•Part 4
"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." ----Winston Churchill
Franklinton welcomed the Brumfields, and they in turn embraced the town. They found the perfect church family at Centenary Methodist. As Mr. Ron explained, his family was traditionally Methodist. His father Willie Jones Brumfield had been christened at Centenary, and going back two more generations, his great-grandmother (and my great-great-grandmother) Sophronia Magee Brumfield was one of the earliest members there. Yet, in all fairness, Mr. Ron and Ms. Mercer made the rounds at area churches, searching for the right fit. And they found that at Centenary. Ms. Mercer recalled, "When we went to Centenary, it felt like home." And as Mr. Ron likes to say, "The rest is history."
But most importantly, Ms. Mercer - an only child - had acquired a lovely family in the Brumfields. Not only did Mr. Ron's family introduce her around Franklinton, but they also took her in, not as an in-law or out-law, as a sister she said. As an only child, I cannot minimize the importance and meaning of this. How blessed Ms. Mercer was! They even taught her the definition of a "come-here" and convinced her that she could become a "bonafide" Franklintonian. As folks well know, that takes awhile.
The Brumfields also made the best of friends in Franklinton, an entourage who raised their families together; traveled and camped together; and supported one another throughout the past fifty-two years. Comradery our community is known for. And with a penchant for spectacular travel, Ms. Mercer and Mr. Ron have been to all fifty states with the exception of Ohio for Ms. Mercer. In addition, they journeyed nationwide with the LSU Traveling Tigers and sojourned in Europe more than a dozen times. And Ms. Mercer, whose parents introduced her to travel, was passionate about taking her Spanish students to Spanish countries on school breaks.
Digressing, this put things in perspective for my better half and me. We thought we were making progress, visiting ten European countries in the past ten years, but as it turns out, we have a long way to go. Mr. Ron and Ms. Mercer have been to the continents of Africa, Asia, and South America, places Rodney and I have yet to consider. And worse than that, together we shamefully are missing fourteen states in America the beautiful; Rodney, like Ms. Mercer, is also missing Ohio. My father took me, as a kid, to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. But Rodney and I hope to improve our record, visiting eight additional states, on a terrific train trip in the spring - we have booked a teeny tiny bedroom on the Empire Builder.
Back to the Brumfields, they are community activists who, happy as clams, stay exceptionally busy in retirement. The Washington Parish Free Fair has always occupied a prominent place in their lives. Mr. Ron introduced Ms. Mercer to the sensational event in October of 1972 before they had even moved here. Ms. Mercer reflected on the lights and sights and sounds, "I was amazed and loved it!" It should not come as a surprise that she was selected Fair Catalogue Honoree for 2023 and Volunteer of the Year in our division at the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals. Yet, Ms. Mercer humbly deflects credit emphasizing that "the whole fair is done by volunteers" and "I'm just a 'worker bee.'" Still, she sedulously works, daily, for the Stage Committee, a role she accepted with alacrity and one she has enjoyed for over thirty years. She served as Chairman of the committee in 2010. And Mr. Ron historically played music at Mile Branch Settlement, over a twenty-five year period, with friends John Harris, Danny Harris, and Ray Knight - an entertaining endeavor.
The retired lawyer certainly hasn't slowed down as an octogenarian. Mr. Ron has made it his resolute mission to keep Franklinton litter-free. Tired of seeing trash teeming in town, he began his fervent campaign on December 1, 2018, "armed with a pick-up stick and 13 gallon bags." With a map of the town, which includes 85 streets, Mr. Ron committed to clean them all! It took him four and a half months, but he didn't stop there. He has continued to date, picking up trash six days a week, Monday through Saturday. A community activist, if ever there was one, to whom gratitude is owed. Yet, like his wife, humility is Mr. Ron's trademark.
He also has played a large part in the Brumfield Reunion, an annual event. I fondly remember our family converging - a raft of cousins - at the Big Kitchen on the Fairgrounds during my youth and at the Skeet Club more recently. But Cousin Ron made his mark as the eldest attendee this past April. According to him, "I don't even buy green bananas anymore!" Still, I do not see Mr. Ron as older than the hills. Rather, I see him as having seasoned status.
What wonderful role models Mr. Ron and Ms. Mercer's children and grandchildren have in them. The Brumfield family has flourished in Washington Parish. Amy Brumfield Oyler, married to Clyde, is a Speech Pathologist with the Washington Parish school system. They have a beautiful daughter Ella Kathryn Oyler who is a freshman at the University of Alabama. And son Neale Lawrence Brumfield, married to Lynette, is a longtime employee of Firestone, in Covington, Pineville, and Mandeville. Their lovely daughter Michaela Davis lives in California and son Gavin Brumfield who, stationed in Japan and deployed in the Pacific, serves in the U. S. Navy aboard the U. S. S. Washington.
At the close of our congenial conversation, Ms. Mercer generously gifted me a jar of Mayhaw jelly that she and daughter Amy had made using Big Mama's (Mr. Ron's mother Elma Smith Brumfield's) recipe. For the record, my mother and Big Mama were tight, talking on the phone weekly. The Brumfields have their own prodigious mayhaw trees now, but in the past Lenora and Percy Mac Frazier; Jo Ann and Dennis Crowe; and Kay and John William Bell have shared mayhaws with them. Slathered on biscuits, the jelly was scrumptious - Rodney and I can attest.
And a quick study, I departed Cousins Ron and Mercer's home through the kitchen door.
Photo caption: The Ron and Mercer Brumfield family, pictured in 2021.
