Alfred Neal Justus – went by “Neal” – was generally a quiet, soft spoken man, who looked like he might be right out of Scotland when he grew older and white headed. In doing family history I saw a photo of a man in Scotland who looked just like him! Dad was honest and believed in God and the Bible, and working one’s way. He usually worked at three jobs: farming, working at the Farmer’s Co-op store in Clayton, Ga., and driving a school bus to get the insurance to help his growing family of five boys. My sister, Virginia, came along after I left home for college, Air Force, and a roving life.
During the Depression and WW II years, Dad worked on building dams along the Tennessee River before driving a bus and working at the Co-op feed store in Clayton, Ga. He said he could go to Michigan and make good money building cars but he would not take his children to live in a big city.
Having left home at age 18, I really got reacquainted with Dad when he began a hunting/camping family and friend club on leased land near Athens, Ga.
After Mother – Durell Dickerson Justus – died of Lupus disease, Dad became a good grandfather to his grandchildren. I, after retiring from the Air Force, came to love him even more until he died.
Once teased about remarrying, he said he was a one woman man and our mother could not be replaced. Then Dad gave his last days to being a doting grandfather, participating in church and, as usual, was a man of the farm, forest and fox hunter.
The comments I most heard from others: “Neal was a friend and a man of his word.” Dad once said, “I loved one woman and no one could replace her!”
