Theo was the husband of Ethel McGough Farley.
*************************************
Theo Edward Farley
1913-2004
It was back in 1913,
Down at Willow Springs,
Jim and Callie called him Theo,
He got into lots of things.
Walking at only seven months,
He had to get to going,
Two brothers and five sisters were coming,
So he had to do some growing
He loved his Granny Harris,
He was the apple of her eye,
She could see no wrong in Theo,
On till the day she died.
He lost his little sister,
Her name was Della Ruth,
He spoke of her so often,
A memory from his youth.
His mother, too, he lost quite young,
He was only seventeen,
He helped his dad with the younger ones,
And on him, they all could lean.
It was hard times in our country,
No jobs for boy or man,
So the President with his "New Deal",
Came up with a brand new plan.
So off to the CCC's went Theo,
To help keep his folks alive,
Twenty dollars went home to the family,
Theo got to keep the five!
Five dollars wasn't much for some,
If they drank, or smoked by the packs,
But Theo didn't have these vices,
So he'd loan them a dollar till payday,
and he'd get two dollars back.
He got a letter from Wright City,
It was from a girl he'd met back home,
She wanted him, to come visit her,
And that was the beginning of a family of his own.
Ethel was a pretty young thing,
And his love for her was true,
But camp was only for single men,
Marriage was against the rule.
So they had to keep a secret,
Until his time in the CCC's was through,
The government never knew they wed,
I won't tell them, will you?
His hitch in the CCC's was over,
He could finally join his wife,
In a marriage that would span almost seventy years,
Together they formed a new life.
A couple of years later, Darrel was born,
Followed by Joe, DeLois, and Jim,
And Paulette and Teddy tagged along at the end,
Theo was Daddy to them.
He picked cotton, or did saw mill work,
To make sure they all had what they needed,
Until he was told of a Treating Plant job,
And to this good advise, he heeded.
His kids all grew up, during those twenty years,
The plant had made him a living,
His children found their own loves of their life,
And one by one his family was leaving.
But as families do, when one goes away,
It really isn't so sad,
Cause they always come back fourfold,
And their little ones called Theo, Grandad.
Theo and Ethel have had a wonderful life,
Full of much laughter and a few tears,
So if this poem seems long, it just takes a while,
To cover a life that has spanned ninety-one years.
Theo, we love you!
Written by Judy Farley
*****
(The following was written and read by Jerry Guffey, at the funeral of his grandfather Theo Farley Oct. 17, 2004.)
My Granddad was born and raised in a time when men were known more for their jobs than anything else. In his many years on this earth, he was known by many occupations. He was a farmer, a logger, a cotton and peach picker. He worked for the CCC, Red River Depot, Shepard's Field Air force base, Dieriks, WPA, Weyerhaeuser, and Wal-Mart. He raised milk cows, horses, and gardens big enough to feed the whole family. He sold Amway, and some of my earliest and fondest memories are of going with him to peddle peaches.
Not only was he known by his jobs, he knew us by our jobs. Whenever one of our names came up the first thing he would ask was what we were doing now. When he was asked about us the first thing he would talk about was our current job. Rest assured, he knew your job title and what you did, even some of the jobs we would rather forget.
It was almost as if he lived and worked vicariously through his kids, grand kids, great grand kids, and great great grand kids. Through some of his family he visited all 50 states and set foot on every continent except Antarctica. He was in the Army, Navy, Air force, and Marines.
He was an aircraft mechanic, asbestos scrapper, and an assistant of all sorts.
He has been a book keeper, bomb handler, baker, bank teller, bartender, butcher, boilermaker, and beautician.
He worked as a carpenter, cook, cashier, concrete maker and finisher, a chef, and a cotton picker,
Delivery man, dancer, dentist, diesel mechanic, and donut maker, Electrician, and exterminator.
He was a farm hand, fry cook, fast food worker, and fireman, gas station attendant, housewife, and health care provider, inspector, janitor, life guard, logger, and laborer.
He has been a mechanic, mill worker, medical delivery person, maintenance man, navigator and operator.
Through others he was a policeman, postal worker, pizza delivery man, plumber, pipe fitter, preacher, and painter.
He was employed as a papermaker, photographer, physical trainer, politician, and pilot.
