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Terrell native hopes youths will learn from his mistakes, triumphs
By britney Tabor: britney_tabor@terrelltribune.com
A Terrell man who made a few bad choices in his younger years hopes that the decisions he makes now will inspire and encourage city youths to choose a brighter path in life.
James Henry, known to friends as “Gap,” was born and raised in Terrell. A few bad decisions at 19 left him legally blind and an inmate in the state prison. Now, almost 41 years later, the 59-year-old man who still lives in Terrell hopes his story of having a second chance at life after a prison release will provoke young people to think about the decisions they make.
“I want to encourage [young people] to go back to school,” Henry said. “The streets are dead. It's nothing but a trap for kids out there.”
Henry's journey started in 1948 when he was born in Terrell. Throughout his life, he said he was a child who fought a lot and that violent attitude led him to an altercation where he was shot, lost his eyesight and was sent to prison for shooting and killing the person who shot him in self-defense. Henry, who was sentenced to 20 commutative years in prison was released two years later for good behavior with parole.
Henry returned to Terrell with a new lease on life and began working at a drug store and doing other odd jobs until a dream led him to a city funeral home on Virginia Avenue. He said a dream of eating cookies from a former Terrell mortuary owner led him to the site of where the business stood. Unbeknownst to him, the owner had switched and the facility had been renamed Brooks Mortuary.
Upon arrival at the funeral home, Henry met the owner, Gerald Weatherall, who eventually offered him an apprenticeship.
“He had so much to say when he met me,” Weatherall said. “He acted like he had known me all his life.”
He said that as Henry worked for him, they became friends and after Henry working about one year at the mortuary, he encouraged him to go back to school and take courses that would assist him in acquiring a funeral director's license and enhancing his career.
In 2006, Henry enrolled at Trinity Valley Community College in Terrell to take keyboard and accounting courses. A return to school after about 40 years came with the odds stacked against him, he said. Because he was legally blind and taking courses where sight is almost imperative, many people wrote him off and said he “couldn't do it,” Henry said.
“They said it couldn't be done. They said I couldn't see the screen on the computer and I sure couldn't pass the accounting class, but I did,” he said. “I was determined.”
He said he ignored the naysayers and continued on with his goal of completing the two courses. With the help of an assistant who acted as his eyes during class lectures, Henry had the ability to comprehend all that went on in class. Through the assistant, he also learned how to use a keyboard on his own and listened to compact disks that furthered his comprehension of the instructors' lessons. Despite those who doubted him, and with a little time, Henry passed.
Lu Anne Bourland, a counselor at TVCC, said that seeing a student such as Henry in the classroom is an accomplishment. It's an exciting feat for other students to see someone like him who's persistent and committed to accomplishing a goal, she said.
“When they're (people like Henry) successful with their handicaps, it makes people think ‘why can't I be successful [too],'” Bourland.
In addition to attending TVCC, Henry relocated with Weatherall to Eternal Rest, a funeral home he owns and operates in Dallas. He has worked there more than two years greeting and comforting grieving families,assisting staff with flower arrangements, answering phones and any other duties asked of him. On non-busy days, Weatherall said, he serves as “an entertainer,” making the staff laugh. In addition to his entertaining personality, Weatherall said Henry carries a spirit of wisdom.
“You can't sidestep him,” Weatherall said. “He's a strong individual.”
Henry said despite the sadness of his job, he likes what he does and he's happy he's able to help others.
“It's a job [where] I can ... give back to the community, helping people that are burdened down ... lift their spirits. I kind of encourage them,” he said.
Henry said he hopes the steps that he's taken will help him acquire a license from the Texas Funeral Service Commission so he might continue pursuing his career in the mortician business. He said that despite the obstacles, he continues in pursuit of his goals. From his current actions, Henry said he hopes youths learn that education is the key to making goals happen, and that anything is possible.
“ If I can do it, the younger kids can do it,” he said. “ They just have to get their mind off of other [distracting] things.”
James Henry, known to friends as “Gap,” was born and raised in Terrell. A few bad decisions at 19 left him legally blind and an inmate in the state prison. Now, almost 41 years later, the 59-year-old man who still lives in Terrell hopes his story of having a second chance at life after a prison release will provoke young people to think about the decisions they make.
“I want to encourage [young people] to go back to school,” Henry said. “The streets are dead. It's nothing but a trap for kids out there.”
Henry's journey started in 1948 when he was born in Terrell. Throughout his life, he said he was a child who fought a lot and that violent attitude led him to an altercation where he was shot, lost his eyesight and was sent to prison for shooting and killing the person who shot him in self-defense. Henry, who was sentenced to 20 commutative years in prison was released two years later for good behavior with parole.
Henry returned to Terrell with a new lease on life and began working at a drug store and doing other odd jobs until a dream led him to a city funeral home on Virginia Avenue. He said a dream of eating cookies from a former Terrell mortuary owner led him to the site of where the business stood. Unbeknownst to him, the owner had switched and the facility had been renamed Brooks Mortuary.
Upon arrival at the funeral home, Henry met the owner, Gerald Weatherall, who eventually offered him an apprenticeship.
“He had so much to say when he met me,” Weatherall said. “He acted like he had known me all his life.”
He said that as Henry worked for him, they became friends and after Henry working about one year at the mortuary, he encouraged him to go back to school and take courses that would assist him in acquiring a funeral director's license and enhancing his career.
In 2006, Henry enrolled at Trinity Valley Community College in Terrell to take keyboard and accounting courses. A return to school after about 40 years came with the odds stacked against him, he said. Because he was legally blind and taking courses where sight is almost imperative, many people wrote him off and said he “couldn't do it,” Henry said.
“They said it couldn't be done. They said I couldn't see the screen on the computer and I sure couldn't pass the accounting class, but I did,” he said. “I was determined.”
He said he ignored the naysayers and continued on with his goal of completing the two courses. With the help of an assistant who acted as his eyes during class lectures, Henry had the ability to comprehend all that went on in class. Through the assistant, he also learned how to use a keyboard on his own and listened to compact disks that furthered his comprehension of the instructors' lessons. Despite those who doubted him, and with a little time, Henry passed.
Lu Anne Bourland, a counselor at TVCC, said that seeing a student such as Henry in the classroom is an accomplishment. It's an exciting feat for other students to see someone like him who's persistent and committed to accomplishing a goal, she said.
“When they're (people like Henry) successful with their handicaps, it makes people think ‘why can't I be successful [too],'” Bourland.
In addition to attending TVCC, Henry relocated with Weatherall to Eternal Rest, a funeral home he owns and operates in Dallas. He has worked there more than two years greeting and comforting grieving families,assisting staff with flower arrangements, answering phones and any other duties asked of him. On non-busy days, Weatherall said, he serves as “an entertainer,” making the staff laugh. In addition to his entertaining personality, Weatherall said Henry carries a spirit of wisdom.
“You can't sidestep him,” Weatherall said. “He's a strong individual.”
Henry said despite the sadness of his job, he likes what he does and he's happy he's able to help others.
“It's a job [where] I can ... give back to the community, helping people that are burdened down ... lift their spirits. I kind of encourage them,” he said.
Henry said he hopes the steps that he's taken will help him acquire a license from the Texas Funeral Service Commission so he might continue pursuing his career in the mortician business. He said that despite the obstacles, he continues in pursuit of his goals. From his current actions, Henry said he hopes youths learn that education is the key to making goals happen, and that anything is possible.
“ If I can do it, the younger kids can do it,” he said. “ They just have to get their mind off of other [distracting] things.”
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