Introduction
Howdy, y'all! I hope that you are not laboring on Labor Day. Please get a cup of coffee ready! This is a seven-page article. Thanks for stopping by to read for a while.
Last month, this website garnered 8,377 total views, as mentioned in my 9/1/2021 article. I have enjoyed writing since grade school. Lord willing, I'll keep sharing my public journal and commentary. It's a modern way of communicating. If you wish, you may email me, using the Contact Form on the right side of the web page. Also, you are welcome to include your phone number and ask me to call. Further, I will share my phone number if you request it.
As an aside about yesterday, well, there I “sot,” as my father would say, on a cloudy Sunday afternoon when I started to write this article. It is about time to start my House Mountain hiking season. Yesterday, however, I chose not to hike for the first time this season. An afternoon hike would have been warm and muggy. I would have had to change from a sweaty tee-shirt into a dry one if I had hiked.
I was tempted! My “bionic” body felt its oats, despite the Weigel's mini cheeseburger I had for dinner (or lunch, as Yankees call it) two days ago. On Saturday, the hunger growl started as I was driving to get gas and haul off trash. My 2006 Nissan Frontier was hungry for more 100% gas. I was hungry. We both ate. My truck ate better than I did!
Focusing back on the purpose of this entry, it is a “life, such as it is,” update, divided into four sections. I hope that it helps your “life, such as it is!” It helped mine to write it.
Family Heritage
September 3, 1959, fell on a Thursday. My mother (Betty Lou Wood Ferrell, 11/24/1932-12/27/2000) and father (Earl H. Ferrell, 9/17/1927-1/25/2008) were married. Their wedding ceremony was held at the Calvary Baptist Church in Morristown, Tennessee. My parents enjoyed their honeymoon in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I have photographs that were in my mother's photograph albums. I may publish some of them eventually.
I was born just over ten months later on Sunday, 7/17/1960. As a small boy, I remember that my parents and I lived with my mother's parents and relatives in Morristown, Tennessee. Eventually, we moved to rural east Hawkins County, my father's home county. I have many memories of those early years stored away in the archives of my mind and written down. Looking through the Family topic section or searching for “Mom” and “Dad” finds previous articles that I have written over the years.
Well, on September 3rd this year, I endured another workday at the office, but I remembered my parents' anniversary. I wonder if any of my three younger brothers remembered.
September 4, 1901, was a Wednesday. My maternal grandfather, Aby William Wood, was born. He was the second son of Gideon Mark Wood and his wife, Gertrude Roleva Bair. Papaw Wood left this world on 3/14/1983.
Papaw Wood turned 58 the day after he gave his daughter in marriage to my father! In my childhood, I wondered what Papaw Wood thought back then. As a young man, Papaw told me that he was about as happy as a man could be!
I scanned the above image yesterday. The original is in one of my mother's photograph albums, which I am keeping safely here at our house. I placed the original back into the album where Mom kept it decades ago.
Granny and Papaw Wood celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary on Sunday, 8/26/1979. It was a surprise that my mother had planned to coincide with the Inman-Amos (my maternal grandmother's line) family reunion. At age 19, I was there, and I remember. Mom kept many other photographs in her albums. I may scan and publish more of them.
The above article was published in the Citizen Tribune (Morristown, Tennessee) newspaper. I remember that Granny and Papaw didn't think that one or both of them would live until their 50th wedding anniversary. Thankfully, both of them did.
As stated previously, Papaw Wood (born 9/4/1901) went to his heavenly home on 3/14/1983. I remember the sadness. At the time, I was attending East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and living in a small apartment. I drove home every weekend and sat with Papaw in his hospital room on those weekends. Granny Wood (6/16/1901-8/12/1991) lived longer. I was honored to perform her funeral and graveside services. Then, my wife and I were living in Charleston, Missouri. We drove back to Rogersville. Granny lived at the homeplace with family after Papaw passed. I wonder, in 1979, if Granny and Papaw knew that Papaw was having health problems. I wonder if they told my mother. As far as I know, only the Good Lord knew that Papaw Wood would live just over three more years. I still wonder if Papaw Wood knew what he didn't share with anyone else, even his wife. In 1979, Papaw Wood seemed to be doing well for his age.
