•Part 3
"The good lawyer is not the man who has an eye to every side and angle of contingency, and qualifies all his qualifications, but who throws himself on your part so heartily, that he can get you out of a scrape." ---Ralph Waldo Emerson
The magnetism of Franklinton for Ron and Mercer Brumfield was strong. Cradle to grave.
Mr. Ron said it best, "…Franklinton had a hold on me…." He reminded, "We had a presence here for a long, long time." It is true - our common ancestor William Brumfield arrived in Washington Parish with his family in 1813. And Mr. Ron's family owned a sixty-acre piece of property just South of Warnerton. As described by Mr. Ron:
"From Highway 25 to the Bogue Chitto River they called the tract 'The Haley Place.' It had some natural springs on the property and we used it as a camp. We would spend weeks there, fishing and swimming in the river. I also loved to hunt Indian artifacts, and there were hundreds there I'm sure because of the springs."
Accordingly, as early as his teenage years, young Ron was roaming the streets of Franklinton with pals Max Gary Brumfield and W. F. Smith. They would frequent the McElroy Theatre and the O. D. Myles Drive-in. It is no wonder Mr. Ron has indelible memories of Franklinton.
By the end of 1972, some seven months after Ron and Mercer tied the knot, they made a beeline for The Fair City. On the first day of January 1973, Mr. Ron became an associate with the firm of James & Knight which subsequently became James, Knight and Brumfield. The partners were "Dinky" Knight and Clayton James. After practicing law for two years, Mr. Ron was appointed City Attorney by then Mayor Othar Simmons. Mr. Ron diligently served in this role, as City Attorney, for thirty-three years, under seven separate mayors --- quite a run. He even became Interim Mayor, for eight months or so in 1987, when Warren Greer resigned due to poor health.
A brilliant attorney, Mr. Ron practiced law for a total of thirty-seven years. With a recognized repertoire of legal skills and ever-present integrity, he maintained his long-time office on Main Street, across from the Washington Parish Courthouse --- before retiring from practice on October 15, 2009. As one might imagine, he can regale with stories. There is the one about the couple divorcing --- a case that came before Judge Bill Burris. Dividing the community property, the parties were fighting like cats and dogs.
Mr. Ron remembered the two fighting right down to the wire over every item, including a jar of false teeth, top and bottom. He felt justice would have been best served had one spouse received the top and the other the bottom dentures, confirming for me the importance of a sense of humor in the courtroom.
As Mr. Ron explained, "For some reason the courtroom is magnified. It's twice as funny in court. Everyone's looking for levity." I can say with certitude that Mr. Ron, easy-going with a good sense of humor, was the man for the job.
And both in and out of the courtroom, he got many a man, and woman, out of a scrape. My mother and grandmother were in that number. A law student at the time, I distinctly recall the conflict, and their concern. But they, together with my dad, had faith in Cousin Ron who stood firm on their behalf. My best recollection is the dust-up revolved around virgin timber (my Ga-ga's) which around here in the 1980s was pretty much nonexistent and hence like gold. But the whole situation was amicably resolved thanks to Mr. Ron.
When he retired, Ms. Mercer who had, for ten years, been his legal secretary retired also. Before that, she had worked part-time as a medical technologist at Riverside Hospital and as the Spanish and biology teacher at Bowling Green, a role that she loved. In conjunction with her tenure teaching, she became sponsor of the Spanish Club, the Buccanettes, the tennis team, and the Senior Class.
Ms. Mercer was also an avid tennis player. I well remember her, together with Mr. Ron, on the courts at the Franklinton Country Club. Always affable, she also joined Shasta and Winbury Clubs, in addition to being an active member of the Centenary Methodist Women and Circle groups.
Fortunately, Franklinton was the perfect fit for the Brumfield family which grew to include daughter Amy (Ohler) and son Neale Lawrence Brumfield, whose middle name was derived from his paternal grandfather. Eventually, Mr. and Mrs. Riche --- Ms. Mercer's parents --- moved to town, also. They were a welcome addition. I am guessing by then Ms. Mercer had grown accustomed to our small town, introducing them to our interesting, unique customs.
Not only was she baffled that the stores in town closed at noon on Wednesday, but also she was delighted to discover, on a local shopping excursion, that the Fashion Shop allowed customers to take a box of clothes home on approval. An epiphany, no less. Ms. Mercer declared, "Talk about shocked!!! I couldn't believe it!!! But they kept saying that's what all their customers do. Wow! This town was looking better and better. That wasn't the only time I took a box home to try out some beautiful clothes!!!"
How well we all remember those classic pink boxes. Our small town is a special place.
•Stay tuned for next week for more on the Brumfields' life in Franklinton.
