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January 2014 Articles

• Just Rambling, January 2014

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Just Rambling, January 2014

Just Rambling - A Tribute to Friends
How often do you think about death? I guess I have thought about it a lot more in the last six months, primarily due to the health problems I have had; however, December 2013 really caused me to think more about death as I lost four very good friends, plus the wives of two of these friends. Mr. Ronnie Owens, 69, died in early December due to a fall he had taken in his poultry houses about two months earlier. I had known Ronnie for many years and served on the Farm Bureau Poultry Advisory Board with Ronnie, of which he was the chairman. Ronnie served the poultry industry in several different capacities. Ronnie was always enjoyable to be around. He had a great sense of humor, but was very serious about serving the agricultural industry and his fellow man. Ronnie was from the Natchitoches area.
Mr. Ronnie Holloway, 72, another good friend, from the Truxno area, died in his sleep from heart failure. Ronnie was a lot of fun to be around. He and his wife, Sandra, did business with Farm Credit for many years, and I was fortunate enough to have been able to handle their financing needs while employed with LA Ag Credit. It was always a joy to deal with both Ronnie and Sandra. Ronnie was a poultry and cattle farmer, along with owning and operating Holloway Construction with his brother, John. Not only did I do business with Ronnie, but I did business with his brothers and their parents. That was a good family that worked hard and provided livelihoods for others in the community who worked for and with them.
Mr. Willie Sensley, 82, died December 26, and his wife, 79, died twelve hours later on December 27. They were both originally from south Louisiana, but had moved to Farmerville as young adults. They had been married for 58 years, and touched many lives during their marriage. Again, I was very fortunate to have been able to do business with Mr. and Mrs. Sensley while I worked with LA Ag Credit. Mr. Sensley was a real entrepreneur - owning a convenience store, barber shop, apartment houses, and a poultry and cattle farm along with other ventures. Mrs. Sensley was an educator her entire life - not just an educator, but an excellent teacher who cared about her students. Mr. Sensley also worked for the LSU Extension Service for over 30 years, and served on the Union Parish Police Jury for 16 years. Both Mr. and Mrs. Sensley were extremely hard workers and were very caring people. I financed the place that Mr. Sensley was living on - a picturesque 500 acre place, now unlike the cutover marshy area it was when he bought it - a testament to his work and management ability.
Mr. Ronald Richardson, from the Calhoun area, was killed in a four-wheeler accident in late December. Ronald reportedly went to check some cows in one of his pastures around dusk, but then did not return. He was found later with the four-wheeler overturned on top of him. Ronald and I served on the NRCS Board together, were involved in Farm Bureau together, and he had advertised equipment for sale with me in the Ag Trader. I had also done some business with Ronald in years past. In all of my dealings with Ronald, I always found him to be a fine individual. A few days after Ronald’s death, his wife passed away from complications with pneumonia. I really didn’t know Mrs. Richardson, but she had to be a good person to be married to Ronald.
When I think about these friends I lost, I automatically think back to November 2012, when I lost another good friend, Mr. Ray Ashby, in an auto accident. Ray was another poultry and cattle farmer that I had done business with for many years. Ray had a heart of gold - he said that his grandmother always told him, if you can’t say something good about someone, then say nothing at all. Ray learned this lesson well.
I can’t say that December 2013 was a terrible month for me, because this is the month we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, but it was a difficult month, having lost these good friends who I am going to miss. I have good memories of all of them, and my prayers go out to their families for God to strengthen and comfort them as only He can. Life is short, and not one of us knows what tomorrow will bring. James 4:14-15 says, “whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” May we all “humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord, that He might lift us up.” James 4:10 Van Bennett

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