Greetings from Petrey.

News from Petrey is now reinstated since the former reporter, Elizabeth Trotter, moved away from Petrey four years ago.

Elizabeth is in Dothan, working as a nurse at the Southeast Alabama Medical Center.

Elizabeth did a good job and your present writer hopes to follow in her footsteps.

My husband Curtis was born in Petrey and is the son of Walter Loyce and Susie Petrey.

I am a native of Luverne, the daughter of Bertie and Nan Williams.

After living in Mississippi most of our lives, pastoring churches, we returned to Petrey in June of 2000.

It is good to be back in Crenshaw County.

Petrey is a great little community.

It is the smallest and northernmost of six incorporated towns in Crenshaw County. There are 453 incorporated towns in Alabama and Petrey is one of only 18 incorporated towns with less than 100 residents (63 residents – 2000 Census), thus our claim to fame.

In 1885, when Luke Petrey gave his land for the railroad right-of-way, a station was established and named Petrey.

Seventy years later the railroad was abandoned and some of Luke Petrey's descendants bought the land back.

Petrey is outstanding for another reason.

It is the corporate headquarters of W.L. Petrey Wholesale Company, which started by Luke Petrey, his sons and a daughter as a mercantile company in 1909.

It was changed from a retail outlet to a wholesale grocery in 1932.

Petrey Wholesale is listed as No. 19 of Alabama's Top 100 Private Companies in the November 2003 issue of Business Alabama.

The company also has a distribution center in Montgomery.

The area served by Petrey Wholesale has grown to include Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi and Florida.

Even little Petrey, Alabama, becomes a bustling town when the employees arrive for work each day!

We are grateful for this thriving company in our midst.

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Last week's town election in Petrey generated a lot of interest and voter turnout was excellent.

Grace Wingard supervised the polls and workers included Valeta Spradley, Iris Wilkerson, Robert Finlay, Janice Taylor and Leroy & Lucy Blackwell.

They are to be commended for working a long, 14-hour day.

Mayor-elect is Curtis Petrey and council-elect members include Bobby Beasley, Laura Elliott, Maynard Rolling, Don Hermeling, and Elwood Farris.

The new mayor and council take office on October 1.

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The Church of Christ had a fifth Sunday dinner and worship service last Sunday, with Scott Penn preaching.

Scott is a young person, but it was reported that he did so well, it was as if he had been preaching all his life!

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Petrey United Methodist Church also held a Fifth Sunday Praise Service.

Pastor Lavon Davis, who has been preaching 52 years, introduced a fellow Methodist preacher, Rev. Alton Pitchford, who has been preaching 43 years.

Rev. Pitchford testified that Bro. Davis led him to the Lord when he was 30 years old, and soon afterward the Lord called him to preach.

It was a blessing to hear his testimony as well as the testimony of Bro. Davis' nephew, Matthew Youngblood, who recently went on a mission trip to Mexico.

Youngblood played his guitar and sang several songs.

Nancy Petrey and Gene Bozeman also offered special music.

Curtis Petrey brought a powerful message on prayer.

The large crowd enjoyed a dinner after the service.

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We are sad to report that Ora Lee Lawrence suffered a stroke and was hospitalized in Dothan on August 26.

She and her daughter, Faye Trotter, were visiting Elizabeth Trotter when the stroke occurred, so transference to the hospital was made easy.

Our prayers continue for Ora Lee and her family.

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Lawrence and Margaret Petrey had their long-time friend, Bobbie Walker from Brantley spend the day with them last Saturday.

This was a rare blessing for them.

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Valeta Spradley flew to Orlando this week to visit her daughter, Carol Hinshaw and they will drive to St. Petersburg to attend the wedding of Mrs. Spradley's grandson, Darren Hinshaw, to Maria Kotsaftis on Friday.

August marked the anniversary of Mrs. Spradley's car accident and everyone is grateful that "Skeet" is still with us and as active as ever.

Jean Petrey, who passed away in the accident, was a friend that we all miss, and we treasure our memories of her.

What a blessing to have her daughter, Laura Elliott, husband Scott, and their daughter Ashley Meadows and grandson Blake move into Jean's home in Petrey.

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Twelve hours after Hurricane Charlie hit Florida, Don and Peggy Hermeling arrived at their time-share resort in Kissimmee, Fla. to spend a week.

They were relieved to find only a few trees down and power restored.

They visited with many relatives and friends, having lived in West Palm Beach for 35 years before moving to Petrey in 1998.

Don and Peggy had a great time and returned home refreshed.

That is what you call "peace in the midst of the storm."

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Nancy Petrey received her Masters degree in Religious Education in Middle Eastern History from the American Institute of Holy Land Studies in Sherwood, Ark. on Aug. 7.

Janice Bell of Elba accompanied her to Arkansas to attend the Jerusalem Conference on August 5-8.

Nancy began the Jewish Roots course of study by correspondence in 1998 and completed the course in May of this year by writing a 70-page thesis, Destiny of the Jews.

Petrey's husband Curtis attended the graduation ceremonies at University of North Texas where their daughter, Susan Petrey, received her Master of Education in Math Curriculum and Instruction.

Mother and daughter graduated on the same day!

Susan teaches high school math in Fort Worth.

Nancy will be teaching a continuing education course on the Old Testament, Genesis, with Lurleen B. Wallace Community College at the Luverne High School campus this fall.

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Any contributions to this column will be greatly appreciated.

It's fun trying my wings in The Luverne Journal, and I need all the help I can get.

Please call me with news by noon each Friday.