Ferrell Heritage: 1974 Photograph and 7-6-2019 Photograph (published 7-7-2019; updated 11-10-2022)

11/10/2022 update: Today, website analytics showed that this article was viewed in the last 24 hours. Who viewed it? I don't know. I updated the title and improved the grammar and style a little. By the way, happy birthday today, Trina! (She is our niece, the daughter of my “favorite” sister-in-law.)

Summer of 1974

On a date after June, in the summer of 1974, Mom probably took the above photograph. The image includes: Dad (lower left); his two sisters, Aunt Carrie Davis and Aunt Lula Absher (farthest on the top right), the oldest two of the eight siblings; and four of his five brothers: Uncle Bill (lower right), Uncle Paul (upper left), Uncle George (center, standing), and Uncle Carson (lower center). Uncle Roy and his family, who lived in Washington, DC, were not present.

The photograph is a duplicate of the original. I had the original reprinted on 12/17/2002. As I recall, I gave the duplicates to my three brothers and my father, as Christmas gifts, on 12/25/2002. (Mom went to see Jesus, on 12/27/2000.)

The year 1974, in our new Caney Creek Road home, was a great life transition for the Earl and Betty Ferrell family! I started high school that fall. There are many memories from when we lived at the old Walter Livesay home, just off dead man’s curve on old Highway 11W. Memories continued at our Caney Creek Road home, where the above photograph was taken.

7/6/2019 (Saturday)

On Saturday, 7/6/2019, two of my three brothers were photographed at about the same spot at the Caney Creek Road homeplace. The “long-suffering” Mrs. Appalachian Irishman took the above image. I am the eldest of the four sons of Earl and Betty Ferrell. I’m standing on the right, wearing my House Mountain T-shirt! (Let’s hike!) My youngest brother, Doug (aka “Dougly Doright”), is in the middle. Clark (next-to-oldest, aka Clark “Kent”) is on the left. Arthur could not attend the gathering, due to car difficulties, as he claimed.

During the afternoon, we visited and ate outside on the front porch. A little pop-up shower joined us for a while. Doug and the youngsters played in the front yard. I picked up and piled branches. Everyone was in and out of the house often. Clark wanted us three brothers (minus Arthur) to be photographed at the same location as the 1974 photograph. That was a grand idea, Clark! We all had a great time!

The above is a photograph that I took. I see Clark and Doug, two of my three brothers.

The other family members are, from left to right: Shanna (Clark's youngest daughter). Shanna enjoyed going through Mom’s recipe books. She found and kept her old letter to Santa. Clark's oldest daughter, Alisha Barnette, and family could not attend.

Next is the “long-suffering” Mrs. Appalachian Irishman. To my wife's left is Clark’s fourth wife. On Clark's left is “Uncle” Skyler (Shanna’s son). Stacy, Doug’s wife, with Doug standing behind her, is next. Finally, Doug and Stacy's girls are Lillianna (the youngest) and Ariel (the firstborn).

The vehicle is Clark’s Nissan Pathfinder. The view looks northeast.

Behind me (the photographer) and not in the image is the grapevine, which still lives and produces grapes. The grapevine was a clipping from the grapevine that Granny and Papaw Wood had in their large backyard, at their home in Bean Station.

After Papaw died, in 1983, Granny began living with us. The grapevine continues.

Conclusion

I could write about many other family heritage memories, but it’s close to supper time. I hear Mrs. Appalachian Irishman finishing supper preparations. Let’s eat!

Well, at 7:20 PM, I'll publish this article. We had a good supper, such as it was. Molly, our ol' puppy, is inside. It's time to get ready to start another work week. Well, I had my one-day vacation this year, on Friday, 7/5/2019!