In Memoriam - Mrs. Virginia Harvell

Virginia Ross Harvell 1933-2023

It has been quite some time since I have posted on this Millington Stories blog, actually since the beginnings of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in truth I have not felt like writing or posting anything since.

 

However, Millington recently lost one of the doyennes of our community - Mrs. Virginia Harvell. She and her husband George Jr., have been longtime friends of my family, and they have shown me nothing but support, encouragement, caring and kindness...always. 

Some may remember Mrs. Harvell as the secretary at Millington Central High School for many years, or as the wife of longtime Millington Mayor George Harvell, or as a member of the Shelby County School Board representing Millington...but I knew her mostly as a wonderful and cherished role model, advisor and most of all, a loving and beautiful friend. 

Although the Harvell family has loomed large as stalwarts of the Millington community, they also are a very private family and have chosen to have a private family memorial service for Mrs. Harvell. However, a few members of St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Millington recently gathered to share memories, celebrate and toast their friend Virginia and what she meant to them, and I was privileged to be invited to be a part of this group.

What follows is an interview printed several years ago in the St. Anne's Episcopal Church newsletter written by my good friend, colleague in journalism and partner in all things related to fundraising for causes we believe in, Kini Kedigh Plumlee. It has been slightly updated to serve as a memorial for a woman we, and many in our community loved, respected and cared for very much. It was Virginia's idea that Kini and I should meet, and as usual, she was not wrong, as we have been great friends since that first meeting nearly a decade ago, now. Reprinted here with Kini's permission...

In Memoriam

Born at Methodist Hospital on February 8, 1933, at the height of the Depression, Marie Virginia Ross Harvell grew up and lived in Midtown Memphis in a big house on South Parkway East, with a big yard in a lovely neighborhood, when “everybody knew everybody.” 

Virginia had an older brother, John, and an older sister, Betsy. They were raised in the Catholic Church. Her father died of a heart attack when she was 5-years old, and her mother raised the children on her own. 

“We had a wonderful childhood, and my mother gave us everything,” Virginia recalled in a 2018 interview for the church newsletter. “We took lessons: piano, dance, ballroom, English horseback riding, sewing and knitting. But none of it took with me!”

After graduating high school from St. Agnes Academy in 1950 (she was elected to the school’s Hall of Fame in 2004), Virginia started college at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, where she went for “fun.” 

“Women could only aspire to be nurses, secretaries, or hair stylists,” she noted in that interview. “Medicine and those professions were not open to women and I had no ambition other than to have a good time!”

In college, Virginia studied home economics, liberal arts and business education. Of the group of 12 girl friends who started college together, only two graduated. “The rest of us found husbands or became an airline stewardess. That was a golden job then,” she said in 2018.

Virginia met George at UT when she was a freshman and he was a junior. Although she was dating his fraternity brother, it wasn’t long before she was having more fun with George, and then they began dating. After George graduated, he was drafted into the Army where he served during the Korean War. They married in 1954, and 9 months and 3 weeks later, they had their first son, George III. A second son, John Ross, followed in 1959.  

Following his 20 months of military service, the Harvell’s moved to Millington in 1958, and George opened a Goodyear store on Highway 51. When the boys were little, Virginia was a Cub Scout Den Mother and always noted that both her sons and her husband were Eagle Scouts. 

Virginia began attending St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in 1964. During the Vietnam War, she volunteered for the Red Cross visiting injured soldiers at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Millington. That same year, George campaigned for Mayor of Millington, and with Virginia’s support, he won the election and served the citizens of Millington as City Mayor for the next 20 years.

Virginia began working as a substitute teacher at Millington Elementary School and then the high school in the early 1970’s, and found she really enjoyed it. When they asked her to be the high school secretary, she couldn’t even type! Her interest in education led her to serve on the original Shelby County School Board for two terms. In recalling that time, she said, “I felt like they treated Millington as second class citizens and I spoke to those issues. In retrospect, it didn’t make any difference. But, we did get a new school.”

