Miss Rossie
by William F. Wagner
Category: Biography & Autobiography

These delightful stories accurately describe life in the village of Columbia, Alabama, as it was in the mid-nineteen fifties. I was there, a youngster growing up in the little town. The principal figures of these stories are the newly-arrived Baptist pastor and the most memorable lay woman in the Baptist church. I remember them both with appreciation and fondness.I was ten years old when Bill Wagner came to town as our new pastor, bringing remarkable vitality to a sleepy village church. Life in the Town of Columbia resonated with the cadence of a by-gone era, nearly untouched by the rapidly unfolding modern era.As a pastor myself, now, I have the deepest appreciation for the energy and creativity which Bill Wagner brought to the church in Columbia. My faith and my appreciation for what the church can be grew immeasurable under his able leadership.And, I certainly remember "Miss Rossie." Robert and Rossie Purcells' house was two blocks from ours, and our family's milk supply came from the Purcell cows. From age six, it was my privilege to run up the front walk of "Miss Rossie's" house to pick up the slender-necked glass bottles of milk with the paper stoppers, while my mother waited in the car at the curb.It was at church, though, that Miss Rossie had the largest impact on me. Her considerable physical proportions offered an apt metaphor for the size of her heart and character. She was integrally involved in the work of the church, and, especially, in its missionary education. Loved for her joviality, dedication, and dependability, she was as fine an example of committed Christian discipleship as I have ever known. These stories accurately reflect her strength, wisdom, and grace.Edward B. Freeman Jr.December 12, 1996