Holliday
Centennial
The
birthday festivities began on Sunday, May 23, 1976. Special
events were planned for each day of the week: Sunday, church
day; Monday, flag flying day; Tuesday, visit your neighbor;
Wednesday, tea for the queen candidates; Thursday, family day;
Friday clean up community day and Saturday, set up for the
Sunday celebration.
Sunday
at 10 a.m. worship and memorial services were held. Rev. Stan
Fretwell of the Christian Church gave the message with the
Baptist Church of Holliday and Christian Church of Madison
participating. Following the service a barbecued chicken dinner
was served at noon to almost 500, catered by Madison Lions.
The
afternoon program was held on the black-topped school play area
where contests were held. The Holliday 4-H Club presented their
winning skit which followed the Bicentennial theme and with
which they won at “Share the Fun”. Mrs. Sam Akers was M.C.
and Mrs. Mildred Howe pianist.
Guy
Callison, mayor gave the official welcome to the crowd which was
estimated to be over 700. The oldest resident, originally from
Holliday, was Maud Blades Hill, 86; oldest resident present was
Mrs. Naomi Olney. The person traveling farthest to attend was
Mrs. Gertrude Solomon Parrish, a 1925 graduate of the high
school, from Ft. Myers, Fla.
Two
ladies, Mrs. Virginia Meitmeyer and Mrs. Ruth Curtright were
recognized as members of the 1909 graduating class from
Holliday, the first year the school had high school graduates.
Hurlie Wiley and Mary Frances Reid were present from the class
of 50 years ago, 1926.
Mrs.
Guy Callison served ably as Centennial Chairman assisted by
co-chairman Mrs. Gene Million, Mrs. Lylburn Johnson and Rev.
Fretwell. Mike Halliburton was in charge of historical displays.
The
Queen chosen was Mrs. Marvin Houston with Miss Julie Ragsdale
the Teen Queen and Stephanie Callison the Princess.
Committees
for the Centennial were: publicity: Cloyce Menefee and Rev.
Fretwell, food—Mrs. Jerry Ragsdale and 4-H club,
decorations—Mrs. Paul Ensor, Mrs. Elton Morgan and Mrs. Wesley
Myers, program and music—Jane Akers and Mayor Callison,
historian—Mrs. Howe and the treasurer—Mrs. Delbert Secoy.
Contests were under direction of Sam Akers, Rev. Fretwell, Mrs.
Harold Wilson, Mrs. Poole Harrison, Mrs. Mike Mallory and Mrs.
David Menefee.
The
beard contest “Brothers of the Brush” had winners:
longest—Fred Blades, bushiest—Gary Duncan, reddest—Herman
Stamp, best goatee—Cloyce Menefee, whitest mustache—Nova
Miller and best mustache—Rev. Fretwell.
Four
women, the Gwyn sisters, were recognized as descendents of John
and Thompson Holliday, founders of the town. A booklet with
photographs about Holliday’s history had been prepared by Mrs.
Howe and the mayor and was available for a souvenir.
Junior
Gifford of Thompson brought his covered wagon and team to the
Sunday celebration and Tom Deveno, Holliday, had a yoke of oxen
and a covered wagon there, too. The large animals weighed over
1,800 pounds each.
The
original town of Holliday was first established in 1872 a mile
and a half east of the present location and consisted of a
railroad station and a general store, the store owned by a Mr.
Foster and known as Foster’s Station. In 1876 the town was
moved to the present location on land given by the Holliday
brothers, William and Thompson, and the name changed to
Holliday.
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