2005 Resolution David C. Roark

David and his brother Harold DeWillis “Dee” grew up in Birchwood, Hamilton County, TN. Except for about 3 years, while attending the University of Chattanooga, David was a life-long resident of Birchwood. He proudly exhibited his Roark ancestry by driving around with a “ROARK” license plate on his car.

In March 2000, David wrote about his father (Published in August 2006 Newsletter):

“Coulter Allison Roark, my father, of whom I am very proud, was a man who worked hard and paid his debts. He had “no use” for those who would not work.

He liked to play baseball, basketball, and pool. He enjoyed fishing and all kinds of hunting, especially fox hunting. He always kept a bunch of fox hounds around. Mama had to cook “dog bread” for years. He had a “dip-barrel” which was a 55 gallon drum filled with something to take care of fleas and skin problems. The dogs would be put down in the drum up to their eyes. This was not something the dogs enjoyed.

My father loved to farm. He was never able to buy much land or equipment so he never got involved on a large scale. He did manage to have a few milk cows early in his life and later raised beef cattle. Corn, cane, and hay were raised on the farm. He also had strawberries and always put out a garden. One or two years he raised tobacco. I remember helping clear new ground for a berry patch. Sprouting, picking up rocks, building fence, hauling hay, breaking beans, milking, shucking and shelling corn, slopping pigs, cutting cane, killing hogs, etc. were things he seemed to enjoy. He was active right up to his death. He died rather suddenly at age 78 (almost 79) and did not have to endure much suffering.

Coulter was a strict parent, as was my mother. I only remember getting two “whippings” from him in my life. Had there been others I would have remembered. I only got TWO. One of them was for setting a sage field on fire while playing with matches. I cannot remember what the other one was for, but I know it happened in the backyard. At the risk of sounding a little bit “braggy,” my brother and I always gave respect to our parents and never sassed or talked back to them.

Daddy was proud of his family. He seldom directly praised his family, but I would get reports as to what he had told others about us. It was always good. I remember staying with him all night in the hospital, not too many months before he died, and he told me he had been fortunate to have a good wife and two sons that he was proud of. I never heard him say he loved me, but I know he did. Actions do speak louder than words.”

In the September 2002 Newsletter, David talked more about his childhood when he wrote: “My, how time flies!!! It seems only yesterday that my mother, my brother and I were picking strawberries (5 cents a quart-10 cents if you “capped”) for Johnny Waddell. This was during the summer of 1953, and I remember wishing the next four years would pass quickly. I would then be out of high school, could get a job, have a car, start wearing flare-legged pants (paints as we called them), get a tattoo, and smoke cigarettes. I have always been ambitious and set high standards for myself. Forty-nine years have now gone by, and I still have not accomplished all my goals. I don’t smoke or have a tattoo. My point is that life is short, and we should focus on important things in our own life and the lives of family and others.”

In his lifetime, David did accomplish a great deal, and he focused on the important things, and his family was most important. On January 10, 1959, David married Irene Cooper (1939-1999) in Rossville, GA. They had three wonderful children, David “Allan,” Jeffrey “Lynn,” and Connie, and the children grew up and went to school in Birchwood, got married, had children of their own, and they all still reside in the Chattanooga area. Sadly, Irene died on January 29, 1999, after battling cancer. On July 1, 2003, David married Tommye Ruth McCallie Rink in Birchwood, TN. Dr. James Price, pastor of Birchwood Baptist Church, performed the wedding.

During his career, David spent 25 years with United Hosiery Mill/Skyland Int. in Chattanooga, TN. In 1982, he became an original partner in Pentafab, Inc., a textile operation that produced cut panels for the knitwear industry with plants in Decatur, TN and Dalton, GA. In about 2000, David retired from Pentafab, Inc.

About 3 years before he retired, he attended his first Roark-Conner Family Reunion. Prior to the Reunion, David wrote his first article in the June 1997 Newsletter. “Recently, for a reason or reasons that I can’t identify or explain, I became extremely interested in my ancestors. When I thought about my ancestors on my father’s side of the family, I immediately thought of the Roark-Conner Association (R-CA). I had been aware for several years of the work of this group and had always appreciated what was being accomplished. I found some information on the “internet” which led me to people like Chuck Gross and Edgar Roark, among others. I was able to participate in the annual maintenance of the Conner Cemetery this year where I met several more members.”

David also explained that he had begun working on his Family Tree and had located 128 descendants of Jacob L. Roark. He talked about how he had agreed to become the R-CA Newsletter Family Reporter. David asked all family members to send him any information they might have relative to births, marriages, deaths, medical problems, or personal accomplishments. He served as a Family Reporter, from June 1997 – August 2004. Over the following years, David’s contributions to the R-CA continued.

David participated with other R-CA members in numerous Annual Cemetery Cleanup Days at the Conner, Roark, Cookston, and Old Slate Creek Cemeteries. The work included: surveying and plotting gravesites; re-setting, repairing, and installing markers; filling in sunken graves; cleaning and removing ground cover, brush, and dead trees; killing weeds; erecting and repairing fences and installing gates; and sowing grass seeds.

From 1999-2000, David served as an R-CA Director, from 2001-2002, he served as President, and from 2003-2004, he was Past President. In his first President’s Message for the January 2001 Newsletter, David explained his ancestors very concisely when he wrote:

“How closely related to James Roark are you? I’ve found that I am 8 generations down the line. James, Timothy, James P., John B., Jacob L., Jefferson Arthur, Coulter Allison and David Coulter Roark. The fact that I have grandchildren brings the total to 10 generations. This is very interesting to me. Because of this interest, I am continuing my efforts to identify as many descendants of James as possible. . . . I would really appreciate hearing from any of you who might NOT be on ‘my list.’” The result of David’s seven years of genealogy research culminated in 2004, when he released, “7,710 Descendants of James Roark.” David generously donated the two-volume books to the R-CA, and proceeds from sales have gone to fund Association projects.

