Deborah Lynne Johnson Burgess

 Julion Burgess

Our First Move

From Scottsboro, Alabama

To 

Gibson Department Center

Natchitoches, Louisiana

This is a photo of the shopping center in Natchitoches, Louisiana where one of the Gibson Department Stores was located. My husband's first promotion and transfer was to this store where he became Assistant Manager. Mr. Roy Shirley was manager of the store at that time. Julion started his career with Gibson's in the newly built Scottsboro, Alabama store in 1969. Gibson’s was the first job Julion had after returning from his military service in Viet Nam. He was first given a job as the Sporting Goods Manager and then promoted to Soft Goods Manager which meant he was basically over the household department. I was also employed by Gibson’s and worked in the Jewelry Department. We both helped prepare and stock the new store for their grand opening. Julion and I met while working there. We started dating, (which was against the rules of the company but we kept it as quiet as possible) fell in love and got married! The Assistant Manager of the store knew we were dating but kept our secret because he saw the potential of Julion’s work ethics and knew he was a true asset to the company. One of us had to quit if Julion was to move up with the company, so I took the cut. The Scottsboro store was located on Hwy. 72 in the building that housed Roden and Baggett Furniture for many years after Gibson's closed. The Word family owned a movie theater which was also located there for several years. The Scottsboro shopping center that held the Gibson Discount Center has through the years been divided into several stores and companies. The Scottsboro Gibson's was a discount merchandise store that preceded Walmart. Gibson's was owned by the West Brothers who owned the original West Brothers Store on Main St. in Natchitoches. They (the West Brothers, Billy, Keith, and Jerry West) established the company in their hometown, Natchitoches, with the initial launch of the West Brothers Discount Store which remained on the historical downtown roster for many years. I have researched the history and am unsure if the original West Brothers Store is still in operation today. The West Brothers owned the first small jet aircraft to land at the Scottsboro, Alabama airport. Our daughter, Melanie Leigh Burgess Waldon, was born in the Natchitoches Parrish Hospital which was actually located right across the street from the shopping center! After working in Natchitoches for two years Julion got his next promotion to the Gibson Department Store which was located in the Westgate Shopping Center which faced the Old Moulton Road in Decatur, Alabama. Our son, William Thomas Burgess, was born in the Decatur General Hospital. The West Brothers owned several Gibson stores in Louisiana and Alabama including the Scottsboro, Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama (which was totally destroyed by a tornado in the early 1970’s and was never rebuilt), Decatur, Alabama, Bogalusa, Louisiana, Shreveport, Louisiana, Natchitoches, Louisiana, and the original West Brothers Natchitoches store located on Main Street. With the opening of stores such as Fred’s, Big K, and Walmart, the Gibson stores lost money and closed their stores one by one. Julion was offered a job in the West Brothers Natchitoches store, but declined the offer because we didn’t want to move that far from our families again. Months before the Decatur store announced its closing, we moved back to Scottsboro and purchased our home on Main Street in Section, Alabama. We lived there for almost 18 years. After selling the Main St. home, we purchased land in Macedonia, Alabama and built a home where we still live today. My husband Julion and I will celebrate our 47th Anniversary on April 19, 2017. Time flies when you are having fun!  :) *Please excuse the photo quality. This photo was taken with an old Kodak snap 'n shoot camera but it is the only photo I have of the shopping center...