Well, two days ago, on Saturday, 9/4/2021, I remembered Papaw Wood's birthday in 1901. I wonder if any of my three younger brothers remembered.
This section is about my hometown newspaper, The Rogersville Review. It mentions my part-time employment and two excerpts.
Fall 1977 to Spring 1978
It was my senior year at Rogersville High School. After school on Wednesdays, my part-time job was to insert the second section of The Rogersville Review into the first section, as the second section came off the old Linotype press. I have many memories on file in my mind. I remember them well, despite my “multi-trauma” on 3/29/2016, which included a concussion, from which I recovered fully.
I well remember Eleanor Sheets (publisher and editor), Mildred Shortt (columnist, among other “hats” that she wore), and others. Eleanor Sheets upheld exact grammar and style in the editions. She would not have allowed the grammatical errors, over which I try to gloss, in the modern The Rogersville Review.
March or April 1995
I can't yet find the following The Rogersville Review article online. The article was included in a March or April 1995 issue of the newspaper. The article's title is “Ferrells Live Dream of Adventure as Missionaries in the New Russia.” (I corrected the improper lack of capitalization.) The image below is a photocopy. I have saved the original print edition for over 20 years.
I recommend that you enlarge the image to read the details. The details are mostly correct. By the way, in 1995, I learned that the Russian word is “марихуана.” It is a transliterated word. In late 1994 or early 1995, before we took our six-month furlough, I had no clue what “mарихуана” meant in Russian. It's marijuana!
Our first mission trip (two weeks only) was in Jamaica in 1987. There, a man offered me ganja. He called me “John Wayne,” since I was wearing a large “sky,” or hat, which I still have. I have never smoked or inhaled the stuff, unless the secondhand smoke at a Kiss concert in Asheville, North Carolina, got me. The Jamaican man said, “Come, take a look in my shop” (a large tent in the straw market). I replied, “You pay me $5 to look; no guarantee that I buy!” Surprisingly, he agreed! I kept walking away, with a bit of a smile!
8/9/2021
The 8/11/2021 edition includes Jeff Bobo's 8/9/2021 sermon of introduction as the new editor of The Rogersville Review. He wrote a fine sermon. (I should know, since I have outlined or written many sermons in English, mostly, with several in Russian.) He seems like a good northerner that became a good southerner (as my mother did). Sidetrack, with apology: what is the difference between northerners and Yankees who move south? A northerner blends in by respecting and admiring the southern culture. A Yankee tries to change us. Yankees can go home! Northerners are welcome!
Hey, Jeff, you referenced the late Illinois State Senator GeoKaris (or Geokaris). The proper spelling is Geo-Karis, according to a 2/12/2008 Chicago Tribune article. That's my minor editorial correction, with an apology.
The quarter (25-cent piece) that the late Senator Geo-Karis gave you was a turning point in your life! I enjoyed getting to know you by reading your comments! I have had several turning points in life. I am inspired to contemplate a future article titled “Turning Points in My Life.” I encourage you to write a similarly titled article!
By the way, the late Senator Geo-Karis' name, from Greek, is γεω (“earth,” from which geography, geothermal, etc. come) + Χάρις (“grace”). It seems that she lived up to her last name by having given you that quarter. I hope that she had accepted the Good Lord's free-gift offer. If so, I will enjoy conversing with her in heaven.
9/2/2021
The above photograph is from a 9/2/2021 article in The Rogersville Review. One of my cousins wrote it! The website source for the article and the above photograph is “New Choptack drive-in brings back memories of the old Jolly Roger.” The Rogersville Review, by Becky Ferrell, 9/2/2021. A subscription, however, may be required to read the article.
Now, hold on to your britches! In the next section below, I want to do a little “Banty Rooster” crowing, as I did in my 6/8/2021 article for my cousin!
