Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The recent gathering of good folks who came together to celebrate Jesse Powers’ 100th birthday was truly special.

It would be hard for me to recall not knowing Jesse. He was an integral part of the Belk-Tyler “family “here in Washington for forty-seven years. Clark Curtis did a very nice feature in the Daily News about the event.

My father came here in 1936 after two years in Rocky Mount with the first Belk-Tyler store in 1932, then went to Tarboro in 1934 to open another store, then came here to open a store, where he was manager for forty-two years.

So. I have been knowing Jesse, as I said, for almost all of my eighty-five years.

To call those who were a part of the store here almost like family is not a stretch at all.

Allow me to digress a bit more with some esoterica about Chocowinity, a special place where Jesse still lives.

It was once known as Godley’s Cross Roads. Shortly before the Revolutionary War the name was changed, as the Rev. N. C. Hughes Jr. traced the name to Chocowaneteth Creek. One source says Chocowinity is derived from the Tuscarora word “ Chackaeuve” meaning “otter” or “little otters.”

There is far more to be gleamed about this special town and can be easily done so by consulting with “Mr. Google”.

There was a lot of love in that room in July when so many gathered to mark Jesse’s centennial celebration.

One of those who spoke at the event was Chocowinity mayor James (Jim) Mobley, a good man who loves his town.

If I had to name just one person from Chocowinity, whom I knew well, who embodied uncommon decency and caring, yet never sought recognition for all the acts of generosity and kindness he extended to so many, many young people over the years, it would be Coach Clyde Harding.

He was beloved, and deservedly so.

It would be my hope that those good people who, in more recent times have come to populate those very nice residential areas so close to the older part of Chocowinity, know a bit of the history of this special place.

So. Let me close with a bit of humor. Many years ago, a salesman stopped at a restaurant in Chocowinity. He wanted to locate a certain person, had their telephone number, and dialed it using the restaurant phone.

When someone answered his call, he asked if he might speak with the man he was trying to contact. Informed he was not present, he asked if he could leave a message.

That message being “Tell him that Mr. Misenheimer from Binswanger Glass Company called from Saleeby’s Restaurant in Chocowinity.”

“Good lord, mister, there’s no way I can remember all of that!”

Who could?