I am fortunate. I had the privilege of personally knowing Laurin Stamm and Martha Day. My friendship with both of these Vicksburg newspaperwomen was not on a professional level, however, I would love to have worked with both of them.

I knew these two women, whom I still refer to as Mrs. Stamm and Mrs. Day, because they were mothers of my friends.

Mrs. Day and her husband were also my fourth-grade Sunday school teachers.

I will never forget having to learn the books of the Bible that year and getting stars for each little milestone.

Mrs. Day had also been the go-to-lady when you got married. She always knew the proper etiquette for doing everything.

I loved reading her wedding write-ups with all the detailed descriptions of the bridal gowns. Who would have ever known about Alencon lace if Mrs. Day had not included it in a wedding write-up?

I also liked reading about the length of a bride’s wedding train, and of course Mrs. Day would include it in the dress description.

Mine was a cathedral length the first go round!

After I started working at the paper, my friendship grew with Mrs. Day. We would talk about how things had changed in the newspaper industry. Because of staffing at the paper, giving each and every bride and her dress the proper due is a thing of the past. We both lamented and wished things could be as they were in the good old days.

I only knew Mrs. Stamm as Story’s mother for the longest time, and I remember her recipes in the newspaper. She was also the lady from the paper who did the food features, and I have to brag and say I made the cut on more than one occasion.

I think the first was when I was a Girl Scout. I remember Mrs. Stamm coming to our weekly meeting and taking a picture of me and some of the other troop members. She was writing about Girl Scout cookie season.

She also covered a birthday party I threw for my oldest daughter. It was a tea party at the Corners antebellum home, and the attendees were to bring their favorite doll. I still have several copies of her story in my file box at home.

And when the Stamms threw a party, there was no stone was left unturned.

I remember being invited to a themed party where Story’s Yankee husband had given his allegiance to the South and was knighted a Southern gentleman.

We all wore antebellum dresses for the occasion, and the men wore Confederate uniforms. And for their Easter parties, there was always a bunny on site.

Memories are priceless, and because of how both of these women chose to live their lives and do their jobs, Vicksburg is better for it, and so am I.

Like I said, I am fortunate not only to have known two incredible women who raised some pretty awesome kids, but to have had Mrs. Stamm and Mrs. Day serve as role models for me in a job I do here at the Vicksburg Post is priceless!

Terri Cowart Frazier is a staff writer at The Vicksburg Post. You may reach her at terri.frazier@vicksburgpost.com.