A
SON’S TRIBUTE TO HIS FATHER
ON
FATHER’S DAY
In keeping with the tributes to Father’s Day I wanted to add a tribute
to my father, P.N. (B0) Briscoe, Jr., a Monroe native & businessman for many
years.
“Bo” as he was known to all his
friends and business associates, was born in Monroe on October 13, 1905, the
eldest of five children to Blanche Landers and Pierce Nowell Briscoe, whose
families were pioneer Monroe citizens.
Attending the Monroe Public Schools, “Bo” was a graduate of the class
of 1923, whose classmates included the late Ernest Camp, Jr., W. C. Aycock, and
Sara Roane (Mrs. Eugene Kelly), and beloved Monroe nurse, Lizzie Jackson. Named
early on as class poet, “Bo” wrote a number of poems for the class over the
years and his last poem for the group was given at the class’s 45th
reunion held in 1968.
“Bo” attended the University of
Georgia and was a member of the Kappa Alpha social fraternity.
In 1928 he spent several months in New Orleans learning about the cotton
business from his uncle, James Van Buren Gresham.
Returning to Monroe he began assisting his father in the family’s
business, P.N. Briscoe, Cotton Merchant, located on the second floor of the old
Walton Hotel building. This building held a special affection for both he and
his father as it was the first place his father had lodgings on the third floor
when he came to Monroe from Athens in the late 1800’s.
When the hotel closed down the second floor became business
establishments and his father occupied four large rooms on the second floor for
his cotton business.
In June of 1929 he wed Miss Evelyn Coker
of Roswell, Georgia, who was nursing at Emory University Hospital. They returned
to Monroe and lived for a while at the family home place on Edwards Street
before striking out on their own.
After living in several apartments and a
house on Bold Springs Avenue along with welcoming their first child in 1936, a
daughter, Evelyn Diane, they built a home on a newly developed area of Walton
Street in 1939 owned by Marshall Pollock, named Walton Circle, when Diane was
three years old. At that time there
were only two other homes on the new area belonging to the Jake Launius and Dr.
Philip R. Stewart families. As it
turned out Dr. Stewart and Evelyn were graduating classmates at Emory in 1928
and the families would become close friends.
Two of “Bo’s” favorite past times
were golf and fishing. In the 30’s
and 40’s he was an avid golfer who, with friends Bob Nowell, Jr., Marshall
Pollock, Jake Launius, Paul Launius,
Preston Adams, Felker Lewis, Harry Ray, George Felker, Henry Tichenor, Ed Almand,
Jr., D. I. Pirkle, Caldwell McGarity, and A. C. Mobley, played many a round of
golf both in Monroe and Athens. He was one of those whose love and appreciation
of the game helped others begin the Monroe Golf Course back in the day.An avid
fisherman, he and his fishing buddies, Jim Dial, Henry Shores, Ben Adams, Ralph
Towler, Frank Mears, John Aycock and Eugene Kelly would strike out to St. Marks,
Florida, Lake Rutledge or Clark Hill in search of the biggest fish in the lakes.
His tenacity in landing what he referred to as “the king of the lake” came
to fruition several years prior to his death when he caught what he considered
the “jewel” of Clark Hill which he had mounted on a walnut plaque and was
proudly displayed in his office. Many of the fish he caught were always dressed
and passed along to friends and neighbors in town.
“Bo’s” business acumen was widely
known among his business associates. His friend and classmate, Ernest Camp, Jr.
cited his high integrity and fairness when it came to dealing with the farmers
who brought their cotton to his office. The esteem which the farmers throughout
Walton County felt for him was an obvious factor in they sold him more of their
cotton than other cotton merchant in town. In the summer bushels of peaches,
corn, beans and other vegetables would always find their way into the kitchen of
our house thanks to the generosity of the farmers, his friends.
In the fall there would always be a couple of country ham’s passed
along to age gracefully in the basement of the house, awaiting just the right
time to be sliced and shared with friends.
Having joined the Monroe Kiwanis Club in the 1930’s, he was elected
president of the group in 1945 and led a very successful Polio drive during that
year.
Being raised in the Methodist church, “Bo” was a devoted and
steadfast member, never missing a Sunday service and when former pastors would
return to town to hold a revival, they knew when they looked out in the
congregation they would see their friend’s face showing his support, respect
and friendship for his former pastors.
After serving many years as a steward of the church, in 1969 he was honored by accepting an invitation from Sid Wheeler, the chairman of the board of trustees to become a member of the board, an honor he cherished.
Christmas was one of “Bo’s” favorite holidays. In the days leading up to December 25th, his office would be overflowing with wrapped packages ready to be taken home and put under the tree. His joy came not from what he was given but in seeing the happiness and surprise from what he had given his family and friends. I still have letters from many of his friends expressing their joy and appreciation of being remembered by him at Christmas, three especially; Mrs. Lewis Candler (Mary) Radford, who was one of his teachers as a child, George W. Felker, III, and Louelle & Buddy Conyers, long-time friends as well as employees of his parents when he was a young man.
February 26, 1970, “Bo” died suddenly at his office from a massive heart attack. It was said if he been asked where he would like to be when his time came his reply would have been to be at his office, a place of many happy memories and a piece of Monroe history. Honoring the consummate businessman he was, Dr. James W. Segars, in his eulogy to his friend at his funeral, referred to his business ethics akin to St. Francis of Assisi. He said when St. Francis was asked what he would do if he knew this would be his last day on earth, he responded that he would continue working in his garden, just as “Bo” continued working at his office.