One of the real casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic has been our abilities to properly honor the lives of our friends and loved ones. Funerals are indeed on the list of activities limited by social distancing requirements and the rule of 10.
Funerals, so say the epidemiologists, are killing us. Under the rule of 10, many funeral homes are limiting families to graveside services only and even then, large families are forced to decide which six or seven members get to attend the services. It’s heartbreaking for the families and for friends who want to help share their grief alike.
I realized those hard truths this week, when the Lord called two legendary Mississippians home – and the coronavirus outbreak blocked what would have been large and meaningful ceremonies honoring both of their productive and substantial lives.
The first was Oktibbeha County retired farmer and mechanic Thomas Boswell Kennard, who died March 30 at his Oktoc community home. Kennard was 101 years old. A lifelong Mississippi State University Bulldog partisan, Mr. Boswell spent his 100th birthday at Dudy Noble Field – throwing out the first pitch under his own steam against Texas A&M before returning to his family space in the Left Field Lounge.
For the rest of that game, well-wishers made their way to greet and take selfies with Mr. Boswell. While I referred to him as a retired farmer and mechanic, the truth is that Kennard never really retired.
Until he lost the ability to walk, he made his way to his workshop to repair, to build, to weld, or just to tinker amidst his memories.
In 1941, a semester away from an MSU degree in agricultural engineering, Kennard had to leave school to run his family’s farm after the untimely death of an uncle. He simply put his head down and worked his way through the problem – a life lesson his children and grandchildren would learn from him.
Boswell Kennard is the father of Everett Kennard, the best-known college bus driver in America. Everett has been an incredible ambassador for MSU over his career and his devotion to MSU athletes has been featured on ESPN and other sports networks many times.
When I was in college and Everett was a young married guy trying to support his family, we were “stringer” sports reporters for the Starkville Daily News together. To say that I learned to respect and admire the Kennard family is an understatement.
The second was legendary East Central Community College educator and writer Ovid Vickers of Decatur, who died March 31 at Winston Medical Center in Louisville following a brief illness.
Vickers was one of the more unique individuals I ever had the privilege to know. He was a revered Mississippi folklorist, essayist, poet and teacher, but those descriptions don’t fully sum up the man.
When Ovid Vickers entered the room, he absorbed all the air in the room. All eyes were on him and all ears attuned to what he’d say next in that high, lilting Georgia drawl.
A native of Gadsden, Alabama, he grew up in Dodge County, Georgia. He was three times a graduate of George Peabody College for Teachers (now Vanderbilt University’s School of Education), where he earned his bachelor and master’s degrees and later an Education Specialist degree.
But it was in Decatur, Mississippi, where Vickers built a life and a reputation as one of America’s best and most intriguing teachers.
From 1955-1995, Vickers was a beloved English instructor and department chair at East Central Community College. He didn’t just teach English and literature, he changed lives. He energized the spark of curiosity in his students.
ECCC named its Fine Arts Center, built in 1969, in honor of Vickers for his many contributions to the humanities and the institution.
Mr. Kennard and Mr. Vickers both deserved large proper funerals, so their families could hear what a tremendous blessing these remarkable men brought to all who knew them. But under the circumstances, both men departed this life knowing “it is well with my soul.”
Sid Salter is a syndicated columnist. Contact him at sidsalter@sidsalter.com.
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Sid Salter: Covid-19 Robbing Us of Opportunities to Honor Departed Giants
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14 comments:
That is the least of my worries.
Thanks, Sid, for recognizing these two wonderful Mississippians. Yes, it's sad that we have to forego many of life's meaningful ceremonies and traditions during this terrible time.
But how many of us are secretly relieved that we don’t have to feel obligated to dress up and go to a funeral...or host one? Like baptisms, these affairs should be strictly private—just the priest and the immediate family have to show up. Write a nice note from the comfort of your own home...that’s sufficient, even in ordinary times.
Does old Sid get paid for this pap??
A one-hour ceremony does not define a person's life. In today's connected world the myriad of Facebook posts and news articles (like this one) will do much more to bring remembrance to those that knew these individuals than a crowded church and at best a 15 minute eulogy that covers the deceased's life.
It's gotten bad if only 1 in 5 are capable of civility.
Those of you have have to spew your dissatisfaction and venom have long stopped being entertaining for shock value. You are now just pathetic and tiresome.
I would add Fred Adams, founder of Cal-Maine, to this list.
Nearly everyone is a tremendous loss and a giant in someone’s eyes. Not just those that Salter admires in his shallow life’s work of journalist and political junkie.
I'm sorry Sid's friends are gone, but because they had a hard time on the farm and were Mississippi State sports fans does not make them 'American Giants'.
(Perhaps in Sid's world) . . . but not to the rest of us.
No offense to these families, I'm sure they were great men and raised some great progeny.
But so did our families . . . that had never heard of "Sid".
1:08 — I was thinking the same thing as I was reading Sid’s article.
Fred Adams had a tremendous life and built an empire of sorts from the ground up. He did get a good obit but his life and story are so significant and inspiring that he deserves a book.
Sid makes a good point in that the virus is robbing us of a chance to celebrate the lives of important people— not necessarily famous people but just important in some way to others and to their community. Since the virus is forcing what will be lasting changes in how we do things, maybe we should now change the way we honor people’s life work by doing so while that person is still alive.
Before I opened this I just knew that Fred Adams would be one of the honored.
That's fine 441. You can write about the one's you know and like, or love.
Why don't you try writing a column once a week and get it posted somewhere, or carried by some newspaper. Once you can't get anybody to carry it, start your own site.
There were many people that have died recently and families wetent able to celebrate their lives, which was the point of the column. Sid mentioned two who's funeral he would have attended, and why.
You, and others that have commented here must be pretty sorry individuals to bitch about his giving a memorial to two folks he knew
And by the way, I was sorry to learn of Mr Vickers death as well. One summer I attended ECJC and had the absolute pleasure of taking an English Lit class from Mr Vickers. Hated the idea of taking a Lit class so decided to get it out of the way in summer school. But it turned into one of my favorite all time college courses, because of Mr Vickers. Developed a great admiration for the man and continued to visit with him regularly for the next 30 years. He was everything Sid said, and more. Yes, I would have gladly done what the inane poster said above, dressed up in a suit, taken the afternoon off, and attended the funeral of someone I admired and respected.
Tall take your sour puss attitudes and stash them somewhere else. As was said above, your dribble had gotten old.
What? Funeral gatherings limited by the Chinese Virus? Wow! Who'd have figured?
Oh, Kingfish, pleeeeeaaaase just let Sid Salter’s little pieces die the natural death they should, unmourned by any of your intelligent readers. He gets his moment in print in the state paper, so why do you need to republish his schlocky drivel?
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