A Letter From Tatum
“It is like a bowl of chicken noodle soup when you are sick. It brings a comfort like nowhere else.”
I am a son, a father, and a grandfather, and my roots were laid right here in Marlboro County. The little town of Tatum is where I call home. Family is of utmost importance to me. The lessons from this place are things I have instilled and am still instilling in my children and grandchildren, hoping they carry them forward through their lives.
Two of my greatest passions have always been racing and, later in life, fishing. They seem like total opposites, but they share one common denominator: community. Both worlds are built on people who are unwavering in their support of one another and cheer each other on even in the heat of competition. That is not by accident. That is Marlboro County.
Helping and sharing an understanding with each other is a vital part of who we are here that often gets overlooked. Coming together and unifying is something Marlboro County has always done. Over the years I have seen it through the Jaycees, the FUMC basketball program, and just as a citizen of this county. The support from the people here is unwavering. You see it at community events, at sporting events, and even in death. Though we are all different, we are one. There is a connection that runs through every person who lives here that is only truly understood by those who are from here. There are no words for it. But the people of Marlboro County who have been here most of their lives know exactly what I mean.
The value of hard work was instilled in me young, by my mother and father. I can remember crawling under houses as a child to install ductwork for the family business, Hamer Heating and Cooling. From there I went on to run two businesses of my own, ARCO and Art's Carpet Cleaning. For the past 28 years I have served here at Marlboro County Government. Through all of it, the work was made lighter by the love of the people around me. That is the thing about this place. The community does not just witness the work. It carries it with you.
Throughout my life I have tried to instill the values of community, love, and hard work into everyone I cross paths with. Whether at a community event or on the job, the core of Marlboro County is its people and the sense of belonging they carry with them.
Though we may waver and lose our way at times, we must remember what makes us strong. This county is strong when we are united. It is strong when we pack the stands on Friday nights. It is strong in the tragic death of a neighbor, when we show up for each other without being asked. We are community. We know how to unite behind our kids, behind our events, behind each other. We need to remember who we are and come together for the betterment of not just ourselves, but to build somewhere our grandchildren will want to call home.
ARTHUR HAMER | TATUM
