John Lucus Rochelle

Mr John has been our neighbor since I was born. My dad started working for his father and later him at young age and has always thought more of Mr. John as a father than a neighbor. For the past several months, he has lived with my parents and they have taken care of him and Saturday, February 2nd he passed away with only him and dad there. My heart aches for the pain that my parents feel and also the impact he has had on the life of my children. The girls have spent numerous hours with him playing the keyboard and singing. He was the neighbor that in college when people came home with us, we took them to visit Mr. John. Each Halloween us kids loved to trick or treat at his house because we got full size candy bars and later when I took my kids by on Halloween, the received the same. Today was his service, dad did a remarkable job but I knew on the inside he was grieving . What an example of love and compassion my parents sat by taking care of him. One of the hospice nurses and close friends of the family, Carri Knox, told me today that he was well taken care of because every time they went he was clean, even down to hair being perfectly combed. There will be a special place in my hear forever for my first date to a piano concert. I loved that man as did my children, even the young ones wept today as good byes were said.

John L. Rochelle

John L. Rochelle, a witness to 90 years of local history, passed away on February 2, 2013.

Now days in Madison County, it's a rare thing for someone to be born, grow-up, and live to a ripe old age before dying on the farm he was raised on. John L. Rochelle was born on the Rochelle farm in December of 1921 to Nelle & Lucas Rochelle. Mrs. Nelle was exhausted after giving birth to her only child, a 13 pound baby boy.

John's life on the farm spanned 91 years, including the two years he served in the Navy during World War II.

Tiny glimpses of the local history that John witnessed during his 91 years include: He saw the dirt road near his house evolve from the Old Stage Rd to the Bolivar Rd, to the Old Bolivar Rd to Riverside Drive Extended, to Riverside Drive. He witnessed the horse & buggy days of transportation being replaced by automobiles; helping his parents separate milk & churn butter to put on the steam engine train in Medon as it headed toward Chicago during the Great Depression in the 1930s; stubborn mules being replaced with tractors, and steam engines being replaced with diesel locomotives; the days of catching the train in Medon for a ride to Jackson ending; herding cattle through downtown Jackson and across the original river channel on Riverside Drive and seeing a small steamboat on the east side of the old river channel's bridge; seeing an old cotton field evolve to what is currently the site of The Jackson Madison County General Hospital.

John's parents were active in helping people in the community. The polite, quiet, John L. followed their example and used his shop to repair neighbors, and/or friends' equipment. Most of the time a thank you was his reward.

John L. decided it was time to have posterity when most men have dropped the notion. At the age of 89, he made up his mind to adopt a son. He giggled a bit and said, "Oh, how people will talk." In April of 2011, he went to the court house and had a 200 pound son, John Eaton Rochelle. With his son came a daughter-in-law; 6 grandchildren; 13 great grandchildren.

On February 2, 2013, he drew his last breath and left the farm, family and friends behind to meet his Savior, The Lord JESUS CHRIST. John is looking forward to seeing many of his old friends and family again. Life is grand! How sweet it is.

Visitation will from 12 noon until 2:30 p.m., Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at Lawrence-Sorensen Funeral Home. Followed by a graveside service at Hollywood Cemetery. Pallbearers: John E. Rochelle, Jacob Farrell, Michael Eaton, Brent Adamson, James Eaton and Robert Dilgard.

Lawrence-Sorensen Funeral Home, 731-424-2424

Published in The Jackson Sun from February 3 to February 4, 2013