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Thomas Summers

By Linda H. Barnette

Another of my ancestors who participated in the Revolutionary War was Thomas Summers, another 5th great-grandfather. He was born in 1730 in Prince George’s County, Md., British Colonial America before the states as we know them now were formed. His parents, John Summers and Mary Anne Moore, were married there in 1713 and were the parents of 14 children. Thomas married Rachel Talbot in 1750 and had 8 children. According to Fold3, the Ancestry site for military history, Thomas was a guard in a Maryland regiment commanded by a Col. Thomas Price for the months of November and December in 1778. His title was Captain Summers.

For his service he received a Revolutionary War land bounty for 250 acres “in the big branch waters of Hunting Creek in Rowan County.” (See “deed” at right.) In the Census of 1790, he was listed as living in Iredell County, and his will was probated there in 1799. He was probably buried there as well, but I have not discovered a specific location.

His son Benjamin married Verlinda Lovelace in Iredell in 1794. Their daughter married Amos Jacobs whose daughter married J.L. Bowles, and they are buried at Center Methodist Cemetery here in Davie. Summers is the line from which my DAR patriot, Zachariah Jacobs, comes.

Let me add here that the Davie County Public Library has an excellent history collection as well as free access to Ancestry and Fold3 where you can look for your own people. Staff and volunteers are available to help you get started.

NALC Food Drive

By:  E. Bishop

Spring, that time again when your calendar starts filling up with fun things to do and celebrations to look forward to.  Earth Day, Arbor Day, Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day and in between, many ways to get involved in your local community.  When this article comes out, the Deep Roots Community Garden plant sale begun by Sarah Wood will have taken place.  Mrs. Wood is a source of inspiration for us all truly showing what helping others can mean. With that in mind, as a retired city letter carrier working out of the Mocksville post office, I want to remind everyone about the upcoming food drive. Like Sarah, we all can make a difference in the lives of others.

You may ask “Why is hunger still a problem?” In a country like ours? There always will be people experiencing some food insecurity somewhere; you will never know what their individual circumstances might be, but that is no reason to overlook the problem. Many factors play a role creating this situation; currently, there is a huge housing crisis.  And the high cost of living, poverty and unemployment also contribute to the problem.  According to statistics, more than 44 million people in the US face hunger, including one in five children; nearly 13% of American households.

So, when you start thinking of Mother’s Day on May 12th, take a moment to realize that every mother would want to be able to feed their children. Consider starting now to collect and donate food items to the largest one-day food drive in the nation which will be held for the 32nd time – Saturday, May 11th.

Led by letter carriers represented by the National Association of Letter Carriers, with help from rural carriers, other postal employees and volunteers, the drive has delivered more than 1.82 billion pounds of food the past 30 years.  The United Way, Vericast, Valpak Direct Marketing, CVS Health, Kellogg’s and United Food and Commercial Workers International Union are all supporters of this year’s Stamp Out Hunger food drive.

To donate, please place non-perishable food items in your mailbox before your letter carrier delivers mail on that second Saturday in May. Most requested items are rice, canned fruit, pasta, beans, canned protein such as canned chicken and tuna, peanut butter and cereal.  Please no pre-prepared, nothing that requires refrigeration and no glass. The carrier will do the rest.  The collected items will be delivered to our local food pantry.  As Kris Z from Greensboro said in last week’s paper, let’s show that Mocksville and Davie County can make a huge impact in our community; show the compassion and caring that we all deserve.

Involve family, friends, coworkers; take a selfie with your contribution and post.  Give Back in 2024. Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, Saturday, May 11.

National Day of Prayer

By Stephanie Williams Dean

The 73rd National Annual Day of Prayer is coming up on Thursday, May 2. This important day is always held on the first Thursday in May of each year.

This year’s theme “Lift up the Word – Light up the World” is taken from Biblical scripture found in Samuel 22:29-31.

“You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall. As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.”  (NIV)

The National Day of Prayer website encourages us to pray for America by praying into the seven centers of influence in our nation. The seven centers are church, family, military, education, government, business, and media. Please pray for our country’s leaders and judges in our courtrooms – ask God to equip them with wisdom to carry out their duties with the utmost integrity. Please pray for protection for our military and support for their families. Please pray for our media to bring uplifting and life-giving messages to readers. Please pray for innovative and creative ideas for businesses to create economic boosts. Please pray for safe environments for our children to learn and have access to excellent teachers, and please pray the church will be an outstanding reflection of God’s love in the world. And finally, please pray that our homes and families are safe havens and healthy environments for our children and promote family unity.

These are just a few examples of what to pray for recommended on the National Day of Prayer website. I’m sure there are many more ways the seven centers of influence on our nation might be strengthened by our prayers.

The National Day of Prayer is on my calendar. I hope to attend a church or community event in our area on that day. But if not, I will set time aside during my day to contemplate and pray for these important aspects that have great influence over our nation.