Granddad JC's Eulogoy

Granddad JC passed away early in the morning on June 16, 2022. 

Uncle Sterling gave the eulogy at his funeral on June 18, 2022. Here is a transcript of the speech:

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About a week and a half ago I went by my dad’s house where he had become bed ridden. He was lying there with his eyes closed. I grabbed his right hand with mine and said, “Hay man.” He opened his eyes but only his right eye cracked open. He said, “Is that you Sterling?” And I said, “Yes sir.” Then he said, “You’re looking good.” I said, “Thanks, and you are too.” Then he said, “I know.”

There’s something you need to know about the Connell’s. We all have a sarcasm/crazy gene. At funerals we are all telling jokes and having fun. The Thompson side isn’t much different either. So with us, we’ve got a double dose. But mamma always said that crazy people have more fun.

My mom was my dad’s scribe.

Here’s an example...

June 19, 1991 at Argyle State Park near Colchester, Ill. On our way to Carthage ... Gas $1.14 per Gal.

Last night, JC + I set up the tent, and I got a supper ready... We cleaned up + packed things away then went for a walk on their nature trail.

It was unbelievable that out here in these flat prairie lands there could be such deep ravines + high bluffs. Poison ivy had leaves as big as plates – looked like a rain forest. Walked through a stand of pitch pines that were soaringly tall. A creek ran all along the trail at the bottom of the ravine.

Eulogy of

Julius Clyburn Connell

Known to ALL as JC

My mom didn’t know that was his name. She asked him what “JC” stood for? He told her, “Julius

Caesar.” She didn’t find out that it was Julius Clyburn until the day they signed their marriage papers. And even then she said, “Hey, that’s not right.” Then he had to come clean.

In our family we tell stories. Most of this eulogy is quoted from stories by my dad or by my mom.

The effort to condense my dads life experience into a speech lead me to a unique place. To make this talk work I’m going to need your attention, your imagination and some help.

Throughout the eulogy keep these 3 things in mind: 1) JC was a Quiet Man, 2) He was a Man of Action and 3) Remember... I’m taking Snap Shots in time to give you a sense of his essence.

First ... I talk a little about his early life.

Second ... Some Military stories

Third ... Some Family stories

Fourth ... Part of JC and Izzy’s romance story.

OK.... Let’s get started.

This is what he said, “I was born the 21st of March 1929 on a small farm near Camden, South Carolina. Of course the stock market fell that year, but all wasn’t bad that year.” His mom almost didn’t get back to the house before he was born. It should be understood that the year wasn’t all bad due to his birth making the year better just by his presence.

He said, “Well, I was 7th in a family of 10 children, so by the time I got to the table there wasn’t much left. We grew Cotton (for money) and Corn, oats and peas to feed the stock. “I learned to swim in the shallow edges of Hermitage pond at 3 years old.”

At 10 years old I took care of the cows. One time when he was coming in from the field he decided climbed onto the mule, which was headed for the shelter. It was feeding time for the mule and he was heading into the low side of the shelter... the animal entrance not the people entrance. This path basically would have scraped the young JC right off the mule but he caught onto a beam and swung safely down. At 10 this was exciting stuff.

He stated that “There were 6 relatives that had nearby farms. And I was welcome at all of them, so I was kinda wild and free growing up.” He was able to fish and hunt at will. Uncle Doug told me that they practiced a lot of “shooting from the hip”. Also, any thing they got out there they would

build a fire and cook and eat it on the spot. Doug said that being able to shoot from the hip saved his life in Korea.

In the winter of 1939 his teenage brothers and sister were going to town in the car. He wanted to tag

along. But they didn’t want him to ride with them. Their mom made them take him along. So they

reluctantly agreed and took him. He was wearing one of his sisters coats. On the way, they stopped at the top of the hill, where the dragged him out of the car and stuffed him in a culvert pipe in the ditch. They told him to keep quiet and they would pick him up when they got back. Teenagers taking care of little brother.

He loved football and played for Camden High school. It may have been a state championship team. I

don’t think he was a star player. He dropped out of school to go to the military.

Now to the Military stories.

“But on a serious note, I realized that I had no support for an education, therefore I decided to enter the

military to take advantage of the G.I. Bill. After a hitch in the army with the occupation forces after WWII in Italy” He was in Trieste, up north and on the back side of the boot. He was being flown up onto the Alps and rounding up German hold outs. He said, “It’s not natural to jump out of a perfectly good plane and it’s also not natural to strap slick boards to your feet on the side of a mountain and ski

down on snow and ice.” He said, “The  only proper way to ski is behind a boat.”

“I was sent for by the Red Cross because my mom was sick in the hospital in Camden.” When he got to

NY he hopped a train heading south without paying for a ticket. (In Europe all GI’s rode trains for free.) Not so in the States. When arrived in DC he found the train heading to South Carolina. He hopped on. There he was confronted to show his ticket. He didn’t have one and had no money. The conductor allowed him to stay and was put up in the luggage rack in an all female sleeper car. He thought

that was pretty cool. They stopped the train for him at the Camden train station early in the morning. He got off the train with his duffle bag and started walking down Hwy 1 and got about 100 yards before someone stopped and asked him where he was going. He said, “I’m going to the hospital to see my mom.” The guy said to hop in and then took him to the hospital arriving just as his mom was leaving.

After getting back, “I entered Clemson and was there for a year. Then I received a draft notice classification - I.A. That meant immediate draft. A friend and I decided it would be best to enlist in his old Air Force squadron, and we did. After two and 1/2 years in the Air Force, my dad died in July 1953 and I received a compassionate discharge from the Air Force to take care of my mom until she passed in October of 1953. I met Izzy Thompson at my mother’s passing. She set her sights on me and I was a goner!” (We will come back to this in a minute.)

