Billy D. Fox, 97 May 3

   My Dad passed away August 2, 1999 at age 77, twenty years ago.

    He loved Baseball and had a romance with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Ive often told folks if you want to see my Dad, check out the near last scene of Moneyball, where Brad Pitt is reviewing film of the big fellow at Bat.

    That was my Dad. He hit a home run.

     Last few days Ive come across a couple letters from my Dad's career, some professional and some for the family.

    I will post a few now and some later, so if you knew him or like this posting come back to it in a month to see if there is some new stuff or a revision.

     First, here is a letter handwritten in good cursive writing from the chair of the search committee of Bethany Baptist church, James C Worthy of McArthurville, Gaffney SC  dated November 7 , 1961.
 
   Dear Brother Fox,

   First let me say how much we enjoyed being in your home and meeting your fine family (in Hayesville, NC). We had learned quite a lot about you before, but feel we know you much better now, even though our meeting was brief.

      We had a tiresome but enjoyable trip home through the mountains arriving about 8 pm.

    After giving much prayer and thought about your suggestion of raising the pastor's salary, we feel that it would be to your best interest, as well as ours, not to discuss it with the deacons at this time. We Would like to discuss it with your again on the 26th. We feel that we can work out some satisfactory plan with you, if it is the Lord's will for you to come and be our pastor.
  
    We shall continue to pray that the Lord's will might be done for both you and our church, and know you have been, and will continue to be much in prayer for all concerned.

    We shall arrange for your lodging and meals while you are in Gaffney and are looking forward to seeing you on the 26th. Write me and let me know about what time you will arrive, and I will meet you at the church.

    Wishing for you a safe and journey and remain,

                                        Sincerely,

                                        James C. Worth.


    On May 20th, 1997 Dad wrote me a personal note, as I'm sure he did my sister and brother, handwriting on the letterhead of the Lyerly UMC in Ga.

     Just a word of thanks to you, Marsha and James for my birthday party. It meant a lot to me and glad to see some old friends and receive cards from others.

                                            See you soon, Dad


    Among those who showed up for the birthday party my sister mostly arranged at the Girl Scout Center in Mauldin SC were friends from Gaffney, Knoxville and Newport Tn. I drove His sisters Juanita and Kathryn and her husband Paul Simmons up from Rome Ga. From Knoxville was the first cousin of Roy Acuff, the legend Emil and his daughter and family, and from Dad's first church in Newport Tn, Paul James and his wife Emmadeen.

    I think Lynn Arve was there, and Miss Mauldin whose daughter went to Carnegie Mellon and Atwater Ellers and Penny Cooper were there too.

    About the first day of baseball every year  in Gaffney late 60s through early 70s Daddy would drop the children off at school at make his way over to Big Waggy WAGI FM. You could hear the Station from Greenville to Charlotte and Billy Graham could hear it up in Montreat NC if he tuned in.

     Daddy would try to quote as much of Casey at the Bat as he could. It grew to be hilarious about the fifth year as he always had to bail out about the third verse and host Raymond Parker would say come back next year Billy, maybe you can make it all the way through.

   So here if I can find it is Casey's Revenge

   I love the line

   A Crack! A whack! and out through space the leather pellet flew

    https://www.csh.rit.edu/~kenny/poetry/kcrev.html