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Pike County Commissioner Homer Wright has been going to local neighborhood Fourth of July Parades since 2004, as best he can remember.

“I started going to the China Grove Fourth of July Parade and it was a big thing,” Wright said. “People came to the parade and to eat barbecue from all around. So, a lot of people were disappointed when China Grove stopped having the parade. But, Meeksville and its volunteer firefighters jumped in and had the parade and people keep coming, year after year.”

Wright said there is just something special and meaningful about a neighborhood parade, even when the “neighborhood” stretches far and wide.

Meeksville is in Wright’s county commission district so he was and is right at home at the community’s Fourth of July parades and in the parades. But the thought of his being the parade grand marshal never entered his mind.

So, when Wright was named the Grand Marshal of the 2023 Meeksville Fourth of July Parade, he was surprised and very honored.

First because it was “a great honor” because the parade celebrates the freedoms all Americans enjoy and honors those who fought for and preserve those freedoms.

“And, because it’s community,” Wright said. “It’s right here in Pike County, in my district and everybody is invited and welcome.”

Meeksville is experiencing growth with both lumber and concrete businesses locating there.

The growth is good for business and for the jobs that are available locally. Meeksville remains small town America with Fourth of July parades and barbecues and grand marshals that are hometown heroes.

Many parades have queens and being a queen is an honor.

But…. for Rosa Bean, being a queen would not equal the thrill and honor of being the Grand Marshal of the 2023 Meeksville Fourth of July Parade.

“Being the Grand Marshall of my hometown parade is a great honor,” Rosa said. ‘I don’t know how to say what it means to me. And, to share the honor with Pike County Commissioner Homer Wright, makes it more special.”

When the Meeksville Fourth of July Parade ends at Harmony Park on the Fourth of July, Rosa Bean will put on an apron and, literally, serve her community.

Rosa, laughing, said that is what she enjoys most –being a part her the community she calls home.

“I was raised in Meeksville,” she said. “I’ve been here for 50 years and this is where I want to be, doing what I can for my community. I joined the Meeksville Volunteer Fire Department when it started because I saw a need for a volunteer fire department and wanted to do my part.”

Rosa said the volunteer fire department has a dedicated interest in the community ‘s young people and provides opportunities for them to understand what community service means, individually, and to others.

“Meeksville is a close-knit community,” Rosa said. “We care about each other and we look out of each other.”

Scottie’s Grocery is a gathering place for the community and will continue to be even as Meeksville grows, Bean said.

Parade Grand Marshall Rosa Bean takes great pride in her community and in her country. And, there is no greater honor than to honor America for 247 years of freedom and the blessing of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.