“BRANDVILLE” — Edward and Janie Brand have been in love for a lifetime — literally.
Edward, 97, and Janie, 94, have been married for 77 years — over threequarters of a century.
The Brands recently celebrated their anniversary by doing one of their favorite things, eating out at a restaurant.
“We told the kids we wanted to go and eat out — just the two of us,” they said, one starting the sentence and the other finishing it, while they held hands.
The couple lives in their own self-named community of “Brandville”, just off U.S. Highway 301, a little north of Hickox.
The Brands love story is one that has endured the tests of time.
They cite true love and a willingness to work hard at the relationship and, at everything in life as their recipe for a long happy marriage.
“There were times when we struggled,” said Edward.
“We had lots of help from my parents,” Janie adds.
Almost in unison, they said, “But, here we are.”
Janie is the former Janie Herrin, one of 12 children born in Hickox to Joseph Madison “Little Mack” Herrin and Julia Thrift Herrin. Janie is the last surviving child.
Edward is the son of Mary Grace Dixon Godwin of Pierce County and Richard Crozier Brand of Ohio. After some family trouble, Edward and his mother returned to Brantley County.
The pair first began developing a relationship at meetings of the Teenage Club at the old grammar school building once located on Burton Street near the Brantley County Senior Center.
After high school, Mr. Brand served in the Merchant Marines in World War II and then returned home to Brantley County.
The two later reconnected as Edward drove the ice truck delivering ice in the days before refrigeration arrived in Brantley County.
“Finally, one day, I just told Janie we should stop waiting for the ice truck route and the Teenage Club meetings and just get married,” Edward said.
“That was his proposal,” Janie said with a smile.
The couple married Saturday, July 31, 1948 at the Ware County Courthouse in Waycross. They even did some hard work before they went and got hitched.
“We worked all day in the tobacco patch before we got married,” Janie said.
“I had $7 to my name and it took $5 to get the marriage license and pay the fees. I had $2 left when we started our life together,” Edward said.
The pair were married my Ordinary John M. Cox and returned to the home of his aunt, Clara Ryals Smith for their “honeymoon”. The home is gone now, but was located near the intersection of Cannon and Roberson Streets where the Nahunta Church of God now stands.
The honeymoon was interrupted by one of the locals banging on the window as a prank about 3 a.m.
The young couple shared the home with Smith and two other couples.
The Brands began married life as farmers, and after a bountiful crop year in 1949, they used the $200 profit to buy land and begin building a home on Buffalo Creek Road.
In addition to farming, Edward chopped boxes, cut cross ties, dipped turpentine and dug stumps — anything to earn money to help make ends meet.
As electricity made its way to Brantley County as part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal, Okefenoke Rural Electric Membership Corporation (OREMC) was formed.
After initially turning down employment with the co-op, Brand eventually decided to take a position.
“I talked with Janie about it and she told me it would be steady money coming in for us, so I took the job,” he said.
Edward served 41 years for OREMC, retiring as right-of-way foreman in 1991. He also served for 10 years on the Brantley County Board of Education.
Mrs. Brand has been a homemaker all of her life and enjoyed tending garden, canning fruits and vegetables and tending to flowers.
The couple also kept farming and were active in the Brantley County Saddle Club and are active in the community.
Eventually, they completed the home, bought 60 more acres for a total of 120 acres and began their family.
“We were proud when we bought our first refrigerator and an old pick-up truck,” Edward says.
Janie relates about the truck ,“I hated that thing.”
The floorboard was missing in the old pickup, meaning plenty of Brantley County sand got kicked up by the tires into the cab.
Soon after their marriage, the Brands began their family welcoming daughter, Dana. Sadly, they lost their second child, a son, at birth. Eventually, they would add Dalton, Deidra, Douglas and Delaine.
Dana passed away in 2024. The Brands have 13 grandchildren (one deceased), 16 great grandchildren and five greatgreat grandchildren.
Both are enjoying their leisure years, including the company of their children, in-laws, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The Brands enjoy visitors and both still have sharp memories and enjoy talking with family members, friends and neighbors.
Mr. Brand has had some challenges with knee trouble, that has curtailed their frequent eating out dates, but his goal is to be able to improve his mobility to get back to their social schedule.
“We are proud of what we have and the life we have built together,” the Brands say.
“It didn’t come easy and its been a long road, but we always had each other,” Janie says. “We just love each other and we love our children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren and we are just enjoying them.”
And, they keep living on love.
