By John Cofield

This photograph covers many Oxford bases. Standing on the left are father and son, “Shine” and Ed Morgan. Shine was a town father for years, a statewide political figure, owner of his appliance store where Southside Gallery is today, and a first-class orator. 

When he left us in 1972, his son Ed easily took the torch and for more decades Morgan’s was the gathering spot for a group of Square coffee-clubbers. The family at one time also owned and operated the Hole In The Wall record shop as seen at the back of the photograph. Today that is Faulkner Alley. 

I searched for many hours trying to uncover the little girl’s name.  The priceless Christmastime expression on her face is Rockwell material. I did discover that she is in good hands with the Harvey sisters by her side, Miss Emily and Miss Cora Bell. 

The two black signs on the wall represent a doctor and a dentist. Dr. Little was a gentle soul and Dr. Tubb tortured us. And then there is Santa. This St. Nick is actually St. Nina. Mrs. Nina Goolsby was the editor of The Oxford Eagle for my childhood and well into the next decades. And she was Santa in the Christmas Parade tossing us handfuls of candy from her sleigh. An icon. 

Finally, who was that boy? It took a long time but finally, his name was revealed as Mark Shepherd living in south Mississippi. I got his email address and hoped he wasn’t another dead end. He answered and I sat back and smiled… 

“Thank you for sending this. I have that photo and it’s wonderful. The lady on the far right was my grandmother, Etoy Collins Bailey, and that’s my mother, Anita Bailey Shepherd, standing next to her. You may have known my uncle, longtime Batesville attorney Collins Bailey. Again, thank you for this memory and I’m glad I could help with your search.”

 

– Sheriff Mark Shepherd, Pike County, Mississippi