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PAGE 2A —THE MADISON COUNTY (GA) JOURNAL. THURSDAY. DECEMBER 24. 2009 Jenkins cont’d from 1A DFCS... But as she approached 70, she found herself the lone sur vivor of the family she grew up with. Her father, five siblings, and finally her elderly mother, had all passed away. Jenkins said she realized that if she were ever going to write down the details of her life, the time was now. She worried that without the input of any of the family she grew up with, many of those details would be gone forever. But as the words flowed from her pen to the paper, so did the memories of a girl who began life as a sharecropper’s daughter during the Great Depression. “It’s amazing to me when I started writing this the things that came back to me,” Jenkins said. “I’ve known how smart she was since at least 1950,” Rev. Jenkins said with a chuckle. “After all, that was the year she married me.... I had no doubt she was capable of it (writ ing the book).” But though he knew about the book while it was in progress, even he didn’t see it until Christmas time. Jenkins sat and wrote the chapters in longhand, pass ing the manuscript to grand son Matt Smith, a journalism student at the time, and his friend Susan Meyers, to type set and edit it without giv ing the secret away. The book ended up being a total of only 81 typewritten pages, though it contains a wealth of informa tion and insight about the life of the woman who wrote it. Even her husband was sur prised by some of the things he read. “I thought I grew up poor until I read her book,” Rev. Jenkins said. Her children were astounded when she presented each one a copy at their annual family gathering on Christmas Eve 2001. “I’m so glad she wrote it down and gave it to us,” oldest tling cancer in recent months, and his family wanted to find a way to boost his spirits and honor him and Mrs. Burkhalter at the same time. “We wanted to keep some of Dad’s memories alive,” Charles Jr. said. “A lot of people have never seen a car like this, it’s actually a museum piece.” In fact, the car will appear at “World of Wheels” a large car show in Atlanta, next month and later at other vintage car shows and races around the southeast. The guys began working on the car in secret several months ago, after Charles Jr. got the racing body from a cousin. Burkhalter said he is amazed and that the finished product looks exactly like the one he daughter Donna Smith said. “I’m so thankful for it, and I hope this will encourage others to let their family know more about their legacy and history. I hope her story may inspire someone to put their own life down on paper for their chil dren and grandchildren. My mom’s story is an incredible gift that I could never put a price on.” The family is sure it is a gift that will be passed from gen eration to generation of their ever-growing family. Younger daughter, Jan Filkins, who took over her mom’s daycare business when she retired, loved the book but found it hard to read because she hadn’t realized just how hard life had been for her mother. “It was just a hard life and hard for me to read,” Filkins said. “But it was about survival and I know that it has made her who she is.” Filkins sat up and read the book all the way through Christmas Eve night. “We just didn’t have any idea how poor mama was,” Filkins said, add ing that it hurt her to know her mother had been through so much in her life. But for Jenkins, it was not just about her circumstances growing up, but about continu ing to teach her family about what she feels is really impor tant in life. “I want my children and grandchildren to know a little of what my life was like as I was growing up and I want them to understand that it is not the material things that matter in our lives,” she said in the book’s preface. “If we have the necessities to live, we are blessed and should be grateful to God. Having an abundance of things alone has never brought contentment to anyone. Joy and contentment come only in knowing and doing God’s will for our lives drove. “It could be that car,” he said. The renovation costs thou sands of dollars, and the res toration became a community affair with family members and friends pitching in with donations and labor to see the project finished in time for Christmas and the anniversary celebration, held at Shakerag Hunt Club. “We "re so grateful to anyone who had a part in this in any way,” Charles Jr. said. The gold race car with the #75, Burkhalter’s signature number, is one way for his sons and family to express their love and respect for their dad, Charles Jr. said. And they didn’t forget their mom either - stuff is not enough.” And Jenkins wants to encour age others to make it a priority to just take the time to sit down and write about their lives, even if only for themselves. “A lot of it was fun,” she said of the experience. BOOK EXCERPTS “I came on the scene right in the middle of the Great