Dad’s House

The Home Place is Sold
Jim Reporting: Last week we closed on selling Dad’s house in Knoxville. I have been experiencing a mixture of emotions from knowing the house now belongs to someone else. We moved into that house about 57 years ago. Many memories on my Mother and Dad go with the surroundings of that wonderful home. That’s sad. At the same time we were glad to sell the property and remove the worry and expense of an unoccupied house. It had to be done, but my heart aches.

Memories I’ll keep forever from that home…

• Family meals and birthday celebrations
• Mom’s wonderful smile
• Dad working on his blog
• Dad’s tomato garden and those web cams
• Mom and Dad’s love and support to Mary and me

And I could go on and on… the house is gone now, but the memories will live on in our minds and hearts.

 

My Sister’s Birthday

Today is Mary’s Birthday! February 5…

This is Jim writing… I wanted to let all our friends know about Mary’s Birthday. We had a great time together on Saturday. Our cousin Karen and her husband, Pat, brought Mary to Kingsport. We had a delicious meal at Outback then back to the home for cake, ice cream and family time. It was good!

Mary, I hope you have a wonderful birthday. Sure wish we could be with you today, but glad for our time together on Saturday.

From left to right: Karen, Beverly and Mary. Picture taken on Saturday, 2/2/13

Hello to Our Friends

I hope this winter has not been too hard on you. We had an ice storm in East Tennessee last week but got through it without any real harm.

This is Jim writing… and I wanted you to check my blog today as I am writing a little about Dad and his poultry and egg business. I am showing some of the advertising  that Dad used such as this old ink blotter, etc.

Click here to read more: http://tennesseegrandaddy.blogspot.com/

Updates
Mary & Prince seem to be doing good. Prince is good company in her Knoxville apartment.

Jim had hip replacement surgery 4 weeks ago and is progressing normally with the help of physical therapy.

Dad’s home has been on the market for several months, but it appears we may be closing later this month.

As you would know our sadness lingers, as we think of Dad every day. He continues to remind us to smile and show kindness. We chuckle a little at times when we think of some of the funny things he said.

Happy New Year! 2013, It’s Here!

It’s hard to believe that we are moving steadily into another new year. Mary and I want to wish all of Dad’s and our friends the best of wishes for a very happy New Year.

Some News
On the last day of 2012, New Years Eve, Jim had his hip replacement surgery. He came home from the hospital yesterday and is doing good. You can get more details from Jim’s

Tennessee Granddaddy blog.

Christmas 2012

Mary and I want to wish all of Dad’s Friends a very Merry Christmas.

This our first Christmas without our Dad. We miss him but remember the joy, kindness and love that he shared with us and all who knew him.

Jim made a short post on his Tennessee Granddaddy site today with a little news: Tennessee Granddaddy.

Update From Jim

Thanksgiving was a big day for us in Kingsport, Tennessee. The picture below was taken  after the big meal.

We missed having our dear Dad with us, but having our new Atley (my great grandson) with us was a good thing. My Aunt Helen is holding him in the picture above.

I’ll name those in the picture above, all from left to right.

First row: Mandy, Alex and Kara.
Seated: Jim, Helen, Atley, Roy, Zachary, Sylvia
Standing: John, Karen B, Nathan, Pat, Beverli, Karen C, Mary, Bethany. Mavis, Beverly, Sue, Lesley, Kevin

