James Harvey DREWRY, a remarkable man that lived to be 101 years and 7 days old.  He was born in 1863, during the Civil War.  While he was still a single man he moved with his parents to the Ozark Mountains in Iron County, Missouri.  This trip was made in covered wagons pulled by oxen, and they were on the road over a month.  This trip was supposed to have been made for the sake of his mother's health and she did get better.   After a few years they moved back to their home in Weakley County, Tennessee.

During his stay in Missouri he taught school -- see his teachers certificate and school contract for the year 1886.  He was to be paid $35 per month when there was money on hand to do so. In 1887 he married one of those Missouri BELLS, Miss Nannie Green BELL. Shortly after their marriage they moved back to Weakley County, Tennessee. In 1902 Harve bought his Father's farm and homeplace with the big white farmhouse built after the Civil War and which still had the log cabin that Harve had been born in and still stands today.

Harve DREWRY was a strong man physically.  He was engaged in farming all his life.  He could and did grow just about everything that was good to eat, no tobacco, no cotton.  His love of life was almost equal to his love of good food (which may explain his long lifespan).  His good humor and optomistic out-look on life made him a joy to be around (which may also explain his long lifespan). Gene Roges says that when they were baling hay in 100 degree weather his Grand Dad Harve would say, "It's getting cooler boys".

Besides being a hard working man, Harve DREWRY enjoyed having some of the better things in life. He had a Delco electric light plant, running water and electric washing machine long before the days of TVA. He bought one of the early model Fordson Tractors, had the first radio in the community and drove a 1930 Model A Ford until he was 90 years old.

Harve DREWRY was a walking history, he saw much progress take place during his 101 year lifetime. He told his grandson, Gene Rogers, that when he was a boy the slave cabins were still standing on Richard DREWRY'S homeplace, he told how he remembered when the railroad was built from Cairo, IL to Jackson, TN. He also remembered when the town of Greenfield did not exist, how they got supplies from Old Hall (located where todays Shades Bridge Road and Meridian Road connect). Harve DREWRY called many people Cousin. Gene Rogers Mother, Grace DREWRY ROGERS, doubted that he was kin to all those people but after Gene and Wylodean started their research into the DREWRY family they found that he was correct.

from Gene and Wylodean Roger's book on the Drewry family.