Just an Ordinary American Extraordinarily Blessed

By John Thomas Reeves

This book is about the journey of a lifetime of just an ordinary American who was extraordinarily blessed with life altering opportunities to grow and serve in the highest levels of Government, the Church, and elsewhere and lived to share these stories.

The author is extremely grateful for the successes he has enjoyed in life and for the doors of opportunity opened to him. His desire to encourage others by sharing his experiences from a humble beginning in the foothills of North Carolina to the highest levels of Government, the Church, and travels to ancient cities of the world is the reason for this book.

It is a book appropriate for all ages children and young adults who need inspiration and encouragement; more mature persons who are in their parenting and working years; and senior citizens who will be blessed by a stroll down memory lane as they recall their own lifes journey.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 12, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477121665

John Thomas Reeves

John Thomas Reeves is a former Senior Executive in the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). By the time he retired in 1987 from the USDA, he had been awarded several Certifi cates of Merit and the coveted Superior Service Award for his leadership and management accomplishments. He holds Masters Degrees from NC State University and George Washington University. He is also a graduate of the Department of Defense National War College in Washington, DC. During his retirement years, he became heavily involved in ministry work with the United Methodist Church. He developed a keen interest and devotion to ministry with men and was elected to a 4-year term in 2000 as President of the Virginia Conference United Methodist Men. He had a deep love and commitment to family, God and country as well as to his native state of North Carolina. This is refl ected by his being awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by the then North Carolina Governor Dan K. Moore which is the highest honor a North Carolina Governor awards to citizens. The author is a double cancer survivor, having successfully fought malignant melanoma in 1984 and acute promyelocytic leukemia in 2004.

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Copyright © 2012 by John Thomas Reeves.

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Contents

About the Book

About the Author

Dedication

The Beginning in Late 1800’S

Recognizing Opportunities

and Seizing Them

College Years

and Doors of Opportunity

The Military Beckons

Boy Meets Girl

(John Meets Betty)

Surviving Graduate School

A Civilian Career Begins

Atlanta, Here We Come

Off to Memphis

This Time It Is Washington

A Change in Career

Attendance at National War College

Back to the US Department

of Agriculture

At The Top

Retirement Begins

Together In Travel

and Ministry

Traveling With Educational Opportunities

A Decade of Travel and More

Expanded Ministry Opportunities

Medical Miracles

Appendix

About the Book

JUST AN ORDINARY AMERICAN

EXTRAORDINARILY BLESSED

This book is about the journey of a lifetime of just an ordinary American who was extraordinarily blessed with life altering opportunities to grow and serve in the highest levels of Government, the Church, and elsewhere and lived to share these stories.

It is a book appropriate for all ages—children and young adults who need inspiration and encouragement; more mature persons who are in their parenting and working years; and senior citizens who will be blessed by a stroll down memory lane as they recall their own life’s journey of time gone bye.

If by reading this book, one person’s life is changed in a positive direction by taking advantage of doors of opportunity that are open for a moment and quickly closed for a lifetime, then my writing it will have been worth it. Who knows, you might be that person!

Now, come, sit down with a cup of tea, coffee, or your favorite beverage and join me on this journey from the hills of North Carolina to the halls of Government offices in our Nation’s Capitol and beyond to the ancient cities of the world. You’ll be glad you did! Who knows, you might become so interested that you can’t put down the book until you have read it from cover to cover and lived in your minds eye the roads traveled by Just An Ordinary American Extraordinarily Blessed!

The Author

JOHN THOMAS REEVES

About the Author

JOHN THOMAS REEVES

John Thomas Reeves is a former Senior Executive in the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). By the time he retired in 1987 from the USDA, he had been awarded several Certificates of Merit and the coveted Superior Service Award for his leadership and management accomplishments.

In his last assignment as Deputy Administrator for Management in the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, he had responsibility for all management functions which included personnel, budget, accounting, procurement, computers, and internal audit for over 10,000 Federal employees located in 325 field offices across the country. These employees had the important responsibility of grading and inspecting all major agricultural food and fiber crops and commodities as they moved in marketing channels from the farm gate to the consumer’s table.

Not only did the author excel in his career with USDA, but he distinguished himself in his military service which began in 1953 when he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant, Infantry in the US Army upon completion of the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program at NC State University, Raleigh, NC. He entered active duty soon after commissioning and was a Korean War Veteran.

