Ferrell Family Gathering Fun, on Saturday, 7-3-2021 (published 7-5-2021)

Introduction

Happy 5th of July, y'all! Eventually, I plan to publish a topical article on Independence Day. This article on family heritage has to come first!

My youngest brother called me on Sunday afternoon, 6/27/2021. He invited us to the Morning Star Baptist Church picnic on Saturday, 7/3/2021. I hoped that we could attend, depending on how my three “bionic” joints and related “multi-trauma” muscles endured the work week.

I woke up Saturday morning feeling my oats. My usual hot to cold shower worked well enough as usual. (I didn't even need to use my “muscle thumper!”) My '06 Frontier enjoyed taking Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and me on the road trip. He needed a good stretch of his legs. The about 78-mile drive from our house to the Morning Star Baptist Church in Church Hill, Tennessee, took about an hour and a half.

I hope you enjoy the photographs that my trusty Samsung cell phone (not a semi-intelligent phone) took. Comments follow each photograph. The weather was in the low 80s and sunny.

Church Picnic

We started hearing fiddle playing, shortly after turning north off Highway 11W! I understand upper-east Tennessee back roads. I've driven many of them. I remembered the first back road. I hadn't been on it in decades. I think that I was in my late teens or early 20s. Dad needed my help with pump work or to move the well machine. I remembered locations on that first back road! I rode with Dad, in his old work truck, to help with his Ferrell's Well Drilling work. Riding with Dad, I helped him many times over several years. Later, Dad rode with me for trips to his medical appointments, usually to see his cardiologist in Johnson City. Dad always commented about locations we passed, where he had either drilled a water well, done pump work, or both. (The pump must be set after the well is drilled.) That is Ferrell's Well Drilling heritage! I have digressed down a back road memory. Let's return our thoughts to driving the back roads on 7/3/2021!

The last part of the drive was back roads, off back roads! The church building is well north of Church Hill. It is almost in Virginia. A drive farther north to Virginia would take less time than back south to Church Hill. The drive, up and down hills and around sharp curves, was expected, as anyone raised in upper-east Tennessee knows. The 78-mile drive was done. We had arrived at the church building.

I took the above photograph, while the “cake auction” was being held, off to the left. (I don't care for sweets.) I'll nitpick my Baptist brethren. My youngest brother is not the “pastor.” He is the preacher (or evangelist or minister). I can argue this point from scripture, but I will avoid doing so. You are welcome to leave a comment, if you would like for me to explain the difference in a future article!

I took the above photograph moments after the first one, having turned to my left. I'm facing west now. The area to the right (shelter and tents) is where the “cake auction” continued. My youngest brother and his family (wife and two daughters), my next-to-youngest brother, my brother (who is about three years younger than me), Mrs. Appalachian Irishman, and several other folks (church members, etc.) are in the shelter and tent area. I see the rear and left side of my silver '06 Frontier truck, with his new “tars” on! The blue truck (closest, on the front and left side) belongs to my brother, who is just younger than me. The VA helped him buy that truck. My brother was in the Air Force for eight years. He served in Operation Desert Storm. He probably contracted multiple sclerosis from the immunizations he had to take during Desert Storm. The nation owes many veterans, including my brother, a debt of gratitude. I am glad that the VA helped him buy his new-to-him truck. (It's a 2017 Tacoma.)

In my first article from 6/8/2021, I wrote that I would publish an image of my truck, wearing his new decorative plate and “tars.” The above image shows the decorative plate. Do you see my arms and chest, reflecting in the chrome bumper? My decorative plate has been on my truck since 5/23/2021.

The four sons and Earl and Betty Ferrell had not been together since 7/23/2020, at the gravesite service for my eldest niece. My next-to-youngest brother visited us on Thanksgiving, 11/26/2020. My youngest brother and his family visited us on 11/28/2020, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

On July 3rd, we were glad to be together again, all four of us at once. The setting was much better than on 7/23/2020. My veteran brother and I talked quite a bit, about our “whatevers” and other topics. He has left shoulder and right leg problems. I have left shoulder and right leg (knee and foot) problems. We both endure. Our “whatevers” are different, but we understand each other. (His wife, daughter, and grandson had gone to see his wife's family in Kentucky.)

My youngest brother's two daughters were finally able to get their Christmas presents. His eldest daughter received her birthday present as well. We had Christmas in July, I reckon.

Cemetery

Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I had to start our way back home. On our drive back, we stopped at Mom and Dad's gravesite. The cemetery is behind a church building. Fifteen Ferrells, including Mom and Dad, rest in the cemetery. We visited each gravesite.