He has been a respiratory therapist, rail road worker, and rodman for a survey crew.
He was also a store clerk, owner, and manager, secretary, sign maker, salesman, and worked at a sewing factory.
And finally a teacher, truck driver, and a tile setter.
He talked about his children, grand children, and great grand children with pride and his great great grand children with hope and promise.
While I was known to him as many different things, I only really remember him by his most important job. MY GRANDDAD
by Jerry Guffey
*****
(The following was written and read by Amy Guffey Lovell, at the funeral of her grandfather Theo Farley Oct. 17, 2004.)
Most of you know me, I am Amy, Theo's second to the youngest grandchild. Second to Scotty who is the youngest, but when it comes to telling it like it is, I'm probably second to none! (Well, maybe one!)
What I want to tell you all today is Grandad is in Heaven!
Why is Grandad in Heaven?
Is he in Heaven because he lived 91 years and all people older than dirt go to Heaven? No
Is he in Heaven because he was a good ole boy, knew right from wrong and worked hard? No
Or how about because he stayed married to Mamaw all these years and did his best to make her happy? No
Maybe Grandad is in heaven because he picked the right church or denomination to be a member of? No
Well, how about luck? We all know Grandad was the luckiest man around. Is Grandad in Heaven because he got lucky enough to make it in? No
Grandad is in Heaven because, at some point in his life the Holy Spirit convicted him of his sin. That is, it "donged on him" (as he would say) that he was a sinner. Accepted the fact that there was absolutely nothing he could do about that sin. Asked Jesus to forgive him of his sins, then repented (which means to turn away from) those sins. And that day, wherever it was, Jesus came into Theo Farley's heart and saved him from the sins which were separating him from God!
Grandad received as a free gift from God, salvation. Which is the one and only way he is in Heaven now!
It was obvious Grandad had a relationship with his Savior. It showed in the way he lived his life. He never drank, never smoked, or chewed tobacco and never chased women… He took his family to church… Even his garden was evidence of his faith. Did you ever help him plant it? He'd have it tilled up, take his hoe, draw a line in the dirt, throw the seeds at it, then rake it over. Taking no advice from Mamaw, who tried to get him to rake it into rows first. Now Grandad had to have prayed for this garden to grow because every year he had the best garden in the country. Oh, Wait a minute, that was probably Mamaw's prayers. "Lord please bless this garden, you've seen the way this man just throwed those seeds out there and we need this food!"
Grandad was blessed in many ways. Psalms 112 verse 1 says, "Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments." He was blessed to have Mamaw as his wife. He was blessed to have six children who multiplied so well. He was blessed with big feet, which he in turn blessed most of us with.
The peace of mind of knowing where you're going when you die is the greatest blessing Grandad or any of us could ever receive. We are not guaranteed 91 years on this earth, and some of us are older than we think we are. We are however, guaranteed a place in heaven if we accept the gift of salvation that only Jesus has to offer. Please don't leave here today without that peace of mind. There are several people in this room that would be happy to show you what God's word says about salvation. Myself, My husband Brent, Rego, the preachers, Jerry , Aunt Judy and others.
When Mrs. Haney finishes the services, please take this opportunity and take care of this today.
*************************************
Theo Edward Farley
1913-2004
It was back in 1913,
Down at Willow Springs,
Jim and Callie called him Theo,
He got into lots of things.
Walking at only seven months,
He had to get to going,
Two brothers and five sisters were coming,
So he had to do some growing
He loved his Granny Harris,
He was the apple of her eye,
She could see no wrong in Theo,
On till the day she died.
He lost his little sister,
Her name was Della Ruth,
He spoke of her so often,
A memory from his youth.
His mother, too, he lost quite young,
He was only seventeen,
He helped his dad with the younger ones,
And on him, they all could lean.
It was hard times in our country,
No jobs for boy or man,
So the President with his "New Deal",
Came up with a brand new plan.
So off to the CCC's went Theo,
To help keep his folks alive,
Twenty dollars went home to the family,
Theo got to keep the five!
Five dollars wasn't much for some,
If they drank, or smoked by the packs,
But Theo didn't have these vices,
So he'd loan them a dollar till payday,
and he'd get two dollars back.
