Look Back ... to a former slave living in Oxford, 1949

May 4, 1949, in The Star: A poignant feature article by Elise Ayers tells of “Aunt Flora” Moody, a 107-year-old Black woman who recently suffered a stroke and is currently lying in a bed at Anniston Memorial Hospital. Born in Georgia, Moody was sold into slavery at the age of 13, her final “master” being a Baptist minister. She came to Oxford and lived on the premises of the late Mr. and Mrs. M. H. Toland, cooking and caring for multiple generations of that family. Moody is also the oldest surviving member of Hobson City Baptist Church. The details of her life are best recalled now second-hand, by Ethel Toland and by Jeanie Toland Methvin, the latter of whom is reportedly writing Moody’s biography. The elderly woman recognized Ethel Toland this morning when she visited her at the hospital. Also this date: In a letter that reminds the 2,300 female students at the University of Alabama about the on-campus dress code, Dean Iona Berry said “we do not want this campus to take on the atmosphere of Coney Island.” To that end, Dean Berry writes in a mimeographed letter, the rules forbid women from wearing sun-back dresses, bare midriffs, shorts, slacks and dungarees. It’s all a matter of “good taste,” Dean Berry said.

May 4, 1999, in The Star: Wes Wheeler delivered a two-out single in the seventh and final inning in Alexandria yesterday afternoon to send Billy Gunter home from second base for the winning run as Alexandria defeated Winfield 7-6 to advance to the semifinal round of the state’s Class 4A baseball playoffs. It almost didn’t happen, though. Gunter had singled with one out, stole second base and then watched as Zac Welch flied out for the second out with the game on the line. But Wheeler, the Valley Cub left-fielder and cleanup hitter, ripped a line drive into left-center field for the winning run. The Valley Cubs current record stands at 19-11.