"Raise the bridge, my friends are sailing by."

I see the names of so many friends in the obituaries, and there are so many memories. I shall mention a few friends who have departed this world. I shall miss them all.

JOE TOOL worked for many years with state parks and wildlife fish hatcheries. Joe had grown up in a rural area in Sabine County near an ox-bow lake. I remember when Joe and Mike Ryan took me fishing at the new lake near Tatum. They had stocked the lake, so I figured they could just say, "Come on, little fishes; come on and get caught." We laughed a lot about that trip. We never got a bite.

RUBEN ABNEY was a fellow lawyer. When I first came to Marshall, he told me the best way to handle cases was just to be patient and most of the time, they would just go away. I was walking my baby girl on Crockett Street, where Ruben was then living in that neighborhood. Ruben came down the sidewalk and advised me that it was good to take care of the daughter because she would be the one to take care of me in my old age.

LUTHER ANDERSON was from a family that has lived for many generations on the west side of Harrison County. Among his many endeavors, he had been a dairy farmer, who not only milked the cows, but delivered the milk in glass bottles to people in Marshall. Numerous people have mentioned this to me, and it was non-pasteurized milk. Having grown up drinking raw milk, where the cream came to the top, to me that was the true taste of milk.

I wrote a column about WANDA WALKER a few years ago. She wrote a column for many years called, "Wandering with Wanda." She told me that when she first moved to Marshall from San Angelo, she wasn't sure she'd like Marshall, but it turned out she loved it.

My cousin MARCELETTE GUINN recently died in Jennings, La. Her son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren live in Marshall. I remember going to a family wedding in Jennings and dancing with her. "Benny," she said, "you know you dancin' with a 90-year-ole woman." When I attended her husband Loyd's funeral, the Bishop declared that Marcelette had saved more souls than the apostle Paul.

GREG BEIL, who had a doctor's degree in nuclear physics, and I often played chess, and he often beat me. I finally learned if I waited until he ate a big supper, had a glass of wine, and became drowsy, I might have a chance to win occasionally.

ALBERT ABRAHAM was an integral part of the family that brought groceries to Marshall in the long ago and still does today. Albert often shared with me stories from the past and had a vivid memory of the details of his experience in World War II when he was shot down in his fighter plane and taken prisoner in Thailand.

MADELINE HALL was a well-known personality both in Jefferson where she grew up and in Marshall — always friendly and kind.

DEE AMMERMAN was a vigorous member of our community. She knew everybody and was loved by all.

FRED MCKENZIE of Jefferson never lost his youth. He flew his airplane, was in the Diamond Bessie play for close to 40 years, had a book store, did historical research, rode a bicycle built for two, and vowed he'd live to 90 — and he did.

FRANKLIN JONES JR. loved Marshall and was generous with his time and money in helping worthy causes in our city. He had a great legal mind, was a raconteur, and, like his father, often spoke his mind.

I am out of space, but I hope to never be out of friends.