Obituary: Otis Oliver Reagan of Perry, GA

by Bendrr 17 Replies latest jw friends

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  Cassiline
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  DazedAndConfused

  Mike, he would be your GG Uncle. Take it from me. I have had to figure out my own families relationships with each other. For example: My 2nd cousins' father was his own fathers son. Take a moment and think on that. (It's an old joke)

  But seriously,...Otis Oliver Reagan of Perry, GA, may you NOW be able to rest in peace. You sound like you were a wonderful man. Mike, I am sorry for your loss and I thank you for letting us know about him and how you feel. My heart goes out to you and yours.
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  blondie

  Sorry for your loss, Bendrr.

  Blondie and Irrev
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  Prisca

  ((((((((Bendrr)))))))))

  May time and fond memories of your uncle help you heal and recover from your loss.
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  Bendrr

  I think we helped tear down an old railroad station for the lumber to enable the Perry congregation to build thier new KH

  Pretty close Danny. I think that would have been Fort Valley.

  Mike.
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  Bendrr

  Thanks y'all for your kind words. I haven't seen Uncle Oliver in a good 11 years at least.

  Yeah he was one of the "old school" Witnesses, that's for damn sure! Unk could have cared less if the end was 1975 or 2975. Made no difference to him, all he cared about was that the bible told him to do what he was doing. Along the way he had some laughs. We had some laughs. And he was happy.

  Boy did we have some laughs!

  Unk didn't give too many public talks. He'd start with the Society's outline but never ended with it. The man had many years on the Society's writers and light-years more experience in life. True they had more people skills than he did but that didn't stop him. When Unk met a woman at the door in service he called her "lady" as in "Hey lady...". And if she were a hot chick, boy did he get flustered! His presentation went right in the toilet and he just said whatever he could think of. "Hey lady! uh......"

  His most memorable public talk was also one of his last. He tried going into this illustration that wasn't in the outline. Tried to relate a story about <not exact words> "uh, y'all know that little critter that climbs trees, all little and furry and gathers nuts, CHIMPUNK! yeah that's it, chimpunk". And then went on to talk about chimpunks. Everyone was snickering but he kept right on talking about chimpunks. Finally my grandmother, his neice, yells up out of the audience "IT'S CHIP-MUNKS, OLIVER!!!" He says "yeah, chipmunks" and smiles and keeps on with the chimpunk thing. My mom and I lost it for the rest of the meeting, especially when my dad drew a little sketch of a chipmunk with a mohawk and earring.

  After that public talk, we had the song before the wt study. Back then the Kingdom Melodies were on actual vinyl. I was running the record player. Unk comes and stands at the back of the hall, right in front of the record player, and starts getting into the song. And of course during his singing, his elbow lands right on the record. "SCRATCHGRINDWHAM!" Everyone stops singing and turns to stare. I'm frantically trying to get the record started again, wrestling his elbow off it, and he just keeps right on singing. And smiling because he thinks everyone is listening to him sing.

  I still laugh when I see a chipmunk because the first thing I think of is "chimpunk".

  Mike.
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  DannyBear

  Mike sometimes your just a gem of a guy,

  **** Finally my grandmother, his neice, yells up out of the audience "IT'S CHIP-MUNKS, OLIVER!!!" He says "yeah, chipmunks" and smiles and keeps on with the chimpunk thing****

  Your story just brought the biggest grin to my face. I do remember the Ga. brother's and sister's ability to laugh at the antics of thier very close nieghbors and family. It made going to the meetings a true family affair.

  No matter how vile and ridiculous the wtbs dogma is.....there are many fond memories of friends and family we can recall.

  It was very nostalgic to read your comments. Thanks Mike.

  Danny
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  nilfun

  I'm so sorry for your loss Bendrr.

  Thanks for sharing those memories of your Uncle Oliver. Sounds like he was quite a character, those stories brought a smile to my face.