Thanksgiving Anniversary

Jack & Corky Holliday, Spring 1993

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!

Sixty one years ago today, Cordelia Dessau married Jackson Riley Holliday.  It was a small, at-home wedding.  The Methodist preacher stood in front of Grandmother's living room fireplace as the guests gathered around. The black and white photographs show a happy couple.  They drove to Florida for their honeymoon then returned to Macon to make their home together, first on Clisby Place, then in the house Daddy designed on Vista Circle.  We always called it 'The House That Jack Built'.

They celebrated their Golden Anniversary in 1999 with Sweetie and me in Atlanta.  It was also Thanksgiving Day and we were setting up at the Pride of Dixie Antique Show.  Set up was always on Thanksgiving and the show opened on Friday.

Mama decided that they would drive up and take us out to eat after we unloaded and set up our booths.  Since most, if not all, restaurants were closed by late afternoon that day, she made a reservation at the Simpsonwood Conference and Retreat Center located on the Chattahoochee River.  It is run by the North Georgia United Methodist Conference and is a beautiful and idyllic location.  It was overcast and cold late that afternoon as the four of us drove over the river and through the woods to get to this place.

We were pleasantly surprised and delighted to find such a lovely venue for our Thanksgiving dinner.  There were two other large family groups celebrating Thanksgiving there and they graciously welcomed our small group into the dining room.  The various families included several young children who all were well behaved, thank goodness.  The food, turkey with all the trimmings, was amazingly good for such a large, banquet-style facility and we all enjoyed the fellowship we shared. 

As we walked out after our pumpkin pie dessert, a member of one of the families stopped us to ask if we could be related to him.  Were we from Uncle Joe's side of the family, he politely asked with a twinkle in his eye.  We all chuckled, knowing the answer.  We were the only white guests that evening!