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1) Anne Yount, Gabriella Armstrong and Jo Mattison 2) Anne Cooksey, Rosemary Ewing and Clara Montgomery 3) Rachel Hopkins and Mary Frances Perry 4) Courtney Curry, Cyndy Perry, Susan Coates and Mary Frances 5) Caroline Christman and Clara Munholland Montgomery 6) Mandy Johnston Williamson, Courtney Curry and Pat Godfrey
Pi Beta Phi Reception At Perry Home by MARTHA JANE ANDERSON
EVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO,THE 29TH Governor of Arkansas and the first governor in Arkansas to ascend to the top leadership post from the Lieutenant Governor's position, had a beautiful auburn haired daughter who pledged and was initiated into the Pi Beta Phi sisterhood at Newcomb College. The following is a story from her life long great friend, Robertine Rhymes Cobb of Monroe and Rhymes Plantation in Rayville, who played a most important role in getting precious Mary Frances Parnell to rural north Louisiana. The two girls became best friends as their respective families sent them to the then prestigious Boarding School and 2-year college, Gulfpark College in Gulfport, MS. Robertine, dressed in a wool suit with mink collar and hat, boarded the train in Monroe, crying her eyes out for she did not want to leave the farm and her father, Mr. Robert "Bob"Rhymes. On the train, was the vivacious Mary Frances Parnell, dressed in crisp white cotton also headed to Gulfpark from Dermott, AR. Robertine said that Mary Frances was self-assured and made it her business to talk Robertine into thinking times were going to be good at Gulfpark. When the train arrived in New Orleans, they departed and boarded another train headed to Gulfport, and the thermometer read 100 degrees with Robertine still in her wool suit and hat.
94 BayouLife Magazine MAY 2013
Things got much better for the girls and they finished high school at Gulf Park. Mary Frances went then to Hendrix College and Robertine headed to Brenau College in Georgia. After a year, both girls reunited at Newcomb College where Robertine Rhymes Cobb finished law school and Mary Frances majored in economics and political science and graduated from the University of Arkansas. In the summers, Monroe had more to offer than Dermott, AR, so Mary Frances visited Robertine and was introduced to the handsome J.W. Perry of Perryville. Monroe had fabulous dances at both the old Virginia Hotel and the Frances Hotel back then, so the young set enjoyed Monroe summers and the "picture shows." Since 1936, Robertine and Mary Frances have been close friends. Mary Frances married J.W. Perry and has twenty-one great grandchildren. Mary Frances has always loved good linen napkins so for Christmas this year, the children all got sets of napkin rings to carry on her tradition of linens at the dinner table. She laughed and shared with me that about five years ago, she was pretty sick at St. Francis, and Robertine came to visit. Robertine stood at the foot of the bed and told Mary Frances that she must get well, for Robertine was not ready to die yet and she was not going anywhere without Mary Frances...It did the trick and turned the tide! Mary Frances still plays great bridge
with "The Thursday Bridge Club." Daughter-in-law, the talented Cyndy Rivers Perry, hosted some fifty Pi Phis at a reception in her lovely home on Oak Drive. The Pi Phis gave Mary Frances a history book on Pi Phi and the food included petit fors, finger sandwiches, a cheese ball with crackers and shrimp dip. Punch and wine were served with the help of Courtney Curry and Susan Coates. The dining table had a magnificent arrangement of wine and blue flowers that was the best ever! Out of town guests included Rosemary Upshaw Ewing from Quitman and Caroline Christman from Rayville. Among the Pi Phi Alumnae there to celebrate with Mary Frances were Ann Grabill Cooksey, Jody Biedenharn Johnston , Kay McCue McDonald, Lynn Keller Hodge, Loretta Ray Rivers, Rachel Hopkins originally from Connecticut, Jo Goodwin Mattison, Clara Munholland Montgomery, Pat Reitzell Godfrey, Anne Wilson Yount, Johnston Williamson, Carolyn McCormick Myrick, Gabriella Armstrong and Martha Jane Anderson.