What a gang!
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

~~~

I know we are not writing much these days, but we hope to do more. Please keep checking in from time to time. Mary told me that she going to add some things to Dad’s blog soon.

You all take care, keep smiling, and best wishes for a Merry Christmas season, and enjoy the holidays!

Brief Update to Our Friends

This is Jim writing.

This has been a difficult year. We knew that one day we would lose Dad, but you are never prepared for death. We loved him dearly and miss him so much.

Update on Dad’s House

I am in the final stages of settling Dad’s estate as the Executor. Also we have had an estate sale and the house has been readied for sale. It is now on the market. It very sad to go through this process. Sometimes I felt like I was destroying the things he loved. It had to be done. While many of the physical things have been removed, no one can destroy the memories of Dad and all the things he enjoyed in this life.

Mary and Prince
Beverly and I saw Mary & Prince last weekend. It looks like both of them have grown accustomed to their new apartment life. Also, we took Mary to her doctor appointment at Vanderbilt a few weeks ago and she got a good report. 

Dad’s Blog
We are going to keep Dad’s Tomato Garden blog active. Mary and I will try to make a post from time to time to give you an update on what is happening in our little world.

Dad’s Book
His first printing is almost sold out. Only a few copies are available. Our friend who wrote the book for Dad will be taking over future orders and making decisions about a second printing.

Another Update

I have been negligent in posting on Dad’s blog as well as my own, but thanks for dropping in to check on things.

Mary is all settled in a senior living apartment. It is very nice and I think it will be a good place for her. She lives there with Prince and enjoys his company very much. A pet is wonderful therapy as well as a great companion.

We had an estate sale at Dad’s home last weekend on Friday and Saturday. We sold lot of things, and were happy to see them go on to be used again. Many came buy just to buy something that Dad had owned in his house. It was sad on many different levels. We still have things that did not sell that we plan to donate to charity within the next few weeks.

As many of you know, last Sunday was Dad’s birthday (September 2). Dad would have been 99 years old. We are disappointed that he did not make it 99 and many more years. We are glad he had such a good state of health up to the very end of his life. He is sorely missed. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of something I want to tell him or ask him.

Here’s a picture of Dad when he was working on his blog. He was always looking for something interesting to post.

Up and Coming
We have met with a realtor and she is now evaluating the property for value. We also have a home improvement expert looking at the property to see what might need to be done to promote the sale of the property. Then will make some decisions like selling as-is or with improvements.

We also have our church convention coming up at the end of this month. Dad always looked so forward to going over to the farm and attending the 4 days of spiritual help. I would help him get his golf cart over to the farm to use during those four days. It was very helpful to him and others. We will certainly miss Dad a lot during those four days.

All else is going pretty good. I feel a heavy burden on my shoulders right now as I work to get the estate settled, the house sold, and taking care of things around my own home. This shall pass and there will be brighter days.

Let’s Cheer Up
I’m a little down but I purpose to cheer up. As Dad used to say, “Someone said cheer up, things could be worse. So I cheered up, and sure enough things got worse.” He would have a big smile when he said that.

Dad would have a word of encouragement for all of us. Often he would tell us to “Hang in there.”

~by Jim

 

A Short Message to all of Our Friends

This is Jim writing again. We just returned a short while ago from our Wednesday night Bible Study. We had Matthew, Chapter 10. It’s a good chapter.

Beverly and I were in Knoxville from Sunday through Tuesday this week working on the home place. We’re hoping to have a yard/garage sale soon to provide new homes to many of the household goods. At the present time we are targeting to do this on Friday and Saturday, August 31 and September 1.

It’s sad in so many ways… and we must be selling the house also. We’re hoping to get it on the market this fall.

Dad’s Tomato Garden
Dad’s tomato garden is really doing good this year. He would be so proud of the big, ripe and delicious tomatoes it is producing. We picked a few more on Tuesday before we left to come back to Kingsport. Just look at them…

I hope you are smiling. Dad would like that.

On This Day A Boy is Born

Mandy and Alex Rogers today celebrate the birth of their new baby boy, Atley James Rogers.

This is Jim (Tennessee Granddaddy) writing in Dad’s blog. Mandy is my granddaughter and today it makes Beverly and me GREAT grandparents. (Earlier this year I mentioned that we would become great grandparents to Mandy. She looked at us and sweetly told me that we were already “great” grandparents.)

Dad would be proud and smiling if he were alive today because this would of made five generations living.

You can read more about Atley and see some pictures at my website: http://tennesseegrandaddy.blogspot.com/

 

Dad’s Fountains
I have set up one of Dad’s fountains in my backyard just off the patio. It is so nice to sit out there and hear the water running and watch the birds enjoy the water. It will be a continuing reminder of Dad and his love for the birds and wildlife. I have also been giving some thought to getting my place certified as a wildlife habitat like Dad’s residence.

Nice Ripe Tomatoes

Yesterday at Dad’s Place (Jim is writing)
We picked tomatoes from Dad’s tomato garden yesterday. The recent rains and hot weather have helped their growth. The plants and the fruit are both beautiful. The tomatoes are also delicious! Here’s a couple of pictures:

I mention on my blog, “Dad would be smiling”. Someone corrected me to say, “Dad IS  smiling”.

Dad’s Book
The 1st printing of the books are almost gone. I have about 5 copies left to sell. If you want one, please let me know soon. First come first serve.