He got a letter from Wright City,
It was from a girl he'd met back home,
She wanted him, to come visit her,
And that was the beginning of a family of his own.
Ethel was a pretty young thing,
And his love for her was true,
But camp was only for single men,
Marriage was against the rule.
So they had to keep a secret,
Until his time in the CCC's was through,
The government never knew they wed,
I won't tell them, will you?
His hitch in the CCC's was over,
He could finally join his wife,
In a marriage that would span almost seventy years,
Together they formed a new life.
A couple of years later, Darrel was born,
Followed by Joe, DeLois, and Jim,
And Paulette and Teddy tagged along at the end,
Theo was Daddy to them.
He picked cotton, or did saw mill work,
To make sure they all had what they needed,
Until he was told of a Treating Plant job,
And to this good advise, he heeded.
His kids all grew up, during those twenty years,
The plant had made him a living,
His children found their own loves of their life,
And one by one his family was leaving.
But as families do, when one goes away,
It really isn't so sad,
Cause they always come back fourfold,
And their little ones called Theo, Grandad.
Theo and Ethel have had a wonderful life,
Full of much laughter and a few tears,
So if this poem seems long, it just takes a while,
To cover a life that has spanned ninety-one years.
Theo, we love you!
Written by Judy Farley
*****
(The following was written and read by Jerry Guffey, at the funeral of his grandfather Theo Farley Oct. 17, 2004.)
My Granddad was born and raised in a time when men were known more for their jobs than anything else. In his many years on this earth, he was known by many occupations. He was a farmer, a logger, a cotton and peach picker. He worked for the CCC, Red River Depot, Shepard's Field Air force base, Dieriks, WPA, Weyerhaeuser, and Wal-Mart. He raised milk cows, horses, and gardens big enough to feed the whole family. He sold Amway, and some of my earliest and fondest memories are of going with him to peddle peaches.
Not only was he known by his jobs, he knew us by our jobs. Whenever one of our names came up the first thing he would ask was what we were doing now. When he was asked about us the first thing he would talk about was our current job. Rest assured, he knew your job title and what you did, even some of the jobs we would rather forget.
It was almost as if he lived and worked vicariously through his kids, grand kids, great grand kids, and great great grand kids. Through some of his family he visited all 50 states and set foot on every continent except Antarctica. He was in the Army, Navy, Air force, and Marines.
He was an aircraft mechanic, asbestos scrapper, and an assistant of all sorts.
He has been a book keeper, bomb handler, baker, bank teller, bartender, butcher, boilermaker, and beautician.
He worked as a carpenter, cook, cashier, concrete maker and finisher, a chef, and a cotton picker,
Delivery man, dancer, dentist, diesel mechanic, and donut maker, Electrician, and exterminator.
He was a farm hand, fry cook, fast food worker, and fireman, gas station attendant, housewife, and health care provider, inspector, janitor, life guard, logger, and laborer.
He has been a mechanic, mill worker, medical delivery person, maintenance man, navigator and operator.
Through others he was a policeman, postal worker, pizza delivery man, plumber, pipe fitter, preacher, and painter.
He was employed as a papermaker, photographer, physical trainer, politician, and pilot.
He has been a respiratory therapist, rail road worker, and rodman for a survey crew.
He was also a store clerk, owner, and manager, secretary, sign maker, salesman, and worked at a sewing factory.
And finally a teacher, truck driver, and a tile setter.
He talked about his children, grand children, and great grand children with pride and his great great grand children with hope and promise.
While I was known to him as many different things, I only really remember him by his most important job. MY GRANDDAD
by Jerry Guffey
*****
(The following was written and read by Amy Guffey Lovell, at the funeral of her grandfather Theo Farley Oct. 17, 2004.)
Most of you know me, I am Amy, Theo's second to the youngest grandchild. Second to Scotty who is the youngest, but when it comes to telling it like it is, I'm probably second to none! (Well, maybe one!)
What I want to tell you all today is Grandad is in Heaven!
Why is Grandad in Heaven?