I don’t have many old photos of Natchitoches, Louisiana. It would be nice if I had been able to take more, but having a small baby and only one car,
(that had to be shared), hindered my photo excursions. During the early days of our marriage, camera equipment was very limited. I, like so many other people, had a Kodak “snap ‘n shoot” and was glad to own any camera! This photo was taken in the Natchitoches, Louisiana downtown area which is located on the elevated banks of the Cane River. The movie, Steel Magnolias, was filmed in and around this river. The street that runs from one end of the downtown area is a true old cobblestone which is constructed of bricks. When driving through this area, you can hear the clicking sound of the bricks as your tires roll over them. Natchitoches is a very old, peaceful town that is full of history. There was a bridge that “connected” the old side of town to the “newer” side. There was no other option to travel to and from Natchitoches without crossing that bridge! The city is very old, quaint, and full of interesting facts and places to visit! Again, it is still on my “bucket list” to revisit the city to see the changes that have been made since we lived there in the early 1970’s. This photo was made in 1970-71. This site provides many interesting facts about the city and also lots of history!  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natchitoches,_Louisiana

 

My YouTube Channel for more videos:  http://www.YouTube.com/dodotburgess

My photography site:  http://www.MemoryPrintsPhotography.com  

My Grandfather and Grandmother

C.T. and Bessie Dean

Claire Thomas and Bessie Lee Dean

Claire Thomas Dean was born in 1905 at the family home in Henagar, Alabama, near the DeKalb-Jackson County line.  He dropped out of high school for two years and taught the third grade before going back to graduate in 1925 from Jackson County High School in Scottsboro, Alabama. 

Claire was one of six children born to Rev. John Thomas Dean and Sophronia Frances "Oni" (Allen) Dean, (1) Wilbur Boyd Dean born Oct. 5, 1899, (2) Claire Thomas Dean born June 30, 1905, (3) Homer Austin Dean, born Jan. 6, 1908, (4) Otis Hall Dean born June 23, 1911, (5) Melton Morris Dean born Aug. 8, 1913, (6) Sibyl Dean born Oct. 1, 1917.

As a young man, he was a fine baseball player and it has been said that if he were playing in his later years he could probably have made the Southern League or some other comparable league.  Although he threw with his right hand, he was a left-handed batter and could really clobber pitches about knee high.

Claire Thomas (C.T.) Dean and Bessie Lee (Jones) Dean were married on November 28, 1926.  They had two children,  Mary Joycelyn (Dean) Johnson, born August 27, 1931 and Claire Thomas Dean, Jr. born December 1, 1937.  Both are now deceased.  Joycelyn is buried in the Cedar Hill Cemetery, Scottsboro, Alabama,  by her beloved husband, W. H. "Shag" Johnson, Jr.  Thomas is buried in Scotland, where he earlier married and retired from the Navy.

Claire started work as an automobile mechanic in Earl LaBarre's garage at Dutton, Alabama.  He moved to Scottsboro in the twenties where he was employed by both the Ford and Chevrolet dealerships over the years as a mechanic and parts man.  From 1955 to 1961 he worked as a parts man for Scottsboro Auto Parts, an N.A.P.A. dealer.

In the course of his work in the automobile business, he picked up a little knowledge about locksmithing.  He took correspondence courses in both safes and gunsmithing.  He was at his best working with auto locks but got quite a bit of work in his spare time with home locks, gun repair, and parts.

He was a an avid gun trader and usually had at least fifty guns on hand with which he would barter with anyone interested.  During a home break-in, twenty-seven of his guns were stolen.  Some of the guns in his collection were collector's items.  His primary collection included pistol grip shotguns which were usually .410 gauge.  He owned one gun that belonged to his Grandfather, Marion Clayton Dean.  

Claire was always a staunch Democrat and always maintained an active interest in politics.  He was a strong supporter of Prohibition and was always vitally interested in strict law enforcement.  He was a candidate for Sheriff of Jackson County in 1958 when he placed third in a field of six.  In 1962 he offered himself for the position once more and emerged victorious.  He was sworn in on January 14, 1963, and he and his wife, Bessie, moved into the Sheriff's quarters in the County Jail where they lived for the four years that he was Sheriff.  He ran for re-election in 1966 but was defeated.  He worked as a guard for the Security Forces at the newly built Revere Aluminum Plant in Scottsboro until his retirement.  He owned and ran his own Bonding Company from his home office for the remainder of his life.  