Once married they were in Kentucky where Bob was born. Then to Germany where Grace was born. When they came back to Fort Jackson (Camden) Bob was speaking German (something about a helicopter). They joined the Church in Camden the year before Joe was born in Camden, then they went to Puerto Rico where Foy was born. So that makes Foy a Puertorican. They came back to Fort Jackson (Camden) and in June, just before I was born, they drove with all the kids to the Temple in Salt Lake

City, UT to be sealed as a family for all time and eternity. The military moved my dad to the White House so we ended up in Viginia where Lois was born. I guess that makes her a Virginian.

He went to Thailand and we stayed in Camden. He went to Germany and we went too. First to West Berlin – inside of East Germany and then to Bremerhaven on the North Sea.

He hated the gray overcast sky in Europe. He would always comment on the beautiful, blue South Carolina sky. Also, the South Carolina clouds were his favorite. He retired in 1971.

We always thought he was a communications expert but he worked on Top Secret stuff for the military that was not declassified until 1988. He would call to talk to his brother Doug and Doug would ask,

What are you doing? The reply: Talking to you. Where are you? The reply: I’m right here. They would play this little game of question/answer.

Third ... Some Family stories

My dad was called to be the Bishop of the Camden ward in the mid 1970s. He helped grow the  congregation and helped raise the matching-money to build this very chapel. But what most people do not know is that every Sunday before church, he would get sick... just thinking about having to talk from the pulpit. He never complained.

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Foy had his permit and was driving with my dad sitting in the passenger seat. They were heading past

Hermitage Baptist Church on Hwy #1 going home. My dad said “Slow down some.” Foy eased off a little but ended up passing a couple of cars before turning on McCrae Rd. At this point, with a commanding tone, JC said, “When I tell you to slow down it’s NOT a suggestion. I’m NOT your

friend I’m your father. Don’t let it happen again.” Foy was stunned. My dad rarely raised his voice.

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We had Family Home Evening every Monday night. We would all get together and learn something about God or something about life. This one time it was something about life.

We were sitting there and my dad holds up a roll of toilet paper. “This is a roll of toilet paper.” he explained. “We are using entirely too much with each flush. So, we need to review how to use the toilet paper more efficiently.” He demonstrated the 3 square technique and how to fold the tissue for multiple wipes. He had us on the edge of our seats. He was serious and so were we.

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Lois said that mom had no problem spanking her but daddy only did it once with her. After that he would talk with her about what she did and his disappointment in her. She said that a quick spanking would have been much easier.

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He loved vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate (a Brown cow) he would share his stash with any grand or great grand child. ALSO, any time he took the kids to an event on the way home they would stop for ice cream.

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We were always spread out all over the property. Way back in the woods. When he or mom needed us he would call us back to the house like trained dogs. He had a very loud and unique whistle that he did. If you heard it, you’d better get your hip in gear and move as fast as you could back to the house. Joe’s the only one of us who was able to master the whistle that daddy did. Occasionally I’ve been around when Joe does that whistle and I find myself trying to figure out where to run to. That training is

deep.

Finally... Part of JC and Izzy’s romance story. “She set her sights on me and I was a goner!”

So, it’s true that JC and Izzy first met at his mother’s wake in October 1953.

Izzy told her mother that she had just met the man that she was going to marry.

A little later there was a dance at the Shrine Club north of Camden. JC arrived with a lady he had been dating and Izzy arrived with her sisters Lib and Suggie and her brother Lloyd. JC’s date was being difficult so he walked over and asked Izzy to dance with him. She said what about your date? Then JC explained to her that his date was leaving the dance with someone else.

He was quiet but he was focused and had nerves of steel.

So, they started to dance. My mom said, “He was stepping all over my feet.” She thought to herself, “This won’t work. He can’t dance.” Then he leaned in and said, “I’m sorry about my feet. I washed them before I came and now I can’t do anything with them.” Then she said to herself, “OK.... He’s funny. This might work.”

Later...

When he had trouble getting the right words to propose to her, she helped him by saying, “Are you trying to say, Let’s get married?” and he said, “Yes that’s it! We ought to.”

Ever since I can remember, my mom would finish my dad’s sentences. It was a natural thing for them.

It was November-December 1953 as they began making plans.... She was 21, he was 24. You know we think of them as we remember them – an older version with wisdom. But they were just starting out 21 and 24 years old. He was starting college down in Tampa and staying with his sister June. Izzy had to finish her Senior year at Winthrop. They set a date for June 1955 for the wedding. But ended up getting married in December of 1954. That’s another story that there’s no time for.

He started school but ended up working at Maren Construction in Tampa in their Surveying division.

He had studied surveying when he was at Clemson. Izzy graduated in the Spring of 1954, and she went

straight to work at an all night Diner at Myrtle Beach owned by her sister Lib. Meanwhile, she was trying to find work in Tampa as a new teacher.

This is from my mom’s journal entry dated on her birthday March 31, 1999. She was 67...

“It was July 3rd 1954. We hadn’t seen each other since New Years Eve. After a long, late shift at the diner I went to bed.

[As morning came] “A little sound from outside was turning into a soft whistle - I pulled the curtain a little to the side and looking toward our little porch was miracle of miracles - soaring spirits hitting my brain, joy filling my soul - JC! Here, now, !!

"I hit the door running and ... [leaped] like a wild thing into ... [his arms]. He was holding me up off the ground hugging me so hard I could barely breathe.

"He had hitchhiked all the way from Tampa to Myrtle Beach to see me.

"He had had no sleep, no food, just faith and a desire to come and hold me.

