Remember in Arkadelphia?

Do you remember Whipple’s Grill? Or the Mint Milkshake on the corner of 8th and Main Street? Or maybe Joe Villa who sold tamales and eskimo pies out of a cart?

Well, if you remember those things, then there’s a Facebook group for you. It’s called “Remember in Arkadelphia?”

The page, which was created by Arkadelphia native Nese Gentry in 2011, helps all those connected with the city to share their experiences and memories. The more than 3,000 members don’t just live in Arkansas, but even surrounding states and beyond.

John Freeman is 85 years old and was born and raised in Arkadelphia. Freeman lived in A-Town for the first 31 years of his life, and now resides in Oklahoma. He graduated from Arkadelphia High School in 1954 and from OBU four years later.

“I love that group,” Freeman said. “For me personally, some of my friends I wouldn’t have been able to get in contact with at all, are on there. A lot of people I went to school with. I stay in touch with my sister on there.”

Freeman was the manager of the Arkadelphia Chamber of Commerce and has kept up with the community throughout the years, but says that the Facebook group has made it so much easier and enjoyable. He visits the town from time to time to visit family, but he is still able to stay connected with the town no matter where he is. One thing he notes is that the town has changed a lot due to various events and circumstances.

“The tornado did a lot to change just the structure of the city,” said Freeman. “The business structures have changed, but some things have stayed the same. The Merchant and Planters Bank that I used to work at is no longer there.”

Freeman wrote and self-published a book about his youth and education in the DeGray area and Arkadelphia titled “Laude How Cumey: A 21 Year Education (Proving that All Things are Possible).” The book ends just as he graduates from OBU.

“So I graduated from OBU in August… not Cum Laude, but more like Laude how cumey,” wrote Freeman.

He went on to write that he graduated on a Friday, got commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Army that Saturday and married that Sunday. He stayed in town until November when he shipped off for basic training.

The book and the Facebook page are filled with stories and anecdotes of life in Arkadelphia. Stories that can make you smile. Stories that can teach you something about the history of the area. Stories to remember.