Terry Peal

I pulled up at my Grandi's shop today just for old times sake. I knew that I couldn't go in because it was locked. When my Grandi was around.. that door wouldn't have been locked. Because more than likely he would have been in there working and making some "duck" work. He tryed to teach me how to do it one time using "the break" (a machine that bends sheetmetal & duck work). I actually learned too. I probably couldn't waltz my technology enhanced self in there now and do it but back then I was Grandi's "helper". Many nights I worked at Vasser's late and when I got off work or decided to gallavant around town a bit, I'd ride by the shop and see the light on and he would be working away. Then, he would be up and back there pretty early the next morning. (that is, after getting his cup of coffee from Vassers...when he started drinking coffee again)So, late this afternoon on my way over to see Meem, I pulled up and looked in the empty windows. Windows thats panes hold no pain. Behind those doors is where my Grandi's first job was bagging groceries (WestEnd Grocery). This I know because he shared this with me one night I stopped by there when he was pulling a late nighter. He told me that that place was his first job. Even though he worked many places, that was his first job and it was also his last. For some unexplicable reason, I remember thinking that the night after I left there. While he was telling me of his first job bagging groceries for Ms. Vinson, he also told me of his father (My Great-Grandfather that passed in 1994, when Brent was in the hospital being delivered) and how he made the shop what it is. But, I think and look at it differently. Allthough the shop and his business is still in full swing, thanks to his workers, my dad, and Meem, I KNOW Grandi made the shop what it is. When my tires returned to the pavement and my mindset returned to reality, I looked at the windows and there sat a Coca Cola bottle. Even though it was raining, I could still see the meaning behind it. My Grandi's Coca Cola Bottle and his radio hanging in the window.   

There are so many memories I have stowed away of my Grandi that I want to remember forever. The last time I seen him was when I got ready, two days before it happened(Sat.), and came over to see if Jaimie needed a ride to get her car fixed and he pulled up right ahead of me. He was going in to get washed up for lunch (they had Popeyes chicken that day)and looked back at me when I got out of my truck. One of the last things I recall him saying to me is "Where those boys at?" And "You Gone?" "Where you going?"" Well, Aight' Then" I wish I had taken a little time to stay a little longer. Just for a few more minutes.

   Another recent occasion that took place was when Mimi brought home some chicken and dumplings home and even though I wasn't really hungry, Grandi asked me if I wanted some of his..so I got a bowl and sat down and ate some with him.I thank God I DID take time to do that.  

         May 4th was Brent's 12th birthday and that particular day the sun was shining and it wasn't terribly hott out that day. So Grandi rode his motorcycle (His 100 yr. Anniversary Harley..He was so proud of it!) I took a picture on it and Grandi parked it in the garage. Everyone was picking on him because he hadn't even purchased a tag for it yet. Brent hopped on it and started fiddiling with it and Grandi told him no. Everyone wanted to sit on it! For some reason, it didn't dawn on me until after his death...I just stood in my driveway when he got ready to leave..and watched him ride off into the sun. It was the last time I saw him ride it.  I was and am so proud of him. Other special times were spent on the Harley. He didn't crank it up much because he was always busy. It was a weekend bike. On holidays and Sundays when we were over, he'd crank it up and ride us all individually down the road to Auto Beauty and come back. I felt safe with my arms wrapped around his waist. My most vivid memory is when he took me to work on it. To my first job. Him and I always laughed at that because we drove about 13 miles to my work and when I took my helmet off ..my hair stood on end for a week..haha! At-least the hair I have left..if you ever asked Grandi about the "drill" incident...he would tell you I don't have any hair in a certain spot!    When I was alot younger I would go "to work" with Grandi. Well, being the mischievous little devil I was and still am...I decided to act like his drill was a hairdryer. I ended up with my hair wrapped around the drill and the end of it going right to my head. Grandi hopped over there so faasst! He got it out of my hair and took me up to the hospital where my mom worked at the time. Another thing, that Grandi thought was funny...me starting 3rd grade with a bald spot on the side of my hair...haha.

   The last time Jennifer, Jasen, Debbie, and Jim were here (Their last visit with Grandi) Cole was a newborn. Grandi held him the entire time and he slept most of the time in Grandi's arms. When he held Cole, his eyes just lit up with joy. Grandi would and does think the world of Audrie as well. I wish he would have gotten to meet her face to face. Cole even resembles Grandi alot.