"I had to go to work - we were able to talk a little - then I put him to bed in my bed – still unmade and he slept as I worked - I got off (2 AM) and he met me at the drive-in - We walked down the beach until he suggested we climb up on a lifeguard stand - which we did – and talked and laughed and planned and renewed our vows of love for each other . . .

"He had to leave going back at first light on the 4th in order to be back to work on the 5th!

"Has anyone ever felt so loved, cared for, blessed, glad, happy and at peace?

"Here, 45 years later, he has again surprised and brought that sweetness rushing back, filling me with joy - one dozen gorgeous long-stemmed blood- red roses with a note “Thanks for the wonderful memories and good times .. Love and kisses” JC

"JC and I were talking .... the other night and he confided to me, some of the times he has treasured the most were in the evening when he’d gotten home from work, supper was over and we were getting the children ready for bed - getting them bathed, things ready for school the next day, playing w/ them some, me reading them a story, Family Prayer, helping them with their prayers, kissing them goodnight, tucking them in, going back with water if they needed it - waiting a while and then going back around and being humbled seeing these precious, beautiful children asleep in the safety of their beds in our home.

"I remember yet the feeling of his strong arm around my waist pulling me so close I’d have to lean my head on his arm. What comfort, what peace, what gladness to know this is what we wanted, to have a family to care for, love, raise up in truth and light together - And he loved it as much as I no matter how tired it made us.”

I can see it in my minds eye. On the other side of the veil, my mom will see my dad and say, “It’s so good to see you!” and he’ll say, “I know.”

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Granddad JC and his parents

So what kinds of things did you do with your parents?


I took care of the cows; [Mom] did the milking. I helped her make the beds sometimes. That’s about what she did in the mornings. I really wasn’t home that much. I was out in the fields--we were--after we ate breakfast in the mornings, if we weren’t going to school, we were out in the fields somewhere, chopping cotton or that kind of stuff.


What made you love your mom?


Well, she was my mother. She used to always read the scriptures, every evening. She could prepare any kind of food and make it taste good. She was nice to everybody, and she was just a nice person. She didn’t have--I think she had a 3rd grade education. She went to the 3rd reader; I guess they called it that. My dad went to the 2nd reader. But he was working on the farm all the time.

What kinds of things did your mom do for other people?



She helped Aunt Julia--that was her aunt, my great-aunt. We’d always have dinners and all like that and she would go over there and work with them. That’s all we did, was just family. Course, after I went in the military, she was always sick when I came home. She used to have mini strokes all the time. She’d be sitting at the table, and she’d start moving her hand or something like that. Then she was having a mini stroke; then it would go away. She wouldn’t say anything during that time.


She was strong-willed. Yeah, she was tough. She liked to have things looking nice. I remember we had yellow roses and rows of flowers around the yard. Course you know back then we didn’t have any grass in the yard, you never had a lawn. Your yard was completely sand. Our yard was. A blade of grass grew, you’d chop that up quick!

These roses grow close to where Granddad JC grew up. They could have been planted by Grandma Laura. 

Grandma Laura had roses like this in her yard 

Me: You didn’t want critters!


[laughs] I remember one time I was out there doing something there was a stick laying there and I went up to that stick, and it wasn’t a stick--it was a snake!


But Mom, she really worked hard.


Grandma: Women worked hard. They had to take care of the cow, I remember I would help my mom with the cow, you’d have to take her out to where the grass was good and stake her out.


Granddad: Our cows were really gentle. I just took them out in the morning, out of the cow pen, we’d head out across the field to the pasture. I took them up to the pasture every day and take them back in the evening. I’d go and call, “Hey-oh, hey-oh!” you know, and the cows would come to the gate you know and I’d let them out.
How did your parents discipline you?

They used little switches. I remember one time, it was really--Dad didn’t understand it. I was riding a bicycle, and the road coming up to our house was two ruts. I was coming down in a rut, and Doug was walking in the rut, and Dad was on the other side coming up. Doug did like this, and I pulled to the right, between the two ruts, and he jumped to his left and I ran right over him. And my dad tore me up! *whew!* He reached around and he pulled up a big weed--I mean it was a long one, with leaves on it, and where the leaves were were little knots. He wore me out with that. Man. I broke loose running, and I didn’t think he could run so fast. I started running and slowed down but heard him behind me and said, “whoa! I gotta start running down faster now!” I ran down here to where the Cleve’s house is here. It was dug out. It was a big open pit. The county came and got some clay that they used on the road somewhere and I just jumped off of that, down there and up the other side. I turned around and he didn’t go down there. I mean, that was uncalled for, but it wasn’t my fault, because he jumped right in front of the bicycle, I was moving to bypass him and I ran right into him. I didn’t want to do that. It’s tough.

Description of Broadus R. Connell by his son JC

He was about 6’1”. He had a normal Caucasian face, straight nose. I guess he was a pretty handsome
fella’. He told me one time he went to a square dance out here. He was havin’ a lot of fun and he was
dancing with these girls and all. Got ready to leave, and this girl was waitin’ there and he picked up 2
kids. He had Roddy and Norman picked him up and went with him. I guess Mama was there too.
He was a frank fellow. I never heard him swear or curse. Only one time. He was doing something, he  hit his hand with a hammer or something… Anyway. He really hit his hand. I think I would’ve said a lot more than he did. You never heard a swear word from him.

He could do most anything. He could butcher a cow, take it and hung it in a freezer locker down town and made hamburger out of a lot of it. We used to ride to town on the wagon without a body on it. Just sit on the tongue. The tongue is the one that goes all the way through and all the way out the front. We’d go to town and I’d be sitting up there to ride down there. He owned a store, 2 houses, you know where the creek is, over by the mill – little store restaurant there. Well he owned one store there and two houses right there.

