Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, uecemDer 14,1994, Houston limes-Journal
Page 10A
My life was lessened when I learned
my friend, Jim Kerce, died last week
By BOBBY TUGGLE
Special to the HTH
Every man's life is lessened when
he loses a friend and mine was
certainly lessened last week with
the death of Jim Kerce.
I first became a friend of Jim Kerce
when he called me over to his office
several weeks after he came to the
Home Journal 13 years ago.
I did not know Jim very well and
couldn't imagine what he wanted to
talk about. Jim asked me to give
my opinion of the Houston Home
Journal since he started running it.
I told him the paper was terrible
and that I could not read his
editorial page because it was so
boring.
Jim told me that was not what he
wanted to hear, but that he
appreciated my honesty. We became
good friends from dial day on.
As I came to know Jim better, 1
found that he not only appreciated
honesty, but that he was always
honest and truthful, a trait that isn't
always found in our modern-day
newspaper writers and publishers.
I would never have written a single
article for the Houston Home
Journal if Jim had not made me
write. He came to my office one
day and asked me to write an
outdoor article for the paper.
1 absolutely refused, told him that
I did not know how to write and
would not write! He would not take
no for an answer. He told me to put
down on paper the tilings 1 loved
about the outdoors and talked so
much about.
1 will always be grateful to Jim for
making me write as it has been
very rewarding to me. 1 appreciate
his faith in my ability.
I will always remember the days I
would take my article to the
newspaper office and have a
message to come into Jim's smoke
filled office. We would sit and talk
for hours about people, politics,
dogs, guns and children.
There was a side of Jim that many
people, unless they were close
friends, did not see - a dry humor, a
caring and a deep sensitivity.
He loved to t;ilk about old days and
was very nostalgic about them at
times He was a great supporter of
Ducks Unlimited and sometimes
came away from the banquets with
somewhat foolish purchases such as
puppies and prints
1 will never forget the day this
crusty old newspaperman gave my
three-wee-old granddaughter a
Browning shotgun he had purchased
at Ducks Unlimited There was
much emotion and caring when he
told me to keep it for her until she
was old enough to hunt and if she
did not want to hunt, to sell the
gun and use the money for her
college.
We looked at L.L. Bean catalogs
Found in Piggly Wiggly Parking
Lot - black and brown dog Ap
proximately 4 months old.
Owner call 987-1570 after 5:30
p.m.
Yard Sale
Multi family yard sale - Saturday,
December 17, 7:30 - until, baby
items, bikes, toys, clothes, car seat,
dishes and crafts, stereo, 2 bedroom
suite
1407 Cambridge Road
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together and ordered shirts and pants
from them that we loved to wear.
He was buried last Saturday wearing
the denim shirts and jeans.
Jim's death will leave a void in my
life as it will in the life of the Perry
community. Newspapermen such as
he and Bobby Branch, who preceded
him as editor and also met an
untimely death, do not come and
stay in a small community very
often.
Truly, all of our lives are lessened
and the greatest tribute that could be
given to diese two editors would be
the changing the name of the paper
back to the Houston Home Journal,
as it had been during their tenure
and for 130 years.
Hospital and Safe Kids
awarded $5,000 grant
for prevention program
Perry Hospital and Houston
County Safe Kids Awarded $5,000
Grant for Head Injury Prevention
Program
Perry Hospital today announced
the awarding of a SS,O(X) grant to
be used by Houston County Safe
Kids for the development of a head
injury prevention program.
This grant, provided by the
Southeastern Comprehensive Head
Injury Center at the University of
Alabama at Birmingham, will give
Perry Hosptal and Safe Kids of
Houston County the opportunity to
purchase infant car safety seats and
bike safety helmets for distribution
to low-income families residing in
Houston County.
"Automobile accidents are the
number one cause of death of
children and infants in our country,"
said Beth Jones, R.N.C., member
of the Safe Kids of Houston
County Coalition. We hope,
through die additional monies from
this grant, that we can make a
difference in our community by
purchasing more cm seats and bike
helmets for our children."
