Join me as I retrieve my gold-plated shovel and walk the land. If we are kin, by either blood or association, then your ancestors, as well as mine, roamed this land. Before they lay to rest my tired old bones beneath this hallowed ground, join me in a final trek for skeletons and treasures of the past. Some skeletons are easy to find because some of them I helped bury, others hidden by our parent, distant cousins, teachers and preacher are sometimes harder to find. We must also remember treasures are different; often existing in the eyes of the beholder, a treasure to one may be a skeleton. There is a type of sadness emulating from the land. The memories of those who came before us cry out, "Let not that what we did be in vain." Grandmother's little red house that once sat on a hill overlooking hundreds of acres of prime farmland is now a decaying relic of the past. The Gillespie-Ward-McGee history of the bloodline is filled with skeletons and treasures, some beneath the ground, some are encased inside the trunks of the great Oaks that dominate the land, others exist within the mind of friends, family, preachers, and foe, while some are nothing but made-up rhetoric.
About the Author: Earl Gillespie spent his formative years learning the rituals of farming in Oktibbeha County. After graduating from High School in 1962, he headed to Nashville, Tennessee to study Electrical Engineering. Joining the United State Air Force in 1964 to continue his education, he excelled as an Aircraft Electronic Specialist and later in the field of computers. His vast knowledge of electronics and computers allowed him to interact on many different levels as an Information Technology expert. Later as the owner of a computer repair and training service, Mr. Gillespie's knowledge influenced the skill level of many students in the field of computer science. After a cancer diagnose forced his retiring in 2005, he returned to Starkville, Ms, home of his ancestral bloodline and began a detail research of his family's history. During his early years of Christian experiences, he served in numerous leadership positions within the hierarchy of the organized church. It was during those years while attempting to serve God, his church, and his community; he made a startling discovery. There was a lack of cohesiveness and consensus among the "brethren", especially when it came to the interpretation and application of the Word of God. The loose and various interpretations of the scripture sowed seeds of doubt that blossomed into a sea of "deliberate confusion". The play-acting, the hidden lies and the thirst for power that existed within the household of faith was what troubled him most. Choosing to live for years out of the mainstream world of the organized church, he began a search for the real God through a deeper understanding of the Word of God. It was through a deeper understanding of God's Word; he was able to resolve many of the conflicts and the deliberate confusion that permeated the religious community. He is the author of numerous books; among them are, "My Search for the Real God", which tells of his struggle, and "Understanding the Word of God," displays his enlightenment. His latest work, "The Evolution of a Fail Church", "The Five Judgments" and "The Pacification of Christian Values" is the result of years of Bible study and research. Earl Gillespie is married to Iola Woods-Gillespie and is the proud father of six children and fourteen grandchildren, he spends his time engaging in Bible studies, fishing, writing religious and family history books.