A Journey of Faith

A Journey of Faith

That's what it took to uproot myself from my childhood home and make the journey to a new home, a new town, a new state. Despite my years of traveling from Idaho to Florida, South Dakota to Indiana, and from Texas to North Carolina, I found that my time spent in Iowa was by far my favorite.

In this blog I will share a few photos of my former home and the significance of the subject captured.

Photo courtesy of Nathan Self

The town became Batesville in 1866. It's easy to google Batesville and learn the history and facts of the place. But that's not how I saw it.

Batesville was a great place for me to grow up. From bike rides with friends all over the town to town parades during Christmas time. I went to high school with Deshea Townsend and Dwayne Rudd, both NFL players. My uncle, Steve McGregory, became and still is a well known gospel musician. He used to play in the old gazebo on the square during the SpringFest weekends.

Photo courtesy of Nathan Self

The downtown square offered a number of stores, most remembered Stubbs and Williams. On the corner of the public square and Panola Avenue was a superb ice cream shop. The most delicious, creamiest and sweetest ice cream cones around.

Now it hosts flower shops, an indie craft/bookstore store, a few clothing stores, and law firms.

Photo courtesy of Nathan Self

Before long, the square was revamped and became a central part of Batesville. The Farmer Market held its venue here.

But Batesville was more than a public square.
It was a home of memories.

When I was younger, we had a garden. Not just a small garden or a backyard garden. It was a ten to twenty row, ten to twenty yards long. And the best place to buy seeds was at Brown's Feed store.

Photo courtesy of Daphne Self

Not only did Brown's offer seeds and plants, but rabbits, ducks, deer feed, and feed for the farm animals; plus everything needed to grow a beautiful and lush garden.

Late spring meant hours spent at Brown's choosing and buying what we needed for the garden. And best of all, I was able to choose at least two vegetables and a flower of my own. That usually meant a quarter of a row of radishes and half a row of squash with marigolds in between.

Photo courtesy of Nathan Self

Batesville became the host of many artists. Some well known in the state and some just starting out. Painters, singers, and authors, most of us called Batesville home at one time in our lives.

Life has a meandering road for all of us and sometimes it calls for us to leave the comfort of home to start a new journey elsewhere.

And that is how I took a journey....

Photo courtesy of Daphne Self

I left the town of Batesville and moved to Marion, Iowa.

A new life, a new home, and a new town to begin a new journey, at least a new path in this journey called life.

Batesville is my birthplace, but Marion is my home.
Batesville holds many memories for me, but I look forward to the memories to be made here in Marion.

And life holds many surprises and rewards... It was a journey in faith that brought me here.