Houston County Safe Kids is a
local coalition sponsored by Perry
Hospital and dedicated to the
prevention ol childhood injuries
For more information, please call
OX7-2028 or 087-7600 extension
310.
In service...
FORT LEWIS - Stephen
Thomas received practical work in
military leadership at the Army
ROIC Advanced Camp at Fort
Lewis. Tacoma. Washington.
Thomas is the son of Henry L
and Estelle Thomas of Perry
He is a 1082 graduate of Perry
High School
Mrs. Housewife...
If you are paying more than
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gas, you are paying too much.
Gall 1-800-841-5879
Star Gas - Vienna, GA
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Farewell to Jim Peak
Colleagues and friends of Perry Hospital Administrator Jim Peak attended a farewell
reception last week, as Peak prepares to move with his family to Bainbridge.
A final goodbye to my friend, first
editor and career mentor, Jim Kerce
By BRENDA G. THOMPSON
Special to the HTJ
In my years as a newspaper
journalist. I’ve been assigned to
write many Uibutes to people in the
community who have passed away.
Though many of them were just
acquaintances, their stories were
never easy to write. I always had to
go on what others had to say; from
what others felt in their hearts.
Well, today, I write my final such
assignment. . this time for my
very first editor and career mentor,
Jim Kerce.
In some ways-an primarily
because it s coming from my heart
this time-it seems as if this will be
one of the easiest I've ever had to
do. But. in other ways-and for the
same reason-1 know it's going to
be one of the hardest. It's just
something I’ve got to do.
To be honest. 1 don't think many
people really knew Jim Kerce. He
sure could come off gruff
sometimes Anybody who knew
him at all knew that It was just his
way. And, it was a way many
people just couldn't get past.
But, for those who coukl and did
gel past that crusty outer layer,
their rewards were many. Because.
Jim Kerce really was a good man.
A gotxl man with a big heart, and a
true friend
I remember back in 1985 when 1
first went to work with Jim. He
was definitely a newspaper man
from the old school, spouting
assignments and commands left and
right, and, yes, lapsing into spells
of grouc'niness now and again, but,
I don't care what was going on-no
matter what had him wound up
when that phone rang and it was
one of his kids, his whole world
changed. The love and pride showed
on his face and shined in his voice.
The man loved his family.
Shortly after I saw that side of
Jim, I started getting to know him.
And. during the three years of my
first round of employment at The
Houston Home Journal, I think I
Please see THOMPSON, page 11A
EDWARDS HARPER Co.
Downtown Perry
Christmas
Sale
Draw Your Own Discount
20-50% OFF
909 Carroll Street
F*erry, Ga.
987-2391
IF YOUR CHILD
RIDES A BICYCLE...
HE NEEDS A BIKE HELMET.
Its The Law.
Bike Safety
Program
Tuesday, December 20th • 7 to 8 p.m.
Perry Hospital Dining Room
Cost: $5 (Pre-registration required)
Participants will receive a bike helmet and a bike safety certificate.
Sponsored by:
Perry Hospital
Houston County Safe Kids
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In Service |
FORT BRAGG - Dawn Z.
Goodman received practi al work in
military leadership at the ROTC
advanced map at Fayetteville, N.C.
The camp, attended by cadets
normally between their third and
fourth year of college, includes
instruction in communications
management, and survival training.
The cadet is a student at Fort
Valley State College.
Goodman is the daughter of
Velma Hoges of Perry.
She is a 1991 graduate of Perry
High School.
FORT STEWART - Army Sgt.
Davis Collins has arrived for duty
at Fort Stewart in Hinesville, Ga.
Collins, a fighting vehicle
crewmember, is the son of Carrie
Collins of Rural Route 3,
Hawksinville.
He is a 1985 graduate of
Hawkinsville High School.