New Beginnings

On July 1 st , there was a reunion of the students of Piney Oakes Elementary School.   This was an all-black school; that existed in Beckley that closed in 1972. Sharon’s class was the last class to officially graduate from then.   It was a neighborhood school that was located on Terrill Street in Beckley in what is called “The Red Brush”.   I didn’t attend the reunion, my dad had had a bad day at the hospital and I didn’t feel like socializing. I wanted to share my memories of Piney Oakes. I did name names in this document. This was my memories, others may have different memories. I just wanted t share mine. I went to Piney Oakes from August 1964 to 1969. The school consisted of   six main classrooms and two classroom in what we called the tin buildings. It had offices, teachers lounge, lockers, kitchen and one of the room had a divider in it and was used as an auditorium and a portable stage for school assemblies and talent shows. School lunches when I went th...

This is a blog that I have been putting off for some time; because it is extremely difficult to write. On November 11, 2016 a friend, co-laborer in the gospel got her promotion. Drema Robertson went home to be with the Lord. The minister side of me is rejoicing, because she is not dealing with cancer, and the side effects of medication, she is in the presence of the Lord. The human side of me misses her encouragement and zeal. God puts people in our lives at various times to help guides us along. Sometimes they are there at different stages of our life. This was the case with Drema. I know she is missed by many. I met Drema in the summer of 1977, while during an internship at WWNR. I think back then she writing copy and working in the office, she later would work selling radio advertising.   I knew Derma’s sister Jami and Sharon went to school with Debbie, who I would meet later and work in ministry with. Drema was well dressed, sophisticated, and mature. I was young in many...