He sold those to pay for Norman’s tuition to Clemson. So Norman graduated from Clemson. Ivy got a year or two years and he went to OCS. He was an officer. And the 505th airborne infantry division. I’ve got two pictures of him. One where he was a Sargent and when he was 2nd lieutenant. Dad worked all the time, but he liked to read the paper and joke. He was just an ordinary guy. Liked to fox hunt. He would take the dogs. A lot of mornings he’d get up and go and go fox hunting. He’d leave the dogs and come back home and go to work. And the dogs would come in and Mom always fixed some cornbread. And something else she’d put on cornbread to feed the dogs. That was the most things he do was fox hunt with some of the guys. They would go out. Said they were fox hunting one night they got this tree of ‘coons. And somebody was going to go up and try to knock him out. There was an old grey-headed man standing there looking up and that coon jumped right out on top of that guy’s head. He probably thought that was sand. You know white beard shinin’, probably thought that was sand and He was surprised I guess. Just a little hunting things. Dad watched his money and he took care of our family well.

Click to get audio from interview

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From an interview of JC Connell  by Katie on 2/10/2015
Thanks again to Mary Ann for transcribing this interview!

Grandma Izzy's Professional Career

Just the other day, I realized that I knew that Grandma Izzy taught school right before she married Granddad and that she was teaching school after her children were grown, but I didn't know about the years in between. I asked Mom and here's the gist of what she told me about Grandma's teaching years:

She was pregnant at least once while teaching, probably with Uncle Bob.

Mom doesn't remember Grandma working while the kids were small.

Grandma taught early morning seminary for church in their home when the kids were small, giving them breakfast before the seminary students came.

When Aunt Lois was 3 or 4 Grandma started working at a preschool, which she signed Aunt Lois up for. When Aunt Lois started kindergarten, Grandma started teaching kindergarten, and continued to teach it for many years.

After a while, Grandma needed a change, so she started teaching 4th grade. She taught that for a few years, and was so good at teaching the kids to read that she was asked to transfer to the middle school to help some 6th graders who'd never learned to read. She succeeded, and kept teaching at the middle school for many years after, transferring to 7th grade at one point.

Grandma also taught seminary for many, many years. As mentioned earlier, she taught seminary when her kids were younger. She taught again when Uncle Bob started 9th grade and continued until Aunt Lois was done with high school.

Mom said that Grandma taught for a total of something like 17 years. She finally retired a few months after Granddad retired.

1986-87 school portrait

Granddad JC and vehicles

From an interview with Granddad JC:

My Dad and his dad both had cars, Model Ts, way back. They parked it at the old mulberry tree back at his house and uh we'd go out and play in it. See, our house was right over here, and we had a road that came and our driveway went straight up to our house, on the right side. That's where they had the barns, and the car shed, and the corral, and the pump. That was all on the far side--the east of the house. We had barn full of corn, and full of fodder and hay, and the stables.

I learned to drive on that little A Model convertible. They had a beautiful buggy and a horse when I was a little baby. They were going to church and I wanted to go but they wouldn't let me go. They'd keep me at home. I remember raising Sam because they wouldn't let me go to church. It was a real nice black buggy, then they started getting cars. He used to work on the roads here. He ran the road machines--my dad. That was the last job he had. First they had a tractor, like a D8, big tractor, pulling the road machine with a blade and Dad would drive the tractor. He had a prisoner that would operate the road machine that turned the blades and worked the sides of the roads.

They did all the roads back here, they were mostly--why, McRae road was a dirt road back then! Yep.

Izzy: They were terrible dirt roads!

JC: They were muddy, slick. I remember one time I was working for quality cleaners on a delivery truck. We got down to the country--paint hill, I think they called it that, with the red clay and all. We turned the corner and had to go up just a little incline and dad gummit the back end of the car started to slide over because of the crown in the road and it was so slick and all. It started sliding over I jumped out and took the side of the car--we had like a station wagon; they called it a suburban, the back doors would open up like that. Anyway, I took the side of it and I pushed it into the center of the road. I was about 14. I kept it from sliding into the ditch. That was really an experience!

Granddad JC and time with cousins

Here's Granddad JC talking about his time with cousins

It was a stupid thing. I was wanting to go to visit my cousins in North Carolina. But I was the only one wanting to do it. I don’t know what happened, but I put on a raincoat, I was barefooted and was wearing short pants and all.

I went down to Aunt Docia’s. She lived on Fair Street on the corner right there by the school and she was a nurse. And I was going to see if she was going to North Carolina – I might have asked her for money to ride the bus up there. I dunno, it was crazy--it never materialized – she said oh yeah, so she put me in a car and brought me back home. <chuckles> so this was the end of my trip to North Carolina.

My cousins always came down here. We all had so much fun. When they came down here we all got out of the beds and let the older people use on the beds and we slept the floor. That was fun. We’d sleep there and then get up in the morning and we’d go out and play, hide in the hay stack and all this stuff. That was fun. All this was open land around here – farmland. We played like Blind Man Buff or you cover your head and everyone goes and hide and you go out and try to find them. Mostly Red Rover Red Rover. You ever play that? <chuckles> We’d do that. Crazy.

They’d come at Christmas time; maybe Thanksgiving. Not really other times.

In the wintertime, we’d set trout lines down right down there in the pond and catch catfish. And we’d have catfish stew. Every-well we'd need some more so we would go down there and run the line.

Somebody said they were down there runnin' the trout line and they got the boat on top of a stump when there was an alligator, comin' around there. It was on the stump, so they couldn't move the boat to get away from the alligator! They must've hit it on the head with a paddle or something to get away; I dunno exactly how they got away.

That was over at Aunt Julia’s over the top of the hill up there. It’s all grown up now. The house is gone now, I don't know what happened.