~~~

We continue to work on emptying the house. We plan a sale of household items sometime in the next 6-8 weeks. We hope to get the house on the market sometime this fall. It continues to be an emotional challenge.

We loved Dad. We miss him. Life goes on. We have wonderful memories, and so much to be thankful for.

A Couple of Pictures

I thought of Dad when I took this picture a few weeks ago. He really enjoyed the beauty of the heavens above.

An Old Shovel
Kevin helped us last week to go through some of Dad’s belonging in his out building. I wanted to share an interesting shovel that we found.

Do you see the wooden handle that made out of one piece of wood. Interesting, huh? I have some more pictures on Tennessee Granddaddy’s site.

Dad’s Tomato Garden Flourishes

Hello everyone! It’s Jim again. I wanted to share a few pictures from Dad’s Garden that I took on 6/29/12.

As you can see the garden is doing really well. We’re trying to keep it watered but not doing as good a job as Dad would I am sure.

We’ve been going through the house and making decisions about what to keep, what to sell, and what to throw away. This is very difficult for me. I went through Dad’s room last week, and the memories really got to me. Not only of Dad, but I found things of my Mothers that he had kept. Also I found things that reminded me of my son Greg, who we lost in 1983. I worked and cried.

As Dad would say, “Time is precious, do not waste it.”

 

Father’s Day 2012

This is Jim Writing…

Our Dad is Gone
For Mary and I, this is the first Fathers Day without a father. We miss him. but glad we had him as long as we did. We are very grateful for the influence he had on our lives.

In the coming weeks we’ll be going through the house and getting it ready to put on the market. This will be hard at times, but we know it has to be done. The pages have turned to a new chapter in our lives. This we understand. Life goes on, and there are others who need us for  our love and support.

Check my blog today a few more details on what is happening—> http://tennesseegrandaddy.blogspot.com/

Dad’s Book
It has been selling very good. We are getting down to the end of the books that were in the first printing. Then a decision will have to be made to have a second printing.

Checking the Tomato Plants

Looking Good!
Beverly and I went to Knoxville today to visit Mary. We had a good visit and really enjoyed our time together. Precious moments.

While there we checked on Dad’s Tomato Garden. I was amazed at the growth in only one week. Instead of just blooms there were dozens of green tomatoes. I think every plant had green tomatoes. While there I decided to give the plants a watering. Here’s a few pictures Beverly took while I was watering the plants.

Dad would be proud of his tomato plants this year. It sure looks like there is going to be a bumper crop.

Book Sales
If you want to buy one of Dad’s book, it is not too late. You should order online through the link in the side panel, but we are not using PayPal. When you order on line the order will go direct to Jim, and when he receives your check or money order he will ship your book(s).

~~~

Thanks again for all your Phone calls. comments, emails and cards. They have meant so much to us during these days of sadness.

Hello to All of Dad’s Friends

Something was telling me to make a post on Dad’s blog. Tomorrow it will be only 3 weeks since Dad passed from the earth’s fading scene and into eternity. I think we’re still in a daze since it happen so fast. We miss him but are thankful for his long life and that he did not have to suffer. He is an inspiration to everyone to keep active and continue learning new things as we age. He meant so much to us so it is hard for us to lose him.

At the Silent Keyboards website a friend wrote a tribute to Dad. You can see it here:

Tribute to Dad

And I learned about more tributes to Dad:

Tribute 2

Tribute 3

~~~

Many thanks for your mail and comments expressing your condolences. We appreciate it very much.