Virginia saw many changes at St. Anne’s in her 50+ years of attending the church. She served in many capacities – several terms on the Vestry, Chair of the Alter Guild, past president of the ECW, setting up and working many Attic Treasures and plant sales, and serving hundreds of BBQ dinners. When the Episcopal congregation from the Navy base meshed with St. Anne’s, many military families helped grow the church membership and bring stability, and Virginia was always a welcoming figure for all newcomers to the church. She never slowed down, even after a fall which resulted in a broken pelvis and tailbone, in 2018. Virginia was steadfast and always kept the church on its toes. 

A strong and independent woman, direct yet gentle in her gracious Southern style, she epitomized the definition of Steel Magnolia. She was kindhearted, considerate, caring, empathetic, frank, honest, bold, straightforward, and stylish - a true doyenne of Millington. She was a decades-long member of the Millington Book Club. Her favorite color was red. Her favorite book was “To Kill a Mocking Bird.” She was voted “Outstanding Spouse of the Year” by the Tennessee Municipal League. And she was a strong supporter of all women, encouraging younger girls in their education and career pursuits. 

When she was asked in 2018 to share some words of wisdom, this is what she said: “Don’t ever give your opinion because nobody really cares what you think. Don’t impose your values on others. Everyone you meet knows something you don’t know. I’ve had a good life and a lot of fun, and I hope I’ve contributed something.”

Virginia passed away peacefully at home on July 13, 2023. Along with her husband George Harvell, Jr., Virginia leaves her two sons George III and John, six grandchildren and, as of 2018, nine great-grandchildren. 

A private memorial service will be held later for the family. The family has requested that any memorials be sent to a charity of the donor’s choice.       

 

Scottie's Cut & Color...and Caring

The team at Scottie's Cut & Color Specialists: Melissa Yager, Susan Gladney, Lisa Hawkins, Tony Smith and Pam Shinosky.

It’s getting close to Christmas, so for many people, including me, that means getting a haircut to look and feel our best for the holiday season.

I’ve been getting my haircut at Scottie’s since I moved away from Millington and was living in Washington, D.C., more than 20 years ago now. When I would come home on holidays to visit, my dad would take me to Scottie’s because that’s where he would get his haircut.

Being a career military man, my dad was particular about his haircut and his appearance. While he had many different jobs in the U.S. Army, I think he was proud of having been a recruiter, where he was always required to look sharp. His barber at Scottie’s was Barry Laxton, who retired several years ago.

Toward the end of his life, my dad spent seven months under the care of hospice at home, with me as his caregiver. He wanted a haircut badly, but couldn’t get out of bed. So, I called Scottie’s and Barry came to our home. Barry was not a small man, but I watched him climb up on my dad’s full-size bed and give him a haircut. It was one of the most extraordinary acts of caring and kindness I have been privileged to witness. My dad was happy, and he felt better. Barry gave my dad his last haircut and refused to accept payment.

The folks at Scottie’s, especially my stylist Lisa, continue to take care of me, too. It’s a level of customer service and caring that I doubt folks in Washington, D.C. would be able to find, but in Millington, it’s business as usual.

Scottie’s, a local, independent, small business has been a part of the Millington community for more than 60 years.

Scottie’s, founded by barber Scottie Gladney has been in business since 1957. For many years, the shop was located in the retail center on Navy Road. Scottie’s moved to its current location at 8370 Highway 51 N., in Patriot Plaza 15 years ago.

The team of stylists includes Susan Gladney (Scottie’s daughter-in-law), Lisa Hawkins, Pam Shinosky and Tony Smith, who together have more than 125 years of experience. They were all rigorously trained by Scottie, often staying after hours in the shop until late in the evening. He had high standards and specific ways he wanted things done. Pam says, “Scottie always said, ‘You’re only as good as your worst haircutter,’ and none of us are that. We’ve all been trained by Scottie, but we all have our own style, everybody’s good.”

