Saying Goodbye To An Old Friend

Hello Everyone!  Hope you have been doing well and enjoying these beautiful days leading up to Springtime.  We are still having chilly temperatures, but most everything around us is waking up and turning green again.  As I look around at all the trees and the azaleas, camellias and many other beautiful flowers blooming,  I am again amazed by the Good Lord's lovely artwork.

We recently received word a good friend my husband had known since his college days had gone home to be with the Lord.  We knew we wanted to go join all of his family members and friends to say "goodbye."  David and his wife Ann and many other friends from college days at Mercer University had remained friends, attended reunions, football games, and trips to the beach.  They held on to those dear and lasting friendships all through the years since they were young men in college together.   We knew it was going to be hard to tell David goodbye.

We were told the funeral would be held in Canoochee, Georgia.  Have you ever heard of Canoochee, Georgia?  Well! I had not either, but I can tell you it is located almost in the middle of nowhere,  about in the middle between Macon and Savannah, Georgia.

Canoochee is a very small little town with a population of about 71 folks.  The closest town is about 4 miles away and is called Twin City, which is a good bit larger with a population of about 1700.  As you can see in the above photo the town of Canoochee does not show up on the map.  Mr. Google told us the drive would take about 4 and 1/2 hours from our home.

The below photo is typical of the backroads in South Georgia
with the hilly roads and fields of pine trees.

As we drove along we saw a lot of these Bradford Pear trees in bloom.

Following the GPS closely we arrived at our location.

Brinson Cemetery is a private cemetery for the entire family members related to our friend David.

I thought this was the most peaceful, charming and delightful spot for anyone to rest in peace forever.  How beautiful to be surrounded by a field of huge old pecan trees.  

I have observed each year that the pecan trees stay asleep the longest of all the trees in the South.  And as you can see these huge old trees are no way near ready to wake up yet.  Usually by mid April the leaves are covering pecan trees.

This beautiful old cemetery was enclosed by a brick wall that totally 

surrounded the entire cemetery and it looked like it had been there for many years.

All of David's friends and family entered through this charming old gate

and walked over to the blue tent we see in the distance.

 

Many friends and family all gathered to say goodbye.  We were all there together remembering this wonderful friend.  

He was a fellow ATO and many of his Fraternity Brothers gathered together to pay their respects.  There was a letter of remembrance from a longtime friend and ATO Fraternity Brother, the Governor of Georgia, which was read by another Fraternity Brother and given to his wife Ann.  

The minister who gave the eulogy was a son-in-law.  There was not a dry eye as the 12 year old grandson gave a very poignant, touching and tearful account of what his grandfather meant to him and how he would be missed.

On this day David would join many of his family members in this
lovely spot including his father and grandfather.

I loved that all of the headstones were white marble.  The oldest marker we saw was dated 186l, but we did not get around to see everyone so there may have been some even older than that.

We said our final goodbyes and went on our way along these beautiful old country roads.
In the above photo on the left you can get a glimpse of the huge old tree just past the cemetery.

I thought this was such a beautiful old oak tree.
And, I loved the old country dirt road.

As we drove on along we spotted several pecan tree groves.  If you look closely in the
below photo you can spot a lovely old home back behind the pecan grove.
It reminded me of Tara from the movie Gone With The Wind.

We began our drive back home and so very much enjoyed
seeing so much of the old Georgia countryside and old homes along the way.

There is something so touching about seeing someone's old abandoned homeplace, where you
know there was once a family living there who had plans, hopes and dreams.



Family members probably sat out on this porch in the porch swing
enjoying the cool breezes and the beautiful countryside.



I can envision past family members, now long gone, shelling pecans from the old pecan tree
located in the side yard, while enjoying swinging in this old front porch swing.

And as we drove along the narrow old backroads in South Georgia, we spotted another old abandoned home, which told it's own story.  We see the old trellis leaning against the wall on the porch.  I imagine that at one time it was filled with beautiful flowers.

Heading South we would soon arrive in the small town of Twin City, Georgia

Twin City is the result of the two small towns of Summit-Graymont coming together as one.   The two small towns were carved out by the Creek Indian trails that ran along the Canoochee and Reedy Creeks.

Settlers to the area arrived as early as 1830.

As we entered into the little town we spotted this beautiful old large Camellia bush.

The town of Twin City is a newly-listed National Register Historic District
with many different types of architecture including several Victorian style homes.

The photo below shows a typical old country style South Georgia home.



I scrolled in with my camera for a closser look.  I loved the old tin roof.  And, there is nothing
like a screen door so the bugs can stay outside, but the fresh breezes can flow inside.



And we spotted this charming old country home with the tin room and wrap-a-round porch.

And in the below photo we see this old home with the porch wrapping all around to the side of the home.  The view we see is the side of the home.  I was trying to get a photo of the Camellia bush there on the side of the home.  It was completely filled with flowers.  I wanted to get closer, but did not want to trespass.

And we see another beautiful home with a large wrap-a-round decorative porch.



As you can tell I love these old country homes that are so charming and inviting.



This home was so pretty surrounded by the blossoms from these old Bradford Pear
trees which bloom each year in early Spring.  They are such pretty little white flower clusters.



The below home is a typical old Southern home with rockers
on the porch where Southern folks usually invite guests to "come-and-sit-a-spell."



We spotted this pretty old red barn nestled in the middle of another pecan grove.

As we drove on home we again remembered our friend David who is now resting in peace in that lovely old family cemetery with so many family members along with him.  

David you are gone, but you will always be remembered. Thank you for the very special memories.

Rest in peace David!