Depression, and I know my parents were struggling to pro vide for their growing fam ily, but I really don’t think the Depression made a lot of differ ence to our standard of living,” Jenkins wrote. “There was one good thing about being poor; we didn’t have much to lose.” While she relates stories of growing up as a sharecropper’s daughter in lean times, there is also plenty of joy in the tell ing of her life story - such as the games the children played, the cousins and characters she knew growing up and the fam ily events they enjoyed, such as Christmas time. Though there were never many presents, Jenkins remembers Christmas as an exciting time. “If we got a book, marbles or maybe a jump rope or ball, we were happy,” she wrote. “We would have some special foods, fruit and nuts and good time with our cousins.” During Christmas in the year 1937, a couple came to visit them bringing small gifts for everyone. “I guess I was think ing only of myself because I only remember what they had for me,” she wrote. The gift was a big, beautiful baby doll with a head, arms, hands, feet and legs made of china and a straw-tick stuffed body. “But wonder of wonders, that doll was riding in a beauti ful little wicker doll carriage which was not brand new, but sure looked like it to me,” she said. That doll carriage still sits in the Jenkins’ living room to this day, though an antique dealer - the name “Shirley” is proud ly emblazoned on the front for all to see. “He’s been battling cancer and we hope he’s going to overcome it and this is our way of paying tribute to him for all he’s done and all he’s been through,” he said. After getting over the initial shock, and with some encour agement from the 250 or so who had gathered for the sur prise, Burkhalter donned a rac ing helmet, climbed in the car and cranked it, causing a cheer to go up and bringing tears to the eyes of many, including his daughters, Becky Jones, Rita Alewine and Carol Fyle. Jones, who is one of the youngest of her parents’ eight children, remembers her dad offered to purchase it years ago. “I wouldn’t take less than half a million dollars for it,” Jenkins said and hopes it will always be a treasured family heirloom. The very next year (1938), the carriage was involved in an “unfortunate incident” with her baby brother. Gene, Jenkins recalls in her book, after her mother left the baby in the care of his four older siblings. “I don’t know whose idea it was, but Gene, who was about two or three months old, wound up taking a ride in my cherished doll carriage,” Jenkins wrote. “With (older brother) Bud at the wheel, I tried to keep up as we all ran across our bare rocky yard and down the driveway. The car riage bounced up and down until it bounced up once and came down without Gene.” But other than a nasty scrape on his head, Gene was none the worse for wear. “That was Gene’s first and last ride in my doll carriage, and it scared us all so much that I believe we petted and spoiled our baby brother from that day on,” she wrote. The story has remained a family favorite over the years, and like so many others, is now immortalized in the gift of written memory that Jenkins gave her family. “I lived all my early life with dirt roads, no running water, no bathroom, no telephone and no electricity,” Jenkins wrote in the book’s final chapter. “Now I have all of these and a com puter as well, and it’s no won der I know so little about using it. I am still awed by electricity. The telephone still amazes me. Only when I get to heaven will I know what all those keys and that mouse can do, and what that cat, who is my adorable assistant, is trying to tell me. But I have a notion (that) then I won’t care. I will have much better things to do.” racing when she was a young ster. “It’s just been an exciting and emotional time for all of us,” she said. “I was just bumfuzzled,” Burkhalter said of the surprise. “I was totally surprised - I just couldn’t figure out why all those people kept coming (to the party) for.” Burkhalter’s racing career lasted 18 years, during which he drove in races all over Georgia and the southeast, winning many of them. “He was pretty well-known back in the day,” Charles Jr. said. Now Burkhalter faces a dif ferent challenge, and his fam ily wants him to know that, as always, they are there to cheer him on. when workers will take two furlough days. But Plank said she’s very concerned that the state will be forced to find another way to compensate for the lack of funding. “Because I think the state has tried everything they can as far as cutting bud gets,” she said. “People at the state office have been laidoff; there’s furlough days for employees. There’s just not the revenue to sup port it.” If Madison County DFCS does lose personnel, it could have an effect on what ser vices it can provide. Some contingency plans may mean that the DFCS office won’t open every day. “We do a lot of resources, referrals, things like that, but if