Yeah, those were fun times. Fun times for the kids.

Aunt Docia on right as a recent nursing school grad

Note: I assume that the cousins in NC were Cora Lawrence (nee Connell)'s children. Does anyone know?

Granddad JC Serving in the Church

I did some interviews with Granddad JC over a year ago, and never got around to transcribing them. Mary Ann was amazing and did them all for me! Here's the first one, Granddad talking about serving in the Church:

Oh-gahlee. You know we came back to Camden and we were members of the church and so they called me as Elders Quorum President. There was nothing going on. I said what’s goin’ on? There ain’t nothing goin’ on. So I said shoot, let’s go on and do something. And so we started going on fishing trips. We’d go down and set up appointments and we’d go down and go deep sea fishing. We’d catch a bunch of these big groupers, you know. Some of these beautiful red colored fish. I can’t think of the name right off. We’d catch a bunch of fish and bring ‘em back. We’d spit ‘em up or something like that. That was good.

We had a good active elders quorum by the end. Then they called me as bishop.

I can’t think of the president that called me as bishop. Now who was that? Anyway. He was the stake  president and he called me as bishop. So I started as a Bishop and that was really - from going from a sergeant to a bishop. I had some interviews and I must’ve been kinda curt with some of the people. But we had a good ward and it grew.

Actually when we joined the church there was only 4 or 5 families coming to church and then after I was bishop for a year or so. We started working every Friday night and all day Saturday, we would cut wood for the building fund. And we raised a lot of money cutting fire wood and stove wood and selling them by the pickup loads. We did that all day. The was a Okelberry* family here and he was a woodsman. He had a chainsaw, and he had - they called it a go-getter – his wife would drive it and she would go out and catch the logs from the trees that he’d cut down, and pull ‘em up. And their son was a big guy too and he would trim ‘em up and throw them in too. And then we would - all the members - would split ‘em up into small pieces. We would load the truck and so many truckloads of firewood.

What years were you Bishop?

From 1976 to 1982.

So your Mom [Grace] was in college for a lot of that time and then married. But things were moving in the church. We built the church and everybody worked on it. We did the lawn, we did the sprinkler system, and I put up the satellite dish. We just, everybody pitched in. We also had a farm out there to work, but we sold the farm. We had a well drilled out there and we had a shed to park the tractor or so out there.

The farm was on a road 5 miles out of town towards Bishopville of Hwy 34. But we did a lot of work. Going and doing all the time. I bought a truck, got a brand new truck, that we were throwing these rolls of hogfencing on there about 4 ft. high. It scarred that truck all up. I had it about a year, it was beautiful, and it was all scuffed up. But it ran good – I kept it a long time. In fact I think Nathan – White Datsun – used it.

The white Datsun

*Corrected from Huckleberry

Conversion

Recently, Grandma Izzy's personal history was transcribed. Shortly after that, I interviewed Granddad JC and asked him some of the same questions. Here's a set about their conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Grandma Izzy:

Describe your conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ:

In June of 1956, Bob (5 ½ mos) and I (24 yrs) traveled to Germany (Augsburg) to join JC who had been there since January 1956. Bob, who’d been born 29 Dec 1955, was not yet 6 months old. I was pretty nervous traveling by airplane to New York from Charlotte, N.C. and then on to Paris, France and on to Munich, Germany where JC would meet us.

I would then and I will now do anything, swallow all fear, overcome any obstacles to be with him.

During the 5 months we were saving the money to pay for this flight, JC had become acquainted with two excellent young men: Ronald Ercanbrack and “Sam” Leroy Bolinder who were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Their lives and healthy outlook plus their fun-loving spirits caused JC to want me to meet them.

Shortly after I met Ron & his beautiful blonde wife, Annette, and their friend Sam Bolinder, Sam gave me (and JC) a gift of the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price (3 books!) He told me since I had such a great (p.2) interest in the American Indians he wanted me to read the real history of the Am. Indians.

Now, since the childhood I had was in a home which boasted only one real book, the Holy Bible, I had a thing about books. If anyone ever gave me the gift of a book, I would read it.

JC was due to go out into “the field” for 10 days training in a few days, I determined I would get our apartment cleaned up, all my work done, and then I would just have to take care of Bob and read, read, read. I knew I could read this book in 10 days. It was only around 500 pages long. Sam said this was a true book – not fiction. He gave me a certain reference that would tell me how I could know for myself if the book were true.

JC went to the field, and I followed my plan. It took 3 days to get all my work done. For the next 7 days I was enthralled with this book. I took care of Bob, ate a bit when he ate, and read. I did not bathe; I slept in my clothes reading under the covers until I fell asleep (It was cold & there was no heat in my bedroom) (p.3)

JC arrived back and was appalled (mostly my body odor & scruffy appearance). I told him excitedly about the book. He said, as he pulled off my sweat shirt, “Honey a bath comes first!” But I’ve never forgotten kneeling on an icy hardwood floor in an equally icy bedroom with my breath visible in the air, putting Moroni’s promise to the test and feeling a warmth pour over me from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet. It was like warm water yet it was inside me as well as out.

I knew the book to be true, and I have never been the same since. It took me until Nov. 27, 1958 to be baptized, but my conversion began as I have described it. My conversion continues day by day all these years later as I serve my beloved Savior Jesus Christ by loving, caring for and serving those around me.

I continue trying to overcome my faults and leave sin behind, but I am far, far from perfect and struggle to stay true & faithful. I’ve learned a lot about endurance and faith. I’ve gained more & more confidence in my Savior and in the strength that comes from being in a strong loyal family who loves the Lord.

Grandma and Bob before leaving Germany

What can you remember about the day you were baptized?

