Dad's Party

The big day isn't until July 25, but in honor of John Harrison Burtnett III turning 70, there was a party at his home in Spartanburg. The food was prepared by Marilyn Burtnett with the help of Monte Remaley and Marian Gillespie. Among the guests were his family, friends, and surprise guests, cousin Nancy Jo ("Joey") Forbeck and her husband, Paul, of Oakmont, PA; also, longtime friend, Jim Summers and his wife, Lynda, of Snellville, GA. We deeply missed Susan Burtnett Bablove, who was unable to travel due to health concerns, and are praying for her recovery. 

John, Brick, Ann Harrison, and Tim Remaley hanging out before other guests arrived. The Remaleys have been a constant presence for us all my life, and he and Tim have known each other since 1965. It was wonderful to see Tim, Monte, and Marian!

Jeremy Wilde and Paul Forbeck chat with John and others. 

Annie and her pal Brick, with Meredith Greco and Maggie Hunsinger, and that's Monte working away in the background.

Paul Forbeck, Molly talking to Sterling Case, and John and Tim. 

Robin Fields, Ann Harrison, and Marilyn in the kitchen

The desserts: eclairs and lemon cake

The food was abundant and fabulous!

There was a theme of Wofford colors, too. 

With Robin (from whom I get my middle name), and Monte

Peggy and Laddie Harrison, Paul Forbeck, Robin Fields, Sterling Case, and Nancy Forbeck

Old pals, Tim Remaley and Skipper Lancaster

Hunter Norman and Jeremy got to spend a little time catching up.

Originally from Charleston, WV, these two guys spent their childhoods together. How special for "Jimmy" Summers and Lynda to be here to celebrate!

The girls enjoyed being around special friends like Robin Fields and Peter Moore.

I can't describe the joy of having cousins "Joey" and Paul with us; my dad had not seen them since 1986, and they had surprised him a couple of days before! Joey's mother, Jane Burtnett Cusick, was the sister of John's father, Jack Burtnett. 

Peter Moore has been a monumental figure in my life. We had fun reminiscing over goofy stories! I'm thankful for his presence in my dad's life. 

John loves these ladies, my lovely step-sisters, Meredith Greco of Lexington, SC, and Claire Norman of Kennesaw, GA. We regret that Wayne and Mary Claire were unable to attend. 

I am grateful to have captured this moment:

What John and Joey were unable to express in words was expressed here. It was hard to say goodbye to his dear cousin who he hadn't seen in so many years! 

My one regret is not having taken more photos of the evening. There were many dear folks here who are not pictured: Ronnie Fields, Jayne Case, Casey and Zoe Greco, Josh Hunsinger, Foster and Lynda McLane (except for being in the background of the last photo), Marian Gillespie, Bill and Cathy Kerfoot, and another special guest, Jireh Wilson. He is like another grandson to John, and I know his presence at the party meant a lot.

Many thanks to all who attended, as well as to those who wrote notes and well-wishes to my Dad in honor of his birthday. It was a special evening in honor of a special man, and all of you are special to him!

  

A Treasured Family Letter

A couple of years ago, I acquired a treasure:

Unfortunately, I don't spend enough time with this book, mainly because I have to reserve an entire afternoon to do so.  It belonged to my grandfather, Jack Burtnett (1916-1992). The crumbling pages are filled with sports statistics and articles, sporting event programs, school newspapers, and such. It's the kind of book that once opened, I become lost in the world of its contents. This man who I knew in his sixties and seventies was an intriguing younger man, one whose mementos I find fascinating. Having to close this book once I'm lost in it brings a strange feeling of sadness, like closing up an era.

My most treasured item in this scrap book is a letter from Peep Eye's uncle, Bernard McIlhany (1895-1959). The occasion was Jack's graduation from South Charleston (WV) High School in 1934. Uncle Bernard ("Burn'-urd") was pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Hartsville, SC at the time. He had grown up in Redford, Virginia, and later lived in Bluefield, West Virginia. He studied in Edinburgh, Scotland, and had married Mattielou Horne. He would go on to serve as national secretary for the Presbyterian Church's headquarters in Atlanta. 

Bernard Ashby McIlhany was the fifth child of John Milton McIlhany and Elizabeth Deskins Wygal. He was the brother of my great-grandmother, Nellie Keith McIlhany Burtnett. Her first son was Jack Burtnett, my grandfather. My Dad, John Burtnett, says he recalls a visit from Uncle Bernard around 1958. He went to church with the family, and his sister, known to my Dad as "Mama Nell," wanted to burst with pride. Dad says, "There was a write-up in the paper for his visit, like they used to do in those days. Mama Nell loved to show Bernard off, she was so proud of him."