And, for the more than 20 years that I have been a customer, at turns Scottie, his stepson Michael Easter, Pam and Lisa have all cut my hair, and I have never had a bad haircut there. It’s true. They are all good!

The four stylists became business partners nearly seven years ago, taking the shop over from Scottie. “We work well together, we’re a family and a team,” Lisa comments. The team also includes “magic fingers" Melissa Yager, who will give you a wonderful, relaxing massage while she shampoos your hair.

Scottie’s doesn’t take appointments.  Pam explains, customers are first-come, first served, going back to the early days when Scottie began as a barber, as barbers rarely take appointments. Over time, walk-in salons became trendy and the shop used beepers to let their customers know their stylist was ready for them. Today, cell phones work well.  However, Pam says, “We know our system doesn’t work for everyone.”

Tony says many people travel as far as a 100-mile radius to come to the shop, and there also are many customers who (like this writer, did) come to Scottie’s when they are in town visiting family and friends. I have a friend who travels the world with the U.S. State Department. When she comes back to Millington, she always goes to Scottie’s to have Tony cut her hair. Pam notes, there also are many military families who come back to Scottie’s after being stationed elsewhere. “We take pride in that,” she says.

With 40 years, Tony is the member of the team of stylists who has been at Scottie’s the longest.

Recently, on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving there were 25 people lined up in front of the shop before it opened it doors.

Customer Susan Chambers, originally from the Missouri Bootheel, has been coming to Scottie’s since 2002. She says her mother always insisted on getting her hair done at Scottie’s on her way home from the hospital.

Prices range from $26 for a men’s haircut and style to $36 for a ladies haircut, a ladies cut, color and style is $83, and ladies highlights with cut and style range from $100 and up. Through December 31st at noon, Scottie’s is currently offering 20 percent off on their complete line of styling products, which includes brands like Matrix, Paul Mitchell, Rusk and much more.

Lisa says, “We love what we do. We want our shop to be a loving shop. We want you to sit in our chair and listen to your heart. We treat everybody with loving care. It’s more than just doing hair.”

Scottie’s is located at 8370 Highway 51 N., Suite 109. Shop hours are Tuesday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Thursday & Friday 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Call (901) 873-HAIR (4247) for more information.

Welcome to Millington Stories

Millington Stories: People, Places & Pastimes

This charming artwork was created by Heidi Hensley (heidihensleyart.com) for Boatwright Pharmacy and can be purchased there in various forms including postcards, plaques and prints.

Welcome to Millington Stories

Hi, I'm Linda Cooper. I grew up here in Millington after my dad retired from the U.S. military, and I moved back as an adult to care for my ill and aging parents. They have since passed away, and I stayed.

As a journalist, I find it distressing that my profession is dying. In my opinion, it seems many people no longer have the time or inclination to read more than a text, tweet or Facebook post these days. But if you're like me, and you like to read, then perhaps this space is for you. Part blog, with my own personal reflections of what it was like to grow up in Millington, as well as what it's like to live here now, I hope it will also serve as a news source for the city, featuring what I hope you'll consider interesting, informative and enlightening stories about the people, places and pastimes in this community.

What you won't find here are stories about city politics and government or sports, because I don't want to write those stories, and I think The Millington Star covers these areas of city life well. So if you want to read about those things, please support and subscribe to our local newspaper. A yearly subscription is $30.

In this space, I plan to focus on lots of good things that are happening in my hometown: the arts, music, entertainment, food, our local small businesses and schools, and good people helping people, with a bit of history and nostalgia mixed in from time to time as well.

So if you grew up in Millington, lived here for a time, or live in Millington now, I hope you'll follow me on this blog journey, sharing Millington's stories.

Linda Cooper is a freelance writer with more than 30 years of experience as a public relations practitioner, fundraiser, U.S. Senate press secretary and journalist. She holds a degree in journalism and political science from Mississippi University for Women.