The Elder (Hovey) who had taught us the discussions had been transferred the week before, and Brother Clemmie Dabney, the Camden Branch Pres. was going to baptize us. The font was under a hinged part of the stage and was about the size of & looked like just like a concrete grave. It was late November and already cold out. Pres. Dabney had some kind of heating element warming the water. When he got ready to baptize us, I assumed “Ladies first” & headed for the font. Pres Dabney said, “No, Sis. Connell (p.68) in this church, it’s priesthood first.” JC went in and was baptized. Then it was my turn. I stepped into the water & it took my breath away it was so cold - like ice. Pres Dabney grinned and baptized me quickly. The feeling of warmth that flowed over and around me as he put me under & drew me out of the water filled me with joy and I quietly said “Hallelujah” (and in my heart and soul shouted Praise the Lord Jesus. My sins are forgiven and now I have a chance to serve Him in my life.) Elder Carlos Cardon confirmed me and gave me the gift of the Holy Ghost. This day changed my life. The feelings I had that day were a key to letting me know when the Spirit is with me: those feelings are: warmth spreading over me, joy, happiness, fulfillment, enlightenment, learning, heightened awareness, pure knowledge flowing into me (like that day, I knew that Jesus Christ lives, loves me, gave his life for me & was resurrected from the dead.), feelings of expanding my horizons, desires to serve, love for those around me, feelings of forgiveness for those around who have offended, lack of fear, feeling I can accomplish anything with God’s help.

Granddad JC:

"Well, we were in the army and we were in Germany and these friends of mine from Salt Lake--two of them, one was from Salt Lake, the other was from a little town just outside of Salt Lake. Anyway, they were in the G-2 section that I was in in the 11th airborne division. We used to go in the evenings we would go over to this one's house he was married, his wife came over and Izzy came over (to Germany). We would go over there maybe weekend evenings and we would play Monopoly. We would play it all night. and that was fun. They always won. 'Cause that's what they did. I guess they did a lot of that when they were kids. We didn't,  We played Monopoly and I was smokin'. Izzy was smoking then, too, at that time. They said when we left, they'd open up the window and they'd fan all the smoke out. They were really nice folks. She still lives in Salt Lake. His wife. He passed away--Ron did.

We joined the Church when we got back to Camden. I didn't want to join over there so we were baptized right here in Camden. Bishop baptized us--He baptize you? 'Yeah.' [from Grandma]--Both of us. Bishop Dabney."

R-L: Granddad, Grandma, Grace, Bob, and aunt Betty Joyce (nee Connell)'s family. The two kids are Barbara Ann and Tony.
This is probably in Camden around the time Grandma and Granddad joined the Church.

How did you know the Church was true? "It was just naturally true. I just--it was common sense, really, with the Church. Joseph Smith, and the vision that he had, and all."

So your friends just invited you to church? "Oh yeah. We went to church with them in the army. Our kids--the thing about it, Izzy loved it so because Bob was our baby. and he would walk around to everybody and they'd pick him up, play with him and put him back down. and he'd go around to somebody else'd pick him up, talk to him, and put him down."

And here's the sound clip!

JC's careers

Last time I visited SC, I asked Granddad JC about his different jobs and schooling. I learned some neat things and put others into place. This is what I learned:

After learning to work hard on the farm as a child, Granddad's first job was at a dry cleaner's. He helped clean the clothes and he also made deliveries.

Next, I can't remember if he enlisted first or attended school first, but Granddad attended Clemson University for 1 year. He studied mechanical engineering.

He was stationed in Italy when he found out that his mother's health was failing. He returned to South Carolina just in time to be with her before she passed away. While at home, he met and courted Izzy Thompson. They married about a year later. Granddad mentioned that this was probably the best decision he'd ever made in his life! After a short pause and a look at Grandma, he said it was probably Grandma's, too.

JC & Izzy

JC's next job was in Tampa, FL. He worked for a surveying company. Before marrying Grandma, he lived with his sister June. After they were married, Grandma found a job teaching at a local elementary school and they moved to an apartment of their own.

Later, Granddad re-enlisted and they moved around, living in several different places, including Virginia, Germany, and Puerto Rico, among others. Granddad also was stationed in Thailand for a while during the Vietnam war while Grandma and the kids stayed in South Carolina.

Grace, Bob, JC

Granddad retired from the military in the early 1970s. After retiring, he attended Columbia College (a women's college) on the GI bill. There were several other men there, but they were all veterans. It was something special about the GI bill; I don't remember exactly what. He majored in art education. He made several clay pots and painted various things for projects, including a portrait of my mom.

After graduating, Granddad taught art in Kershaw County schools for one school year. His most memorable experience was teaching in a room just below the gym at the elementary school in Bethune. Needless to say, it was hard to teach with all the noise of basketball and other sports going on just above him.

At the end of the school year, Granddad interviewed at Wateree Textiles, and got a job as a warehouse manager. He organized it and made it run like a well-oiled machine. The company liked his work so much that they had him organize another department.

JC, circa 1991

After retiring from that position, Granddad didn't work for money anymore, but he has worn out his life working for the Lord. He and Grandma have served more than 7 church missions, including a proselyting mission to Germany, several missions from home, and a family history mission in Salt Lake City at the Family History Library there.

The Connells Leave Germany

Laura got another story for us--it's about Granddad JC and Grandma Izzy when they moved back to the States after being stationed in Germany. Enjoy!

____________

BREMEHAVEN, GERMANY

An indispensable radio repairman, granddaddy JC was stationed in Bremerhaven Germany.

In 1968, JC (a major sergeant first class) needed to go back to the states for Norman’s funeral. The general said JC would have to reenlist if he left and wanted to come back to Bremerhaven (JC was coming up on retirement).

