Calhoun County is unique. According to the 2010 census, our county had a mere 14,962 residents, a smaller population than 26 municipalities in the state of Mississippi, including nearby cities like Tupelo, Oxford and Starkville. Jackson, which has a population of nearly 200,000, has a population a little over 11-times the size of this rural county.
Still, this place is home, and I feel like most of us wouldn’t have it any other way.
My family first found its way to Calhoun County, Mississippi, at the conclusion of the Civil War when my great-great-great grandfather David McLin Gillespie settled north of present-day Vardaman. Since my family’s patriarch set his roots in the Calhoun soil, my family has not left its confines for any significant length of time. The Gillespie blood is Calhoun County blood, and the same can be said for many—if not most—of the families that call this land home.
John Macon Gillespie
I am the sixth generation in my family to call Calhoun County, specifically the Vardaman area, home. With these generations of history passing by, not only has my family been a part of the Calhoun County community, but a part of its sports life, as well.
My great-grandfather Theo Gillespie was a member of Vardaman’s first football team in 1929, then called the Vardaman Golden Tornadoes. Theo was not fortunate enough to finish his high school education, dropping out after the 11th grade so his younger sister—one of 12 children in the family—could financially afford to graduate. Still, his legacy as a Vardaman football player was established, and that is not a legacy easily forgotten.
My grandfather Rodney Gillespie was a part of the Vardaman High School class of 1958 and was a member of the Ram football team during his time as a student. He met his wife, Nancy Williams, in his high school days, and they settled in the Vardaman area following their graduation. They had two children, Lea and Michael (my father), who both attended and graduated from Vardaman.
Then I came along.
I began my school career at Houlka Attendance Center but transferred to Vardaman at the beginning of my sophomore year. Needless to say, I was frightened by my new surroundings, but I was finally roaming the same halls that my predecessors had before me.
I gave up playing football in the 8th grade but never lost a love for the game or of sports in general. After I became a student at Vardaman, I soon found myself the public address announcer for its athletics. As I now enter my sixth season as the Voice of Vardaman Ram Football, I have a new title bearing myself to this county, one of a sports writer.
I haven’t gone through this brief tale of my family history to merely tell a story, but to illustrate why I am so thrilled to have this position with the Calhoun County Journal. You see, my family is not the only one with a story such as this. As I stated earlier, many of your families have called Calhoun County home for generations, and with it has come a deep and rich sports history. Citizens of this county don’t simply root for the Trojans, Wildcats, Rams and Cougars because of their geographic proximity. They root for them because these schools are a part of who they are.
Family names have become etched into Calhoun County history due to their athletic success, and it’s for this reason that I am thrilled to be a part of the CCJ staff covering these same families.
Let’s make more history together.
You can email John Macon at jmake2016@gmail.com