Three generations of a Bainbridge family who are making their livings from the area extolled the virtues of the area to those attending the Chamber of Commerce breakfast Thursday.

Raymond Miles, owner of Miles Realty; Dick Ivey, owner of Ivey Funeral Home and son-in-law of Miles; and Richard Ivey, an employee of TexPar Energy LLC and grandson of Miles and son of Ivey, were sponsors of the breakfast.

“I love this community. It’s been good to me,” said Miles. “I hope and pray we can give to this community like it’s given to me.”

Many in the community say Miles has given back to the community, including many successful fund-raising efforts he led that benefited the YMCA, First Baptist Church and Bainbridge College.

Miles repeated a phase Jim Stone and the late Max Langston often have said, “I wasn’t born in Bainbridge, but I got here as quickly as I could.”

A well-known Realtor, Miles started his real estate business after many successful years in the insurance business. Miles bought insurance agencies from R.G. Pope and E.F. Vickers, and Miles then sold it to Dan Daniel, who eventually sold it to its present owner, Matt Palmer.

Miles said he lived here for only two years before he decided to purchase a cemetery plot at Oak City Cemetery.

“I can talk about Bainbridge for the rest of my life,” Miles said.

He recounted that he had six children in college at one time, and that all of his family except for one—Ivey’s daughter, Mary Beth, who lives in Atlanta—live in Bainbridge.

Ivey, who is married to Miles’ daughter, Diane, said he was truly grateful to have raised his children here.

Ivey’s parents purchased the funeral home in 1950 from Player Funeral Home, and he and Diane bought it from his parents in 1985.

Richard Ivey briefly talked about TexPar Energy, which is located at the Decatur County Industrial Park. The oil-recyling business has 25 employees.

It started as Sellers Oil in the 1970s, then TexPar Energy Inc. bought it in 1999. The company was again sold to its present Wisconsin parent company, TexPar Energy LLC, in 2003.

Other announcements

• Chamber Chairman Keith Lyle reported the success of the duck race that was run in conjunction with River Town Days. He said the Chamber netted approximately $24,000, which compared to past auctions’ net proceeds of approximately $26,000 to $27,000. The chamber had hoped the duck race would supplement the income the annual auction generated, without going through the extra work of putting on an auction, Lyle said. During the chamber’s board meeting in May, Lyle said the duck race income will now allow the chamber staff and volunteers to “go back to doing its chamber business… The chamber has been better off than we have ever been.” Lyle thanked duck race chairman Matt Palmer and River Town Days chairman Brian Rivers for their work.

• On Aug. 12, the chamber’s small business committee is sponsoring a lunch-and-learn at Bainbridge College.

• On June 19, the chamber’s existing industries committee is sponsoring an industry roundtable luncheon beginning at noon at the Cloud Livestock Arena at the county fairgrounds.

• Barber Fertilizer was picked as the business spotlight.

• Chamber President Evelyn Clay said she would like to learn from businesses that are recognized so she may compile a “brag sheet” of businesses.

• Scott Ewing and Tom Conway were recognized as ambassadors for May and April, respectively.