The Chatter Box
By Deborah Bennett

I had the privilege Sunday afternoon to witness an "oldfashioned" baptism of several persons in the Ogeechee River at Bennett's Landing. The Rev. Mike Dann, pastor of Rosemary Baptist Church, conducted the service as members gathered on the banks of the river and observed.

The event brought back many pleasant memories of my childhood when it was customary for West Millen Baptist Church to baptize new converts in the waters of Buckhead Creek at what was known then as "Little Boy's Wash Hole." My grandmother and I would walk to the creek and watch the ceremony, after which I was allowed to swim for a while.

By the time I made a decision for the Lord, the church had started using the baptistery at Millen Baptist Church, and that is where I was baptized. Memories of the baptisms I witnessed in the creek, however, have remained with me through the years.

Watch for the photos and story on Sunday's service in next week's paper. I could not get it together in time for this week's edition.

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Happy birthday this week to: Zach Becton, Zann Becton, Ansley Burke, Jackie D. Glisson, Chris Adams, Sandy Marie Reid, Rick McNeely, Melodye Williams, Ronnie Fleming, Myrt Wilson, Daphne Wiggins, Logan Marie Reid, H.G. Wiggins, Ivey McMillan and Judy Taylor.

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Celebrating wedding anniversaries this week are: Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Dickey, Mr. and Mrs. Buford Williams, Mr. and Mrs. Ron Washburn, Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Thomas, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Boynton, Mr. and Mrs. David Brown and Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie Fleming.

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Military Active Duty List: Airman First Class Charles S. Woods, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas; Capt. Andrew P. Thomas, U.S. Marines, 2nd Marine Division, F.A.S.T. Company, Bahrain, Persian Gulf; Stuart Burrus, U.S. Air Force, BAFB, LA; SPC 4 Travis D. Motes, 1st Calvary Division, Camp Taji, Iraq; Capt. Donald Slade Burke, Travis Air Force Base, Fairfield, Calif.; SPC Grade E4 Arthur Lamont Milton Jr., HHC 1-36 Infantry Support, Friedberg, Germany; Staff Sgt. Gilbert C. Sheppard III, 48th Brigade, 118th Field Artillery, Ft. Stewart; Petty Officer 2nd Class Jamie A. Yager, U.S. Navy, Maryland; Petty Chief Officer Andy D. Crosby, U.S. Navy, Elroy Destroyer, Norfolk, Va.; Stephanie Crosby, R.N., U.S. Navy, Lafayette Destroyer; LCPL Dwain "Cade" Lee, 1st Marine Division Combat Service Support Group II Security Element, ArRamadi, Iraq; Jimmy Cooper, U.S. Army National Guard, 878th Engineering Battalion-Augusta, Persian Gulf ; 1st Lt. J.R. Taylor, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Iraq; SPC. Daniel Stuart, 18th MEDCOM, 121 General Hospital, Seoul, Korea; Sgt. 1st Class Steven Yager, 362nd Sig. Company, Korea; MM3 Jeffrey Sweat, U.S. Navy, USS Kauffman, MM3 59/E-Division, A-Gang, Norfolk, Va.; Cpl. Larry Lamont Clark, U.S. Marine Corp, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C. Bagdad, Iraq; Khan Young, U.S. Navy, U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, Persian Gulf; Robert Milton Jr., E-3, U.S. Army, Ft. Stewart, Hinesville, Ga., Mission Kuwait; SFC Ronnie Perryman, E-7, Georgia Army National Guard, Battery A, 118th Field Artillery Regiment, 48th Brigade Combat Team; Arnold R. Mosley, 2nd Lt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas; and Debra A. Mosley, Tech. Sgt., U.S. Air Force, Randolph AFB, Texas.