Is he in Heaven because he lived 91 years and all people older than dirt go to Heaven? No
Is he in Heaven because he was a good ole boy, knew right from wrong and worked hard? No
Or how about because he stayed married to Mamaw all these years and did his best to make her happy? No
Maybe Grandad is in heaven because he picked the right church or denomination to be a member of? No
Well, how about luck? We all know Grandad was the luckiest man around. Is Grandad in Heaven because he got lucky enough to make it in? No
Grandad is in Heaven because, at some point in his life the Holy Spirit convicted him of his sin. That is, it "donged on him" (as he would say) that he was a sinner. Accepted the fact that there was absolutely nothing he could do about that sin. Asked Jesus to forgive him of his sins, then repented (which means to turn away from) those sins. And that day, wherever it was, Jesus came into Theo Farley's heart and saved him from the sins which were separating him from God!
Grandad received as a free gift from God, salvation. Which is the one and only way he is in Heaven now!
It was obvious Grandad had a relationship with his Savior. It showed in the way he lived his life. He never drank, never smoked, or chewed tobacco and never chased women… He took his family to church… Even his garden was evidence of his faith. Did you ever help him plant it? He'd have it tilled up, take his hoe, draw a line in the dirt, throw the seeds at it, then rake it over. Taking no advice from Mamaw, who tried to get him to rake it into rows first. Now Grandad had to have prayed for this garden to grow because every year he had the best garden in the country. Oh, Wait a minute, that was probably Mamaw's prayers. "Lord please bless this garden, you've seen the way this man just throwed those seeds out there and we need this food!"
Grandad was blessed in many ways. Psalms 112 verse 1 says, "Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments." He was blessed to have Mamaw as his wife. He was blessed to have six children who multiplied so well. He was blessed with big feet, which he in turn blessed most of us with.
The peace of mind of knowing where you're going when you die is the greatest blessing Grandad or any of us could ever receive. We are not guaranteed 91 years on this earth, and some of us are older than we think we are. We are however, guaranteed a place in heaven if we accept the gift of salvation that only Jesus has to offer. Please don't leave here today without that peace of mind. There are several people in this room that would be happy to show you what God's word says about salvation. Myself, My husband Brent, Rego, the preachers, Jerry , Aunt Judy and others.
When Mrs. Haney finishes the services, please take this opportunity and take care of this today.
Theo was the husband of Ethel McGough Farley.
*************************************
Theo Edward Farley
1913-2004
It was back in 1913,
Down at Willow Springs,
Jim and Callie called him Theo,
He got into lots of things.
Walking at only seven months,
He had to get to going,
Two brothers and five sisters were coming,
So he had to do some growing
He loved his Granny Harris,
He was the apple of her eye,
She could see no wrong in Theo,
On till the day she died.
He lost his little sister,
Her name was Della Ruth,
He spoke of her so often,
A memory from his youth.
His mother, too, he lost quite young,
He was only seventeen,
He helped his dad with the younger ones,
And on him, they all could lean.
It was hard times in our country,
No jobs for boy or man,
So the President with his "New Deal",
Came up with a brand new plan.
So off to the CCC's went Theo,
To help keep his folks alive,
Twenty dollars went home to the family,
Theo got to keep the five!
Five dollars wasn't much for some,
If they drank, or smoked by the packs,
But Theo didn't have these vices,
So he'd loan them a dollar till payday,
and he'd get two dollars back.
He got a letter from Wright City,
It was from a girl he'd met back home,
She wanted him, to come visit her,
And that was the beginning of a family of his own.
Ethel was a pretty young thing,
And his love for her was true,
But camp was only for single men,
Marriage was against the rule.
So they had to keep a secret,
Until his time in the CCC's was through,
The government never knew they wed,
I won't tell them, will you?
His hitch in the CCC's was over,
He could finally join his wife,
In a marriage that would span almost seventy years,
Together they formed a new life.
A couple of years later, Darrel was born,
Followed by Joe, DeLois, and Jim,
And Paulette and Teddy tagged along at the end,
Theo was Daddy to them.
He picked cotton, or did saw mill work,
To make sure they all had what they needed,
Until he was told of a Treating Plant job,
And to this good advise, he heeded.
His kids all grew up, during those twenty years,
The plant had made him a living,
His children found their own loves of their life,
And one by one his family was leaving.
But as families do, when one goes away,
It really isn't so sad,
Cause they always come back fourfold,
And their little ones called Theo, Grandad.
