SHORELINES

11 a p c s hor e l i n e s.c om | 2015 Vol :2 to vacation but they have since found their Smith Lake cottage is a more convenient getaway spot than driving several hours to Gulf Shores. As a lake property owner, Hanks received Shorelines – which was a newsletter a decade ago. In one of the small photos about a Renew Our Rivers cleanup, Hanks thought he saw a familiar face. It was a photo of Gene Phifer, who looked a lot like his father, Henry. "I saw this face in Shorelines magazine," Hanks remembers. "I said that's Henry's son. He looks a lot like him." Henry Phifer was an employee of Alabama Power and retired with 44 years of service. His son, Gene Phifer, was also an Alabama Power employee who recently retired from the company. Gene started the Renew Our Rivers program at Plant Gadsden in 2000. The program has expanded statewide and into neighboring states, and is credited with removing more than 13.5 million pounds of trash from area waterways. "I called the power company," Hanks says. "Hesitant at first, they connected me with them once they heard my story." When Hanks contacted the Phifer family, he learned that his old friend was in the hospital. Hanks and his wife made the 140-mile journey from Winfield to Gadsden for a visit by his friend's bedside. They talked for hours about their service, their families and life. "It was a great visit. I was really happy we could see each other again after so many years," Hanks says. Hanks wouldn't get another opportunity to visit his old friend. Phifer died a couple of weeks later. "Henry's son called me shortly after he passed," recalls Hanks. "He told me how much our visit had meant. I am glad for both of us we could see one another again." It's an opportunity Hanks is happy he didn't pass up. "I was so happy to see him. It was just wonderful," he says. "After I found out he had died, I felt even better about going to see him when I did." Louis and Margaret prepare to celebrate 72 years of marriage in September. After 91 years, there is much Louis can look back on with pride. Although his military service is just a sliver of those 91 years in terms of time, the impact was immeasurable. "I wouldn't take anything for my military life. It was rewarding," he says. "I learned a tremendous amount from the Army about how to build and do things." It's a lifetime of making the most of opportunities. "It's been wonderful for me," Hanks says. "I've had a wonderful life and I don't regret any of it." — MICHAEL TOMBER LIN To see video of Hanks' interview visit apcshorelines.com. file photo froM alaBaMa power archives – The photo that started it all. A photo in Shorelines of Henry's son Gene and his wife helped reconnect Louis Hanks with Henry Phifer.

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