Someone recently asked the number of people I have written about during these past seven years. Well, I went back and scanned all my columns and I lost count. But it was several hundred I am sure. Now I plan to write about so many more that it will take additional columns to contain them. You will readily identify with these as friends, relatives and acquaintances.

I, my wife and family have known most all these wonderful people through our experiences and personal relationships for over 60 years. Our personal, civic, community and church association with them make it easy and enjoyable to write kind things about these former residents knowing them as we did. I have avid readers living away from here who rely on the Internet to read all my nostalgic columns about former friends and relatives. And, when those stories are slow to appear on our website I really “catch it” from them.

I wanted to name a few this week and I’ll have more next week.

I have written about many of them in past columns and I plan to write about many more of them before I cease writing. Now, be sure to get a copy of the Advance each week because I will be writing about someone you knew or was very close to you.

Please understand I am listing them by name today but I’ll have stories on some of them as the weeks go by.  Several of these mentioned have already been included in past columns. Here’s some you will remember, however.

D V Johnson, Marshall Turk, Dr. Henry Rogers Jr., Floyd Holk, Bobby Norris, Judge Doug Webb, Bud Mason, Eddie Staff, Johnny Woods, Joe Latham, Buster Joiner, Curtis Forrester, Bully Brooks, Tony Albert, Shorty Holland, Joe Rains, Arthur Hall, Carl Raley, Tom Dunn, Buck Jones, Bob Tucker, George Bowab, C. Williams, Famous Bradberry, Lawrence Cooper, Billy Turberville, Tom Turk, J P Madison and Otis Miller.

Others include: Gerald Stanton, Harold McGill, Bill Coley, Dr. St Amant, Ben Haley, Billy Roy Parker, John Holland, Grover Everette, Bernie Littleton, Lukie Anderson, Oris Davis, Dr. John Smith, Dr. Dewitt Allen, Henly Smith, Rev. Hagood, Wayne Butts, Tom Miniard, Martin Ritche, Carl Copeland, Frank Bricken, Jack Akins, Vonzie Godwin, Bill Whitehead, Billy McDonald, Rev. Glen Weekley, Chief Calvin McGhee, Lenoir Thompson, Thomas Coleman, James Roley, Flo Simpson and Betty Gibbs.
Their obituaries have appeared in The Advance over the years and I ask that you kindly respect those I have named.

These are only a few of my late friends and acquaintances. I will write about even more in future columns. Recognizing many former residents who lived away from Atmore and who passed away in other cities and towns, makes it is easy for me to put headlines on their death notices and write relevant stories about them because I knew them when they lived here.

In other news I received an email from a bank this week alerting me to the fact they were now offering “pay day loans.”  Wow, was this news? I suppose it is good to know that when a bank advertises “full service” it also includes “pay day loans.” I was under the impression that banks frowned on high interest-short term loans.

Sunday my pastor informed our congregation that our church would soon have its own web site. Of course, I believe this will be an asset for us because we can promote church functions and activities, possibly reaching some who are searching for a church home.

But, I know a small handful who, allegedly, are on record as anti-Internet. Could be these don’t have access to the Internet and are making judgments about it because of their lack of knowledge about it. After all we do live in the computer-digital-Internet age.

One really has to remain tight-lipped to prevent personal embarrassment when you are not Internet-knowledgeable because interest and growth in this area mushrooms by the hour. Those who fail to identify with it will be left out in the cold. Age is not a factor. Fifteen years ago I paid a sixteen-year-old $25 per hour for several hours to teach me how to use it. Had I not done this I would have been dismissed from The National Flood Insurance Program. My college days offered me no instruction in this field.

You might say it had not been “invented” back then.

Next year, as you probably know, your government and Social  Security checks will be deposited directly into your bank account.

There has been talk of an email requirement but I have not researched that yet. Your bank can help you with this, I’m sure.

While speaking of the Internet I gave an uninvited girl an apparent Facebook scare last week. Her photo and name popped up on my site and I immediately copied it and wrote a note on my Facebook Wall for her to read informing her l that I was forwarding it to a close attorney friend who was familiar with raunchy postings. After seeing my posting she stripped her website as quickly as she entered it, perhaps fearing the consequences that may incur. My friend told me I did the right thing copying it because he now has the necessary data he needs to trace it down.

I will have more news from the Atmore area next week.

Lowell McGill can be reached at exam@frontiernet.net.