Theo and Ethel have had a wonderful life,
Full of much laughter and a few tears,
So if this poem seems long, it just takes a while,
To cover a life that has spanned ninety-one years.
Theo, we love you!
Written by Judy Farley
*****
(The following was written and read by Jerry Guffey, at the funeral of his grandfather Theo Farley Oct. 17, 2004.)
My Granddad was born and raised in a time when men were known more for their jobs than anything else. In his many years on this earth, he was known by many occupations. He was a farmer, a logger, a cotton and peach picker. He worked for the CCC, Red River Depot, Shepard's Field Air force base, Dieriks, WPA, Weyerhaeuser, and Wal-Mart. He raised milk cows, horses, and gardens big enough to feed the whole family. He sold Amway, and some of my earliest and fondest memories are of going with him to peddle peaches.
Not only was he known by his jobs, he knew us by our jobs. Whenever one of our names came up the first thing he would ask was what we were doing now. When he was asked about us the first thing he would talk about was our current job. Rest assured, he knew your job title and what you did, even some of the jobs we would rather forget.
It was almost as if he lived and worked vicariously through his kids, grand kids, great grand kids, and great great grand kids. Through some of his family he visited all 50 states and set foot on every continent except Antarctica. He was in the Army, Navy, Air force, and Marines.
He was an aircraft mechanic, asbestos scrapper, and an assistant of all sorts.
He has been a book keeper, bomb handler, baker, bank teller, bartender, butcher, boilermaker, and beautician.
He worked as a carpenter, cook, cashier, concrete maker and finisher, a chef, and a cotton picker,
Delivery man, dancer, dentist, diesel mechanic, and donut maker, Electrician, and exterminator.
He was a farm hand, fry cook, fast food worker, and fireman, gas station attendant, housewife, and health care provider, inspector, janitor, life guard, logger, and laborer.
He has been a mechanic, mill worker, medical delivery person, maintenance man, navigator and operator.
Through others he was a policeman, postal worker, pizza delivery man, plumber, pipe fitter, preacher, and painter.
He was employed as a papermaker, photographer, physical trainer, politician, and pilot.
He has been a respiratory therapist, rail road worker, and rodman for a survey crew.
He was also a store clerk, owner, and manager, secretary, sign maker, salesman, and worked at a sewing factory.
And finally a teacher, truck driver, and a tile setter.
He talked about his children, grand children, and great grand children with pride and his great great grand children with hope and promise.
While I was known to him as many different things, I only really remember him by his most important job. MY GRANDDAD
by Jerry Guffey
*****
(The following was written and read by Amy Guffey Lovell, at the funeral of her grandfather Theo Farley Oct. 17, 2004.)
Most of you know me, I am Amy, Theo's second to the youngest grandchild. Second to Scotty who is the youngest, but when it comes to telling it like it is, I'm probably second to none! (Well, maybe one!)
What I want to tell you all today is Grandad is in Heaven!
Why is Grandad in Heaven?
Is he in Heaven because he lived 91 years and all people older than dirt go to Heaven? No
Is he in Heaven because he was a good ole boy, knew right from wrong and worked hard? No
Or how about because he stayed married to Mamaw all these years and did his best to make her happy? No
Maybe Grandad is in heaven because he picked the right church or denomination to be a member of? No
Well, how about luck? We all know Grandad was the luckiest man around. Is Grandad in Heaven because he got lucky enough to make it in? No
Grandad is in Heaven because, at some point in his life the Holy Spirit convicted him of his sin. That is, it "donged on him" (as he would say) that he was a sinner. Accepted the fact that there was absolutely nothing he could do about that sin. Asked Jesus to forgive him of his sins, then repented (which means to turn away from) those sins. And that day, wherever it was, Jesus came into Theo Farley's heart and saved him from the sins which were separating him from God!
Grandad received as a free gift from God, salvation. Which is the one and only way he is in Heaven now!
It was obvious Grandad had a relationship with his Savior. It showed in the way he lived his life. He never drank, never smoked, or chewed tobacco and never chased women… He took his family to church… Even his garden was evidence of his faith. Did you ever help him plant it? He'd have it tilled up, take his hoe, draw a line in the dirt, throw the seeds at it, then rake it over. Taking no advice from Mamaw, who tried to get him to rake it into rows first. Now Grandad had to have prayed for this garden to grow because every year he had the best garden in the country. Oh, Wait a minute, that was probably Mamaw's prayers. "Lord please bless this garden, you've seen the way this man just throwed those seeds out there and we need this food!"