Family
My cousin and I went through grade school and high school together. We graduated from high school in 1978. Her great-grandfather and my great-grandfather were brothers, so we are third cousins. My cousin has lived in and visited several countries. (I wish that she would create a website and write articles about her experiences.) I haven't seen my cousin since high school graduation. I know her well enough through online contact. The next time I get up to my hometown, I hope to see her, if we can arrange it.
From the above, my cousin was in print as of 9/2/2021! I am crowing like a Banty rooster for her!
That was a good article, Becky! I enjoyed reading it! I remember when some of us boys hid on the bank beside the Jolly Roger. We had walked there in the dusk-to-dark and back. From our hiding point, we saw several movies for free! We could hear car speakers that were close enough to us. Admittedly, we even saw a few of those almost naked girl shows. My parents never did find out. Once, an employee at the Jolly Roger almost caught us, but we were able to run off in time! Those were great memories!
My parents took us boys to a few movies there. When I was old enough to drive, I paid my own way into the Jolly Roger. I think that I took a date with me a time or two. I don't recall much about the movies when I had a young lady with me. We were talking. Yes, I did behave as a gentleman!
Once again, I am crowing like a Banty rooster for my cousin, Becky Ferrell! Keep up the great work, Cuz!
By the way, Becky, please tell Jeff Bobo that if he will pay me a quarter (25 cents) for my time, I would be glad to write an article for The Rogersville Review. Also, please tell him that the “about” section on The Rogersville Review's website doesn't mention him yet.
Friends
God inspired King Solomon to write Proverbs in the Old Testament. The Bible, Old and New Testaments, was inspired by God. I can prove it. Further, I will meet anyone who disagrees in an arranged, formal debate.
Proverbs 18:24b, New International Version, states, “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Several friends stick closer to me than at least one of my three brothers. Apparently, he is trying to live off of “government soup.” That is not how our parents raised us four boys!
I have had a friend and brother in Christ since the fall of 1984. He and I shared a dorm room in Paul Gray when we attended Freed-Hardeman University (or College, as it was then). I could unpack the memories from my concussion-recovered brain, but I won't for now. My brother and friend lives in Arkansas. He is five years younger than me. (I transferred to Freed-Hardeman College as an “old” man of 24 years in the fall of 1984.)
My friend and brother “Roy” and I communicate at times. He calls me “Merrill.” It's been our joke since 1984. “Roy” was a missionary in Ukraine for ten years. He visited my wife and me when we were living in Moscow, Russia. “Roy” and I haven't communicated with each other in a while. Well, we spent an hour or two on the phone together over this last weekend. “Roy” is a friend and brother who supported me by his calls and emails in the early days of my “bionic” recovery that started on 3/29/2016. He did so better than other friends did on an ongoing basis. Thanks, “Roy!” I needed your frequent support and communication back then!
Well, I don't mean to slight other friends! I have a number of friends that I know will stick “closer than a brother.” They have done so many times. I have a couple of brothers that I know will stick close as brothers, if I need them to do so. Thanks, Lord, for the blessing of close brothers, biological and spiritual!
Hey, “Roy,” when are you coming to this area? You still owe me a hike on My Mountain with me! I wish that Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I could drive to meet you halfway. That approximately four-or-six-hour drive would be too much. A drive of more than about two hours or so is enough for my “bionic” body at this ongoing stage of my recovery.
Conclusion
Well, I'll wind this article down now. It's about 4:30 PM on Labor Day. At least I didn't work from home today! I'll publish this article now. I have a “poly-ticks” article in mind when I get around to it. First, however, I reckon I may call my three younger brothers to see how they are getting along.
Y'all keep turnin' right and goin' straight out there, ya hear! If you do, we'll see each other in heaven! Until then, I hope that you enjoyed this article. I enjoyed writing it.
Today was almost my first hike for the fall, winter, and spring hiking season. I thought about it. I decided to get this article in print first. Watch out for articles about my future hikes. I see them in my mind. I'll GERD (git 'er dun), as the Good Lord wills. I have power and will in my “bionic” body!
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