Merriam-Webster defines legacy as something transmitted by or received from an ancestor. But to John and Anne Henry of Bolivar County, legacy means so much more than that after losing a special member of their family. It is the impact a person has on the people and places around them during his or her life.
John’s father, Alexander Valentine “A.V.” Henry, left an impact on his family and community that will be felt for generations when he passed away at 101-years-old in June 2020.
“He was always the life of the party,” Anne says of her father-in-law. “Everyone loved him. People always described him as such a Southern gentleman, which, you know, is the highest compliment someone around here can give.”
Born on January 13, 1919, A.V. grew up in the town of Pace. After his mother passed away during childbirth in October 1925 and his father left, A.V.’s paternal grandmother, Alice Henry, raised him and his sister.
A.V. lived with Alice in Pace until the age of 15. After that, he moved in with Alice’s sister who lived on farm property 2 1/2 miles south of town. This is where he started learning about agriculture.
In 1936, A.V. graduated as valedictorian of Pace Consolidated Schools before enrolling at the Delta State Teachers College in Cleveland, where he learned more about agriculture and decided to become a farmer.
“His farming career began in 1938 with a one-row planter pulled by a mule,” John says. “The year after that, he married my mama, Robbie Holloway.”
For 60 years, A.V. and Robbie lived, farmed and raised their three children on the Bogue Phalia, a Big Sunflower River tributary located south of Pace. In his career and life, A.V. always strived to leave things better than the way he found them.
A.V. demonstrated his servant heart through the contributions he made to the farming community during World War II. At the beginning of the war, A.V. hauled 100-pound bags of fertilizer from railroad facilities to local farmers in Cleveland and Rosedale. As the war progressed, he hauled bales of cotton from several gins to the compress in Rosedale and also hauled coal to the schools.
“He was very meticulous in everything he did, especially on the farm” John says. “He had his way of doing things.”
John and Anne attribute his success on the farm and as a leader in the community to his detail-oriented nature. He actively participated as a member of the Bolivar County Farm Bureau throughout his entire farming career, even serving as president for several years.
“I can remember coming to Farm Bureau meetings with him when I was little,” John says. “There was a restaurant in town called Michael’s. That’s where they used to meet.”
As row crop farmers, John and Anne know the importance of Farm Bureau’s to create a better life for Mississippi farmers, ranchers and Farm Bureau members.
“My father, Willie Frederick, and A.V. were both farmers,” Anne says. “We grew up surrounded by people who believe in what Farm Bureau does. A.V. always pushed us to participate.”
“He really believed in the [Farm Bureau] process,” John says. “You start at the county, then go to the state and then to the national organization. He knew it really worked, so he was a big proponent of it. And, man, could he write some letters. He always wrote letters to congressman about issues Farm Bureau was working on.”
A.V. enjoyed life, serving his community and loving his family.
“You could say so much about a man who lived as long as he did,” Anne says. “He made an impact on a lot of people. I believe when he walked into heaven, the Lord said, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’”