I am doing something I rarely, if ever, have done. I am going to rerun a previous column verbatim. Hans Trupp, of St. Simons, died last week. I wrote the following about him two years ago and ask your forbearance in allowing me to present it to you again. Hans Trupp was and always will be an American hero. A true patriot. RIP, my friend.

Zelma Calhounmade some great pies. And though she did not work in a factory, and this is no “pie-p” dream, the estimates are that she made more than 650,000 of the baked treats.This is just another of the reasons and stories why those of us in the South may seem to worship at the altar of Chick-Fil-A (CFA).

The do’s and don’ts of genealogy, plus some entertaining anecdotes from digging around in his own family’s past, is what Decatur genealogist Kenneth Thomas brought to the table – actually, the podium – at last Sunday’s quarterly Sunday-at-the-Museum lecture. The Old School History Museum sponsors the series, and Thomas’ lecture was co-sponsored by the Eatonton-Putnam Historical Society.

In a doctor’s waiting room, I sat without a phone or a newspaper to read. I was just a-sittin’, observing those scattered about.

When the phone rings, you know it is Skeeter Skates. It doesn’t just ring, it jumps up and down. Skeeter can do that to a phone. And to people, too.

I am a proud American and Southerner, as well as a student of history. Every sovereign nation needs to operate secure and controlled borders. That said, the view of those borders and how they were established can vary greatly depending on which side you are standing on.

As the length of my time has stretched into many years, I realize the exceeding importance of giving moments of kindness. Take for instance, my friend, Edward.

Dear Samuel Knox Wansley, Welcome! You are my seventh great-grandchild and the fourth male in my growing family tree. However, I suspect that is of little importance to you at this point.

Dear Editor, I am struck by the recent firing of the NPR journalist of 21 years who exposed that this government-sponsored media service is biased and any information that is positive about Republicans is squelched or misrepresented.

Dear Dick Yarbrough, I appreciated your column of March 27 ( The Eatonton Messenger: “Becoming a Bulldog – Forever”) that described the remarkable credentials of UGA’s newly admitted students.