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Angels among us The news these days is filled with stories of thefts and cons. How many times have we read of Internet and telephone flim-flams here lately? It is refreshing to find stories of generosity like that of the late Wilburn McVay who left a surprisingly large estate to local Jackson churches, other groups and individual friends and relatives. The South Alabamian reported the details of Mr. McVay's will conveyances last week. Local churches receiving gifts include the First Baptist Church, the First United Methodist Church, the First Presbyterian Church and the St. Union Baptist Church. Local accountant Melton DuBose, a friend of the late McVay and executor of his estate, said, "Wilburn's generosity to the community should be appreciated. He was a good man." That he was. Few would have thought the genteel and soft-spoken McVay would have had such a sizeable estate to leave to anyone. His actions and those of others we know of just go to show that there are many more angels among us than we know or appreciate and they often can't be detected until after they have died. Dorothy Morris of Semmes is an example. The Mobile County lady recently died and left a $10 million estate to the Abba Temple Shrine of Mobile with instructions that a Shriners Hospital for Children burn unit be established in Mobile. Her late husband was a Shriner and they had no children so she donated her estate for that purpose. The Shriners do a wonderful job with their children burn units and it will be great to have one in Mobile. Her sizeable bequest should ensure that one is created. We can think of people with local ties who also left parts of their estate to be shared. Foundations administer and distribute revenues from the estates of the late Jackson lumberman M. W. Smith and J. L. Bedsole, a Clarke County native who moved to Mobile and did well. Thomas L. "Buddy" Turner of the West Bend community near Coffeeville also had the foresight to create a foundation that has benefited many local projects. We don't have to be among the mega wealthy to share our blessings with others. One way to do it is through modest donations to viable organizations such as the United Way. The local United Way provides funding for a variety of worthwhile causes such as the Salvation Army, Red Cross, Catholic Social Services, CCARC and others. Let the above examples of "angels among us" be an inspiration to give as we are able to charitable organizations in 2008 that help others.
Jim Cox
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