Has a Death Occurred? We Are Available 24/7 (336) 904-1053 Live Chat
Tribute Wall
Loading...
T
Tom Oliver posted a condolence
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
I came to know Mr. & Mrs. Ennis through their son, Mike, when he and I were about 14 years old. Mike and I became close friends and spent a lot of time together, much of which was at the Ennis’s home in Greensboro. The Ennis’s home was always welcoming to all of Mike’s friends - Bill, Kendal, and many others. Mr. and Mrs. Ennis were always glad to see us boys and Mrs. Ennis always referred to us as “her boys”. In the evenings, although Mike and I were allowed to watch TV or listen to music, Mr. and Mrs. Ennis would typically be cleaning up and sitting down to read and meditate in Bible scripture.
During those days, Mr. Ennis was always busy working at the Boar & Castle. Mike and I took great joy in going by the Castle to sneak a free steak burger and a soda. Mr. Ennis was always quick to remind us to stop drinking the sodas, as that was where all the profit was – we could have all the burgers and fries we wanted!
One of my fondest memories was a time when Mike wanted to go snow skiing at Beach Mountain. Mr. Ennis was happy to go along with us. So, the three of us piled into Mikes car and headed up there. After about an hour into the trip, we asked Mike to turn the heat on, as it was getting pretty cold in the car. Only then did Mike advise us that there was no heat, it was broken. Obviously, this posed a problem and we let Mike know it. By the time we reached Beach Mountain, we were having the scrape our breath off the inside of the windshield, as it was turning to frost. After a few trips down the slopes, I noticed Mr. Ennis and Mike were simply skiing straight-lined at high speeds, people having to jump out of their way to keep from being bowled over. I asked them both “what in the world” were they doing, they were going to get hurt, or hurt somebody. They both replied they were just having fun. About an hour later, Mike and I found each other at the bottom of the slope but could not locate Mr. Ennis. So, we got on the ski lift to take a look from higher ground. On the way up, we noticed the medics taking someone off the slope…. and that person looked a lot like Mr. Ennis. So, we skied back down to the office to check. Yep, Mr. Ennis had gotten going a bit too fast, fell and injured his ankle. So, we loaded Mr. Ennis into the car and took him to the hospital, where they advised he had broken a bone and needed a cast. On the way home, Mr. Ennis said the lack of heat in the car actually helped make his leg feel better. But once home, he also advised us he would not be going on any more skiing trips with us. I couldn’t help but point out it was his skiing “style” that prompted the broken leg. No reply from Mr. Ennis.
Mike and I often got into some innocent mischief during our high school years. But, being a true Christian, Mr. Ennis was always understanding and lenient with his reprimands. Often, Mike took the brunt of them, and I escaped without my parents knowing (as far as I knew). Fortunately, these stories won’t be echoed here.
As we aged into college, I saw a bit less of Mr. & Mrs. Ennis, time flew by, and Mike and I went in separate directions. But, the Ennis’s were always glad when any of “their boys” did drop by. We hated to see the Boar & Castle close, yet were glad to see that the sauce was still being produced by Mr. Ennis. As I look back, I realize that both Mr. and Mrs. Ennis represented the epitome of what a good Christian home should be – a pleasant retreat, with understanding, affection and visible worship of the Lord and his teachings. These attributes were always evident in the Ennis household, and I believe that is what I remember the most.
Tom Oliver
E
The family of James Felton Ennis uploaded a photo
Monday, August 16, 2021
/tribute-images/750935/Ultra/James-Ennis.jpg
Please wait
Copyright © 2022 | Terms of use & privacy policy