A Friend To All, Zandra Will Be Missed
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Hill Country Living
By Coulter Fussell
Like most everyone else in town, I was shocked and saddened to hear of the untimely passing of Zandra Walker. Because Zandra was such a local personality and held such a visible position in town as the face of The Chamber of Commerce, we all have our own special relationship with her. Or at least she made us feel that way, which is enough.
I spoke to Zandra nearly every day on my morning walks. I typically found her digging around in the garden bump-out right outside Mechanics Bank on Main Street. She would have her water hose stretched across the sidewalk and she was usually covered in dirt — her loyal little dog sitting nearby. I would tell her the seasonally themed garden was looking good, and she would make a comment about how it wasn’t cooperating, and we’d laugh and I would walk on. A couple of hours later, we would see each other again as we both walked into our buildings that are situated directly across Main Street from each other. We would wave again and say “Good morning” for the second time.
That is basically the extent of my daily relationship with Zandra. But it was positive, reliable and often had a bit of humor in it – all qualities that are much like Zandra’s personality. Zandra was a terrific ambassador between the homegrown Water Vallians, the brand newbies, and those of us who have been here a couple of decades. My friends and I were quite touched a couple of years ago when she asked us to show our houses on the Chamber of Commerce’s Christmas Tour of Homes. Zandra could make you feel seen and appreciated by Water Valley.
In turn, I appreciate that the last, longer conversation I had with Zandra was casual chit-chat while we stood next to each other watching the watermelon weigh-in last summer at the Carnival. It seems fitting for this memory to be at the event she worked so hard on for our town. Zandra was a cool lady with a cool name. Her presence and hard work will be greatly missed on Main Street. She was a singular character who can’t be replaced.
In the spirit of Zandra’s devotion to Water Valley events, let’s all get out and enjoy Main Street this weekend for the Casey Jones Music Fest. Saturday’s 5K Run and 3K starts at 9 a.m. sharp. It’s only $10 to enter the run, and you can register ahead of time online or just show up at the bandstand downtown. Day-of registration begins at 7:30 a.m.
The Run/Walk will travel along a small stretch of the Yalobusha Greenways Trail! This trail (also part of my daily walk) was hurt very badly during the ice storm. Despite it being rendered almost entirely un-walkable, my husband and I still traipse through as much as we can every day, tripping on broken limbs along the way, only to be turned back halfway by impassable fallen tree trunks. Thank you to the Yalobusha Greenways Alliance and Kagan Coughlin — and his tractor with a front-end loader — for showing up a couple of days ago and clearing the entire trail!
See y’all downtown and on the freshly swept trail this Saturday for the Casey Jones Music Festival events!
