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At the wonderful going home party for Cappy Stalhman recently held at the Grand Hotel among the hundreds in attendance some folks often asked me “did you know Cappy” or “how did you know Cappy!”

My response was Cappy Stalhman was a childhood playmate of mine along with Robert “Killer” Hoggatt, Lee Jones and Warren Nabb. We all lived in adjoining neighborhoods and often played together growing up.

When I read about Cappy crossing back over to the other side I took a deep breath and after a while called Killer and Lee Jones and we recalled our childhood days of association with Cappy.

I told folks that upon my return to Natchez in 1995 when I began conducting commemorations programs and events at the Forks of the Roads, Cappy was the first person I went to for financial support. He was still at Stalhman’s Lumber Company at the time.

Right away he donated the $100 dollars my person asked of him. Every since that time onward Cappy never failed to give a donation in support of either commemorations of the Forks of the Roads events and the annual Black and Blue Civil War Living History programs held for the past 12 years at Historic Jefferson College.

Just this past year he personally had his assistant drive him out to where I live and put a nice donation in my hands. He was concerned that he would not have done so before the event, which was close to happening.

At the same time he and I were planning on one day going over to Killer’s house because he had not seen Robert Hoggatt in a long time.

Surely going to miss seeing Cappy walking through the downtown Farmer’s market, yelling at him on his three wheels motorcycle as he comes and goes. I would always happily shout out “Cappyyy” to him.

Cappy would from time to time talk about social racial issues. He seems to be so very much concerned about “we all have to get along!”

Vaya con Dia Amigo Cappy = Go with God!

Ser Seshsh Ab Heter-CM Boxley is coordinator of Friends of the Forks of the Road and a Natchez native.