Grandad was blessed in many ways. Psalms 112 verse 1 says, "Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments." He was blessed to have Mamaw as his wife. He was blessed to have six children who multiplied so well. He was blessed with big feet, which he in turn blessed most of us with.
The peace of mind of knowing where you're going when you die is the greatest blessing Grandad or any of us could ever receive. We are not guaranteed 91 years on this earth, and some of us are older than we think we are. We are however, guaranteed a place in heaven if we accept the gift of salvation that only Jesus has to offer. Please don't leave here today without that peace of mind. There are several people in this room that would be happy to show you what God's word says about salvation. Myself, My husband Brent, Rego, the preachers, Jerry , Aunt Judy and others.
When Mrs. Haney finishes the services, please take this opportunity and take care of this today.
*************************************
Theo Edward Farley
1913-2004
It was back in 1913,
Down at Willow Springs,
Jim and Callie called him Theo,
He got into lots of things.
Walking at only seven months,
He had to get to going,
Two brothers and five sisters were coming,
So he had to do some growing
He loved his Granny Harris,
He was the apple of her eye,
She could see no wrong in Theo,
On till the day she died.
He lost his little sister,
Her name was Della Ruth,
He spoke of her so often,
A memory from his youth.
His mother, too, he lost quite young,
He was only seventeen,
He helped his dad with the younger ones,
And on him, they all could lean.
It was hard times in our country,
No jobs for boy or man,
So the President with his "New Deal",
Came up with a brand new plan.
So off to the CCC's went Theo,
To help keep his folks alive,
Twenty dollars went home to the family,
Theo got to keep the five!
Five dollars wasn't much for some,
If they drank, or smoked by the packs,
But Theo didn't have these vices,
So he'd loan them a dollar till payday,
and he'd get two dollars back.
He got a letter from Wright City,
It was from a girl he'd met back home,
She wanted him, to come visit her,
And that was the beginning of a family of his own.
Ethel was a pretty young thing,
And his love for her was true,
But camp was only for single men,
Marriage was against the rule.
So they had to keep a secret,
Until his time in the CCC's was through,
The government never knew they wed,
I won't tell them, will you?
His hitch in the CCC's was over,
He could finally join his wife,
In a marriage that would span almost seventy years,
Together they formed a new life.
A couple of years later, Darrel was born,
Followed by Joe, DeLois, and Jim,
And Paulette and Teddy tagged along at the end,
Theo was Daddy to them.
He picked cotton, or did saw mill work,
To make sure they all had what they needed,
Until he was told of a Treating Plant job,
And to this good advise, he heeded.
His kids all grew up, during those twenty years,
The plant had made him a living,
His children found their own loves of their life,
And one by one his family was leaving.
But as families do, when one goes away,
It really isn't so sad,
Cause they always come back fourfold,
And their little ones called Theo, Grandad.
Theo and Ethel have had a wonderful life,
Full of much laughter and a few tears,
So if this poem seems long, it just takes a while,
To cover a life that has spanned ninety-one years.
Theo, we love you!
Written by Judy Farley
*****
(The following was written and read by Jerry Guffey, at the funeral of his grandfather Theo Farley Oct. 17, 2004.)
My Granddad was born and raised in a time when men were known more for their jobs than anything else. In his many years on this earth, he was known by many occupations. He was a farmer, a logger, a cotton and peach picker. He worked for the CCC, Red River Depot, Shepard's Field Air force base, Dieriks, WPA, Weyerhaeuser, and Wal-Mart. He raised milk cows, horses, and gardens big enough to feed the whole family. He sold Amway, and some of my earliest and fondest memories are of going with him to peddle peaches.
Not only was he known by his jobs, he knew us by our jobs. Whenever one of our names came up the first thing he would ask was what we were doing now. When he was asked about us the first thing he would talk about was our current job. Rest assured, he knew your job title and what you did, even some of the jobs we would rather forget.
