At their request, Wilda Boatwright shows friends the beautiful crocheted afghan and candle-wicked bedspread she made for the bed in Linda’s room (right). She also embroidered the pillows. The pretty Dresden patterned quilt (left) is one of the many she has made. And she also made the “Slipper” quilt pictured above. With the Rayle Ramble right around the corner, and folks thinking of Rayle and Rayle’s people, it seems a good time to visit with one of Rayle’s beloved special seniors. In fact, we believe she is most senior of anyone living within the City of Rayle.

We are grateful to Mrs. Alex Boatwright, who agrees to share some of her early memories of the place she has called home for the past 67 years, or so — minus a few years in Washington.

Before writing about Rayle, we should meet, if you haven’t already, Mrs. Boatwright who was born February 3, 1918. Wilda, or “Miss Wilda,” as she is called by most of Rayle, came to Rayle not long after she graduated in 1937 from Oglethorpe County’s Meson Academy in Lexington.

She — Wilda Smith — and Laura Lois Bridges lived upstairs (where the Larry Callaway’s now live) with Clyde and Lillian Andrews, and went to work at Royal Manufacturing Company in Washington, as many of the young ladies of the area were doing.

Alex Boatwright was working across Highway 78, from where Wilda now lives, with his Uncle Jim and Aunt Bessie Boatwright. He went to work with them in their store when he was 12 years old. Aunt Bessie was postmistress for years — there and in the building near their home before the current post office was built. I believe this was built during the time Bill and Lula Boatwright were postmaster and clerk.

Effective October 1, Rayle has a new postmaster, Diane Tiller, and I hope to meet her soon. I sometimes have to go to the Rayle P.O., when I don’t put mail in my box before David Hunter comes by. David is rural carrier for the Washington route, which I live on.

This picture of the Boatwright family was made shortly after Alex and Wilda’s marriage in 1938. Left to right are: Marion Nash, Mrs. Myrtice Echols Boatwright, Alex Boatwright, Frances Nash, Wilda Boatwright, Paul Boatwright, and Pauline Barnes. Just where is Kenneth Poss’ Produce and Lawnmowing business? It is near the Bolton home? Where was the Rayle Dairy Bar? Same building? (I meant to ask Martha when I talked with her.)

There are a few around who remember the great plays at Rayle School. One night, Pearl Boatwright (Bullock) — daughter of Jim and Bessie Boatwright — drove Alex’s car to a Rayle School play. Miss Bessie, Wilda and Lois accompanied her. They picked up Alex. Edgar Nash joined them.

The Rayle Lunch and Learn Club has contributed much to the community. Shown here are (seated, l-r) Jean Harper, Betty Winfrey, and Peggy Echols; (standing) Mablean Sherrer, Mildred Sisson, Doris Smathers, Christine Wheatley, Ruth Flynt, Sudie Kennedy, Elizabeth Smith, Ann Williamson, and Shirley Chafin. After the play, Alex carried his Aunt Bessie and Cousin Pearl home, and then brought the girls home — Edgar and Wilda, Alex and Lois. Alex soon became thirsty, wanted a drink of water. Wilda showed him the way to the water bucket. And, as they say, “The rest is history!”

The Andrewses sold their home to Bernard and Bessie Callaway, and Wilda went back home to Palmetto for a while. That wasn’t too far for Alex to drive to see her. A year later they were married — on June 3, 1938, by Rev. Robert Taylor. The newlyweds lived upstairs with the Bernard Callaways, and later, with Miss Gussie Crawford before moving to Washington, where Alex was in the filling station business.

They moved back to Rayle in 1949 and built their home on land they bought, opened a grocery store in an existing building next door on the property, and operated it as Boatwright Grocery. At one time, Alex’s parents, Paul and Myrtice Echols Boatwright, lived where Taxidermist Dobbs now lives.

Burnard Swann, Garland Darracott, William “Bill” Bridges, and Wilda’s brother-in-law, J.G. Cunningham, worked in the store. By then Alex was already in the lumber business. When they moved back to Rayle he started cutting timber while running the store.

When Alex had a heart attack in 1957 and was hospitalized for three weeks, he sold the store to Bill Bridges. Mr. Bridges later sold it to Brantley Armour. Marshall Sherrer, who owns Sherrer’s Grocery across the highway, owns it now, having bought it from Mr. Armour.

Alex continued to operate Boatwright Lumber Company until he bought land on Harper Road and started AAA Log Homes, a successful business with AAA log homes sold all over the country and overseas as well, with his son as operator.

