Gary Randall (Randy) Harrell

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Shortly after completing the eighth grade at El Dorado Junior High, my family moved to my birth place, and our family farm, near Spearsville, LA. We built a new home there and my father commuted daily back to his job in El Dorado. I had lived most of my life in El Dorado, and hated to leave it, but I had spent considerable time over the years with my maternal grandfather and othe relatives in the Spearsville area. So high school there proved to be a very happy time for me.  It was there that I became convinced that I wanted to pursue the practice of veterinary medicine as my career.  There was no veterinarian in Union Parish at that time, so the agriculture teacher and his class did some of the vaccinating, dehorning, etc. of our agricultural animal projects, which I greatly enjoyed.  Also, at that time, the state of Louisiana had no college of veterinary medicine. However, the state of Texas did, and on January 1, 1960 my father's job was transferred to Albany, Texas.  So the last semester of my junior year, and my senior year of high school was completed in Albany. I knew nothing about Texas A&M University, but visited there during my senior year, and was completely 'blown away' by the university and the Aggie Marching band! I could not wait to get to College Station so I enrolled in summer school immediately after high school graduation. I was blessed to be admitted into the College of Veterinary Medicine after my sophomore year and graduated in August 1966.

In the fall of 1964 I had my first date with the love of my life, and my wife of 45 years, Jeanene at the SMU/Texas A&M football game in the Cotton Bowl. It was SMU's homecoming game, and to my great surprise, who was introduced at halftime as the SMU Homecoming Queen? None other than Miss Kay Fincher of El Dorado, Arkansas!

The week following graduation from veterinary college I had state board examinations for three days, and than had to be in Dallas two days later for our wedding ceremony. Jeanene and I celebrated our honeymoon by driving to Fort Sam Houston, in San Antonio, over the weekend. I reported for duty with the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps on Monday and spent six weeks of basic training at Fort Sam Houston. Our permanent duty station was in Kansas City, MO with an attachment to Fort Leavenworth, KS. This was during the Viet Nam era, of course, and I served as a captain the Veterinary Food Inspection Service. Our first son Jeffrey was born at Fort Leavenworth.  I was honorably discharge in August 1968, amd joined Dr.A.F.Hopkins at the Highland Park Animal Clinic in Dallas, TX. After two years of practice in small animal medicine at H.P.A.C. I became a full partner.  Dr.Hopkins and I added other employee veterinarians as the practice grew over the years. In 1973 we established the Lakewood Animal Clinic in the Lakewood area of Dallas. In 1997 my partner and I were approached by a firm out of California seeking to purchase both clinics.  Ultimately, we sold the Lakewood practice to that firm, and the Highland Park practice to one of our resident associates. I signed a two year contract to remain with him in the Highland Park practice, but remained in the practice on a part-time basis until I fully retired in September 2009.

Jeanine and I have been blessed with five children: Jeffrey[43], Jennifer[41], Jill ]40], and twin sons Jared and James[32]. We have 13 wonderful grandchildren - 7 boys and 6 girls - with number 14[boy] due in December 2011. They all live in the Dallas suburbs which is also a great blessing!

My activities and hobbies in retirement, other than playing with grandkids, include being active in our church, playing golf, traveling, and spending a good deal of time at our farm in East Texas. Another interest that I have is that I got 'hooked' on blue grass music about 20 years ago, so I spend as much time as I can "jamming" on my five-string banjo, and listening to good, modern bluegrass music. And, no, that is not a misnomer! By the way, we still own the tree farm in Spearsville, LA, and if all of you that still live in the El Dorado area haven't tried Hollis' Seafood Buffet in Spearsville, you should.  It is worth the trip!

I have a younger brother, David, and a younger sister, Susan.  Both live in Texas. My father Walter died in 2003 after a very productive life. My mother Ferne lives in an assisted living facility in East Texas where they retired. She is doing quite well physically.

Lastly, I thank my heavenly Father for His mercy and His grace that He has shown me and my extended family these many years.

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