Three of my uncles and their wives (my aunts) and three of my first cousins rest there. I knew and remembered very well my aunts, uncles, and first cousins.

The first row, in the above photograph, is where Dad's oldest brother, his wife, two of their children, and his wife's mother are resting. Many memories come to mind of Uncle Bill, Aunt Bobbie, Cousin Larry, and Cousin Retha. Aunt Bobbie's mother died five years before I was born. We had a good visit.

Mom and Dad are resting together, in the second row in the photograph. Farther back, the flag pole and flag on the tree stump mark where a large mimosa tree had been standing. That tree had provided shade to Mom and Dad's gravesite, which was good, when visiting on a hot, sunny, or rainy day. The roots had become a concern. Dad selected the perfect marker. The words to the poem, above “FERRELL” (visible), are not legible in my photograph. I memorized the poem over 20 years ago. The words fit Mom and Dad well. Dad had selected the poem. He talked about it many times. We had a good visit.

The gravesite of an aunt and uncle and their son is farther back. Their gravesite is beside the gravesite of another aunt and uncle. Uncle Roy, Aunt Maxie, and Cousin Bart have one site. I had to laugh a little, when I recalled the many jokes with Bart. He could always name more state capitals than I could.

Uncle Carson and Aunt Hazel have the other site. Many good memories filled my mind. I have nary a bad one! Well, I have one. The hospital was the last time that I saw Uncle Carson. My wife and I had returned, from our five-year mission work in Russia, less than two months. We had visited Uncle Carson and Aunt Hazel at their home on 11/26/1999, when Uncle Carson wasn't well but was able to be at home.

I do not have the date written on my 1999 calendar, but our hospital visit with Uncle Carson and Aunt Hazel was shortly after 11/26/1999. Uncle Carson went to his heavenly home on 12/1/1999. At the hospital, Aunt Hazel started to cry, as we talked. Uncle Carson told his wife not to cry and that “it will be okay.” Uncle Carson must have been thinking from the everlasting perspective, knowing that he had only days before he went Home. The memory is bad in the short term. It is a good memory, from the everlasting perspective.

The gravesite of Papaw Marion Ferrell's younger brother's son, his wife, and two of their children are also in the cemetery. I was born five months after the son of Papaw Ferrell's younger brother died. I don't recall having met his wife or their two children. I may have.

Homeplace

Our next-to-last stop was a quick visit to the homeplace. (We were trying to get back in time to do “Molly Doggy's.”) The above photograph is looking northeast, with the back of the homeplace in the image. Granny Wood's grapevine is to the left. Her grapevine will have plenty of grapes later this year.

The two Winesap apple trees that Dad planted are farther west, not in the image. The smaller tree is starting to produce apples. The larger tree may or may not produce apples this year. Both trees are healthy. The Ferrell family is welcome to stop by to get grapes and apples! Two great neighbors have been doing so for years. My youngest brother and I have been doing so as well.

Mrs. Appalachian Irishman was “hiding” in my '06 Nissan Frontier. The first hay cutting had been done. I wish that my good neighbors had been home! I missed seeing them. The garden, behind the image, was looking good. The target practice area looked like it had been used recently by a good neighbor. I need to target shoot there soon!

Dad, we're still “keepin' it going” at the homeplace. I remember what you said, after Mom went to see Jesus.

Conclusion

I started writing this article yesterday, on Independence Day. The plan to publish this article yesterday, with another article afterward about Independence Day, was delayed. A man has to do other stuff! Well, this family heritage article is published! I will get around to writing and publishing an Independence Day article, in better-late-than-never mode.

I wrote earlier in this article about starting “our way back home.” Our travels on 7/3/2021 took just over six hours. After the homeplace, my truck was hungry. I fed him 89-octane 100% gas at Liberty Market, which is across Main Street from the elementary school. To family members and friends in Rogersville, I'm sorry, y'all, that I didn't let you know that we were coming! What we did took enough time. We didn't have any more time!

Our way back to our heavenly home will take more time. Many family members are already at Home. We here, in the short-term perspective, are living to go Home. To my biological and spiritual family members, who are already Home, my wife and I, along with others, are on our way to meet you! We will get there. It won't take long, from the short-term perspective. Until then, y'all “keep it goin'” up there! We will see you soon!

The Ferrell family gathering fun on 7/3/2021 was a foretaste of future Ferrell family gathering fun – at our everlasting and heavenly home!