   When I walk out back to "The Shack", I see Grandi in there late at night working away at getting it fixed up. He had so many plans in store. Plans that will still get fufilled by the ones he left behind. Alot of the things he was attempting to accomplish will not falter. We will finish where he left off. For him.

    Jason (my boyfriend of 3 years) has very fond memories of Grandi. Him and Grandi went a while back to pick out some new tires for Grandi's truck. They bonded along the way and also, had alot of plans to do things together in the future. One of the last times Grandi saw him and me, was at Brent's game and he told Jason that he wanted him to keep coming around. On Fathers Day, Grandi, Jason, Blanton, Brent, and I all rode in Mimi's Jaguar to Selma High's baseball field to pitch to Blanton and Brent (mainly Brent because he was in the playoff's). I am so glad that I decided to ride along. The whole time Grandi stood behind Blanton or Brent (whichever was pitching) and studied how they pitched. He told them both that he wasnt out there to play around. He was standing behind them like he will always do in life. He will always back them in anything. When leaving I remeber talking to him about all the trash everywhere.  

  About  6 months or less, before my Grandi was killed, my computer that we had for about 6 years went haywire. And being the computer freak that I am..I had to have access to a computer! So I came out to Meem and Grandi's every night until we got a new one. Which was about 2 months or so. Grandi would sit in his recliner, meem in hers, and me at the computer (right next to Grandi). The "katty kats" would be all three laying curled around his feet or laying on his stomach. They loved him so much. He gave one to a friend and one was tragically hit and killed. It broke Grandi's heart too. I could see it in his eyes. They had a name for it: Whitie. Grandi came home and it was across the street several houses down. Grandi was so upset but he went and got it and buried it in the backyard. Blackie is the last one left. He was Grandi's heart. Lazy little thing. They would enjoy cat-naps together.

   Grandi would be watching two things at night on the t.v.: The Atlanta Braves or Fox News. He was so sweet. He would always pop some popcorn or either have ice cream (his medicine). He would always fix me and Meem some too. When the boys spent the night with him, they had two cots they would sleep on Grandi bought especially for them. He would pick them up on days at my house to go practice ball or take them to the mall and when I was upstairs getting ready for work or to go somewhere I would hear him downstairs talking to my mom and I would stop whatever I was doing just to go see him. It didnt matter what was going on he always had a sincere smile.  On weekends I would ask Meem what her and Grandi were going to do and she would say "Go to Hancocks" Grandi loooovvved Hancocks BBQ! That was his and her place! The back long table.Especially on anniversaries and "The January-Febuary birthdays".. They also "treated Dairy Queen right" too haha. Meme is the one who really likes Dairy Queen but Grandi would eat there just because she like it. When he was going to Centerville when she was at work he would tease her and say " Well, I  guess I'll just stop by the DQ and eat today". Medicine...icecream. Grandi's cure was ice-cream. He always teased me and said "You don't want any ice-cream. This is home made. It's butter bean icecream!" I said Nah Ah!! Grandi would buy some icecream and we'd eat that night until we were about to bust and then I'd come back the next day and it was all gone. I would say "Grandi What Happened to all the icecream??" And He'd Say" Your Granni ate it!" And She'd Say "I most certainley did not!" 

     Since Meem works at Vassers, Grandi new alll the cooks and they new and loooved him (The Kernal)! Gwen alongtime cook and family friend (like our family!) fixed him special orders all the time. Chopped turkey and lettuce and you name it! Everyone thought of him as special. Everytime me and Meem were at work and Grandi would come in for a "shot of water", he would buy a 25 cent pack of cookies and 59 cent water and stand over by us and eat. Then he'd get a Bargain Finder. Unlike others that came in the store we knew, including ourselves, instead of paying for it later or not paying at all, he always pulled his money ( he never carried a wallet) and wire ends out of his pocket and paid right there. And he always got a reciept with his gas.

    Grandi collected all sorts of things. From Coca Cola products..to old signs..to coins..to knives...to posters..he was always proud of his stuff and he showed everyone who walked in his home.

  Grandi got me on "Big Bertha" the intertube at the river for the first time ever one time...and I had the time of my life. Haven't been back on one since unfortunatley but never have had the opportunity again. Grandi even tried to ski then. He couldn't get up on them that day though. He never failed to let me or the boys drive on the dirt road at the river either.  I'm telling you this man...was GREAT (I'll quote Elijah Dunning).

