Artis is my late Mother’s first cousin. I saw him at his home in Cody, an old timber town. The place has changed much since his birth in the 1920’s, going from truly isolated and rural, to a suburb of Tallahassee, Florida’s capital.
When I was a child, my grandfather, Albert Connell took us to see Artis and his family a number of times and I grew to love him; I still do. I see him as an incredibly brave man whose strength comes through his faith in God. The Connell family donated the land for the Cody Pentecostal Holiness church, which Artis continues to attend. Some years back, before his wife Betty passed away (she made the best chicken & dumplings on the planet to my way of thinking) he was paralyzed after an accident. I was there, at the rehabilitation hospital when he first moved his toe. It was reason for great rejoicing, because no one knew if he’d ever walk again. Now in his 80’s, not only does he walk, he still lives an independent life with his family surrounding him.
During our conversation, he told me stories about a great hurricane and torrential rains--a time when the rivers and creeks overflowed and Cody was covered in water.
Excerpts from this interview with Artis will be published in my book of essays, stories and interviews of the North Florida I know and remember, working title: FLORIDA BEYOND THE SUN