So, instead of reenlisting, he decided to retire. The guy that replaced JC had no idea how to maintain the equipment; and the commander over JC was a bum (according to granddad). JC told the commander about the repairman's incompetence, but the commander did nothing.

Granddad brushed up the satellite to run for several months after he left, but warned the commander that the repairman didn't know how to fix it.

Well, later, a fellow retiree/buddy from NC showed up at JC's house in SC. (JC was keeping the kids while Izzy was teaching during the day - he was working the night shift).

JC: It sure is great to see you.

Buddy: Would you like to know what happened after you left?

JC: Sure.

Buddy: The Bremerhaven station went down for 2 weeks, and they ended up court marshalling the commander. He was up for retirement soon, so it didn't ruin his career, but he ended up losing a stripe. And a TON of retirement money.

Izzy’s side: “Well, he (JC) left first. And I had to clear out quarters.”

<that means packup and move>

She packed out the house and lived with a friend for a few days (and used her kitchen)

She had 6 kids plus their luggage. To catch the flight, they had to take 2 taxis. Bob and Grace were late, and grandma was having a fit.

She went up to the line and the man at the ticket counter said, 'I see you on the itinerary, but no children. I’m sorry; you'll just have to wait for a different plane.'

"I’ll take that ticket. YOU take the children."

Well, he could tell she was serious. He made arrangements, and suddenly there was room on the plane :)

They bumped a few GIs, who were all sitting around and very graciously said, 'no problem' when she explained she had bumped their seats.

Southern 4th of July traditions

This past weekend, I had the privilege of spending some time celebrating the most recent holiday with family in South Carolina. My maternal grandparents came to the cookout that we had to celebrate the Fourth. While visiting with them, my mom asked what a Fourth of July celebration was like when they were young. My grandfather explained his experience, starting by saying that the time around the Fourth of July was a pretty relaxed time on the farm, since the rush and busyness of Spring planting had been completed but the work of harvest had not yet started.

Next he talked about the food at the family's celebration, starting with the kids' job of churning home made ice cream.

"We'd get a piece of ice from the ice house down town and pack it in around the churn. It was the kids' job to churn it. We put some of the sacks for packing cotton in on top of the ice and churn to keep it insulated. One of my most common jobs was to sit on top of it while another kid turned the crank to churn the ice cream."

He also listed some of the things they'd eat to celebrate the Fouth--none of it involving hot dogs or hamburgers, pasta salad or potato chips.

Chicken and dumplings
Fried chicken
Corn on the cob
Fresh vegetables from the garden such as beans, okra, cucumbers, squash, and tomatoes
Watermelon
Pecan pie

Granddad said that there was always a lot of food and he always had a really good time. Grandma added in that her mom always made a coconut cake to go along with the celebrations she experienced growing up. Granddad also got a really big smile on his face when he remembered the pecan pie--it was probably a real treat! Also, I wouldn't be surprised if there was more variety served at their celebration that either I don't remember Granddad mentioning or that he didn't think to list. I'd think corn bread would be a given.

Wouldn't it be fun to try a Fourth of July celebration like this?

Ivey Kibben Connell

Ivey Kibben Connell was one of Granddad J.C.'s brothers who fought in WWII. He was the only one that didn't come back from the war. After he died, he was buried in Italy, "70 miles from Rome", and then his body was brought back a couple of years later so he could be buried in Camden, close to his family.

Ivey was awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star. The State (SC) newspaper said of him on April 27, 1944:

"With utter disregard for his personal safety he continued into the city ... which was still under intense enemy artillery and small arms fire and established an observation post and mortar position from which controlled fire was delivered. At this post he was killed by an enemy mortar shell which landed in his position. His courageous action contributed to the successful withdrawal of our forces and is a credit to the services."

I found several newspaper articles about his service as part of a website commemorating Clemson University alumni. My cousin Alyssa posted a link to the website, which she found because of another relative sharing it on Facebook. Thanks so much!

*Pictures are from an album on Facebook by Aunt Lois. Thanks to her, too!

Hog killing time

Hog killing time came to Camden when the cold settled in. Granddad J.C. loved it because they'd have fresh pork, ham, side meat, and sausage. They used everything they could; even the fat was 'rendered' to get out bits of lean meat in the middle of the fat for eating and to prepare the fat for other use. Granddad said they'd render the fat by putting it in a big black washpot with a fire underneath it. It would melt and be like grease, and they'd get cracklins out of it, which they mostly put in corn bread. The cracklins were the bits of lean meat they got out of the fat. They also ate fatback from slaughtering the hogs, and Grandma Laura would slice it up in thin pieces, fry it, then they'd eat it with veggies and seasonings. Granddad J.C. loved eating fatback with the skin still attached because it was nice and crunchy. Fatback is different from bacon, which was made out of the lean side of the pork. Granddad said that the pig might have 2-3 inches of fat on the outside of the body, and that it protected them from snakes. I had no idea that pigs were so fatty!

Family neighborhood

When Granddad J.C. was a kid, they had a little neighborhood of family members living nearby. It looked something like this:

I don't remember if Granddad said that his aunt's house was his great-aunt's or if it was just his aunt, but he said it's where Lena (a cousin of ours) and her family lived when I was growing up. Granddad said that it was like a small neighborhood with all of the family so close by. I'm sure they could see each other's houses from their own homes because Granddad said there were no trees around when he was a young boy -- all the land was used for farming crops like cotton, corn, pea vine hay, and oats for the mules.

