I was born in 1944 in the Lee Community, and at the age of six moved into the Lee town limits. I have fond as well as bittersweet memories of growing up, living and eventually having to leave the community of my heart - Lee, Florida. I am so happy I was born in Lee, Florida. I could have been born in a crime-ridden area of a northern city. I thank God that He providentially allowed me to be born in Lee. Even though Lee had its negatives - we had bullying from some of my peers both within the town as well as at Lee Junior High School. But in those days, officials did not take bullying as serious as they do today. Despite all this, I lived in a quiet and friendly community, crime was something we heard about from other cities far away. There were no telephone phones except a telephone at LJHS, a public telephone booth at what was then Bill Sevor's Store, and I think at Laurie Cherry's Feed Store. There were no cell phones, or Ipods. Only a few had televisons and we did not get one until Christmas of 1956. From watching hours of television I learned of a great bigger world than I had learned about at LJHS. I dreamed someday I would travel to those cities such as New York or Los Angeles.
I eventually made it to Los Angles once, but never saw the skyscrapers of New York and probably never will. When I graduated from LJHS, we were bussed to Madison to finish our last two years. When I graduated, I wanted to work in a funeral home, and with the trust and permission of the late Mr. Tom Beggs and Tommy Beggs, I was allowed to work there. I learned so much under the tutorship of Tommy Beggs and always will be appreciative to the Beggs family for the experience. And I will never forget Mr. Tom Beggs telling me when I got my 1st paycheck, he said: "Save and Have, Spend and Want." I have never forgotten those words of wisdom. Circumstances found me having to move to South Florida for employment. Initially I enjoyed my new surroundings, but over time, I longed for Lee, Florida. By this time I had married and with our first son, we jumped at an opportunity to move back to the Lee Community. I soon learned the old adage of "you can't come home again" is sadly so true. So after three disappointing years of attempting to come home again, I moved with my family to Alabama. After a long struggle, I finally was able to return to the funeral profession, graduated from Mortuary College and worked a various funeral homes in Alabama. An opportunity opened for me to become an Instructor and then the Director of a Mortuary Program in Mississippi.
I worked at this position for some 20 years, before health issues caused me to retire. Still, I have never forgotten the first love of my heart, the community and Town of Lee. And there are so many more memories which I could write about, but space does not permit. I will spend my final years thinking of those fond and bittersweet memories. I trust some of my final thoughts before I go to meet Jesus Christ - My Lord and Savior - will be of Lee, oh the sweet little community of Lee.
Don Webb