Pages from the past: Update on Dorothy Sykes

100 YEARS AGO,

NOVEMBER 1919

EDITORIAL; We call attention to the publicized statements of our banks in this issue. The showing of all of these is phenomenal. Two of them, the Bank of Indianola and Sunflower Bank are now in the million-dollar class.

LOCAL NEWS: Mr. Will Dockery came down from his plantation home Thursday to pay taxes. Mr. Dockery is one of our county’s most prosperous and public-spirited citizens.

Julian Allen, who is attending Tulane University, spent Thanksgiving at home.

SOCIETY: The announcement of the coming marriage of Miss Bessie Horton to Mr. Vernon Hardy is one of the happy events of the mid-winter season. Miss Horton is one of our city’s finest and best young ladies.

Last Sunday’s Commercial Appeal carried the announcement of the marriage coming up on December 31 of Miss Ada Mae Neill to Major Arthur B. Clark. Miss Neill is the oldest daughter of Honorable and Mrs. S. A. Neill and no more charming and sweet young lady ever lived in our city. Major Clark is one of our prominent young attorneys. He served with distinction in the recent war.

50 YEARS AGO,

NOVEMBER 1969

SPORTS; The Indianola Indians stunned the St. Joe Fighting Irish with their 41-14 win in the Cleveland Lions Club Bowl. A photo in the article shows Sammy Henderson, outstanding back Head Coach Bill McGuire holding the trophy and Jake Bellipanni, outstanding lineman.

INVERNESS NEWS BY MRS. ROBERT WARREN; The Inverness Rotary Club met Wednesday, November 18 for their regular meeting with President Gene Lester presiding. Herbert Hargett, Superintendent of Education for Sunflower County was the guest speaker.

INDIANOLA NEWS:

Whitfield Chapman, longtime editor of the Indianola Enterprise and the Enterprise Tocsin is moving to Clearwater, Florida. They have sold their home to Mr. and Mrs. Morrell Richardson. The residence is one of the oldest in Indianola. It was built by Mr. and Mrs. Eldon Chapman, Whitfield’s parents, in 1901. Eldon Chapman came to Indianola from Water Valley in 1891 to practice law. In 1896, he opened The Enterprise.

25 YEAR AGO,

NOVEMBER 1994

Frank McWilliams has been appointed by the Board of Supervisors to fill the County Attorney position.  He will take over the duties of Jane McWilliams Weathersby who has been elected Judge for the Chancery Court District.

SPORTS: Two former Gentry High Rams, Chris Smith and Mark Jennings will be key players for Mississippi Valley State University when they host Arkansas State University this weekend.

15 YEARS AGO,

NOVEMBER 2004

FEATURE STORY BY CHARLOTTE BUCHANAN

Dorothy Sykes is a woman of diverse interests. She is the wife of Don Sykes, mother of two sons Alex and Michael, a teacher, a runner and a culinary artist.

COLUMN BY REV. ALLEN BAILEY: On this Thanksgiving, let us be a thankful people. Our vast supply of natural resources, a system of full enterprise, and the character of our people combines to produce a standard of living equaled by no other country under God’s moon and stars.

UPDATE ON DOROTHY SYKES

In the feature article written 15 years ago Dorothy Sykes talked about making her fabulous cinnamon rolls which she took orders for. “I still enjoy cooking, but the only cooking I do now is for my family,” she laughed and said. The affable lady said she still enjoys running and walking. Both of their sons are now adults.  She said they don’t have the empty nest syndrome because they have a few pet chickens in their backyard. “We also have a new dog, a Great Dane English Mastiff mix named Brutus,” she said. She still enjoys gardening. Sykes has retired after 25 years teaching in the Sunflower County School District. She is a nationally board-certified teacher. “I now work part-time at Delta State University working with teachers pursuing their board certification,” she said. Don Sykes still works fulltime for Columbia Gulf.

  They still live in one of Indianola’s oldest homes known as the “Johnson house” built in the late 1890s that is filled with antique furniture from both sides of the Sykes’ families and custom-made window coverings by her mother-in-law Ruth Sykes. One notable characteristic of Dorothy Sykes is her zest for living. She had it in 2004 and is still going strong today.