Every year the Forest Area Chamber of Commerce selects two outstanding residents as Citizens of the Year. This year the honor goes to Billy Frank and Linda Jo Alford.
As part of the honor the Alfords will be recognized at a reception on Thursday from 3:30 p.m. until 5, and then they will be the Grand Marshals of the 2019 Forest Christmas Parade on December 6.
The Alfords have been Forest residents since 1975, and together the couple has been an integral part of the community as citizens, business owners as well as city and county leaders. They have been active members of the chamber since 1981 and participated in all of the annual chamber events as well as being dedicated community volunteers.
The couple said that they are so honored that they were even considered for Citizens of the Year. “I don’t really feel deserving but we are very honored that we were chosen and this is greatly appreciated,” Linda said.
Billy Frank is a native of Morton and a graduate of Morton High School and University of Mississippi. He was a member of the 1957 Morton Panthers football team that defeated the Forest Bearcats in the first Battle of the Golden Chicken.
“I’m proud to be part of the Morton High School team that won the very first Golden Chicken,” Billy Frank said. “That was the start of what has turned out to be a very important game to both the Morton and Forest communities every year and it was an honor to play in the very first game back in 1957.”
Billy was elected and served the City of Forest as Alderman of Ward II for two terms and was later elected as Scott County Chancery Clerk where he served the county for three terms.
“It was a great honor to be elected and to have the opportunity to serve the citizens of both Forest and Scott County. It was really a highlight of my career and something I will always be thankful for,” Billy said.
After graduating from high school and college Billy Frank enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1962 and served in the reserves through 1968. During his military service he began his 36-year career with Farm Bureau Insurance which he retired from in 1999. His insurance career started in Tupelo and that is where he met the love of his life, wife Linda Jo.
“I had to visit where she worked as part of an insurance claim in 1966,” he said. “I had to talk to her about the claim and as soon as I met her, I knew I would like to ask her out. I asked her not long afterwards and we were married in 1967 and it was the best decision I have ever made.”
After the couple married, they moved around northern Mississippi as part of Billy Frank’s duties with Farm Bureau, but in 1967 he received a call that would ultimately lead to the last move the couple would ever make.
“Billy’s father was in the nursing home in Morton and his boss called him and said they had an opening in Forest,” Linda Jo recalled. “He wanted to know if we would be interested in moving. The way it worked out we only had until the following Monday to decide. We left that Saturday and checked into the old El Motel on Hwy 35 and started looking at houses in Forest. We made the decision to make the move and informed his boss of our decision that Monday.”
“We spent almost a month at that motel while we were moving,” Billy Frank said. “We found a house on Line Drive in Forest and that is where we lived for 25 years before moving to our current residence in 1999.”
The Alfords are long time members of the Forest Baptist Church where they have both been highly involved and dedicate time for church outreach programs. Linda Jo is a longtime member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and works with both the Carlisle Crisis Center and the Center of Hope in addition to her longtime volunteering at Saint Michaels Catholic Church in Forest.
Forest Mayor Nancy Chambers said the selection process includes certain criteria on which the candidates are considered and the Billy and Linda Alford are very deserving.
“The Chamber has a nominating form that must be submitted in writing and there are several criteria that must be met,” Chambers said. “The categories on the form are Service to Public and Others, Church Attendance, Activities and Responsibilities, Support of Chamber and Chamber activities and Commitment to Local Employment. In all of these categories the Alfords stood out for their commitment and work in our local community.
“I speak for the City of Forest and for the entire board of alderman when I say we rejoice with Billy and Linda for being selected for this honor as Forest Citizens of the Year,” Chambers added.
In 1981 the Alfords started Alford Realty in Forest. Billy earned his real estate brokers license while Linda earned her real estate sales license even as Billy remained with Farm Bureau. The real estate firm has been in business for the past 38 years and is remains open as one of Forest’s staple downtown business to this day.
The Alfords have one son Matt and one grandson Logan. Matt is Ward 5 Alderman in Forest, and runs the family real estate business. The couple lost their youngest son Jason, Logan’s father, tragically in 1998. After the passing of Jason, Billy and Linda took up a major role in raising grandson Logan who is now attending Ole Miss.
The Alfords both said that when they lost their youngest son they could literally feel the love and support of the local community.
“One thing that really stands out to me is when our son died in 1998 I could feel the Forest community praying and supporting us,” Linda said. “That’s just the kind of community this is, everyone here supports each other and that support had meant more to us that we could ever explain.”
Billy almost mimicked his wife’s statements when he said, “During our time of need Forest really supported us. I could feel the community lifting us up when we needed it the most. I could feel their prayers and complete support and I will always be thankful for this community.”
The Alfords said that the Forest community has supported them and their family in everything they have done and they could not think of a better place to live.
Billy said, “We are so honored for this recognition. The citizens of Forest and Scott County elected me to office five times and it has been my honor of a lifetime to live in this community and serve the people of Forest and Scott County.”
“This is such a wonderful honor and this means so much to both of us,” Linda added. “I appreciate the people of our community and how they have always supported us in everything we have done. There are so many deserving people here in Forest and we cherish this honor. I cannot imagine living anywhere else.”