This video is a collection of old film footage which contains the escort of Johnny Beecher, moonshine stills and destruction of confiscated liquor and beer.  This was all during the term of Sheriff C.T. Dean, Sheriff of Jackson, County, Alabama.

Former Sheriff C.T. Dean, Jackson County, Alabama 

44th Governor of Alabama John Malcom Patterson

                                                      C. T. Dean

Bessie Lee (Jones) Dean was born in Huntsville, Alabama.  She and her family moved from there to Jones' Cove on a steamboat when she was about five.  She was reared in Jones' Cove which is about five miles from Scottsboro.  It was land that is now covered by the backwaters of the Tennessee Valley Authority dams.  When she and her husband first moved to Scottsboro, she worked in the textile mills for a time.

Bessie was one of 10 children *six being twins* born to William Fredrick Jones and Nancy Ann (Eaton) Jones:   (1)Herman Jones born March 8, 1898, (2)William Earl Jones born April 15, 1901, (3) Nannie Pearl Jones Cox born April 15, 1901, (4) Irene Jones born July 14, 1903, (5) Jessie "B" Jones born December 4, 1905, (6) Bessie Lee Jones Dean born December 4, 1905, (7) Mattie Mae Lucille Jones Williams born May 19, 1908, (8) Myrvle Elizabeth Jones Wales  born Aug. 4, 1911, (9) Veva Mauvline Jones Wisener born Sept. 27, 1914, (10) Vera Pauline Jones Smith  born Sept. 27, 1914.

The Will Jones Family celebrating their Sixtieth Wedding Anniversary on June 6, 1957, at their home in Dutton, Alabama, with their children, (left to right)  Pauline Smith, Mauvline Wisener, Myrvle Wales, Pearl Cox, Mrs. Nan Jones, Mr. Will Jones, Bessie Dean, Jessie Jones and Lucille Williams. 

When she was still young she took a course in Art and painted beautiful paintings that she proudly hung in their home.  She was a very crafty and artistic woman.  She did not, however, paint any for the last twenty-five years of her life.  She, instead, devoted most of her time raising her children and looking after her family.  She and her sister, Myrvle Elizabeth  (Jones) Wales, undertook a correspondence course in taxidermy in the early 1950's.  Their work was so impressive, they soon found they had more work than they could do.  Their work was better than most of the local professionals and their endeavor proved to possibly be a large money making adventure.  They were especially good with birds and animals.  Their finished products were not only good but very detailed and natural.  

Bessie's hobbies were raising flowers, cooking, and fishing!  She was for years a member of the Scottsboro Garden Club and won many prizes and awards  for her beautiful flowers and presentation.  She loved to fish and would gladly have fished all day if she could find someone to go with her!  In late 1962 she achieved her lifetime ambition by buying her own aluminum boat and outboard motor!  Her cooking was always mouth watering!  She made everything from scratch, the old-fashioned way and to this day I remember how good her home-cooked meals were!  One of my personal favorites was her home-made coconut cake in which she used a secret pineapple glaze between the layers.  It was delicious!  

C.T. and Bessie were both members of the First Baptist Church in Scottsboro, Alabama.  Claire served several years as a Sunday School teacher for a class of intermediate boys.  She was a member of the Women's Missionary Union and for years was a member of the church choir.

In April 1968, her doctors discovered that she had cancer of the kidneys and recommended that she have one removed.  Unfortunately, after surgery, she developed a blood clot while still in the hospital and died suddenly in the Jackson County Hospital in Scottsboro, Alabama.  Her death was sudden and unexpected.  She was scheduled to come home the next morning.  Her death left me devastated  because we had such a strong bond.  I planned on visiting her the night before she was scheduled to come home, but knowing she would be home the next morning, I decided to let her rest.  I can't count the times I still look back and regret not going that night.  In the midst of losing someone so special, I always remember how she taught me that God doesn't make mistakes and I should always cling to His guidance and wisdom and always look to Him for answers.  I still hold on to all His promises and know that we will all be reunited someday!  

