Proverbs 22:6….”Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”
As I look back over the years of my life, I can quickly recognize the many things that the men in my life taught me. Since it’s Father’s Day we will focus on the men as I focused on the women back in May when we celebrated Mother’s Day.
I realize that I am a fortunate person who can reflect on the influence of three great men who influenced my life in a tremendous way. I am referring to my Father, his father (My Grandfather, Mallie Frank Harrell Sr) and my mother’s father, Benjamin Augustus Golden. These three men left an indelible mark on my life. They all taught me things that I have referred to all of my life, especially when I was in a position of needing some good advice.
My Grandfather Harrell was an old fashioned, rustic type of personality. He was not especially refined but that was what made him so unique and special. Born in 1895, he had made his life journey through the First World War, the Depression followed by the Second World War and the economic hard times that all those events left in their trail. Grandaddy Harrell was a working man. That’s about all he did in those days. Get up, eat breakfast, go to work, come home, eat supper, go to bed and start it all over again the next day. That’s about the way most men lived their lives in the era through which he lived.
I remember though, that Grandaddy Harrell loved to fish and any time he had that was not claimed by something else, he used fishing. That’s one thing I loved about him. I would go to Moultrie, GA every summer and spend two weeks with my Grandaddy Harrell while he was on vacation. We went fishing every day and I loved being with him in a boat or standing on the shore. I remember that we caught lots…and I mean lots of fish while I was there each Summer. I always looked forward to my Summertime with my Grandfather Harrell. We would sit for hours in a boat while fishing and talk about just about everything under the sun. He was full of wisdom and information. I loved to hear his jokes as we laughed our heads off about them. My Grandfather Harrell was an interesting man who loved the outdoors. I also remember that he often took me dove hunting with him during the Fall and Winter months and helped teach me the art of dove hunting. My dad was always with us and He also showed me the way to hit them in flight. Those two men were very close and my dad reflected my Grandfather Harrell in many ways.
I remember bringing home all the fish we had caught in a day and cleaning them out in the back yard at a fish cleaning area he had built. Then we would fry many of them for supper. He was also a great cook! Wonderful food! As I reflect on those adventures, I remember that my Grandfather Harrell also had an area of his yard in the far back corner where he had a worm bed. He grew his own bait. There were millions of red wigglers in his worm bed and he sold them to the public. He also raised crickets in his cricket boxes and sold them as well. It was just a lot of fun being around my Grandfather Harrell.
Then I have the very best memories of my Grandfather Golden, my mother’s father who was born in 1885. Grandaddy Golden was a different kind of man from my Grandfather Harrell. He didn’t fish and hunt. He was the Clerk of the City of Tifton for many years and was highly respect in our town. Grandaddy Golden smoked a cigar and it became his calling card. Every time someone saw him on the street, he would have his cigar in his mouth. He was a very particular man; always neatly dressed, articulate in his demeanor and classy in his style. Quite different from my father’s dad. In addition, my Grandfather Golden was a quite man. He was also serious in his way of thinking. But, he was the kind of man one grew to love for the way he conducted himself and cared for others. I remember sitting on the very back row in the First Baptist Church of Tifton. It was a very small little two-person pew and I sat with him every Sunday. I recall sitting in the yard swing with him many times as he told me things about his life and the world around us. I have used his advice many times in my years of service to the Lord as a Preacher. Grandaddy Golden was highly respected and loved by all. Every Christmas, the local funeral home would have a huge Christmas party for the city with all the dignitaries in attendance. One of the highlights of the event was when the people would get Grandaddy Golden to “dance the jig.” He would put on a show for the people. It was something quite different from his normal behavior and the people of Tifton would talk for days about “Mr. Ben” and his dancing the “jig” at the Town Christmas party each year. For years, as I would visit Tifton and walk down the streets, people would look at me and say: “Is Mr. Ben Golden your grandfather?” “All you Golden’s look alike” they would say. I was always glad to inform people that “Yes, my Grandfather is Mr. Ben Golden.” His legacy in Tifton still lives years after he went to be with the Lord and I am still proud to let people know that Mr. Ben Golden was my Grandfather.
And then there is my Father, Mallie Frank Harrell, Jr. What a guy! He played football for the Moultrie Packers back in the thirties. He was of stocky build and was a very handsome fellow. Many people thought he looked just like Tennessee Ernie Ford but without the mustache. Auburn hair so deeply red that it looked black, pushed straight back, made for the movies. He was an accomplished artist but he never had art lessons. My father was also a person who played the piano like Liberace but he never had piano lessons. Frank Harrell was one of the most talented people one could ever meet. He could play many of the great tunes from the forties and early fifties. Stardust, Sentimental Journey, Mona Lisa and many others were in his repertoire. Then he would shift to something classical such as Claire de Lune and play it perfectly. I was always amazed at his abilities. His art was good enough to have appeared on the Saturday Evening Post. I am not kidding nor am I remembering an elevated view of his talents.
My father also loved the outdoors as his father did. I had the wonderful opportunities to dove hunt with him, and he was an excellent shot. We also sat for hours in a boat and talked and told jokes like I had done with my Grandfather Harrell. All in all, I had some wonderful role models and that is one thing that many children today are not able to experience for one reason or another. I applaud those fathers who are setting the right examples for their children by leading them in the right ways during their developing years. God tells us in His Word that the father is the spiritual leader in the home and that they should instruct their children in the Word and in how to live life while those children are very young. I encourage all fathers to also be a daddy. One can be a father without being a daddy and I am thankful that my fathers (Grandfathers included) were also daddies to me. I could never repay them for the valuable upbringing that all of them gave me as I grew up.
So, here on Father’s Day, I encourage everyone to let that special man know just how much you love him and appreciate the way he has invested his life in yours.
In the coming years you will have a smile on your face as you spend some time Father’s Day Ruminating.
Wm F. Harrell….6-14-2025
