Willa Dale Boone Celebrates 90 Years
Willa Dale Boone celebrated her 90th birthday at Enon Baptist Church Sunday when she had all her children, and most of her grandchildren, along with other friends and family members join her for the Sunday worship service, and stay for the celebration.
Mrs. Boone was born in Burnsville, N.C. and lived there her growing-up years, graduating from Micadle High School, a week before marrying Rudolph Boone, who she said was a little wild, but that didn’t stop her from going with him. He must not have been too wild, as they remained married for some 62 years until his death.
The Boone’s did move around some, settling briefly in Pennsylvania, and calling several other places home while Mr. Boone was in the military. They were back in Burnsville, raising their family of three daughters and a son, when they got the call to come to Monticello. Mr. Boone, along with several other people left Burnsville for Monticello to work at the Feldspar plant when it first opened after Feldspar was found in the area. Thurman Willis, also from Burnsville, was in charge of operations.
Some of the others who relocated here were Herb Hickey, Charles Harper, and Mrs. Boone’s sister and brother. Her sister is back in Burnsville now, and her brother died in the line of duty working law enforcement in Covington 47 years ago.
Their oldest daughter, Debbie Hooper, remembers her home-economics teacher was also her mother’s home-economic teacher. Mrs. Boone said when she was in school, there were only six-eight children in her class, and they along with all children in first through fifth grade were taught by the same teacher. She remembers walking to school, saying she had to cross a creek in the process. One winter’s day, she fell in the creek. She went back home that day! The high school is no longer there, having been torn down recently.
Interestingly, Mrs. Boone went to work for Mr. Willis at the Monticello Dairy Queen when he opened it. She has worked lots of places in Monticello. Many know her from the different locations. I remember her fondly from working at the Oxford Outlet clothing store in Monticello when Oxford Industries (the sewing room) was here. She also worked at City Pharmacy and Monticello Drugs. She worked at Clover Farm and Red & White (grocery stores). She worked for Farmer’s National Bank. She even worked at Benton Supply. Some were before Oxford Industries, and some after. She said she worked at most stores in town before finally retiring some 23 years ago.
One thing Mrs. Boone said that has changed a lot is the stores and the store-fronts, as well as the new people. Having worked at so many stores, she would notice all the changes.
Thinking back, Mrs. Boone remembered the wood stove at her grandparents house. She said it was different than the new gas and electric heat, but it was warm. She also remembered time with her children and Christmases with presents stacked as high as the tree. In addition, to Debbie, the Boones have a son, Tony, and two other daughters, Karen Morgan and Denise Pulliam. They all pitch in to keep mama company.
Nowadays, much time is spent going to doctor appointments, and there is the occasional trip to Wal-Mart which Mrs. Boone enjoys. Debbie says it takes two daughters on those trips—one to push the buggy and one to push mama. But most days are spent at home, sitting in her chair looking out across the back yard, watching the squirrels and the birds.
She suffers from macular degeneration so she can’t read the paper like she used to, and worse, can’t read her Bible. But she’s content watching the yard and some television some times. Gunsmoke is her favorite show, she says.
