Shelva Rowe and her sister Annelle Lord never met their uncle, Bearl E. Jones, but through family stories, they know exactly who he was. He was a Korean War veteran who served in the Marines and reached the rank of corporal.
A Family Legacy
Jones’ leadership carried over to his military service, and after returning from his service, he became ill and died from health complications at the age of 25. He is buried in rural Morgan County, and getting to his grave is no easy task. The road to the cemetery is muddy and overgrown, and the sisters have to push through thorns and fight off ticks to reach it.
Despite the challenges, the sisters make it a point to visit their uncle’s grave at least once a year on Memorial Day, when family gathers to clean the graves and honor Jones’ service to his country. They have set up a GoFundMe page to raise money to repair the road leading to the cemetery, so that their family can always reach Jones’ grave and keep it maintained.
The sisters’ efforts are not just about preserving one memory, but about keeping their entire family legacy alive. As Rowe said, ‘It’s kept him alive, his memory alive, and doing so, we’re keeping our family loved ones alive as well.’ The sisters are leading by example, just like their uncle did, and ensuring that his memory never fades.
Original reporting: WTVQ (Lexington) — read the source article.
