By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
We as a community have just said goodbye to Buzz Estes, and it seemed at the mayor’s and my usual Monday morning “Ronnie” meeting that there was only one thing to do. And that was to have our own campfire around the table in the mayor’s office and tell “Buzz stories.” For those of you who are “not from around here,” Buzz Estes was the epitome of our city’s logo/tag: Classic. Southern. Character. “He was most definitely a character,” said Mayor Ronnie, and I knew he meant it with affection.
Passing away at the age of almost 80, Buzz was one of my favorite people in Athens, and when I took on the oft-daunting task of producing Athens Now, he was one of my biggest cheerleaders. Buzz was a historian; a believer; a business owner; a lover of God, America, Israel, people, and his darling native Athens. Buzz was deeply committed to justice for all from the standpoint of the Constitution and not social engineering, and he was also hilarious. Mayor Marks summed it up so well with the following compliment: “He was always there.” By that, the mayor meant Buzz was faithful to staying connected to our town and to showing up consistently. He was small of stature, but his presence was always felt. I miss him.
There were too many Buzz stories to tell, but seeing as this column is entitled What Makes Ronnie Roll, it only seemed proper to defer to the mayor’s favorite, and it is a doozey. Here goes, as he told it to me:
“Years ago, before all things firearms became politically incorrect in many parts of our fair land, Buzz was functioning as a tour guide for a bus full of tourists ‘from up North,’” as the mayor described it with his own native drawl. “Buzz, a most active member of the Hobbs Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, as well as the ‘chief Character’ for the historical cemetery strolls, was decked out for the part in his Confederate uniform. He was carrying what I understand to have been an antique musket which still worked just fine.
“Buzz had gathered the group of tourists in the lovely garden which is located on Jefferson between the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church and the Rogers Center, and the building which houses the offices of Athens City Attorney Shane Black are most definitely within “earshot.” Shane was upstairs working on something related to a case when he heard right below him, “Fire in the hole!” Then the windows rattled within an inch of their life. Everyone in the building was understandably in a dither, and Shane rushed downstairs to see what the heck was going on. But Buzz wasn’t finished. “Fire in the hole” was hollered a second time followed by a deafening musket blast, and for a moment it appeared that Buzz was fixin’ to let a Northerner take the next shot! I am not sure if Shane remonstrated his elder or not, but the story is forever a part of our lore and legacy.
Oh, I laughed, and wished I could have seen it for myself. That being said, dear Buzz, we are going to have to wait ‘til we see you again and let you tell it for yourself. Until then, breathe easy, dear brother, and know that you are sorely missed!
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
