My Parents

My father Buddie Gene "Bud" Jeffries was born 3-20-1929 in Hartshorne, Pittsburg County, Oklahoma; he grew up in Muskogee, Oklahoma and then moved to Kansas City, Missouri where he met and married my mother, Ermia Loretta "Loretta" Dotson on 8-5-1958 (they married in Tulsa, Tulsa Co. Oklahoma). She was born 4-29-1942 in Dry Creek, Newton Co. Arkansas. My daddy and mother had all 6 of us children in Kansas City, Mo. But both decided to move back to Newton Co. because of the bad influence of a big city on us children, I think I was about 9 years old when we moved here, and it has been 29 years and I still live in Newton Co.

I love this place, and so did my dad, he worked in Law inforcement most of my life. My dad always told us if you couldn't say something nice about someone don't say anything at all...and he lived by this. I can never remember my dad ever giving me a spanking in my life, but mom gave us plenty when we deserved it. But I can honestly say I couldn't respect or love anyone anymore than my parents.

My dad was a good man who tried to find the good in anyone, he would give you the shirt off his back, and never expect anything in return. He was the only grandfather my two children ever knew, my husband's father died when he was a small boy. My children adored their grandfather, so much so that my oldest daughter married on my parents' 40th wedding Anniversary, on August 5th, 1998.

We lost this precious man, from cancer, on August 9th, 1999. He is buried in Crossroads Cemetery, near Deer, Arkansas. It seems we lose alot of our precious people this way. But life is supposed to go on, it's so hard to lose someone you love and this took the cake with me.

There are days I can deal with it and days I wonder how to go on. Mom always said I was dad's partner in crime, everytime something went wrong, dad and I were bound to be mixed up in it. Now my crime partner is gone. And it is lonely trying to commit crime by your self. (hehe).

My dad was saved and he loved the lord, and I know he is in heaven with all those who went before, I just wanted to thank the good Lord above for finding me worthy to be this man's daughter. We can have lots of hero's in our lives, and this wonderful man was mine.

If there is any advice I can give someone it is to tell those special people in your life you love them, don't wait till it's to late. I have no regrets in that department, I spent the last 11 days of my daddy's life sitting by his hospital bedside telling him how much I loved him, and how much it meant to me that he was my daddy. I love you and miss you daddy.

Your daughter,

Lori (Jeffries) Reddell

You can reach me by email, Lori (Jeffries) Reddell

Back to Newton County Families®

Back to my Newton County, Arkansas Page