MY BROTHER DONNELL

Here I recall just a few memories of my Brother Donnell.  He had a big family who will remember much more.

When I think of Donnell I remember him as tall, bald and handsome, clean living, quiet, hard working, gentle, unselfish, a lover of family, and a lover of the outdoors. He loved to hike especially in the mountains.

Donnell was almost nine years old when I was born. He had two older brothers, Stainton and David and one older sister, Mary. My earliest memory of Donnell was of his driving Mama up past Highland School in Meridian with me riding along and the conversation turned to Mary for whom Mama was concerned. It was then that I learned that Mary was expecting her first child. I was thrilled to learn that I was going to be an uncle. In those days women usually hid their pregnancy as long as possible.

When we were growing up in Meridian MS one of the young men from our church was killed in a motorcycle accident. This made a lasting impression on us and kept us from riding motorcycles, but at one time my brother Johnny bought a motorbike, a smaller, less powerful machine. As far as I know Donnell never owned one but one day when he was visiting in Jackson Donnell did pose on Johnny's bike.

Papa encouraged his children to be industrious. Out in front of our home in Meridian MS the older boys with Papa's encouragement operated a roadside stand, a very solid building with a wide front window that could be opened up to for a shade for customers to be served cold drinks, candy and other goodies. By the time I was old enough to remember the store it had been moved back to the chicken yard where it served as a play house.

One summer my brother Donnell needed a summer job and arrangements were made to move the little store building out to the construction site for the new Meridian High School and Junior College, where Donnell sold refreshments to the construction workers. He had a portable cooler hung with a strap around his neck filled with bottled drinks  that he could pedal out to the workers.  He also made the little store available for some of the workers to hang their coats while they worked. I went out once and volunteered to help Donnell and discovered that cooler was very heavy on my shoulders.

Some years later after I graduated from Meridian Junior College I made plans to continue my education at Maryville College in Tennessee.

Donnell was always an outdoors man and enjoyed hiking in the mountains. Sometimes it was in Cades Cove and he tackled the Appalachian Trail a number of times as I remembered it. While I was in college he invited me to hike with him from time to time. It was a challenge to keep up with him, but I enjoyed being with him and his friends.

Here Donnell enjoys a trip to Florida with Mama.

Another nice experience I remember was when my brother Johnny was in the army at Ft. Gordon near Augusta, GA. I went with David and Donnell to visit Johnny there. That was a happy trip for all of us. Not only did we have a good visit with Johnny, but met some of the civilian friends who befriended him.