C.T. and Bessie are both buried in the Cedar Hill Cemetery in Scottsboro.  

I loved them both dearly and still miss them very much.  They were always there for their children and their grand-children.  They taught me so much about so many things.  They were good, Christian leaders and such an inspiration to me. They not only "talked the talk", but they "walked the walk" everyday!   I credit my Grandmother and Grandfather for always pointing the family in the right direction.  

Credits:  Excerpts from "Dean and Allied Families", ©Claire Thomas Dean, Jr. 

                              ©Deborah L. Burgess

http://www.YouTube.com/dodotburgess

http://www.MemoryPrintsPhotography.com

Find the faces!

How many faces do you see in this photo?  I posted my number chart below, but don't peek until you look for yourself!  I found 10, but there many be many more....

If you find more than 10, please send me the answer and I will add to the answer key.  Thanks!

Answer below~

"The Judgment House, The Final Verdict"

I just published a new video, "The Judgment House, The Final Verdict", Corinth Baptist Church, Macedonia, Alabama, 1999, on my http://www.YouTube.com/dodotburgess channel.  I have been going through a mountain of old newspaper clippings and photos, trying to reach some manner of organization.  My files are far from organized and without a "plan" it is hard to put my hands on the article I want, when I need it.  Turn the sound up on your computer and sit back and enjoy!  I will almost guarantee you will see someone you know.  If not, I have a few more in the making. 

                                                                                                      

This video was made in 1999 at Corinth Baptist Church, Macedonia, Alabama. We planned to do possibly 2-3 performances, but that was not what happened! We could only seat 20-25 per show, but we quickly figured out that we were going to have some "standing" for some of the drama. There were so many people in line that we had to set a dead-line and re-schedule the play for the next day. Ofcourse, those we turned away were there to get the first seatings. We were overwhelmed at the turn-out! You could feel God's presence drawing people in and the whole crew came early and left late. It was a blessing and a wonderful success! I didn't mention everyone that helped in the credits at the end of the video because there were so many! Everyone was eager to help and we saw results first-hand! This video will be posted on my Facebook page and I encourage everyone who had a part in this effort, please share the video with your friends. I will share as many as possible and they in return can share. Even though this video is old and not the best quality, God burdened my heart to publish the video. Maybe there is someone out there that needs to see it...someone who doesn't have God in their life. I pray that this will be a tool to reach many people. A personal note: There were two copies of the drama that were shot on my camera. The version you are seeing in this video was filmed by my son, Thomas. Those who know me well, know that his being a part of this, made it even more special to me. Because I have the two versions, I have many funny "out-takes" and have already started a video of nothing but the "out-takes". Although some of the clips are short, there are many, many folks that will have a place in the film. Thanks!

To see the video:  http://www.YouTube.com/dodotburgess 

"Sarge", c.Deborah L. Burgess, 1988, from Collection of Thoughts, In Memory of W. H."Shag" Johnson, Jr., Korea, Retired Military

In memory of my Dad, W. H. "Shag" Johnson, Jr.. I wrote this poem for my Dad in 1988. Today I want to share it with my friends and family. The name says it all. Not only on this day, but everyday, I thank those who serve to protect our freedom.

"Sarge"

For those who sent him there to fight,

For all those left behind,

The love of life and liberty,

Stood foremost in his mind.

He didn't want the spotlight,

Or trophy small or large,

His greatest honor was received

When they chose to call him "Sarge".

He served them well, the record tells

As many stepped aside.

For thirty-nine he carried on,

With all honor, and with pride.

The price of freedom freely paid,

He was the best they had

And tho' they'll always call him "Sarge"

I am proud to call him "DAD".

1SG William H. "Shag" Johnson, Jr.