we lose staff, we’re not going to be able to sup port that as much,” Plank said. “We’re not able to do as much in the communi ty as we once were able to. And that’s been really hard for my folks who have worked here and are a com munity resource.” WORKLOAD INCREASING Meanwhile, Madison County DFCS’s Office of Family Independence (OFI) — which distributes such aid as food stamps and Medicaid — is struggling to keep pace with increased demand for services as peo ple struggle financially. “It’s OFI that’s really struggling right now,” Plank said. “And that’s state wide.” That’s especially true of metro-Atlanta area DFCS offices. Plank said that coun ties like Gwinnett, Fulton, DeKalb and Rockdale, have long lines forming before those DFCS buildings open at 8 a.m. In fact, Gwinnett County’s DFCS office has been shut down by the fire marshal because too many people are in the lobby. “They’ve been overrun,” Plank said. As for Madison County, the situation is not as dire yet, but hectic nonetheless, and the latest stat report reflects the increased work load. Plank noted that in November of last year 1,300 Madison County residents were on food stamps. That number grew to 1,650 this past November. The state mandates that at least 97 percent of food stamp applications of those who have at least some income must be completed within 30 days. Madison County DFCS wasn’t able to process the required number of applica- Surprise... cont’d from 1A of Commerce 5 00 OFF Ticket Of‘2CP° Or More. Valid with coupon Mon.-Thurs. only. La Hacienda Commerce La Hacienda Braselton 173 Steven B. 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BUCK WATKINS 706-283-7326 Madison County 2009 Report on Projects Funded Through Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax Year Original Surplus Project Approved Estimated Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Total Funds E911 2003 500,000 7,050 116,052 88,077 51,010 25 233,385 495,599 Roads 2003 8,370,000 576,735 889,016 1,244,619 2,375,581 2,406,566 825,053 8,317,570 EMS/Sheriff 2003 630,000 151,333 238,621 137,869 8,305 7,900 92,133 636,161 Jail 2008 3,300,000 Recreation 2008 1,000,000 154,964 8,906 163,870 E911 2008 424,400 94,530 94,530 EMS 2008 270,000 25,026 25,026 Transfer Station 2008 124,800 Roads 2008 3,950,800 347,404 347,404 Courthouse 2008 90,000 7,895 7,895 Library 2008 750,000 cont’d from 1A tions on time last month. “It’s just related to staff shortages and just the increased volume in work,” Plank said. The office has had simi lar problems with Medicaid applications. To help remedy the areas of increased paperwork — especially if layoffs come — the state may mandate more over-the-phone and internet services. In Florida, many of the OFI responsibilities are handled through a call cen ter. “People rarely see a work er,” Plank said. Georgia appears to be headed in that direction, especially in areas like peri odic food stamp reviews. Food stamp recipients cur rently make regular office visits to re-file applica tions and any paperwork regarding employment and expenses.” “In Florida, a lot of that is handled through a call center, like Dial America,” Plank said. And some DFCS offices in the state have already gone that route. A person can place a call to a center in Atlanta, where the application is processed and sent to the intended county’s DFCS offices. “So it reduces some of that initial coming into the office,” Plank said. Plank said that by March all six-month food stamp reviews statewide will be handled by call centers. “They’ll do the changes and folks won’t even have to come into the office,” Plank said. BUDGET SAVING The local DFCS office continues to conserve money in lean times. With the year almost over, Madison County DFCS has spent only 43 percent of its funding from the county. “Our county budget only goes through December, so we are in excellent shape,” Plank said. The Madison County Journal is your source for local news. Call 706-795-2567 to subscribe. THE STARTER & ALTERNATOR SHOP • Starter • Alternator • Generator Repair k WAYNE, Owner jjCgj 245-0055 $28 1 109 Bowersville St. Royston, GA 30662 HOURS: 8-5:30 M, T, TH, F 8-12 Wed. • 8-11 Sat. Founder’s Corner by Buhl Cummings SPECIAL... The Christmas Season at Athens Christian School is always special. We enjoy the LIGHTS of Christmas on sparkling trees that speak to us of Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. We love the SOUNDS of Christmas as we sing the beautiful carols of this season of song. Most of all, we feel the SPIRIT of Christmas flowing from hearts that are filled with the joy of the Lord. ACS sends Christmas blessings to you and your family. We trust that the lights, sounds, and spirit of Christmas will brighten your heart and your home at this wonderful, special time of the year. ATHENS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL “Affordable Quality Education Since 1970” K3-12TH CALL (706) 549-7586 www.athenschristian.com