Alex and Wilda had two children, a girl and a boy, Linda and Joseph Alexander, Jr. — “Buddy.” Wilda has six dear grandchildren: Linda’s four — Kay, Kim, Keri and Lee; and Buddy’s two — Amy and Alexander. Wilda is proud great-grandmother of nine: Kay’s Casey and Wendy, Kim’s Alex and Ashley, Keri’s Michalah, Michael and William, and Lee’s Kyce and Kashten. She is also great-great-grandmother of two precious little ones, Casey’s Maya and Marcus. Wilda is “Mimi” to her grandchildren.

The community was saddened when Linda died of cancer on September 3, 2001. Wilda’s grandchildren and great-grandchildren are close to their “Mimi,” who is always so glad to see them when they come to see her.

Buddy continued to operate AAA Log Homes for years, until a few years ago. Wilda is glad to have her son and family near. Buddy and his wife Joy, and family, live on the family farm on Harper Road and check on “Mimi” often.

We remember when Wilda opened her beauty shop in their home. She quickly closed it when Alex announced one day that he wanted to see some of the country. They enjoyed traveling to every state in the United States, except Hawaii. They didn’t go there because Alex would not fly.

They, with her sister and brotherin law, Hazel and Ralph Webb, were outside of Denver, Colorado, when Alex had a fatal heart attack September 11, 1985. Wilda and Hazel went to Hawaii two years after Alex’s death.

I must tell you Wilda agreed to share her memories of Rayle in earlier days after insisting, “This is not going to be about me.” And, it is not ALL about her, but I do have to share a little about her. (A book could be written on her travels, her love of children — everybody’s, and crocheting alone.), including the following which appeared in the Rayle News some years back and was clipped and saved. Wilda and the late Sue (Mrs. Ben) Amason were Girls Auxiliary (GA) leaders at Sardis Baptist Church. They also had girls from other churches attending, including mine.

“Those taking part in the beautiful GA Coronation Service at Sardis Church were: maidens Joyce Hall, Phyllis Winfrey, Debbie Winfrey, Margaret and Cathy Edmunds, Marsha Edmunds, Sonya Amos, Diane Poulnott; lady in waiting, Susan Amason; princesses, Mariann Cason and Jo Ann Willingham; queens, Miriam Johnson, Linda Boatwright, Susan Armour, Elaine Whittington, Gloria Sisson and Elaine Smith; flower girls, Becky Silvey, Marie Orr, Suzette Booth, Debbie Cosby, Louise Hardy and Karen Walker; crown bearers, Don Bridges, Norman Echols, Jr., Larry Callaway, Al Lamar, Carl Sisson, Jr., and Lyn Armour. Mrs. Alex Boatwright and Mrs. Sue Amason are Girls Auxiliary Counselors.”

Sardis continues to be the church where Wilda enjoys worshipping, with Rev. John Mark Carpenter as interim pastor. Wilda had joined the Christian Church as a young girl and had been baptized. She recalls that Sardis was reluctant to accept her as a member unless she was again baptized. She credits the late Ralph Crawford, son of “Miss Gussie” and a deacon, with not having to be baptized again. He convinced the church — told them they would accept her without baptizing her again. She remembers the Crawfords as “wonderful people” for many reasons.

And we have a friend from the same Christian Church who did have to be baptized before becoming a member of another church in the area. She is teased about not being accepted without being baptized again because she was a Christian — not a Baptist.

Now for her memories of Rayle, in her words as best recalled by the writer who is putting this together at her children’s home in Alabama. I’m adding tidbits gleaned from other sources. If a reader remembers differently, blame it on writer error, not the one doing the remembering. Let me know your memories so we can share them one day. This is not written as a precise history, but just to evoke other memories of Rayle of yesteryear as Rayle enjoys its fifth annual Rayle Ramble.

“Earl Armour had a store where Sherrer’s Store is now. Mr. Dave Armour and Marshall Sherrer worked for him. Marshall started working there in 1955 and bought the store in 1964. Edgar Nash had a shop next to Mr. Earl’s Store. In front of my house was a hat shop run by Nettie Sherrer, sister of Dr. Sherrer, who lived where Chris Lunsford now lives. Aunt Lola (Mrs. Billy) Boatwright had a restaurant there for a while.

“Uncle Jim and Aunt Bessie lived where the Boltons now live. Later, she lived there with her daughter and son-in-law, Lucille and James Short, who had lived next to Rayle School, where the Brent Sherrers now live. Marvin Boatwright is son of Aunt Bessie and Uncle Jim, and is brother of Lucille and Pearl.

The Dave Armours lived across the road from the school. His son Jack Armour and family have a home between there and US78. At one time, Mr. Dave Armour ran a corn mill in Rayle, east of Mr. Earl’s store.

“Mr. and Mrs. Gid Peterman, parents of Blanche (Mrs. Bo) Armour, lived in that house in the corner across the street, where the Harry Stephenses now live. Mr. and Mrs. Reece Smith also lived there at one time.

