make donation in Mrs. Creel name to Lawton Street Baptist Church, 7845 Lawton Street, Pensacola, FL 32514, or to Covenant Hospice, 5907 Berryhill Road, Milton, Florida 32570. Mrs. Creel was a devoted Christian, loving Mother, and a great friend to all who knew her. We will truly miss her beautiful smile, sense of humor, and love.

Published in the Pensacola News Journal on 1/30/2007.

MARY MAGDALENE ELLIOTT STAFFORD NICHOLS niece of John A. Cook and Wheeler Cook

MARY MAGDALENE ELLIOTT STAFFORD NICHOLS
1925-2007

Mary Magdalene Elliott Stafford Nichols was born June 7, 1925 and went home to be with the Lord, January 26, 2007. She was raised in the Elliott Town Community, South of Jay, Florida. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Leon Stafford and Earl D. Nichols. She was of the Church of Christ faith and was a member of the Ard Field Church of Christ for many years. She was a loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister and aunt. She was a founding member of the Santa Rosa County Creek Indian Tribe, Inc. and her tribal name was "Running Waters".
She was preceded in death by her mother and father, William "Dick" Elliott and Mary Cook Elliott; her brothers and sisters, Francis Isabell Elliott Russell, Lillie May Elliott Stone, Willis Elliott, Fay Elliott, Leon Elliott, Larry Wayne Elliott; her sons Milburn Stafford, Roy Dean Nichols, Roger Dean Nichols; daughter Shirley Ann Stafford, and granddaughter, Angela Kay Nichols.
Mrs. Nichols is survived by her children, Betty Stafford Reynolds (Dennis) Howell, Leon Elbert (Ernestine) Stafford, Linda Nichols (Sammy) Spellings, Thomas Earl (Laura) Nichols, L.D. (Sylvia) Nichols, and Lisa Nichols Vaughn; grandchildren, Keith (Renee) Reynolds, Tommy (Trish) Stafford, Kristi Simpson (Tony) Rachel , Evan (Vickie) Terrill, Tommy Nichols, Sam Nichols, Bryan (Erica) McCollum, Robert Nichols, Jennifer Nichols Qualls, Tina Stafford, Gina Stafford (Jeff) Yates, Kevin Stafford, Teresa Jernigan, Scott Stafford, Glenn (Dawn) Spellings, Dustin Vaughn, Roger Vaughn, Faith Bloomer, Sandra Nichols, Sarah-Jo Nichols and David Nichols; great grandchildren; Alyssa Dozier, Briana Reynolds, Jayden Rachel, Tristen Stafford, Zachary Rachel, Ashley Stafford, Meagan Stafford, Emily Stafford, Lauren Stafford, Peyton Spellings, Brooklyn Spellings, Christopher Gomillion, Meghan Gomillion, Alyssa Bloomer, Julian Jernigan, Tristan Qualls, Tylor Qualls, Kaleb Qualls, Jocelyn Nichols, Hanna Nichols, Taylor Nichols; sisters, Delaine Elliott Davis, Louise Elliott Freeman, Francis Helen Elliott, and Lillie Dean Elliott Morrow; uncles John A. Cook and Wheeler Cook; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Funeral services will be at 2:30PM, Tuesday, January 30, 2007 in the Lewis Funeral Home Milton Chapel with Pastor Mike Medford and Rev. Ron Carnley officiating. Burial will follow in the Ard Field Cemetery with LEWIS FUNERAL HOME directing. Visitation will be from 6:00-8:00PM, Monday, January 29, 2007, at Lewis Funeral Home.
Active Pallbearers will be her grandsons, Keith Reynolds, Evan Terrill, Dustin Vaughn, Sam Nichols, Tommy Nichols, Robert Nichols and Glen Spellings. Honorary Pallbearers will be her sons-in-law, Sam Spellings and Dennis Howell.
She will always be in the hearts of her family and friends.

Published in the Pensacola News Journal on 1/28/2007.

RONALD LEON COOK 1945-2007

Ronald Leon Cook, 67, of Chumuckla, Florida, passed away Wednesday, January 24, 2007.
He was preceded in death by his parents Roy and Edith Cook.
Ronald is survived by his former wife, Nancy Kozbiel, and their children Ron (Jennifer) Cook, Ronda (Keith) McNeill and Regina (Ken) White; Grandchildren, Kai, Emma, Shelby, Dalton and Aimie; brothers, Eddie (Laura) Cook, Clarence Cook and Winston Cook, sisters Voncile Grant and Marie (Otis) Joiner, nieces and nephews.
Graveside services will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, January 27, 2007, at Elizabeth Chapel Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Chad Cook, Brad Cook, Scottie Cook, Calvin Cook, Kenny Oats and Scott English.
DONNIE SOWELL FUNERAL HOME is in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Covenant Hospice, 5041 North 12th Avenue, Pensacola, Florida 32504.

Published in the Pensacola News Journal on 1/26/2007.

Business Week - Lindsay Campbell

We think Lindsay is possibly a descendent of one of the long lost Campbell tribes that left in the great diasopora of the last century.

Middle East Report - Matt Settle

I hope this finds everyone happy, wealthy and wise. I’m at least one of these and sometimes two. J This week started out like the rest of the weeks I have been here but finished out with some unique happenings. No! No mule riding or snowshoe wearing but I guess some of you back home could have used the snowshoes this week. I heard that it even snowed in part of San Diego this week. Well, it did not snow here in Kuwait. Most days things are pretty much the same as the day before. ... CONTINUTES in the COMMENTS link under this post. PICTURES HERE.

