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Page 4 - Friday, March 24, 2023
The Jenkins County Times
thej enkinsc ountytimes. com
JCTimes 3-24-23.indd 4
3/23/2023 8:37:47 AM
Just off
the
P Paved
Road
Carmen Bennett
Columnist
The Times
“Any event in life can change you”
I grew up on a farm, but
I was not a farm kid. We
lived out in the middle
of nowhere and as is the
case with most teenagers,
I wanted whatever it was
I didn’t have. Streetlights,
neighbors, friends who
lived close enough that I
didn’t have to bum a tank
of gas to visit. I would
often use school work as
an excuse to get out of farm
work. I was not in FFA. I
thought I was so cool. But I
was foolish.
When I applied to the
University of Georgia in
the fall of 1992, I never
could’ve imagined the
events that would change
the course of my life.
The two professors who
had the biggest impact on
my University of Georgia
experience were Dr. Bob
Lowery and Dr. Ronnie
Silcox, both professors
in the Animal and Dairy
Science Department.
Dr. Silcox was solely
responsible for recmiting
me to be an Ag major in the
first place. My intention
was to get as far away from
the hay field as possible,
but when Dr. Silcox met
my brother at a cattle
show and tried to recmit
him, thinking he was older
than he was, God put me
on a path I never could've
imagined. Dr. Silcox talked
me into applying for an Ag
scholarship and I intended
to take their money and
transfer right out of the
College of Agriculture after
the first year. Well folks,
let's just say agriculture,
much like Athens and the
Dawgs- gets in your blood
and stays forever. Without
Dr. Silcox I never would've
met my husband. Never
would have become an
agriculture teacher and I
wouldn't take anything for
those two things.
Listen here, if you have a
kid heading off to college
and they aren’t sure about
a major, let me talk to you
about the UGA College of
Agriculture. They really do
make a big university feel
like a tight knit family. My
oldest daughter has a friend
about to graduate with a
poultry science degree who
just got accepted into dental
school. Plenty of people
with ag degrees go on to
law school, med school,
etc. Almost anything
you can do outside the
College of Ag, you can
do inside the College of
Ag. But even further,
consider encouraging
kids to pursue careers in
agriculture. Agriculture
needs scientists,
salesmen, journalists and
businessmen.
This week is National
Agriculture Week.
Agriculture is our state’s
leading industry and it is
vital to the future of our
country that we recruit the
best and brightest in order
to ensure a safe, affordable
and readily available food
supply. Give agriculture a
chance. It just might get in
your blood and stay.
COMMUNITY
REVIVAL
20
Me
Povl er Of t he Gross
Welcome to CT Farms! Gated 118.40 acres with a 1 bedroom & 1 bathroom home, a
storage building, 2 wells and a septic tank. One well is in the front of the property
and the second well is in the back The land has 1 3 cross fenced pastures made of
electric fencing and field fencing. The property is currently used as a sheep, hog,
chicken and rabbit farm There are endless possibilities. Ideal for a hobby farm,
horse farm, or a weekend get-a-way in the country. SELLER IS WILLING TO
SUBDIVIDE INTO NO LESS THAN 50 ACRE TRACTS This is a great property if
your looking to invest in land or for peace and quiet in the country. The animals can
be purchased at an additional price.
So, I have discovered
boxed mashed potatoes.
Y’all, I swear Granny could
be swearing from Elam
Cemetery! I mean, I have
always used the instant for
soup thickeners but never
to eat, with butter? Or gra
vy? Nope, nothing like the
real thing.
But, if these millennials
can try it, then I thought,
“what the hay. I’ll give it a
try.” Y’all, them things was
good! They stiffened up
like the whipped kind. I’m
talking KFC here! Now
who doesn’t like those in
stant potatoes and gravy?
I can sop that stuff up with
one of the biscuits
unimm. As Grandaddy
used to say, sweeter than
snuff and ain’t near as
dusty!
Now, I won’t confess and
tell you the cook’s name
who shared this secret, let’s
leave it to say we all enjoy
her cooking. And all this
time Miss Thang has been
serving instant potatoes.
Living dangerously, I went
right ahead and bought po
tatoes augratin, and stove
top stuffing! I mean let’s go
all out!
As we get older, we look
for shortcuts, even Gran
ny. Nanny told Granny she
wasn’t cooking anymore
but I don’t remember Gran
ny making a fuss. Quietly
she handed Mary her apron
and went to the couch.
That’s where she sat from
then on. Well, Granny had
her nightly toddy as well
but we can’t fault her with
that. I imagine living with
Mary made her need a sip
from time to time.
Granny reached a point
where if you wanted to
By Joe Brady, Editor
for
The Times
give her something as a
gift, you gave her vodka.
