Young Troy Brand served in the National Guard for a few years, while also working in his father’s grocery store before deciding he wanted to sell furniture. He launched the Troy Brand Furniture Store in 1964, by putting a sign on the door which said, “If you want to look at furniture, come get me at the grocery store.”
Later, in 1999, following the success of the Hickory store, the Troy Brand store in Meridian opened with Bill Brand as manager. Barry’s wife Lynn manages the Hickory store. Grandson Matthew Brand helps with both stores. Speaking of Rhonda and Lynn, Ms. Billie also shared, “I could have looked the world over and not gotten any better daughters-in law!”
Ms. Billie poured her energy into her family, the community, and even used her education working in Hickory Baptist Church. She served as pianist for many years, first and second grade Sunday School teacher 52 years, and still works with the preschool choir on Wednesday Nights.
Bro. Troy, a deacon, and Pastor Rodney Anderson went together on mission trips to Ukraine and Russia, and Ms. Billie traveled to China with Troy, where they were able to distribute gospel tapes to some. Bro. Troy went with men of the church to help build a church in Ohio, while the Hickory women led Backyard Bible schools there. Bro. Troy used to work with the youth a lot, leading youth camps at the pond on their property and taking groups of teens to snowy states to snow-ski every couple years. He helped start the Food Pantry, also, which has benefitted more than just the church.
Tabitha Chaney told me that the Brands “pretty much helped raise me.” She spoke of herself and her own children learning the Bible in Ms. Billie’s SS class and shared great memories of the skiing trips. She also was in the college and career classes he led, with the Brand home and Ms. Billie’s cooking always open to everyone. She declared, “I don’t know any more faithful people at the church than Mr. Troy and Ms. Billie.”
Stacey Cook shared, “They were wonderful. She was my mother away from home. We probably would not be here if not for them. We both attended Clarke College. There was a house at the Brands’ pond, and they offered the house to us after we got married.” After marriage then one year at the pondhouse, they returned to Florida for two years. They returned here in 1983 and lived for several years, learning from and enjoying their relationship with the Brands.
Mr. Troy had fallen not long before I interviewed them, but he was recovering. I am thankful that the Lord has kept them to be able to actively point more souls in their family and church to Christ. So many in our country, even here in the Bible Belt, are turning away from the “faith once delivered to the saints,” as Jesus prophesied would happen—that there would be “a great falling away” before He returns. It is happening all over our country, which should cause us to determine to pray and seek the Lord to save as many as possible before He does return. I am thankful for so many people whose stories God has allowed me to share with Newton County through the years. People like the Brands who have refused to “fall away from the faith.”
People get ready, Jesus is coming soon!
You may contact me at lagnesrussell@gmail.com or 601-635-3282.
