DAILY LEADER / KATIE WILLIAMSON / Bob Cross takes Raven Mcraney, 13 for a spin around the Colemans’ dance hall Saturday at 4102 Highway 28 in Hazlehurst Saturday night. Everyone is invited to attend the dances and can even bring a dish to the potluck if they would like to.

A slow rhythmic wailing could be heard from outside the metal-sided building on Mississippi Highway 28. The muffled noises fell damp on the night air. The front door opened letting the muted music notes escape. The unmistakable sounds of down-home honkytonk guitars filled the room with classic country western tunes of love and loss performed by the Krystal Kountry Band. Dancers were scattered across the space, young and old, hand in hand, stepping in time to the beat of the tune.

On the inside of Bill and Ann Coleman’s dance hall, Bob Cross was waiting on the side of the room scouting out his next partner. The 99 year old took turns taking every woman in the room on a spin around the floor. He was light on his feet and moved to the music with confidence.

“There are so many ladies that I dance with, all of them from 18 on up to 90. I dance with a lot of people’s wives, and they don’t care because they figure there is no harm in a 99-year-old man,” said Cross.

Every week, Cross can be found shuffling in the dance halls of the American Legion in Jackson or the Colemans’ dance club on Highway 28. He waltzes, he two steps and he even shakes it to the D & L Boogie, a Krystal Kountry original.

“Its one of the best forms of exercise. I also garden a lot; I get a lot of exercise there as well,” said Cross. “It keeps me from getting old.”

Cross is originally from Iowa. He was drafted to WWII and stationed out of Flora, Mississippi, at the Mississippi Ordinance Plant. Like many men who visit the state, he fell in love with a Southern woman. When he got back from overseas, he moved down to Mississippi, married his wife and took the first job he could find.

“My wife and I never did dance. We didn’t have much time. I didn’t make much money; my wife didn’t make much, but we had a wonderful life together,” said Cross.

Twenty-five years ago Cross lost his wife to a brain tumor. While taking care of her, Cross met a woman at the hospital who introduced him to dancing.

“I never took lessons, I just kept time to the music,” said Cross. “I’ve made a lot of friends at these dances. I just love it. You know, you just get used to something like that.”

A couple hours after the first strum of the night, the entire room took a break to enjoy a potluck dinner. The dancers and musicians brought a dish to share and smiling conversations commenced. Cross proudly pointed to the dish full of deep red tomato sliced from his garden that he brought, insisting that everyone try.

Every morning and afternoon when the temperature is not too hot, the 99 year old spends hours tending to his garden of tomatoes, squash, cantaloupe, okra, muscadines and all sorts of other fruits and veggies. His friends say he has something planted for every season.

Cross lives alone in the country 12 miles outside of Hazelhurst and 13 miles from Crystal Springs. It takes Cross 30 to 45 minutes depending on the time of day and weather to drive to his dance halls every week, but he does not ever miss a chance to dance.

An hour later people began tossing our their plastic dinner plates as the band began to play again. Cross was quickly on the look out for his next dance partner of the night, which was never hard for him to find.