Embarrassingly she would
unwrap it and then make a
bee line to her hiding place.
I remember one time she
asked me to make her a
screwdriver. Being sixteen
and not all that knowledge
able, I measured out half
and half. Taking it to her,
she downed it and then
said, “Joey, next time put
a little vodka in it.” Nan
ny asked us onetime if we
thought Granny was be
coming an alcoholic at 88
years old. Mama said, “if
granny wants to have a nip
at 88 then by all means let
her. We don’t have a thing
to worry about.”
My dear readers, you will
be glad to know that Gran
ny did not die a drunk, but
the liquor cabinet was full!
That’s all for now, take
care!
Letters to the editor of The Jenkins County Times are welcomed and encouraged. These are pages of opinion,
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for letters to the editor is noon on Wednesday. Email Letters to the Editor to: thejenkinscountytimes@gmail.com
By Debbie Hearn
for
The Times
Ms. Jean Dwelle Cowart
was bom in Millen, GA
on September 25, 1941, to
Eugene and Marie Wilson
Dwelle. She is the middle
daughter of three girls and
took on the role of the
“whatever needed doing in
or around the house” she
was willing. Her oldest
sister was Ann Dwelle and
her youngest is Sandra
Dwelle Skelton.
Raised in the community
of Scarboro she learned to
love the outdoors. If she
couldn't be outside, she
found herself sitting in the
breezeway reading a book.
Her father farmed and
for a time, her mother was
the postmistress. The local
store was just down the
street and Jean was always
the one that got to go get
what was needed because
of her bicycle with a
basket on the front.
She joined Scarboro
Baptist Church when
she was 7 years old
and has been a member
there since. That's 70
years if you're counting!
She fondly remembers
vacation bible school and
felt it was the highlight of
the summers.
After graduating from
Jenkins County, Jean
began attending Georgia
Teachers College. Today
known as Georgia
Southern in Statesboro,
GA. While in college her
uncle introduced her to
Phil Cowart. Hitting it
off they began dating and
while getting his mortuary
license and she a teaching
certificate they continued
to date for another 10
years before getting
married in 1962.
Phil and Jean have two
daughters, Jeana Jenkins,
and Laura Brown, six
grandchildren, 4 boys
and 2 girls, two great-
grandsons and one great-
granddaughter on the way.
Jean's teaching career
began in Jenkins County
for 2 years, Buckhead
Academy for 10 years,
Screven Academy for 5
years, Bulloch Academy
for 20+ years. She retired
in 2007. But did she? No,
she is a substitute teacher
in the JCSS.
While talking, Jean
pulled out a newspaper
article about their cat
"Ollie". Back in 2009
Ollie disappeared for a
couple of weeks and as
Phil was sitting looking
out a window called Jean
over saying, 'that cat looks
like Ollie'. After looking
and debating they went
outside and sure enough it
was Ollie! Only thing is,
he had an arrow piercing
his neck from one side to
the other. They mshed him
to the vet and miraculously
he survived the ordeal and
lived for another nine long
and happy years.
Q: What is different
today than when you were
younger?
A: We appreciated what
we had in life. Kids
today don't know how to
appreciate things.
Q: What hobbies did you
have growing up or even
now.
A: When I was young,
playing outdoors and
reading. As an adult, I
love being around my
kids, grandkids and great
grandkids. In my quiet
times, reading.
Q: Who was your best
teacher in school and why?
A: E.J. Daniel I think
was my best teacher. She
taught English and is the
big reason I went into
teaching myself.
Q: What do you think
is the best and worst
invention in your lifetime?
A: Technology. It's the
best and worst. Best
because we can find out
what is going on in real
time in our world. Keep
in contact with everyone.
Worst because it keeps
people away from each
other. Instead of visiting
we text, email, or just call.
Q: What would you like
your parting words to be?
A: A scripture I live by
and would like to share is
Philippians 4:13. "I can do
all things through Christ
which strengthened me."
I believe if the world
would live by this, we'd be
better off.
Jenkins County Times
Sam Eades Publisher
Joe Brady Editor
Sam Eades Advertising Sales
Debbie Hearn Admin/Layout and Design Executive
Sarah Saxon Admin/Legals/AP Correspondent
Brad Asbury Sports Editor
Jake Gay Reporter
Tyler Busch Podcast Director
THE JENKINS COUNTY TIMES
issue 4 March 2023 is published weekly by on Friday
for $35 per year by THE JENKINS COUNTY TIMES,
425 Hwy 25 S • Millen, Ga. 30442. Periodical
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THE JENKINS COUNTY TIMES, Millen GA 30442
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