It was almost as if he lived and worked vicariously through his kids, grand kids, great grand kids, and great great grand kids. Through some of his family he visited all 50 states and set foot on every continent except Antarctica. He was in the Army, Navy, Air force, and Marines.
He was an aircraft mechanic, asbestos scrapper, and an assistant of all sorts.
He has been a book keeper, bomb handler, baker, bank teller, bartender, butcher, boilermaker, and beautician.
He worked as a carpenter, cook, cashier, concrete maker and finisher, a chef, and a cotton picker,
Delivery man, dancer, dentist, diesel mechanic, and donut maker, Electrician, and exterminator.
He was a farm hand, fry cook, fast food worker, and fireman, gas station attendant, housewife, and health care provider, inspector, janitor, life guard, logger, and laborer.
He has been a mechanic, mill worker, medical delivery person, maintenance man, navigator and operator.
Through others he was a policeman, postal worker, pizza delivery man, plumber, pipe fitter, preacher, and painter.
He was employed as a papermaker, photographer, physical trainer, politician, and pilot.
He has been a respiratory therapist, rail road worker, and rodman for a survey crew.
He was also a store clerk, owner, and manager, secretary, sign maker, salesman, and worked at a sewing factory.
And finally a teacher, truck driver, and a tile setter.
He talked about his children, grand children, and great grand children with pride and his great great grand children with hope and promise.
While I was known to him as many different things, I only really remember him by his most important job. MY GRANDDAD
by Jerry Guffey
*****
(The following was written and read by Amy Guffey Lovell, at the funeral of her grandfather Theo Farley Oct. 17, 2004.)
Most of you know me, I am Amy, Theo's second to the youngest grandchild. Second to Scotty who is the youngest, but when it comes to telling it like it is, I'm probably second to none! (Well, maybe one!)
What I want to tell you all today is Grandad is in Heaven!
Why is Grandad in Heaven?
Is he in Heaven because he lived 91 years and all people older than dirt go to Heaven? No
Is he in Heaven because he was a good ole boy, knew right from wrong and worked hard? No
Or how about because he stayed married to Mamaw all these years and did his best to make her happy? No
Maybe Grandad is in heaven because he picked the right church or denomination to be a member of? No
Well, how about luck? We all know Grandad was the luckiest man around. Is Grandad in Heaven because he got lucky enough to make it in? No
Grandad is in Heaven because, at some point in his life the Holy Spirit convicted him of his sin. That is, it "donged on him" (as he would say) that he was a sinner. Accepted the fact that there was absolutely nothing he could do about that sin. Asked Jesus to forgive him of his sins, then repented (which means to turn away from) those sins. And that day, wherever it was, Jesus came into Theo Farley's heart and saved him from the sins which were separating him from God!
Grandad received as a free gift from God, salvation. Which is the one and only way he is in Heaven now!
It was obvious Grandad had a relationship with his Savior. It showed in the way he lived his life. He never drank, never smoked, or chewed tobacco and never chased women… He took his family to church… Even his garden was evidence of his faith. Did you ever help him plant it? He'd have it tilled up, take his hoe, draw a line in the dirt, throw the seeds at it, then rake it over. Taking no advice from Mamaw, who tried to get him to rake it into rows first. Now Grandad had to have prayed for this garden to grow because every year he had the best garden in the country. Oh, Wait a minute, that was probably Mamaw's prayers. "Lord please bless this garden, you've seen the way this man just throwed those seeds out there and we need this food!"
Grandad was blessed in many ways. Psalms 112 verse 1 says, "Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments." He was blessed to have Mamaw as his wife. He was blessed to have six children who multiplied so well. He was blessed with big feet, which he in turn blessed most of us with.
The peace of mind of knowing where you're going when you die is the greatest blessing Grandad or any of us could ever receive. We are not guaranteed 91 years on this earth, and some of us are older than we think we are. We are however, guaranteed a place in heaven if we accept the gift of salvation that only Jesus has to offer. Please don't leave here today without that peace of mind. There are several people in this room that would be happy to show you what God's word says about salvation. Myself, My husband Brent, Rego, the preachers, Jerry , Aunt Judy and others.
When Mrs. Haney finishes the services, please take this opportunity and take care of this today.
Family Members
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