Dad loved pictures of sky above. I saw this picture today and posted it because I knew Dad would like it.

One more thing that you might enjoy. When I was with him on Friday before his death, I told him I needed him to autograph some of his books for me. He nodded and said, “It’s rough being famous.” That got a good laugh from all of us.

Someone told us that Dad was like the man Seraiah mentioned in Jeremiah 51:59 (KJV) who was referred to as a “quiet prince.”

A Visit Home

This is Jim Writing
Yesterday I visited Mary and home in Knoxville. It was the first time I had been back since last Friday. It still feels like a dream—the fact that Dad is gone. I miss him in so many ways.

While I was there I filled his bird feeders and watered his tomato plants. I felt like he was watching me while I was doing these things…

His tomato garden looks great. Ted, his next door neighbor put the cages up around the plants a few days ago. Here’s a couple of pictures of Dad’s Tomato Garden.

Dad’s Tomato Garden 24 Tomato Plants, each 3 feet apart. (Pictures taken 5/24/2012)

These Blooms will soon be baby tomatoes, then big green tomatoes, then they will turn into delicious red tomatoes. Dad really knew how to grow good tomatoes!

Obituary

In Memory of Ray F. White
September 2, 1913 - May 9, 2012

White, Ray F. age 98, born September 2, 1913, passed away May 9, 2012 at Physicians Regional Medical Center. He was a non-denominational Christian. He was founder and co-owner of White Brothers Poultry & Egg Company and since his retirement he has enjoyed gardening, raising tomatoes and roses. One of his greatest joys was feeding the birds and wildlife at his home which was designated as a Wildlife Habitat. In 2003, he began blogging with his well-known blog, "Dad's Tomato Garden." He had many friends and followers from all over the world.

Preceded in death by beloved wife, LaVerne R. White; parents, Harris and Maude White; grandson, Greg White; brothers, Ralph, Earl, Howard, and Willard. Survivors, son and daughter-in-law, James and Beverly White of Kingsport; daughter, Mary L. White of Knoxville; grandchildren, Kevin and wife, Lesley White of Kingsport, Bethany R. White of New Jersey; great grandchildren, Mandy and husband Alex Rogers, Kara White and Zachary White; Mandy's mother, Sylvia Massey; sister, Helen Weals; brother, Roy and wife, Mavis White; several nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends 6:00-8:00 PM Friday, May 11, 2012 in the chapel of Berry Funeral Home, Chapman Highway with funeral service to follow at 8:00 PM.

Ministers Greg Harger and Robert Johnson will officiate. Family and friends will meet at Woodlawn Cemetery on Saturday, May 12, 2012 for a 10:30 AM interment service.

Pallbearers will be Don Johnson, Lance George, John Delius, Pat Cooke, Ted Beightol, Jerry Walker and Michael VanVuuren. Honorary pallbearers are Jerry Pell, John Walker, Woodrow Franklin, Jay Conatser, Pinky Conatser, Ben Burnette, and Don Brawdy. Condolences may be offered at www.berryfuneralhome.com.

We Are Sad & Grieving

This is Jim writing.

We wanted to let all of Dad’s friends know that he passed away this morning while he was in the hospital. The doctors postponed surgery yesterday because of some health issues.

Yesterday afternoon  he felt pretty good and was alert and talked to his visitors. Early this morning he was resting, was alert, and knew all the family that was with him. Around 9:00 AM or a little later he turned for the worse and died around 10:15 AM while he was asleep.

Tuesday Morning

This is Jim writing.

Dad is in the hospital. Here’s what happened.  Yesterday morning around 3:30 AM (just after Dad had posted his blog) he was sitting on the edge of the bed and slid off onto the floor. He hit the floor with a bump. We called 911 a little later and got him to the hospital where the X-ray showed a broken right hip joint. Monday was a stressful day for Dad and the whole family. But by the end of the day he was in a room and resting with the aid of some pain meds.

Today they plan to repair his hip with surgery. Dad is in good spirits. We are all hoping and praying that the surgery will be a success and give Dad the opportunity to continue to grow tomatoes and write his blog.