An unknown writer so masterfully penned these words about farmers – “Farmers are the stewards of the land, entrusted with the responsibility of nourishing it for future generations.”
Those 17 words easily describe the life of Joe Frazier Penick, son of the late Doug Penick and husband of Linda Breakfield Penick of the Allensville community. Joe, a 1974 graduate of Todd County Central High School, is also survived by his mother, Mrs. Nona Penick, and his children Bill Penick and Mary Douglas Penick Hastings. Four grandchildren also survive – Rachel and James Hastings and Carson and Charlie Penick. A graduate of Austin Peay State University, Joe earned a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture, and it is in that area that Joe excelled as he became a farmer devoted to the nourishing of his family’s farm.
The word steward is one so befitting Joe as he managed and oversaw a farm operation that had been in his family for generations. In order to steward that land, Joe devoted his many talents and energies to the success of his family’s farming business. Anyone who knew him will also share family was a priority to him, and it is in his stewardship of his family that he also excelled. One who knew Joe commented, “You couldn’t help but like him after you met him because he was so friendly and real.” His daughter Mary Douglas added, “My daddy was a gentleman, a farmer, and a man of God. He taught me about the Bible, about the land, dignity, duty, respect, and love.” She also explained, “His nightly reading habit instilled in me a love for the written word. He loved us tremendously, saw both children happily married, and adored his grandchildren.” Another area farmer who knew Joe shared, “He was the best. He never passed up an opportunity to encourage me.”
Echoing the sentiments of so many who knew Joe, another also involved in farming stressed Joe always smiled “no matter what was going on or how he felt.” That “no matter how he felt” included Joe suffering much physical hardship as his body was ravaged with arthritis, a crippling disease that eventually led to his having a leg amputated. Others will also point out he suffered a broken leg in recent months in his attempt to secure a barn door that had been blown open during a horrible storm. Sadly, the toll of arthritis, fragile bones and body, and the ravages of age led to additional heartaches in the last months of his life. One who knew the Penick family when she was a child and was friends of the Penick children penned it beautifully, “I have many fond memories of time spent on their farm. He was kind, patient, and the hardest working man I’ve ever known.” Another close to the family added, “He was such a wonderful and happy part of my childhood seeing him at church and knowing all the family.”
As a father and as a Christian, Joe’s love of his family and God was paramount as he and his family attended Pleasant Grove Church of Christ. That love of family instilled in Mary Douglas a love of reading, and for Bill it led to a love of car restoration as Bill and his father worked together to rebuild a car from Joe’s early years in life. In providing solace for the family’s loss, Doris Kelly, former art instructor at TCCHS, added, “Your daddy was such a wonderful Christian man. He was an example of what a father should be! Heaven gained an amazing man.” Repeating the descriptions heard so often about Joe, another friend described him as “a humble old soul who blessed so many of us with his gentle-hearted ways.” A younger adult who knew Joe and his family added, “He always stopped and talked and he never complained regardless of how much he had on his plate. He was one of a kind.”
A lifelong friend of Joe’s, Bill Ed West, who became friends with Joe during their high school years, messaged, “Joe taught me about friendship. In order to have a friend, you have to be a friend.” A characteristic that dominated Joe’s life and remained with him throughout his shortened life was his love of reading. In a conversation years ago, Joe shared he had read and re-read several times a favorite novel he encountered in high school in a Kentucky literature class. The novel, Hannah Fowler by Janice Holt Giles, was penned by a Kentucky writer who had the ability to take the lives of humble folks and weave her stories masterfully into stories engaging the reader. That engagement of the reader stood out as Joe embraced his love of history, farming, the Bible, and serving others, commonplace attributes that filled Joe’s life and befit him perfectly!
~ Article by Carolyn L. Wells
July 24, 2024