His military service over an 8 year span included the active US Army, North Carolina National Guard, and the Georgia Army Reserve. He had the unusual distinction of serving as Aide de Camp to 5 General Officers: US Army B/General Samuel L. Myers at Fort Knox, KY; B/General Maston S. Parham, M/General Claude T. Bowers, and M/General Edward F. Griffin, all of the 30th Infantry Division, North Carolina National Guard; and M/General Carl T. Sutherland of the Georgia Army Reserve. While stationed at Fort Knox, he was Commander of the highly acclaimed Honor Guard and Precision Drill Team which produced for him the US Army Commendation Medal.

His interest in and close relationship with the military throughout his Government career resulted in his being selected to attend the prestigious Department of Defense National War College, Washington, DC in 1972-73 as preparation for his promotion into the Government’s Executive Service.

This experience was motivation for his earning a second Master of Science degree in National Security and International Affairs from George Washington University, Washington, DC. His earlier Master’s degree was from NC State University in Education in 1957. He also had earned a Graduate Certificate in Computer Science from the USDA’s Graduate School in 1969.

During his retirement years, he became heavily involved in ministry work with the United Methodist Church. He developed a keen interest and devotion to ministry with men and was elected to a 4-year term in 2000 as President of the Virginia Conference United Methodist Men.

The VA Conference includes the entire State of Virginia except for a small portion in the SW corner of the State. He greatly influenced the spiritual lives of men throughout the VA Conference by working with 18 District Presidents and local fellowships with a population of over 30,000 men in over 1200 churches in VA. He is well known and highly acclaimed for his ministry work to encourage men in their spiritual journeys and to help them meet the challenges of life. He has been a member of Annandale United Methodist Church, Annandale, VA since 1964.

John Thomas Reeves was born on 1 March 1931 in the Mount Airy area of North Carolina. He had a deep love and commitment to family, God and country as well as to his native state of North Carolina. This is reflected by his being awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by the then North Carolina Governor Dan K. Moore which is the highest honor a North Carolina Governor awards to citizens. Through recommendations from his fellow officers, he was also appointed a Colonel in the fictional Confederate Air Corps headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama while serving on active duty in the US Army at Fort Benning, GA.

He is extremely grateful for the successes he has enjoyed in life and for the Doors of Opportunity opened to him. His desire to encourage others by sharing his experiences from a humble beginning in the foothills of North Carolina to the highest levels of Government and the Church is the reason for this book.

John Thomas Reeves married Elizabeth Lucile Grissom on 10 June 1956. He attributes much of his success to the support and encouragement of his wife, Elizabeth Betty.

John and Betty have two daughters: Elizabeth Sheri Reeves McFarland and Elisa Michele Reeves Bester and two granddaughters: Erin Elizabeth McFarland and Brenna Michelle McFarland.

The author is a double cancer survivor, having successfully fought malignant melanoma in 1984 and acute promyelocytic leukemia in 2004.

Dedication

I am dedicating this book to my wife, Elizabeth Betty, and to my granddaughters, Erin Elizabeth McFarland and Brenna Michelle McFarland.

For the past 56 years beginning with our marriage on 10 June 1956, Betty has walked beside me, loving me, supporting me, and blessing me. I am indeed grateful for her contributions to our life together and for the many ways she has made the events in this book possible.

As Betty and I engage in conversations with people for the first time, we are often asked if we have grandchildren. We quickly refer to Erin and Brenna as our wonderful, marvelous, and talented granddaughters who are intelligent, articulate, photogenic, delightful and a blessing to their Nana and Granddaddy!

It is my desire that as Erin and Brenna read this book from time to time they will increasingly gain an understanding and appreciation for their maternal heritage and be blessed. It is also my desire that in reading this book, they will receive encouragement to take advantage of doors of opportunity that will open in their lives as they have in mine. May it be so!

—John Thomas Reeves

Chapter 1

The Beginning in Late 1800’S

It was on 4 April 1896 that Thomas Benton Reeves, my Father, was born. A little over a year later, my Mother, Mamie Mentoria Jackson, was born on 13 June 1897. The Reeves and Jackson families were farmers and lived near each other about 7 miles northeast of Mount Airy, North Carolina in Surry County.

