The old home place, where we all grew up.
Our grandfather, Lottie D Hardiman born 1908-died 2000, and his brother, Charlie Mannie Hardiman, bought 160+ acres in Lawrence County TN, in the early 1928. They split their farm in half and my grandfather built this house for him and his wife Rosa Ruth Hardiman. After my grandmother died in 1963, my grandfather moved to Lawrenceburg TN.
My mom, Betty Lois Hardiman Jolly born 1933-died 2000, and my dad, James Loyd Jolly born 1935-died 2013, moved into the house in 1966 and we began the process of reclaiming the land into the beautiful landscape you will see in the following pictures.
There are five of us Jolly kids who grew up in the house and on the farm. Our names are Loyd Davey Jolly born 1954, Linous Howard Jolly born 1957, Lois Yvonne Jolly DuPriest born 1959-died 2013, Leslie Joe Jolly, born 1961, and Laronda Kay Jolly Stacy born 1968.
My grandfather divided his 80 acres and willed the land to my mom and her brother Glen Alan Hardiman. My mother drew up a will and divided her land to her five children with my dad having a living estate on the land. After mom died in 2000 and dad died in 2013, we 5 Jolly kids just held onto the land. Our sister lived in the house until she died in 2013.
In April 2017, my brother Leslie and myself Davey, decided to purchase the entire farm from our brother and sisters. Our intent was to develop the Jolly Fruit Farm.
However, life changes and we had to sell the farm. The farm is still in the original Hardiman linage. Our second cousin, Charlie Mannie Hardiman Jr. bought the farm from us and is planning to keep it in the family.
My mom, Betty Lois Hardiman Jolly born 1933-died 2000, and my dad, James Loyd Jolly born 1935-died 2013, moved into the house in 1966 and we began the process of reclaiming the land into the beautiful landscape you will see in the following pictures.
There are five of us Jolly kids who grew up in the house and on the farm. Our names are Loyd Davey Jolly born 1954, Linous Howard Jolly born 1957, Lois Yvonne Jolly DuPriest born 1959-died 2013, Leslie Joe Jolly, born 1961, and Laronda Kay Jolly Stacy born 1968.
My grandfather divided his 80 acres and willed the land to my mom and her brother Glen Alan Hardiman. My mother drew up a will and divided her land to her five children with my dad having a living estate on the land. After mom died in 2000 and dad died in 2013, we 5 Jolly kids just held onto the land. Our sister lived in the house until she died in 2013.
In April 2017, my brother Leslie and myself Davey, decided to purchase the entire farm from our brother and sisters. Our intent was to develop the Jolly Fruit Farm.
However, life changes and we had to sell the farm. The farm is still in the original Hardiman linage. Our second cousin, Charlie Mannie Hardiman Jr. bought the farm from us and is planning to keep it in the family.
Dad was our inspiration,
He worked hard to reclaim the farm.
Dad told me many times,
"I never owned an acre of land in my life, but God gave me the most beautiful place on earth to live."
Dad devoted his entire life into reclaiming our land and making it a beautiful and safe place to live.
Dad worked full time at Murray Ohio Mfg and later became a full time Baptist minister in Lawrence and Giles Counties.
Over the years we had horses, and a baseball field on the farm. We played basketball on the side of the old barn. We learned to hunt and fish and we went camping a lot.
We also went on many memorial vacations to different places on the Tennessee River, in the Smoky Mountains, and one time we went on a trip from Lawrence County Tennessee to Panama City Florida, went swimming in the gulf and made it back home in 24 hours.
There are too many memories to tell them all here.
"I never owned an acre of land in my life, but God gave me the most beautiful place on earth to live."
Dad devoted his entire life into reclaiming our land and making it a beautiful and safe place to live.
Dad worked full time at Murray Ohio Mfg and later became a full time Baptist minister in Lawrence and Giles Counties.
Over the years we had horses, and a baseball field on the farm. We played basketball on the side of the old barn. We learned to hunt and fish and we went camping a lot.
We also went on many memorial vacations to different places on the Tennessee River, in the Smoky Mountains, and one time we went on a trip from Lawrence County Tennessee to Panama City Florida, went swimming in the gulf and made it back home in 24 hours.
There are too many memories to tell them all here.
Mom was the glue that held us all together.
Mom, Betty Lois Hardiman Jolly, loved nature. Most of all she loved her family and spent her entire life helping us become the best kids we could be. Sometimes she had to use the rod, other times she used her cunning and wit to inspire or trick us into doing the right thing.
Mom was a very patient person, she would sit for hours with bird feed in her hand. Every day the birds would come closer until soon they were eating out of her hand every day. The picture below is of a bird she called "Fussy Britches", because he would fuss and make all kinds of noise until mom would sit down with the bird seeds.
Mom planted flowers all over the place, mostly wild flowers. I will put more of her flowers in a gallery soon.
Mom was a very patient person, she would sit for hours with bird feed in her hand. Every day the birds would come closer until soon they were eating out of her hand every day. The picture below is of a bird she called "Fussy Britches", because he would fuss and make all kinds of noise until mom would sit down with the bird seeds.
Mom planted flowers all over the place, mostly wild flowers. I will put more of her flowers in a gallery soon.
