Author Shirley Turney gets standing ovation in Ringgold

On Monday, Nov. 13, author Shirley Brock Turney spoke to a full house at the Catoosa County Historical Society’s monthly meeting at the Old Stone Church in Ringgold.

“I had a speech prepared,” says Turney, “but when I got up there I didn’t stick to it.” It worked out anyway – Turney was met with a standing ovation at the end of her talk.

Turney grew up in Graysville and was sharing her childhood experiences, which she has recorded in two books that also include the history of Graysville. To supplement her talk, Turney brought along posters displaying pictures, maps and arrow heads, as well as artifacts, from items her brother found in the springs of the area to limestone from the old Graysville quarry

“Shirley was very entertaining,” says the Historical Society’s program director Sherry Edwards. “She made herself right at home and joked around and told stories from her childhood in Graysville. She brought lots of good show-and-tell things we could see and touch.”

Turney’s two books, “Gray’s Island: Where the Creek Bends” and “Graysville: You Can’t Get There When the Creek Rises,” can be found on amazon.com or by emailing Turney at jturneychatt@comcast. net.

The Catoosa County Historical Society meets the second Monday of most months at the Old Stone Church in Ringgold. The group’s next meeting is a special Christmas program that will include a devotional, a sing-along and a meal. The program is open to the public (bring a dish to contribute to the meal). CCHS can be reached at 706-935-5232 or through its Facebook page at facebook.com/ catoosahistory. An old map of Graysville, drawn by the town’s founder, John D. Gray. (Contributed photo) To supplement her talk at the Catoosa County Historical Society meeting in November, author Shirley Brock Turney brought along photographs, a map and artifacts, including limestone from the old Graysville quarry. (Contributed photo)