         Thanks for the memories Grandi. I wouldnt trade them for anything in the world. It still is unbelievable. One minute your here and one minute your not. One thing I am for sure of is, that it wasn't fair at all. Nothing is now, I know. I hate that my grandfather had to go the way he did. He never liked to be exposed. But the way it happened there was no way to hide what happened. Not from family or friends, but by passerbys. Some peoples careless faults and mistakes cost others their lives... the lady that hit my Grandi...shattered more than Grandi's precious life. He is irreplaceable. We will never find another like him. I will strive to be like him and talk to him and carry his name on forever. Our family is strong. I miss everything about hima nd don't know how this could have happened. I'm almost sure he never knew what hit him. I pray that he is one of the first faces I see when I get to Heaven. Because I know he's there. There are signs. And he's just fine. I know he's probably talking baseball with Babe Ruth or fixing his customers air and working on our mansion for when we get there. Love ya Grandi!!!     

There is no blind faith like the faith that a little girl has in her older brother.  When we were small I never questioned anything Terry said.  I believed in him implicitly.  Once when we were riding a carnival ride at the fair, he told me that if you screamed you wouldn’t get sick.  I have thought of that every time I have ridden an amusement park ride since then.  I used to ride on the back of his bike as he peddled just as fast as he could.  Sometimes I would fall off and skin my knees and elbows on the red dirt of La Port Street.   We used to catch tadpoles in the creek at the end of the street near Mrs. Guinn’s house, and I watched him build and fly kites.

I never attended the same school as my brother even though we are only 3 years apart.  He went to first grade at Orville and Arlon Thacker helped him get on the bus and watched out for him.  By second grade he was allowed to ride his bike to school so he attended Byrd Elementary which was closer to home.  Since I was not allowed to ride my bike to school I attended schools that had bus service.  I can remember Daddy and I watching Terry play baseball.  He was in the Babe Ruth league and I think his team’s sponsor was Henry Brick Co.  Terry was also in the Boy Scouts-Troop 27.

Terry was in one of the first graduating classes of the William Rufus King trade school where he studied Air Conditioning and Refrigeration.

After graduation he went to work for a short while in South Carolina where Daddy, Mamma, and I had moved.  He didn’t stay long because his heart was in Selma and he soon returned to Selma and married Diane.  He started his own business and lived the rest of his life in Selma among people who knew and loved him.

Terry tried to take good care of Mamma.  He moved her onto his property where she would be safe and have room to grow flowers, and they enjoyed vegetable gardening together.

Terry always worked hard and I can remember him on separate occasions referring to each of his daughters as a hard worker.  He was proud of this Peal work ethic that had flowed from Daddy to Terry to Beverly, Terri Lynn, and Jaimie. 

I don’t know of any man more positively affected by his grandchildren.  He loved Ashley, Blanton, and Brent very much and enjoyed watching them grow and learn.  They are his true legacy.

The last time I saw Terry alive he enjoyed meeting my grandson, Cole, and talked of taking him for a ride on the go-cart when he was old enough.

Terry will be missed by everyone who knew him.

I'm so thankful that Mr. Terry Peal was a part of my life. For many years he was the only Dad I knew. Even though I wasn't his biological daughter he always treated me as his own. There was a time in my life (years) I spent Thanksgiving & Christmas with his family and he truly made me feel at home with his warm smile, big hugs, and gentle love. Jaimie and I would be getting ready to go out and he never told us not to, he would just sit back and listen with his sweet spirit he would guide us in the right direction before we knew it.

   I love him very much!!

 May you rest in peace.

With love always, Pam  

Lord by Mary, Terry was pretty much my Father, Blood could have not made us any closer than we already were. Whenever I needed him, I could depend on him to Be there , not just for me but for everyone. Simply because that was the type of man he was. Only one word comes to mind when his name is spoken and thats the meaning of "true friend". Terry was a man of many words but the man was "great". Terry was an open book filled of knowledge and everyday I worked with him or talked to him he let me have a little bit of it. He watched me grow from a boy to a man over the years. He taught me to drive he helped me buy my first car (which I am not getting rid of). He just always watched out for me. I owe most of who I am today to this man. He kept me on the right track even sometimes when I veered off. All I can say is that I'm thankful for having him and being a part of his life. Just knowing him changed my life for the better and he will always be remembered by me. Can't another man take his place or match up to the man Mr. J. T. Peal was. All I can say right now is "THANKS". Your at peace now. I'm gonna miss this man deeply.

Sunset  6-26-06