Part 4
"We didn't realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun." --A.A. Milne
The son of Carley and Ashley Varnado King, Cohen Brent King - grandson of Van and Frances Varnado and Bro. Brent and Denise King - is flourishing. And his success isn't limited to school. He especially enjoys extracurriculars including the New Heights Therapeutic Riding Center program at Folsom where he rides horses weekly. Credit there goes to Ms. Vickie Eiland, Program Director, and Larke Williams, Physical Therapist. Digressing, I was familiar with the incredible program because my close friends and neighbors Peggy Wales and Mary Ann Haase's special needs children Erin and Walker, respectively, also participate. Like Frances, they have always touted the outstanding therapy program.
And I would be remiss if I didn't mention Cohen's cows. Every year, John David Schilling generously invites Cohen to show cows at the Washington Parish Fair. John's adorable granddaughter Addie, Taylor's daughter, generously lets Cohen pick the cow he wants to show, even if that one is her favorite.
When Cohen is not in school or riding or showing livestock, he's off to Disney World or camping and fishing with his family. The latter is Frances and Van's favorite activity with the grandchildren, a tradition they started with daughter Ashley when she was six weeks old. And while they are no longer roughing it, they have been going to Flint Creek in Wiggins, Mississippi, for decades. Digressing, this retreat holds a special place in my husband's heart - Rodney went there many times with his best childhood friend Kevin Burdeaux and his parents John and Eunice Wood Burdeaux. They were also the parents of our Aunt Marie Burdeaux Bateman and Patsy Burdeaux Mellin.
Back to Frances, it is no secret that she loves to travel. From the annual family trip to Disney World to regular girls trips to New York City with her mother, mother-in-law, and Ashley, she stays on the go. She and Van have traveled far and wide, from the east to west coast and all the area in between. Most recently they sojourned out west to Colorado and to Vermont in the northeast. And they never miss their annual holiday tradition, journeying to enjoy exceptional Christmas lights.
But when not on the road, Van and Frances Varnado can be found at their lovely home near Richardson or at their own scenic campground - Riverbend - in Washington Parish. This is where Rodney and I found them in the spring. It is situated on ancestral land, twenty picturesque acres on the Bogue Chitto River, they purchased from family at Enon. Complete with prodigious pavilion and pretty altar area, it is booked year-round; every weekend there is a wedding. And Van's talent is in every detail from the wagon wheels and logs to flagstone flooring. The lighting makes it magical in the evening.
Rodney and I were fortunate to be at Riverbend for the Bluegrass Festival which Van brought back, hosting it three times a year, in memory of his grandmother and grandfather - Latimore and Roxie Varnado - who started it on the property back in the day. The fantastic pavilion was packed in early March with people who enjoy good, toe-tapping music. Rodney and I were reeled in, among those who converged to hear a raft of gifted musicians from Alabama and Mississippi among other places. As a bit of background, Bluegrass classics include "Blue Moon of Kentucky," "Foggy Mountain Breakdown," and "Rocky Top" among others. Perhaps this explains why Bluegrass is big in Tennessee, where it has its roots in Appalachia and where Rodney and I have our porch on the plateau. Our Tennessee neighbor, a retired ophthalmologist from Florida, informed us just last summer that he was headed down the road to a Bluegrass concert. Rodney plans to tag along with Larry next time.
With Bluegrass, it's as much about the comradery as it is the delightful music. The people that we met at Riverbend - close friends of the Varnados - were terrific from Randy and Linda Lay of Foley, Alabama, to Kevin Fairley of Purvis, Mississippi. And of course, we very much enjoyed being with Frances and Van and the Varnado family, including Van's mother Ms. Jean Seal Varnado Turner and Van's aunt Judy Thigpen, his father Kenneth's sister. The scrumptious fried catfish from John David Schilling at the Sugar Shack was the icing on the cake. And speaking of, there was plenty of scrumptious cake for dessert.
Before the prayer, Van gave a short, sentimental speech, and I made note of one of his lines, "Hold onto the memories." He and Frances are doing an excellent job of it. As she told me from the start, "I have beautiful and great memories." This was why I asked to sit down with her. Frances and Van are preserving their heritage for their heirs. And building on the past and teaching values, they are making more family memories and having much fun.
Frances's career in education served her well. She reflected, "The kids and parents I met in education in Washington Parish - I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. They've made me the person I am."
And that is saying a lot. A person would be hard pressed to meet a kinder, Christian lady. She instructed, "Thank God in the morning and thank Him at night." I do. And I imagine her former students do, also. What an excellent educator and role model they had in Mrs. Varnado!
And anonymous benefactor, which is probably something I wasn't supposed to write. Like her grandmother Ayleen who gifted coats and sweaters she purchased from Woolworth's on Canal, Frances discreetly helped many families, behind the scenes. Her students not only relied on her but they admired her. I knew that before I met her. Former students came by to tell Mrs. Varnado they were going to war, and they came by to tell her they made it back. That alone tells the story; she was significant in their lives.
And now, following in the footsteps of her beloved maternal grandmother Ayleen Yates Sanders, Frances is living a dream, taking care of her lucky, little grands - Cohen, Annette, and Mark. She recognizes the value of everyday pleasures, having fun while making indelible memories with family. And Frances Annette Varnado would move heaven and earth for them.
