HOUSE OF JOSSEY-JOSEY
NEWSLETTER
DECEMBER - 2001 ISSUE

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT  
C. Ray Josey
2001 - 2003

One of my favorite quotes is—"There are only two lasting things we can give our children. One is roots and the other is wings." As I think about The House of Jossey-Josey and what it means to the entire Josey family, I think about this quote. The recent homecoming in Scotland Neck, NC was really about "roots and wings." The homecoming took us back to the place where the family had migrated from VA in the late 1700s. And, all the rest of us are descendants of family members as they sprouted wings and journeyed to SC, GA, AL, and other locations. As for my lineage, I am linked to Robert Jossey, whose descendent, Samuel Addison Josey, left Halifax County, NC sometime in the early 1800s and moved to the Washington/Jefferson County, GA area. Even though I was born and raised in Washington County and still own the family farm, which has been in the family for nearly 150 years, I no longer live in the area. However, because it is a vital part of my family history and "roots," it is very important to me. Recently, someone asked me why I agreed to accept the role of President of The House of Josey-Josey. The reason is all about "roots and wings." Every one of us has now "sprouted wings" in some way or other. Some of us left home and went away to college; some of us left home and entered the military; some of us left home to find a job; and some of us left home to get married. Regardless of the reason, we used our "wings" to move forward to a new area, a new relationship, or a new beginning.

But, we really never forget about our "roots" and the values we learned from family members, friends, and others. It is an important part of our heritage.  My roots are very important to me, and I will forever be grateful to Bud and Marion Josey for all the research they did to give us the facts about our family heritage. I now live in Valdosta, GA, where I have lived for the past 23 years. I am semi-retired from State Government; but I still work part-time for an elected Georgia state official, the Commissioner of Labor, and therefore spend much of my time in Atlanta. I am married to Janeen, who works as Public Relations Director for the Valdosta City School System (home of the Valdosta Wildcats, known nationally for their many state and national football championships). We have two children- Emily Hunt, who is a Pharmacist and recently received a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Georgia, and Mark, who works in the computer industry in the Knoxville, TN area. I am excited about being a member of the Board of The House of Jossey-Josey. We have a dedicated group of individuals who are committed to providing leadership for the benefit of our family heritage. Please join me as I continue to focus on "roots and wings" for                      The House of Jossey-Josey. HAPPY HOLIDAYS Ray Josey