1343 Engineer Battalion (CBI)

© 1988 Deborah L. Burgess

http://www.MemoryPrintsPhotography.com
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Response To Tom's Birthday Tribute Video

To All Our Family and Many Friends: In reply to the tremendous response we have received about Tom’s Birthday Tribute Video. Birthday Tribute: William Thomas Burgess, May 23, 1975 – June 17, 2006. Although it will be 4 years ago, this June 17, 2010, and 4 years seems like a long time, it still seems like yesterday to us. The loss of a child is an incomparable grief. Friends who have lost children understand completely. God comforts His children in many ways, as only He can. I believe one way He does this is by placing family and friends in our paths, helping to comfort us in our healing process. My family and I are overwhelmed and humbled with the love, compassion, comfort and understanding we have received. One thing I can tell you is the importance of telling your family and friends how much you love them, EVERY TIME you talk with them. Only God knows the time, but it may be the last time you talk with them in this life. God has promised eternal life for all His children and one day our family will be re-united in Heaven and ALL the links will be joined in our family chain. There will be no more death, tears, or grief throughout eternity. What A Day That Will Be! Thank you all again, we, “Love You Big!”

http://www.MemoryPrintsPhotography.com

http://www.YouTube.com/DoDotBurgess

Happy Birthday Tom! We Miss You!

Dear Tom,

Well, I don’t know where to start. I never do. We still are missing you so much that it takes my breath to think about it. You will have been gone 4 years this June 17, 2010, but it still seems like yesterday. Your birthday is today, May 23, 2010, you would have been 35. I know how you loved birthday cake, so I will be sure to eat a piece, with lots of icing, just for you. Every single day you are in my conversations with everyone, all day long. I think about things that you said, or did, or funny faces that you would make. Everything is stored away in our memory banks. I know that you are doing well. I have never doubted that for one minute. I know that while we are down here in hell on earth, you are right there in the Light with God!
You remember the time right before you were saved, that you told me about the light that you saw. I remember that so well. When you told me about it, you said that it was almost unexplainable but so real. I remember actually being with you the night you were saved. Right there on Brother Shannon’s living room couch, in the middle of the night, we prayed and I watched with my own eyes the transformation in your eyes and on your face. With each day that passes now, I see more and more that the things that are shown to us here are for a reason. Someday, we all will know the reasons, just like you now, and we can rejoice in our salvation, together in Heaven!
Some days, I miss you so much, that I pray that God would let you come back for just 5 minutes, just for that little amount so I could tell you how I feel in person. But, I know that is selfish on my part, for I would never bring you back to this awful place. I know that someday I will have forever to talk with you and that is God’s answer to my prayers. He knows my heart and He knows that I am hurting. I made a video for you and put your favorite songs on it. I loved to hear you sing and sometimes when everything is really quite, I close my eyes and can almost hear you voice again. I know now you are singing for God and I will hear you sing again! Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!
I hold in my heart the last three words that you said to me, the night before you left for your glorious journey….LOVE YOU BIG! The sound of your voice still echoes in my mind and in my heart.
I am leaving you a package today. I bought a simple Alabama bracelet, tied a knot and wore it through a trip with Melanie, Holli, and Abby to Gulf Shores and through the cheerleading competitions, through Alabama winning every ballgame and then the National Championship. I thought about you everytime I looked at it. Nothing special, just a little cloth bracelet, one like you liked. I wore it for you. You couldn’t be there with us, so I am sending cherished memories to you with this bracelet. This would probably seem crazy to some people, but I do it with nothing but love in my heart. Somehow, deep down, I know that you and Big Pop, and the Bear himself were watching right up there in Heaven! God is bringing you family every day. By now you have seen Uncle Eddie and Misty's husband, Bruce, Uncle Johnny, and remember Virginia, Tammy's mother. Hug them all for me and tell Mamaw Doyce and Big Pop that I will see you all soon! LOVE YOU BIG!
http://www.MemoryPrintsPhotography.com
http://www.YouTube.com/DoDotBurgess