Godspeed, Jerry Pruitt (1936-2015)

By Rory Ryan
The Highland County Press

Jerry Pruitt published his final newspaper column for The Highland County Press on July 8, 2015. He closed with the three words he always did: To be continued.

He had written about the Leonard Maurer family, who came from Shenandoah Valley in Virginia in 1810 and purchased the 1,060-acre Coke Survey on the East Fork of White Oak Creek at what became Mowrystown in 1829.

Ten years later, in 1839, “The only male from the family left in White Oak Township was A.R. Mowry,” Jerry wrote.

“I am writing about him now so that the later generations can know something about one of the original Mowrystown settlers' family. A.R. Mowry first appeared on the 1850 census for White Oak Township living in his father and mother’s household with John, 45, farmer, and Lavinia, 41. Others included: George, 20, farmer; Abel, 18, farmer; Rachel, 16; Rhonda, 10; John N., 1; Loucinda, 5; and James M., 2.

“His wife-to-be, Sarah Badgley, appears on the same census in her father and mother’s household, with Harvey, 42, farmer; Eve, 36; Lydia A., 18; Sarah, 16; Lear, 14; Cynthia, 11; Henry E., 7; Mary J., 5; Malinda and Lucinda, 1.

“A.R. Mowry next appears on the 1860 census in the same township, with his new family.

“Tragedy struck the family on Aug. 23, 1871, when John Harvey (named for both of his grandfathers) was found hanging in the belts of the water-powered grist mill. He was just over 13 years of age, and his parents were later buried with him in the Mowrystown Cemetery.”

To be continued.

Sadly – for those many readers who have enjoyed reading Jerry’s history of Mowrystown and Sardinia, Buford and other areas of southwest Highland County – the story of A.R. Mowry will not be continued.

Jerry E. Pruitt passed away today, Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2015 at Highland District Hospital.

He was 79. He had fought a courageous fight against cancer. Rarely, if ever, complaining.

My wife, Pam Ryan, who is an RN at Highland District Hospital, was with Jerry most of last week and again today at his passing. She told me he never said anything but “thank you” to hospital staff.

“He did not complain – ever,” she said.

I believe it. Jerry was not one to complain.

He called me in late July and said we’d have to put his column on hold for a little while. I could hear it in his voice that “a little while” most likely meant his popular column was not to be continued.

Shortly thereafter, his wife, Betty, stopped by the office to relay another – similar – message.

I remember a reader from France emailing me when Jerry had written about her ancestors in Highland County. She posted comments to his online column, too.

“That,” Jerry said, “is why we do what we do. That makes it all worthwhile.”

In addition to being known for his newspaper columns for many years, Jerry had served in the U.S. Air Force. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and an elder of the Presbyterian Church of Sardinia.

In June of this year, while still battling cancer, Jerry wrote a beautiful tribute to his good friend, Paul Young, who passed away on June 2, 2015.

Jerry wanted the community to know that a memorial service for Mr. Young would be held in Belfast on June 28. We had to “get that in,” in newspaper parlance.

“Paul was a prolific writer and author of a number of published and unpublished books and papers,” Jerry wrote. “He spent more than 30 years doing research back when everything was from a paper document found at libraries and historical societies. The amount of material that he accumulated is unbelievable.”

Jerry added that Paul Young “recently came full circle in his writing upon completing the manuscript about life growing up near Mount Orab on a farm during the Great Depression years. The story is full of anecdotes, life experiences and family connections with their neighbors at that time.”

Jerry and Paul became friends many years before Jerry helped to start the Founders’ Day event in Mowrystown in 2006.

“Our most memorable time was a three-day trip in 2007 to Shenandoah County, Va. to do wagon train research,” Jerry said.

Two years after Jerry and Paul completed that trip, I purchased The Highland County Press. One of the first people to come into the office was Jerry. In fact, after a while, Jerry would come to have his own “walk-up” music, much like today’s Cincinnati Reds and other Major Leaguers have their own walk-up music.

Jerry’s song was by the Georgia Satellites and included the line “change in my pockets.” (I got a little change in my pocket goin' jing-a-ling-a-ling.)

Jerry used to jingle the change in his pockets whenever he came into the newsroom. (Just for the record, my own walk-up song was “16 Tons,” because I owed my soul to the company store. And still do.)

Several years ago, I wrote – with some measure of personal satisfaction – that The Highland County Press had four columnists who were graduates of Whiteoak High School: Jerry Pruitt, Bill Horne, Jim Surber and me.

We graduated from that venerable institution of learning roughly 10 years apart.

We lost Bill in 2010, but he and I often discussed whether at any other time in the county’s history, four WHS graduates were writing newspaper columns at the same time and at the same paper. (We’ll leave that for the good folks at the Highland County Historical Society to determine.)

Today, Jim Surber wrote this fitting tribute to Jerry Pruitt: “I was saddened to hear of Jerry Pruitt's passing. It is indeed a rare individual who selflessly pursues local history and genealogy.

“Over the years, I have been amazed at the depth of research and knowledge expressed in Jerry's columns. He has certainly left some big shoes to fill. Godspeed to you, Jerry.”

Indeed.

One of Jerry’s former business associates in real estate, Herschel Hook, came by the office today.

Jerry worked with Herschel at Highland Hills Realty in the 1960s.

“Jerry was a great friend and person,” Herschel said today. “I went to see him last night.

“Oh, the stories I could tell you about the old days. Did you know Jerry was a top salesman with Apple computers? I bet you didn’t know that. I have many stories about Jerry…

“I miss Jerry.”

We all do.

A few years ago, Herschel brought in a photo of Jerry in a white dress shirt and dark tie and asked me to switch photos in Jerry’s column. I did. Jerry didn’t mind, saying the photo made him look a lot younger. We all laughed about that.

In all these years, we only published one correction to Jerry’s column – and he wrote the correction himself.

In February 2013, Jerry wrote: “I open this article with a public apology to Galen ‘Shorty’ Landess and to Laverne Landess Rhoads for listing them both as deceased in last week’s article, when they are alive and well. Any further comment would be trying to excuse my mistake!”

On a side note, Galen Landess came in the previous week and asked for several copies of Jerry’s incorrect column. Shorty and I shared another laugh and more stories about the old days. Fortunately, for Jerry and me, Mr. Landess was an understanding man!

One last story about Jerry Pruitt – and trust me, he tells it better than I can.

In the late 1960s, it seems there was this young family moving from Fayetteville or St. Martin or who knows where, to suburban Fairfax in southern Highland County.

As Jerry tells it, as a real estate agent, he met this young family at the property in Concord Township. There were a few young children and maybe one on the way – including a young boy who was impressed that the house had indoor plumbing. (Ahem.)

After some business negotiations, again, this is Jerry’s version, the mother and father settled on an offer and eventually purchased the house and 50 acres.

Before the deal was done, the father (a surveyor) told Jerry he needed a job. Jerry suggested he contact a local surveyor in Peebles. The rest, as they say, is history.

I always did like that house, though.

Thanks, Jerry. We will miss you. But we will also take comfort in knowing that you are writing history in a much better place. Your friends and family also must take comfort in knowing just how many of our readers have loved your columns.

To be continued, I hope.

* * *

• Memorial services for Jerry Pruitt will be held at Presbyterian Church of Sardinia, 110 Broad St. Sardinia, on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 2 p.m., with Pastor Bob Obermeyer officiating. Friends will be received at the church Saturday from 1-2 p.m. For more information or to sign the online registry, go to www.edgingtonfuneralhomes.com.