The Reeves family farm was located on Reeves Road. There was a creek running through the farm that supplied water that turned a water wheel to power a grain mill to grind corn and wheat into cornmeal and flour. So in addition to farming, Grandpa Reeves was also a miller.

Grandpa Reeves was a substantial land owner and owned several miles of land stretching from the Reeves family farm to what is now the town of Mount Airy, NC. Some of the land that is presently Mount Airy was once owned by him.

Dad was one of ten children born to John Turner Reeves and Selena Frances Haymore Reeves. Their names in order of birth are as follows: Lula Mae (Haymore)—31 October 1889; Charles Daris—16 May 1891; Richard Lafayette—14 November 1892; Emma Maynetta (Barker)—6 May 1894; Lucy Bertie (Bennett)—16 April 1895; Thomas Benton—4 April 1896; Roxie Pearl (Sparger)—18 November 1900; Martha Geneva (Stewart)—16 March 1902; John William—4 July 1904; and Martin—12 September 1907 who died the next day.

Both Grandpa and Grandma Reeves died in their early 50’s. After their death, the county social services people became aware that the children were without parents and were considering becoming involved in the lives of the children to the extent of separating them and placing them in different foster homes.

When their maternal Grandmother Haymore heard of the county’s intentions, it is reported that she said no way is this going to happen—they are not taking those children away and splitting them up! She said that she would move in with the children and take care of them. That she did! She not only looked after the children but ran the grain mill and managed the farm. She was a remarkable Grandmother!

The Jackson family lived on the Chestnut Ridge, a small mountain that got it’s name from the abundance of chestnut trees that grew there. At that time, Grandpa Jackson owned the entire acreage on top of The Ridge.

Mom was one of thirteen children born to John Henry Jackson and Mary Frances King Jackson. Their names in order of birth are as follows: Martha Jane (Angel)—9 September 1884; Austin Lee—4 April 1887; Regina Mae (Tucker)—20 January 1889; Cordelia Alice (Chilton)—20 January 1891; Hulda Ester (Whitt)—9 March 1893; John Thomas—9 April 1895 (died as infant); Mamie Mentoria (Reeves)—13 June 1897; Zilphia Anna (Chilton)—16 September 1899; William Franklin—8 September 1902; Cebron Eugene—15 January 1904; Della Avoid (Jackson)—1 April 1905; and Lillian Ardenia (Needham)—18 January 1908. There is no available record of the birth of the remaining child but it is believed that a baby girl died during child birth in 1886.

Information about the ancestral blood lines in the combined Reeves and Jackson families indicate that ancestors came from England, Scotland, Ireland, Holland, Germany, and Greece.

At the time that my Dad and Mom were youngsters, the only mode of transportation was walking or riding horses or mules or having the horses or mules pull buggies or wagons. But through contact in school or at church gatherings boys and girls met each other and soon there were marriages and new families began. Such was the case with Thomas Benton Reeves and Mamie Mentoria Jackson, my Dad and Mom.

Although Grandma and Grandpa Jackson liked that Reeves boy, they thought that Mamie was just too young to marry him at her age of 19. But love knows no bounds, so Tom and Mamie eloped via horse and buggy and were married by a local magistrate on 7 October 1917. Their honeymoon trip was by horse and buggy to the county fair in Mount Airy.

Tom and Mamie gave birth to four children—the oldest was Thomas Codell (15 April 1919); then Mary Dorothy (30 November 1921); then Lillian Mae 4 July 1925); and then the youngest, John Thomas (1 March 1931). All four of us had the distinction of being born in log cabins or small wooden houses on Grandpa Jackson’s farm BUT each of us was born in a different cabin! Here is how that worked.

When one of the Jackson girls got married, Grandpa Jackson would build a small one room log cabin on the farm. By the time the next daughter got married, the first daughter would have children and out grew the space in the small cabin so Grandpa would build a larger cabin or small frame house for that family and the newlyweds would move into the first cabin. That explains the transition from one place to live to another and how it came to be that my brother and sisters and I were born in separate log cabins or small houses on Grandpa’s farm.

After a young family had saved enough money or could make appropriate arrangements they would often acquire their own land and build their own houses. Such was the case in 1931 after my birth that Dad and Mom acquired a piece of farm land down off The Ridge about three miles from Pilot Mountain, NC near the intersection