After Decatur County Commission Chairman Earl Perry read the two Screen Family Proclamations on Tuesday evening, applause burst from the crowd.
Proclamation for Ms. Alto Screen, July 27,2010
WHEREAS, it is only fitting and proper that this Board should recognize the excellent and exemplary life of Ms. Alto Screen, matriarch of the Screen Family, who is 94 years old this year;
WHEREAS, Ms. Alto Screen donated land to Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in Decatur County, following the example of her father and mother, Wise Screen, Sr. and Alberta Screen, thereby securing a lasting memorial to herself and her family for its good deeds and generous service to fellow Decatur County citizens;
WHEREAS, Ms. Alto Screen is descended from a former plantation owner, one Charles Lewis Munnerlyn, formerly of South Carolina, through his son, Henry Screen, born in 1818, and formerly a slave at "The Refuge" plantation in Decatur County;
WHEREAS, Ms. Alto Screen exemplifies the Screen Family legacy of coming "up from slavery" and overcoming all odds through their hard labor, good citizenship and excellent personal values;
WHEREAS, Ms. Alto Screen has been the glue and the mainstay of the Screen Family these many years, as well as being a pillar of the community through her good works and charitable disposition;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that Ms. Alto Screen be honored the weekend of August 8,2010, during a dedication ceremony of a fellowship hall to be named in honor of her parents, Wise Screen, Sr. and Alberta Screen, and that the citizens of Decatur County be encouraged to remember this honorable family and especially its matriarch, Ms. Alto Screen at this time;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this proclamation be spread upon the minutes of this Board in order that it may become a permanent part of the official actions of this Board, and that a certified copy thereof be furnished to Ms. Alto Screen, as a lasting testament of its gratitude and appreciation for Ms. Alto Screen and the Screen Family in general.
OFFERED AND ADOPTED this 27th day of July, 2010.
Decatur County Georgia Board Of Commissioners
Proclamation for Family of Wise Screen, Sr. and Alberta Screen, July 27,2010
WHEREAS, it is only fitting and proper that this Board recognize the outstanding past contributions and dedication to family, church and community that Decatur County citizens Wise Screen, Sr. and Alberta Screen have made to our county, through their own efforts and hard work, and through the continuing efforts of their descendents over the past 147 years;
WHEREAS, Wise Screen, Sr. and Alberta Screen generously donated land whereon sits Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church on Ten Mile Still Road for the purpose of providing a place of worship to the community;
WHEREAS, Wise Screen, Sr. and Alberta Screen further exemplified their Christian faith by raising fifteen children and by planting and growing their own crops in Decatur County, thereby sustaining their family both physically and spiritually;
WHEREAS, the Screen Family has a long history in Decatur County, even coming up from slavery on the Decatur County plantation known as "The Refuge," and claiming a direct descent from its owner, Charles Lewis Munnerlyn, formerly of South Carolina, through his son, Henry Screen, born in 1818 in South Carolina of an unnamed woman in slavery;
WHEREAS, after Henry Screen was freed, he was first given land from his father and former master, then added to it diligently by the labor of his own hands, raising his own family and teaching them the value of honest labor, which heritage Wise Screen, Sr. and Alberta Screen passed on to their heirs, as well;
WHEREAS, the Screen Family tradition of dedication, hard work and charity toward their fellow human beings continues even unto this day in Decatur County, and as a token of appreciation a fellowship hall is dedicated to the Founders of this family legacy, Wise Screen, Sr. and Alberta Screen;
NOW, BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the weekend of August 8,2010, be set aside as a time to honor and remember the Screen Family and its Founders in Decatur County, especially Wise Screen, Sr., and Alberta Screen, in memoriam of their charitable deeds and outstanding examples;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this proclamation be spread upon the minutes of this Board in order that it may become a permanent part of the official actions of this Board, and that a certified copy thereof be furnished to the Screen Family.
OFFERED AND ADOPTED this 27th day of July, 2010.
Decatur County Georgia Board Of Commissioners
