Honoring her Legacy, Neada Carr
On Saturday, October 7th we laid to rest our beloved mother, the matriarch of Carr Farm, Neada Carr. Today we honor her legacy.
In the early 1970s my mom was traveling down Highway 41-A from Nashville where she lived to go back home to Big Rock, TN to visit her parents. While on her drive she noticed an estate sale sign near Maxey Road in Robertson County, Tennessee.
My mother’s interest was peeked! Her first thought was that she may find some furniture pieces for my father to refinish. Upon her arrival though she soon learned that personal belongings were not being auctioned off, but a farm with: a house, 215 acres, a stock barn, two tobacco barns, a hay shed, and an equipment shed. Undeterred my mother stayed.
My mom was a woman of her word and as tough as they come. She was a strong independent woman who was ahead of her time. My father worked multiple shifts, so my mother held home life together. She often traveled with all of her kids on her own and on this particular day she was traveling with my three oldest brothers and my two older sisters that were just young kids and toddlers at the time.
When my mother stepped out of the car she was directed to the house where the women sat to have tea and socialize. My mother had no interest in socializing, so she asked the group of women where she could get a bidder number. The ladies confused begin to whisper as to why a women would be interested in a bidding number, this was not typically done by women in her time. After a few moments she was directed towards the equipment shed where all the men had gathered. Upon arrival my mother asked the group of men the same, where can I get a bidder number. My mother was once again met with confusion and whispers, but was finally given her number.
The auction soon began. The auctioneer began and attempted to get a first bid, but oddly everyone sat in silence, except my mother. She put out the first bid at $50,000. The auctioneer, a bit surprised, continued to try to get the bid higher, but all the men sat in silence. After several minutes of unsuccessfully trying to get another bid, the auctioneer at one last attempt spoke, “I’m gonna sell it to this woman if none of you men are going to bid against her!” Again none spoke a word. Neada Carr was now the new owner of a 215 acre farm.
As my mom was leaving each man kindly lined up to shake her hand and pass along their condolences, assuming that she must be a widow. This being the only reason that a woman would be at an auction purchasing a farm and the only reason they didn’t bid against her. Wasn’t long after that though that the men discovered she was in fact NOT a widow. So in their assumptions and frustrations the men immediately begin calling my Father at work one by one offering him three and even four times the amount that mom paid for the farm. My dad unaware of her purchase simply told them he didn’t own a farm and to stop calling him at work.
That evening when my father arrived home he asked my mother, “Neada please tell me that you didn’t buy a farm today!?!” Her response was no response at all , but was our mother’s beautiful, infectious grin.
Neada Ray George Carr, at the age of 84, passed away peacefully in her home at Carr Farm on September 29th in the comfort of her living room surrounded by the family that she so dearly loved!
A force to be reckoned with she unapologetically lived her life how she saw fit. Confident and in control of every situation, she welcomed her own and other’s obstacles and challenges and enjoyed coming up with creative solutions. She had a long and successful real estate career, teaching, mentoring, and serving so many. She lived her life with open arms and an open door, extending an invitation to all she met to share a meal at her dining room table.
Married for almost 66 years, she and dad raised 8 children who gave them 28 grandkids, 23 great grandkids, 1 great granddaughter on the way, 3 great great grandkids, and 1 great great grandsons on the way…what an amazing legacy!
Abraham Lincoln once said, “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother"
