A Journal of a Life of Memories….

has been written in parts by Beth Terry Murray. She has approved our posting some of them here. They will come in the parts as written. Enjoy.

One Man’s Life – ending

My daddy was not perfect and I am not trying to make it sound as if he was, but I was a child and as I have talked about before girls and daddy’s have a different relationship. Also, mothers and sons have a different relationship. With all the things that his mother had done to him, he still loved her. I never heard him say anything bad about anyone, I suppose he may have, but he would not say anything in front of me. (He probably knew I would tell it!!) This was my feeling about his life, the facts are the facts, I witnessed a lot of the things that went on between him and his brothers and sisters. They loved him very much and it was hard for them to see us in later years. Because they had those feelings it made me feel hard toward some of them…..but I’m jumping ahead.

My mother’s brother E.T. had bought all the other brothers and sisters, except Aunt Sybil’s land so he owned close to 36 acres or some such. My daddy wanted the land badly and he would beg my Uncle to let him buy it from him and eventually my uncle caved and daddy bought the land in 1968. He was so happy to finally own more than just 9 acres and I suppose he told everyone. 1969 dawned with so many fantastic things happening that year. The “Wild Woman” made headline news in Town Creek, Man walked on the moon, our family and the Yates family went to Six Flags together and on the way home we went to a store that Mr. John knew about and daddy bought 2 new suits, we went to a Restaurant that served a variety of things, but Ricky ordered Steak and when asked how he wanted it he said “Cooked”, when we got back in the car I thought my Daddy was going to kill him, because as he said “we acted like we had never been in public before”!! I don’t think it bothered Mr. & Mrs. Yates or Johnny, just my daddy.

Before I knew it, September had arrived and I was now 13, a teenager, and the changes would soon (so we thought) take over my body. Daddy was very upset about all the changes he was afraid would happen and even cried to my mother, because he did not want me to grow up.

October 3rd was a day like any other he woke Ricky and I up to go eat breakfast. He usually would sing “All God’s Children Got To Rise and Shine”, and we would drag ourselves to the bar in the kitchen to eat breakfast. As he was leaving for work he got up and kissed all of us goodbye and told us he would see us that afternoon. It was a Friday, and Ricky, Vicki Mitchell and myself were going with Miss Grace to the Football game at Elkmont, or so we thought. As we were getting in the car to go to her house Brother Whatley came to our house and told us that “daddy had been killed in an accident.” Unfortunately I remember a lot that took place after that moment, but this was about “A Man’s Life” and that life has now ended. The person I always adored and worshipped no longer existed. As quick as he was there he was gone, nothing was the same after that.

He did not walk on water, he was not perfect, he went through some very rough times and overcame all of that and found true happiness in his life, finally. Then, in the blink of an eye it was gone. My mother remained faithful to him for 36 years and ironically she died on Friday, June 17th, Saturday, June 18th would have been their anniversary, Her funeral was June 19th, Father’s Day. Timothy conducted the funeral and made the statement that for the first time in 36 years Mother was able to spend her anniversary with Daddy in Heaven. His life was cut short at the age of 44, but he certainly did a lot of living during his time on earth. The only thing left for me to say and I’m sure there is no need to say it, but I loved my daddy and have loved him everyday of my life and I will miss him as long as I live..