The roses that grow along some parts of McRae Rd. and Canada Drive were planted by Granddad JC's grandfather Robert Jackson Connell. Evidently Granddad JC's mother Laura really liked the roses as well, because she planted some next to her house. Granddad said that Robert Connell's house was situated in the bend of Canada Dr., smack dab in the middle. He had crab apple and mulberry trees near his house, as well as an old Model T car that Granddad JC would play in as a boy. Granddad said that the house was nice, but that after Great-great-granddad Connell passed away it fell into disrepair and eventually couldn't be used because his family took wood from it for fuel in the winter.

Bird Brushing and Broadus Connell

I asked Granddad J.C. if his parents did anything with him and his siblings at bedtime. I wasn't sure what I'd get since there were so many kids, but I thought I'd ask. It turns out that his parents did do special things with their children at night. Laura would make sure her children said their prayers at night, and Broadus (pronounced "Broad [as in Broad Street] - us") would tell them stories from his childhood. I asked Granddad if he remembered any of the stories, and this is the first that he told me:

They would go bird brushing on the farm -- you probably don't know what that is; let me explain. They cleared a lot of land to make room for plowing and farming. When they cut down the trees, they made piles of brush. Birds would settle in the brush at night. In the morning, Broadus and 3 or 4 other kids would ease up to the brush pile. One kid was on one side while the others waited on the other side with big limbs. The kid with the side to himself would make a lot of noise, and the birds would fly out on the other side where the other kids waited with their clubs. The children would hit some of the birds out of the air and bring them home to be prepared for eating. I asked Granddad what kind of birds they were, and he said they were birds like robins and jays. Then he said that there were hard times in those days. I guess even fairly well-off farmers with a lot of land still had hungry times in those days.

Source: Granddad J.C.

The Old Magnolia Tree

In the woods not far from the home I grew up in stands a tall and majestic magnolia tree. The old tree is so big that it takes two or three children holding hands to go all the way around it. If you look around the tree, you will see an old rotting log to one side, and then realize that it was an enormous branch that broke off the tree years ago. There are grape vines as big around as your arm hanging off of the tree. A few feet away from the base of the tree is a small clearing about 20 feet square. As you look at the clearing, you can see a some bricks and mortar--evidence that a house stood in the clearing years ago.

The house that used to stand in the clearing belonged to my great-grandparents, Broadus Robert Connell and Laura Elizabeth Marcus. Granddad J.C. grew up there. I don't know what happened to the house, but the magnolia tree was a popular destination for my older sisters and me. My sisters would climb up the grape vines to get to the first branch, which was about 10 feet above the ground. I was brave enough to do it once or twice, but I never got past the first branch or two. My sisters were able to climb high enough to see Hermitage Mill Pond quite some distance away. I wonder if Granddad climbed on that tree, too?

From what Mom tells me, the beautiful old fashioned roses that bloomed in front of our house every spring were grown from cuttings that Grandma Laura had in her garden at that house. None grow in the clearing anymore, but I have seen the same variety of rose growing along the roadside in several places in about a 1-mile radius from that house. Granddad J.C.'s family owned a lot of that land, and I wonder if Grandma Laura planted them to beautify the farmland.

Granddad J.C. told me once that there were cornfields that belonged to his family for miles around. Since then, the land has been parceled off to various family members and others through wills and sales. I remember visiting my granddad's cousin James--or "Juicy" as he was nicknamed--at least a mile further down McRae Rd. from Granddad J.C.'s house.





EDIT: Granddad J.C. says the roses at the corner where Canada Drive and Rowe Street meet were actually planted by his grandfather Robert Jackson Connell, so I'm guessing that a lot of the other roses were planted by him as well. I think it's sweet that even in a life filled with so much work and practicality, he found beauty important enough to find time to plant these roses. As soon as I have a place to plant them, I'm going to take a cutting and have some of these roses at my house.

Stories with Granddad J.C.

Granddad J.C. is a soft-spoken Southern man. He is kind and thoughtful, but oh! can that man have a good laugh! Many times his jokes will sneak up on you, and all of a sudden you're laughing about something he just said. I can picture the scene now: a group of my siblings and I are visiting with him and Grandma. Granddad is telling a story about his childhood in his deep, rumbly voice. He and Grandma both were excellent story-tellers and Granddad was particularly good at getting us to laugh.

One particular story I remember Granddad telling was from Christmastime when he was a child (if I remember correctly):

One Christmas when Granddad J.C. was small, his parents bought a HUGE bunch of bananas -- we're talking the size of the ones you see on the tree -- for a Christmas treat. Unfortunately, his parents got the bananas a week or so in advance, so all the kids were salivating as they waited for Christmas to finally come.

Sometime before Christmas, my great grandparents had to go on a day-long trip. They knew the bananas were in danger of being eaten, so they put the bananas in their bedroom and locked the door.

Well, one of Granddad J.C.'s brothers couldn't stand the temptation any longer, so after he tried the door, he tried the window to his parents' room. My great uncle could just barely wriggle through because it was a very small window, but he made it!

Well, if a boy ever had a feast, that boy did! He ate and ate, and then ate some more. He ate all the bananas that he could hold. He ate so many bananas that he couldn't fit through the window again! He just had to wait there until his parents got home, and take his punishment.

When Granddad told us this story, he had our sides aching from laughter! He's told some other good ones, like how he had Grandma convinced that 'J.C.' stood for Julius Caesar until their wedding day, when the preacher read, "And you, Julius Clyburn Connell ..." Another good one is the story of shortly after their marriage, Granddad took Grandma to a work party and couldn't remember her name when introducing her to his boss because he'd always called her "Honey."

What a great set of grandparents I have! I couldn't have picked better ones myself. And since I have such wonderful grandparents, that means they raised their kids right, so I have amazing aunts, uncles, and cousins. I am a lucky woman!

EDIT: It turns out that the banana incident happened to Granddad's cousins.