Wilma Elaine (lee) Enfinger

Elaine Enfinger, 60, of Pensacola died Monday, January 8, 2007.

Mrs. Enfinger was a native of Pace. She was a member of McIlwain Memorial Presbyterian Church, where she was the church secretary before her illness. She was preceded in death by her father, Howard F. Lee and step-father Edward Fowler.

Survivors include her husband, F. Adrian Enfinger; daughter and son-in-law, Lisa and Leslie Peterson of Jacksonville, FL; son and daughter-in-law, Kevin and Shannon Enfinger of Madison, AL; mother, Wilma Fowler of Pace; brothers and sisters-in-law, Wayne Riley and Donna Lee of Fort Walton Beach and Dennis and Jackie Fowler of Papillion, NE; eight grandchildren, Justin, Cameron, Seth, Tessa, Tad, and Levi Peterson and Mariah and Matthew Enfinger.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m., Friday, January 12 at McIlwain Memorial Presbyterian Church with Rev. Chuck DeBardeleben, Rev. Rob Looper, and Rev. Oliver Martin officiating.

Burial will be in Serenity Gardens in Milton.

HARPER-MORRIS FUNERAL HOME is in charge of arrangements.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, January 11.

Damage to Coon Hill Cemetary

Vandals have created about $50,000 in recent damage to the Coon Hill Cemetary. We know there are "paranormal" or "ghost hunter" sites on the web that encourge the "stalking of ghosts" and it is expected most of these encourage proper respect of gravesites. We know there are many of these sites that mention Coon Hill among the many other graveyards considered to be "spooky". But, a few drunk teens with information in hand can create a very bad result. HERE IS THE PNJ NEWS ARTICLE. The trustees of Coon Hill are seeking the culprits and offer a reward. I hope they get them and they do time in jail as well as have to pay for the damages.

Loveda and Children

Loveda R. is Tommy's mom. Here she is with her great-grandchildren. Christmas-06.

Tom Wishes All a Merry Christmas

Tom says this is the first picture Jeanette has made with her new digital camera! It looks just like Tom is saying "Merry Christmas".

To a brother I did not Know.

To a brother I did not Know.
On this day Dec. 09 60 years ago, Donald Eugene Davis was born with a hole in his heart. Doctors tried to fix it, but could not. Everyone who knew him liked and loved him. I did not not know him but it seems like I did . He died July 2, 1965. See I was born in 1966. Happy birthday Brother.

Redneck Parade

Bam's blog takes note of the parade.

ANOTHER MINERAL SPRINGS

by Cary Ellis, Jr. of Bogia, FL

Another hot day in the river swamp. Too bad the gnats aren't as visible as they are in real life. Some of the flavor of the river is lost without the swatting and eye infections. Don't recognize the waterman, but he looks as if his fingers are on fire, and he is trying to blow it out. I'll ask around if anyone knows of a poor fellow with
burned hands. That's sure to be the guy.

The other spring indicated on the map link on this website is Mystic Springs, about 1/4 mi. N. of Bogia and on the west side of the river. When the first crackers came to the 'Scamby River Basin' to claim their Spanish Land Grants (or as squatters), the Mystic Springs area was known as the "Hot Ponds". At one point near the turn of the century (that's the turn of the 19th C.), there was a hotel and an outpouring area where patrons (and locals) bathed in the pool of tepid water.

 My Grand Mother told me that water was a warm 84-86 degrees degrees before the quake (see below) and 74-75 aferward.

One of those frequent, and barely noticeable, shifts in the earth's crust that we experience on a semi-regular basis here, closed the source some in the mid 1950's, and the water began to surface in a colder state. Those living nearby told me only yesterday, that the temperature has begun to rise again in the pond itself, indicating that we could have a hot pond returning. Most folks now think this pond is simply another dead lake on the river, or a disappearing slough, but once it had been of great value.

There even was a special Spanish Land Grant for the 'Ponds' alone, dating from the 1700's.
After opening in early 1900, the 'Hotel Mystic Springs' closed in the mid 1920's. Thereafter an enterprising fellow rented and opened the first floor of the old hotel for Friday and Saturday night dances. This lasted for 6-8 years, but it eventually closed down, too. Prohibition was over (actually, prohibition never really affected us here. The "home fires" burned right on), the Depression was on, and the sawmills were starting to move to new timber.

There was little money for the dancing and fun of the roaring 20's. Jobs and food were hard to get here, even prior to the stock market crash.

The locals  to use the "cement pond" catch basin as a swimming hole until the W.W. II years. Mama drowned in that pool, in '27 or '28. She revived, thankfully, and went on to a life devoid of trips to the swimming hole, beach, or swimming pools. Years later, in the midst of the time in life when I knew more than my parents did, I sometimes wondered if that drowning had anything to do with Mama's obvious deficiencies. (I never had the nerve to even MENTALLY question why Dad was "slow").

Several years passed, I was a good deal older.  I was once again walking, and talking with them, and I noticed both had suddenly become more intelligent, and very wise. Obviously it was a "Miracle Recovery". What a relief it was to know I came from such resilient blood..

I have a picture of the Hotel in Chumuckla Springs. Have you seen it? If not, I will share it with you. Thanks for all you have shared with me and everyone else.
'till next time, Cary

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MAP WITH MYSTIC SPRINGS --  Google