Family Profiles

	Bob and Margery Buckner   Friday, January 19, 2007

 
Margery and I moved to Hattiesburg in June 2005 to live close to our grandson Liam.  We hadn’t been here long when our son Tim told us we were going to get a second grandson.  His name is Jonas, and he is a year old now.  So we have two grandsons from Tim.  Our other son Phil lives in San Diego…no grandsons yet from Phil.

We arrived in Hattiesburg in June, just in time to enjoy Hurricane Katrina in August!  Having survived that storm gives us history in this city we love, even though we haven’t been here too long.

At the end of 2004, I retired from Pinelake Baptist Church in Brandon, where I had served as Congregational Care Pastor for 12 years.  Before that I served Crossgates Baptist Church for six years. I have a total of 42 years on the staff of churches in Texas, Oklahoma and Mississippi. 

I took early retirement at the end of 2004 when I turned 62.  Margery is partially disabled with dementia, and I decided to retire to take care of her.

Through a friend I learned about a caregivers’ support group to be led by Christy Harrison.  This became a very significant part of my life.  I was (and still am) learning to be a caregiver.

Through the support group I discovered the Share Care Bank.   It has been a source of great enjoyment and fulfillment for us.  We volunteer to do deeds of service for other members of the group, and in turn they do deeds of service for us.  We’ve done mowing, carpenter work, furniture repair, assisting people in buying or selling cars, computer consultation and hosting activities for the group.  We have received respite care, cooking and house cleaning.

Through the Share Care Bank we have met a lot of friends.  We especially enjoy the monthly pot luck supper fellowships.