Without knowing someone personally or hearing stories from loved ones, it's hard to get to know the deceased for who they were as people. However, this letter gives me great insight into who Uncle Bernard McIlhany was, and why Mama Nell was so proud of him. I can discern that he loved his family and welcomed them openly. He had the gift of poetic language and seems to have loved words; he was an eloquent writer. He obviously loved the Lord, which shines through in his loving language. I picture him as someone who fully focused on each moment and on whoever or whatever God had placed in front of him.

Uncle Bernard McIlhany's words are too precious to keep hidden; may they charm you as much as they have charmed me:

It's obvious to me why Mama Nell was proud of her brother; I'm proud to call this man my relative, too. I wish I could've known him personally; I'd love to sit outside with him, sip coffee, and ask him theological as well as personal questions. I'd ask him what books I should read, and beg to see his sermon notes. This letter demonstrates the words of a man who was well-read and who trusted the Lord with his life, the kind of mentor we all should be blessed enough to have. 

It has been my privilege to locate my cousins who are Uncle Bernard's descendants. They share his love of family, and have welcomed my contact with open arms. Bernard had children later in life, so although he was my great-grandmother's brother, his grandchildren are closer to my age than to my Dad's. They are my Dad's second cousins, mine once-removed. It is my joy to share their grandfather's letter with them; may they delight in the remarkable man that he was, and may his legacy live on through us all!

A Life Well-Lived

He would be 100 today! Feliz cumpleaños, Papi!

What does a well-lived life, one of rich simplicity and love, of sacrifice for family and freedom, look like?

It looks like courting his sweetheart...

(Abue & Papi, 1945)

...and loving her all his life. 

(in 1984)

It meant putting heart into his work...

(at La Gravi, his workplace in Cuba)

...and finding joy in his work at home...

(In Cuba)

(In Spartanburg) 

...being gratified by God's creation. 

(Across the street from his Brookside Rd home in Spartanburg)

His life was full of friendships...

(In the 1970's with Dora and Andrés Cruz)

(Celebrating with the Fernandez family in 1964)

(Stopping for lunch on the way to Miami in 1973, with Andrés Cruz)

(Visiting with Jeremy's Granny Beulah Wilde at her home in

Greenville, SC, Feb. 2000)

He loved to have fun... 

(Varadero Beach, Cuba, 1935)

(Sometime in the '80's, our annual party for Cookie)

(Clowning around with brother-in-law, Chichi Genova, at Ghost Town)

(Abue & Papi with Jeremy and his parents, Sept. 2000)

He was devoted to his family...

(Aug. 1962, Caracas)

(Same group, 1978)

(My Papi & me)

(Baby Frankie came to visit)

(Sharing a paper, 1992. Notice Papi's chair...it's familiar to those of

you who spend time around my dining room table. Happy are those

who are able to share Papi's famous chair!)

(Frankie with Abue & Papi, Nov. 25, 2000)

He enjoyed celebrating... 

(One of Papi's birthdays, probably 1979)

(His last birthday, Oct. 16, 2001)

(At Brookside Rd., I believe his last Christmas, 2001)

He was proud of his home...

("The house we built in 1952, Jovellanos")

...and just loved to be alive! 

(With his brother-in-law, Osvaldo Diaz)

(I've always loved this photo of Papi and me!)

(The front steps at Brookside Rd., with Cookie. How I miss

them both...Oh, how I wish I could reach back in time through this photo!)

It's okay to look back, to unwrap the precious memories God gives us. It's right to thank Him for a life well-lived, that I got to witness and be a part of it, to be loved by this humble, gentle, courageous, caring man. It's bittersweet to reminisce about what once was, that will never be again, but to give thanks that I am who I am because of who he was. 

Tears flow because I still miss him and what he stood for; I miss his voice, and his readiness to eat anything sweet. I miss his whistling (now I do it for him), and his singing random tunes. I miss his love for animals, and his willingness to fix anything. I wish he could have known my girls...he'd have been crazy about them. His memory lives on through my stories...it lives through all of us who loved him.

(1952)

(Sometime in the '80's, happy as usual, out in nature)

This gardenia is growing from another bush that was planted by Papi. 

A tiny offshoot was transferred from SC to my yard in Hendersonville, NC,

where I now enjoy seeing it grow. It's wonderful to care for it and 

delight in it as Papi did. I can't wait to see it bloom!

Thank you, God, for a baby boy named Antonio Jiménez Blanco, born October 16, 1916 in Havana. You gave us a rare treasure, and we celebrate him today!