MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR ALFIE BOOTHE
Susie knew Alfie Boothe and often gave him extra flower plants from her greenhouse so wanted to go to his memorial service. I went with her. Alfie, a heavy smoker, died recently of lung cancer. Alfie, in his seventies, without being paid, planted and tended plants all over Marshall. He had a wagon loaded with buckets of water he would use to water the flowers that he planted wherever there was a patch of dirt that he could plant. He was also a warm and friendly person with wide interests who enjoyed talking to people and was a steady churchgoer who engaged in church activities. May 1 was declared Alfie Boothe day by the Marshall mayor in 2010.
I had never been in the Presbyterian Church on Main Street which was badly damaged during the Helene flood a year and a half ago. It is a small beautiful church with stained glass windows. The people there were very welcoming. The service was beautiful with testimonies about how much Alfie had meant to people and special music provided by Steve Davidowski who played a jazz number on the piano and then accompanied the congregation on his saxophone as we sang a version of “The Saints Go Marching In”.
After the service we went into the spacious fellowship hall for a marvelous Cajun meal provided by the church women. Alfie had grown up in Louisiana so the service had a New Orleans, in addition to a gardening, theme. We were each given an envelop of seeds to plant to continues Alfie’s presence.
It was a wonderful evening, both meeting Alfie for the first time and getting to know a different side of Marshall.
BILLYBABA’S WANDERING 