Mary delighted the recent meeting of the Lawrenceville Lions Club with a 20-minute “act” liberally splattering euphemisms and tongue-in-cheek stories; all the while teaching and informing the audience of the History of Lawrenceville. Ask any high school teacher how hard it is to teach a history lesson; not everyone is interested. But, when Mary Long is in charge of weaving the magic of history with comedy, it’s similar to a mother lacing cod liver oil with orange juice to make it palatable; that’s what Mary does.
Mary Frazier Long and Pete StamsenWhen she finished her “Talk” as she called it, Pete Stamsen, Membership Chairman smoothly informed her, “Mary Long! This is your Life!” And true to her style, she graciously said, “Thank you!” Pete invited the audience to respond and toast Mary and she was fit for the task, taking it all in stride!
Mary Frazier Long and her familyHer granddaughter, Jaletta Long Smith, asked if she remembered teaching her to read. Mary responded with the lesson and stated, “Yes! M is for Macy’s and R is for Rich’s and you know the rest!” The laughter was explosive! Mary has published several books and Jaletta recalled one in particular, “Old Georgia Privies” when she assisted her grandmother writing and taking pictures of ‘Outhouses’ all over the state of Georgia! Jaletta re-counts, “It was a great time being with her and learning so much from her especially about outdoor bathrooms.”
Pete stated that she is a treasure and he stated, “There aren’t many Mary Long’s left on the face of the earth!” He continued, “We are losing our history of local towns and without people like her, the information will not be passed down!”
Mary Frazier Long, Virginia McIntosh, and Valerie Clark“She’s hilariously funny, irreverent and she has the kindest heart and all of that just makes her a wonderful person. She can cross age, races and gender lines appealing to everyone! And she’s informative in a fun way!” stated Leigh McIntosh.
“The evening was a joy and we will remember it fondly for a long time to come,” said Brian Donegan, Lions Club President, as he recovered from a deep, guttural laugh!
Mary Frazier Long, Emmett Clower, and Valerie ClarkFormer State Representative and retired Educator, Dr. Valerie Clark declared, “I’m still laughing and trying to tell her jokes! It was a joy to have spent the evening with such a person like Mary who gives so freely of herself!”
“Agreed!” Stated Mayor Judy Jordan Johnson. “Mary Long is considered the Lawrenceville Historian. Mary has a unique God-given talent to incorporate humor in history. When you hear Mary speak, you will laugh and learn some history at the same time.”
Mary Frazier Long, The Comedic Historian indeed!
