Back in February, I had the pleasure of sitting down with my Uncle Ronald to discuss farming. I was doing something special on my blog to promote FFA week, and what better interview than a long-time farmer?
In hearing of Uncle Ronald's passing last week, I felt several different emotions. Of course I was sad, he was an incredible man and a phenomenal example of how we should all strive to be. It was also sad because he was the last remaining Watson brother. There were none left from that generation anymore, and that broke my heart. On the other hand, I knew that Uncle Ronald had missed his bride tremendously since she had passed, and part of me was rejoicing at their reunion. As well as his reunion with his Savior.
Originally, I had planned to re-share my farming blog post in honor of him this week, but something kept nagging at me. I remembered that Mrs. Cindy Jo had once written a really nice article about him in the
Gilchrist County Journal. I messaged Chris, and had him send me a copy. I'm so so glad that I did, because while he WAS a well-respected farmer in this community, there were other facets of his life that Mrs. Cindy Jo captured. And if you would like to read the farming interview with Uncle Ronald, it can be found at: http://dignifiedmoonpies.blogspot.com/2017/02/farming-through-generations_24.html. I hope you will enjoy!
By Cindy Jo Ayers
Farming in one form or another has been Mr. Ronald Watson's life work. Mr. Ronald was born May 15, 1928, to Vernon and S.E. (Stone) Watson. Dr. W. C. Young a local doctor delivered him on the family farm. His mother, S.E. was from over in the Morriston area of Levy County. Ronald was the fourth of six boys that made up the Watson family. His five brothers were Willie, Vance, Ercelle, Enis and Walter.
Mr. Ronald remembers working on the farm doing whatever needed doing from early childhood with his father. Before he started school he recalls his father gave him a mule hooked to a planter and he planted while his father plowed with another mule. He said he was so small that when they came to the end of the row he was not big enough to turn the mule and his father would stop, turn Mr. Ronald's mule around and set up the planter for him, and they would precede on plowing and planting. His older brothers were in school at the time and he was the oldest child left at home, so he worked in the fields along side his father often.
He has fond memories of his father buying his first tractor back in 1937: it was a Oliver 70 and came from a dealer in Ocala. Mr. Ronald said he and his brothers were sure happy when their father purchased that first tractor. The Watson brothers cleared a lot of new ground for their farm and the farms of their neighbors. He said his father was always quick to help a neighbor, which meant his sons were helping too. When they had time, they helped their neighbors harvest their crops. He remembers stacking peanuts for neighbors and plowing neighbors fields when they were sick. He said, “That is how it was back then, you helped each other.”
On the Watson farm, they planted the usual crops of corn, peanuts and watermelons. They always had a large vegetable garden for the family. His mother, who he remembers being a excellent cook, worked hard taking care of the house and seeing to the needs of her large family of boys.
He remembers cane grindings and hog killings. One year he recalls planting 2 acres of sweet potatoes for a FFA project when he was in high school.
The Watson family did not travel much when he was growing up about the only time they took a break from farming was when they went to the Suwannee River fishing. Often the Watson family would fish with their neighbors L.V. Corbin and Sam Swilley and their families. He recalls that his father, Vernon loved to fish and a favorite family trip was to go to Shell Mound a few miles North of Cedar Key and camp. While at Shell Mound they would fish with cast nets for mullet and oyster.
Another important childhood memory involved church, Mr. Ronald can't recall not attending Pine Grove Baptist Church. He became a member of Pine Grove Baptist Church in 1941, he was thirteen and was saved at a revival and the evangelist who was preaching was Dr. Smiley. Mr. Ronald went on to serve as a Deacon for 40 years from 1962 until 2002.
Mr. Ronald attended school in Chiefland and graduated with the Class of 1946. Some of his classmates were Thomas Brookins, Gene Rowe, Edith (Roberson) Jones, Mary Ellen Lee, J.L. Townsend, Evelyn (Beauchamp) Griffin, and Doris (Barnhill) Beauchamp.
After high school he was farming, when as Mr. Ronald said, “I got the call from Uncle Sam.” By that time it was 1950 and he was 22 years old. He left the area to travel to Ft. Jackson, South Carolina for Basic Training and then on to Ft. Benning, Georgia for Advanced Infantry training. While there he remembers going out in the field to train over Thanksgiving. He remembers before they left, their winter coat lining and winter hat had come in, but those in charge assured them they would not need them. He recalls that it was in the 70s when they marched out and by dark the temperature had dropped to 3 degrees. He recalls his fellow soldiers who had came from the North to train at Ft. Benning said they had never been so cold in their lives. He remembers being the coldest he had ever been and thinking he was going to freeze to death if he stayed in the tent so he got up and walked around all night long trying to keep from freezing.
While at Ft. Benning, he got a pass and went to visit his cousin, Evelyn (Sheffield) Harper in Atlanta. His cousin had invited him to come visit her (in Atlanta) while she was at Georgia Baptist Hospital for Nurse's Training. While visiting his cousin, he met Mary Joyce Hawks, who he refers to as, “The love of my life.” Joyce was from Macon, Georgia, and was in Atlanta for Nurse's Training also. It turned out that Joyce and Evelyn were good friends and the day he arrived Evelyn was working at the hospital, so she asked her roommate, Joyce, to show him around the hospital. According to Mr. Ronald, “We hit it off right from the start.”
