Community spirit survives
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I grew up in the southern end of Fauquier County. It was a close-knit community that cared about each other. Your neighbors brought over food when you were sick, watered your plants while you were on vacation, and had a spare key in case of emergencies. Everywhere you went you knew someone there.
I thought this was a bad thing, so after graduating from college, I moved away but returned frequently to visit my family. Through the past 20 years, I’ve noticed a huge change in Fauquier county — it had grown, gone was that small-town community that cared...or so I thought.
Last Thursday, we laid to rest my uncle, Spencer Dwight “Dike” Holmes. As the funeral procession headed from Warrenton to Midland Cemetery, I was touched by the oncoming vehicles along Meetze Road that actually stopped for long line of cars following the hearse. I had thought that in today’s busy world people would be bothered by the inconvenience of having to slow down for the procession, so to have them stop actually impressed me.
To the drivers who stopped to show respect for a man you probably never knew, thank you for your kind gesture; it touched me and many of Dike’s family and friends.
As the procession turned onto Route 28, it occurred to me that Dike would make one last trip past his place of employment, but nothing could have prepared me for what I saw as we approached Smith-Midland. (Dike worked at Smith-Midland for 29 years.) Dike’s fellow employees were standing along the roadside in front of Smith-Midland to give a final farewell to one of their own.
I was moved to tears by this, as were many others in the funeral procession.
Smith-Midland’s tribute restores my belief in the community spirit and corporate America. For the management to allow a work stoppage proves that their employees are valued over production.
To the employees and management of Smith-Midland, thank you for such a loving tribute to an incredible man.
Candy Coppage Ness
LaVale, Md.
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