Bobby and Brenda Cagle

I had assumed this 1961 picture of Mother was taken on the steps of Jan & Gil's trailer in Wilmore. This morning I noticed there are names painted on the steps to the trailer "Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cagle". 

In searching on the internet for information on Bobby Cagle to include with the picture I discovered Brenda's obituary. She died just last month at 78. 

Since Bobby graduated from Asbury I suspect the trailer actually WAS in Wilmore. Mother do you remember where this was?

Y'all will remember this young couple from Watkins Memorial Methodist in Ellijay. Daddy performed their wedding ceremony I think. And Bobby was called to the Methodist ministry. 

Bobby, like all Ellijay boys I guess, was a trout fisherman. He was also a taxidermist. When Daddy took me fishing with them as a 12 year old or so, Bobby promised to use his taxidermy skills to preserve my first rainbow trout. I caught a tiny trout that day and Bobby made good on his promise. I treasured that silly mount for several years, but did take care of it as I should. It eventually had broken fins and tail and was a mess. I assume at some point my parents discarded it. 

Daddy was very proud of Bobby and his ministry. Bobby became a national leader among church camp leaders and was director of Camp Glisson for several years. We introduced our kids to him when Brannon first attended Glisson. Bobby was killed in a gun accident at Glisson in 1997. 

Mrs. Brenda Willis Cagle, 78, of Columbus, N.C., passed away Saturday, April 10, 2021.

TIMESCOURIER.COM

Mrs. Brenda Sue Willis Cagle | Times-Courier, Ellijay, Georgia

Mrs. Brenda Willis Cagle, 78, of Columbus, N.C., passed away Saturday, April 10, 2021.

Mrs. Brenda Willis Cagle, 78, of Columbus, N.C., passed away Saturday, April 10, 2021.

Gleaning Facebook: Camp Glisson

 For eight weeks of the seven years starting in 1958 and ending in 1964 I lived at Camp Glisson. Much of the rest of those years the Glisson weeks lived on in my mind. The only thing I looked forward to with as much relish was the week each year I stayed with my Daddy Shaw and Mama Shaw in Milstead. Glisson is still going strong. What a beautiful place. It changed my life.

One of the great events of my Daddy-hood was taking our kids up to Glisson, especially the year that my Glisson friend Cleve Burton and I got to relive those memories a little as we drove our daughters there for their turn.

Gleaning Facebook: Cleve's Been Gone a Year

My profile pic is in memory of my friend Cleve Burton. We lost Cleve one year ago today. Here Cleve and I flank our Camp Glisson friend Pat Alger when we visited him in LaGrange about 1965.

Kendra L Harris
I love Cleve's wife Terri.. she shops in our store a lot and I think a lot of her.. she is also great friends with a close dear friend of mine.

Bob Doster
Lord, were we ever that young and that thin? Thanks for the remembrance.

Terrell Shaw
Yes, Serf, we were. Are we not still?

Bob Doster
Depends on who's eyes were using.

Betty Smith Franklin
Love that. Are there boys hanging around like that now?

Bitsy Burton
Thanks Terry for sharing this picture. A year gone by so very fast, seems like yesterday. I really do miss my brother, Cleve!!! Even 1965 seems like yesterday. Could you tag this picture to me?

An Off-the-Cuff Serial Autobiography: Positive Influences on My Life (B)

People Who Have Influenced My Life (Part B)

(Outside of God and My Family Members)

This is the second part [Here's the first.] of my exploration of the influences on my life outside of family and God. These are mostly more famous folks whose influence was through their work, writings, recordings, etc. But I also include a few community theater friends, pastors, teachers, and personal friends. As I brainstormed lots of names came up. Some with huge effect on my life and others with less dramatic, but still important, influence. So here we go again.

(In no particular order)

Erick Fromm, author, for his definition of love. See my recent post on love.

Pete Seeger, singer/activist, (yes, an old Commie), like several others, for living his beliefs, for being the same person in person as on stage.

Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, Charles Weltner, John Lewis, public figures who have taken risks to do right and inspired me to want to impact the world in a positive way.

Robert E. Lee, soldier, for his loyalty, devotion and honor.

Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Franklin, Lincoln, T.R., Wilson, FDR, Truman, Johnson, Carter, Clinton, Bo Ginn, Ellis Arnall, Wyche Fowler, Sam Nunn, Buddy Childers (I'm going to write a , for their influences on my political life.

Wesley, C.S. Lewis, Camp Glisson counselors, Bill Landiss, James Sanders, Paul Hanna, George Freeman, Grant Magness, for their influences on my ethical, moral, and religious beliefs.

Twain, Shakespeare, Frost, Housman, Donne, Keats, Marvell, Nash, Whitman, Hopkins, Tolkien, Dickey, cummings, Ciardi, Shel Silverstein, Professor Arthur Brestel, Gene Stewart (MYF friend and poet), Pat Alger (Camp Glisson friend and songwriter), Mrs. Howel (11th grade English), for influencing me to write, or influencing how I try to write.

Famous actors like: Lee Strasburg, James Stewart, Alan Arkin, Topol, Olivier
Community actors or directors like: Cecelia Dawson, Rudy Childs, Brian Sikes, Barbara Myers, Nora Rouse, Wain Bates, Virginia McChesney

Community musicians like: Rachael Jones, Bob Jones, the other Bob Jones, Brian Horne, Angela Flanegan, James Willis, Sam Baltzer

Pete Seeger (again), Steve Allen, Donald Davis, Ed Stivender, Bill Harley, Ed Kilbourne, for their influences on my storytelling.

In some of these categories it feels downright dishonest to leave out family members. A few quick examples of many: I wouldn't have gotten back into acting without Brannon's influence. My love of storytelling stems pretty directly from listening to Bible stories from Mother and family stories from Daddy and Daddy Shaw. And although we have many philosophical and political differences, my two older sisters and their husbands were huge influences on my life, especially in my adolescence.

It's been fun remembering and evaluating the influences on my beliefs and behaviors. Maybe I'll choose in the future to explain more fully how some of these folks have influenced me. I know I am leaving out many and I'll want to revise this in the light of day and a little more reflection. It's a beginning.

Time Machine: Second Cousins at Camp Glisson 1997?

From my Facebook, May 24, 2015

I ran across this print last week. Lil and Danielle were both at Camp Glisson the same week and we managed to get the second cousins together for a picture.
Comments

Angie Shaw Bryant

I remember that! Wasn't Jonathan there that week as well? Thanks for sharing the great picture!

Lyn Davis

Cuties!

Terrell Shaw

I think Jonathan may have been there. Not sure.

Lillian Shaw

Adidas and Umbros!