Soon after he met Joyce he traveled to New Jersey by train and shipped out from New York Harbor. It took the boat 11 days to reach Bremerhaven, Germany. He recalls that they did not see the inside of a barracks for 2 months.
While in Germany, he traveled as much as possible throughout Europe. When he could get a 3-day, or longer, pass he would travel mostly by train as much as he could. While there, he visited Scotland which was his favorite, France, Austria, England, Belgium, Holland and Switzerland.
They were training to fight in the Korean Conflict that began in 1950. As fate would have it, he never had to leave Europe. After serving two years in the U.S. Army, with an Honorable Discharge, he came home to Levy County to farm.
He remembers that when he got home is father asked him if he would like to go to Shell Mound to camp out and fish. Mr. Ronald said, “No sir, I've had a belly full of camping.”
Mr. Ronald and Miss Joyce had kept in touch while he was in Army and after he came home he would visit her from time to time. He would travel to Cross City and catch the Southland train, that went to Atlanta, to visit Joyce. They continued to write each other and were married January 30, 1955 at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Macon and their reception was at her parents home.
He purchased 320 acres of land in in September of 1954 and he still resides on the same property today. He said the land had an old wooden cracker house on it and his friends Jimmy Hutchinson and Foster Arrington helped him put the shingles on the outside of the old wooden house which made it a lot tighter.
After they married they had two daughters Rhonda and Melanie, who were raised on the family farm. Mrs. Joyce worked as a nurse for Dr. Jordan in Trenton for many years and later she worked as the nurse at Dr. Wise's Office in Chiefland.
Mr. Ronald continued to farm growing corn, soybeans, peanuts, watermelons, wheat, rye, grass seed and grain sorghum. He also raised hogs and had a large herd of cattle. He really enjoyed farming and raising cattle. He said during his many years farming he had some good years and then some very bad years, he said, “But that is just how farming is.”
He farmed land in both Levy and Gilchrist Counties. He rented property from Mr. Eli Redd to farm for many years in Gilchrist County. He recalls starting a fertilizer distributing business in the 1960s. He started out distributing fertilizer for the farms his father sold fertilizer to. Then he started working for other fertilize companies spreading fertilizer all over this part of the state. For a few years it about worked him to death, he recalls. He was spreading fertilizer all over the area and still farming. He recalled Mrs. Joyce asking him if he could please come home and eat supper with her and the girls each night. He told her he would and he did: eating each night with his family and then returning to work afterward. In those days he worked from day light til dark.
Mr. Ronald said, “In 1960 I rolled out my first combine.” It was a two row combine and he would combine not only his crops but the crops of other growers. During his farming career he owned three combines and was excited to buy his first tractor with a cab.
After 59 years and 10 days of a very happy married life Mrs. Joyce passed away on February 9, 2014 just one week after her 84th birthday.
His daughters recall how selfless their father has always been, making sure their mother had a nice car to drive when he might have been driving an old beat up pickup. They also recalled how he would come in from farming early to take them to school events they were participating in. He was always there anytime we needed him, they recalled. They also remember him taking time to travel every summer on planned family vacations. One of his traits that they have yet to forget was that he could not stand to be lied to.
He enjoyed serving on the Farm Credit of North Florida, ACA for 8 eight years and on the Florida Farm Bureau Soybean Advisory Committee.
During his years farming he had many accomplishments including receiving an award from the Levy County Farm Bureau for State and County Winner for Highest Peanut Production Per Acre in 1978. Then in 1996 he won the Florida Peanut Production Association Award for Florida Peanut Champion in Levy County. He received the Outstanding Conservation Farmer Award and the Outstanding Accomplishments in Soil Conservation from the Levy Soil and Water Conservation.
In 1993 he received the Farm Credit of North Florida Director Excellence Award for Outstanding Service.
Mr. Ronald and Mrs. Joyce enjoyed traveling in the later years; visiting Niagra Falls and up into Canada, New York, the Painted Dessert and the Grand Canyon, as well a several other trips with their longtime friends and fellow church members, the late Ronnie Layfield and his wife, Mrs. Hallie Layfield.
Through the years Mr. Ronald tried to help people when he could. He said, “I always tried to treat people how I wanted to be treated.” As far as advice on raising children he believes, “Take 'em to church and let them know that you love them.”
He stopped farming about 10 years ago. He said he maintained a smaller cow herd until just a few years ago, “I liked my cows the best, so they were the last to go.” Now, Mr. Ronald spends time taking care of his pine trees, encouraging his wildflowers to bloom out front, and a lot of time is spent praying for children, grandchildren and family.
Throughout his life, Mr. Ronald has been a very successful farmer and businessman. He has been a good son, father, husband and served the Lord the best he could. Mr. Ronald said, “I give the Lord credit for what I have.”