“Mr. Brant Armour lived above the Boatwrights, as did the Earl Armours, the Brantley Armours, James Armours and Carl Sherrers. The Jake Buffs live in the Earl Armour home today. Dr. and Mrs. Willis Sherrer live in his family home.

“At one time a Mr. and Mrs. Andrews, Zira Richardson’s parents, lived where the Norman Echolses’ home and the Echols Personal Care Home is now. And . . . Mart Lunceford ran a shop in Rayle. After he died, Miss Hattie Lunceford lived west of the Jim Boatwrights.

“Hoke and Jenny Boatwright and family lived in a house beyond the Bernard Callaways — I’ve always loved their daughter, Ann Corbett. She’s one of mine! I believe Hoke ran a shop in Rayle at one time. Sam and Zira Richardson lived in what is now the Owen Callaway home. Willie Lou and Rollin Callaway and Ola and Billy Boatwright also lived west of me.

“Toward Washington was the gin owned and operated by Tucker Jackson, and after his death by his son, Buck Jackson, until it was sold to Brantley Armour who continued to operate it. It later burned.

“Across the road, Miss Blanche and Tuck Jackson and family lived in the ‘Jackson House,’ which is now owned by the City of Rayle. They bought it, and some land, from Buck’s widow, Grace Ferguson. There were eight Jackson children — Frank, S.T., Leslie, Annie Blanche (Vaughn), Buck, Carl, Evelyn (Montgomery), and Myrtle (Orr) — all deceased except Annie Blanche.”

Actually, Annie Blanche Jackson Vaughn — Mrs. J.M. — probably shares senior-citizen-of-Rayle honors with Wilda — is a bit older, but she lives down Courtground Road and not in the city itself. Everyone enjoyed reading in The News-Reporter recently about the wonderful family reunion enjoyed at her home.

“Joe and Ione Lunsford and family — Elizabeth (Granade), Louise (McCommons), William Lunsford, and Allen Hall — lived where the Boyce Halls now live. Next to them Boyce’s parents, Allen and Martha Hall, live in the brick house. Beyond them, Chris Lunsford lives where he and his brother Tommy grew up, sons of William and Lib Armour Lunsford. At one time Dr. Sherrer lived here.

“Back across the road, Mrs. T.B. Carlyon, and her daughter Mrs. Martha Wells and sons Robert, Emory and Tom later lived in the Crawford home, which hunters are now enjoying.” (I can’t let this pass without mentioning what a beloved teacher and friend Mrs. Carlyon was to this writer.)

On farther west, beyond Centerville at the Tim Millers’ home and Post Oak Farms, stands the building which, in 1924, was the office of Dr. Sales who treated Wilda when she came near death with flu and pneumonia. With so many sick and dying around them, Wilda’s mother and sister were also sick.

Wilda was six years old and remembers hearing Dr. Sales say, “I’ll stop by on my way back, but I don’t think she’ll be here.” He told Wilda later, “You went to The River but didn’t go across.”

Today, a few years later, Wilda enjoys life at her home in Rayle, while being loved by so many of us. She also enjoys having her 95 year old brother, John Ralph Smith, and his wife, Elizabeth, living near her pretty home in Rayle, where a bad accident on US78 recently gave her quite a scare. Thankfully, those involved that day were not badly injured. But, she has witnessed fatalities in front of her home twice, one right in front of her home, the other in front of the beauty shop across the road.

Wilda does a lot of crocheting and quilting. She has made many, many bed-size afghans, and all of her children and grandchildren have been given pretty ones. She also does other beautiful needlework, much of it bed-size. All of her bedrooms showcase her handwork. Her large collection of bells is displayed in dining and bedrooms.

We are grateful to Wilda for sharing, even though she really did not want to, for carrying us back to yesteryear. We wish her many more years of enjoying her pretty home right in the middle of Rayle.

We are also grateful to others who answered questions, long distance, for this or for last week’s article: Mrs. J. M. Vaughn, Marshall Sherrer, Martha Hall, Catherine Callaway, and Jason Echols.

Also appreciated in Rayle today, other than those already mentioned in some way, are: Mari-Ann’s Hair Styles, where everyone goes to be made more beautiful and enjoy the owner’s happy outlook; also, Walker Wood Products; Bob’s Drive-in Grocery; Ruby W. Chafin’s Grocery, and B&S Flea Market.

A very important group is the Rayle Lunch and Learn Club, which meets at City Hall fourth Wednesday of each month for lunching and learning and having fun. Their contributions to the community and other worthy organizations and individuals have been many through the years. Peggy Echols is president of the club and is also a member of the Rayle Ramble Planning Committee.

All members of the committee and all of Rayle hope you will enjoy the Rayle Ramble, which begins at 10 a.m., Saturday, October 22. See you there!