As President, David also presided over the 2001 and 2002 Family Reunions. The 2001 reunion was held in Chattanooga on October 12-14. There was a Board Meeting, a Friday Fun Fest, General Business Meeting, Memorial Service, Cemetery Visits, and a Worship Service at the Old Salem Church site followed by lunch and a visit to the Roark Homeplace. At David’s request, his daughter Connie helped by decorating the tables for the Saturday banquet. She continued to help in subsequent reunions, and in 2013-2014 served as President. Her dedication to the R-CA has continued, and in 2020, Connie agreed to serve as Secretary. David’s sons, and brother Dee, have also attended reunions and contributed to the R-CA in numerous ways. Dee’s wife Carolyn has provided music and has led the singing during several of the Sunday morning worship services.

Following the 2001 reunion, Dorothy Witt Harris wrote the following poem which provides great highlights of the event.

Ode to Reunion 2001 
 by Dorothy Witt Harris

How do we love thee?
Let us count the ways.
We had a lot of fun,
And enjoyed all three days.

The yearly trek to Chattanooga,
Comes sooner than we think.
We come with much anticipation,
Of finding a new cousin link.

First time cousin attendees,
Are welcomed from our hearts.
We try to make them welcome,
So they will feel a part.

Of such a bunch of kids at heart,
Who really like to have fun,
And visit with everyone they can,
Before the reunion is done.

Prez David at Friday Funfest,
Showed how he could sit on a stool,
And hold his guitar exactly right,
To prove that he’s so cool.

He started out a little slow,
Like he’d fell off a turnip truck.
He struggled to show us the key of C;
He’d have to improve with any luck.

The stories he told were funny,
Of the struggles in learnin’ to play.
Other keys he’d labored to master;
His expressions just made our day.

We laughed as he kept us guessing, 
And on the edge of our seats.
Kept wonderin’ when he’d start to play,
Not knowing he’d only repeat.

‘Twas ’bout an hour later,
When we finally got a clue.
He couldn’t play like the Man in Black,
Or even his “Boy Named Sue.”

Seriously though, we love you,
Keep playing and try it again.
We’re proud to have you as President,
And glad we can count you as kin.

This reunion was like no other!
Our thanks for work done by all.
They just get better and better;
Can’t wait for the one next fall.

So plan to come October, next;
It’ll be our 43rd. celebration.
David says he’s playin’ better;
We’ll see if it’s his imagination!

In the January 2002 Newsletter, David wrote: “The annual reunion affords us the opportunity to come together for fun, fellowship, comfort, and encouragement. It’s also a time when we can reflect on the past and give recognition and praise for earlier accomplishments, identify and establish new goals and projects, and develop plans and strategies for reaching our goals.”

A number of important projects were accomplished while David was President including:

• Removal of the old shelter and erection of a new one at the Salem Baptist Church site on Birchwood Pike.
• Adoption of two additional cemeteries; Cookston on the Ronald Johnson farm near the Conner Cemetery and Old Slate Creek in Cocke County, TN.
• Purchase and installation of fencing and gate for the Cookston Cemetery.
• Purchase and erection of a new dual-faced cast aluminum historical marker with the R-CA logo for the Conner Cemetery.
• Purchase, installation, and dedication of a monument for forebear and Revolutionary War veteran Maximilian Conner in the Old Slate Creek Cemetery.
• Purchase and erection of a new dual-faced cast aluminum historical marker with the R-CA logo for the Lambert Cemetery in Claiborne County, TN, the burial place for several Roark forebears.

In addition, during the 2004 reunion, David delivered a presentation, with Robert Roark contributing, on the life of John B. Roark, his wife Nancy Cameron, and their children and grandchildren. The presenters spent untold time, travel, and making family contacts over the period of a year in securing the information. John J. Roark then developed the presentation into, “A Biography and Family History of John B. Roark and Nancy Cameron Roark.” It is available for purchase for $10 during family reunions and on @Roark.Conner using the R-CA Order Form under “Files.”

Sadly, on February 25, 2005, David died suddenly in Nashville, TN after a brief battle with cancer. In addition to the R-CA, he was a very active member of Birchwood Baptist Church and also the Gideons. He is was buried in the Birchwood Baptist Church Cemetery.

At the 2005 reunion, the Association presented the family of David Roark with a beautiful plaque honoring David’s contributions to the R-CA. In January 2006, then R-CA President, Robert “Bob” Roark, wrote an article entitled, “A Word (or two) Of Thanks.”

“ . . . I called David, and my eyes — and our hearts — were opened up by him. Very few people in our life-times had been as gracious and informative. We shared phone calls and E-Mails, enrolled ourselves and our siblings in the R-CA — and Lois and I traveled that October back to Chattanooga for the reunion. We met dozens of interesting, hospitable Cousins and had a fine time. Besides David and Tommye and family, there was the indispensable Darwin Lane and Joyce, the genteel John J. and Aggie, Carol and Jenna, Chuck Gross, and the ‘mayor’ himself, Howard Scott, incoming President Elizabeth J. Conner, plus many others making us feel at home.

The great tragedy of David’s passing a few months later cut short what we hoped might have been a blossoming transcontinental friendship. Since then we have read the very literate volumes by John, studied David’s compilation of Roarks, and even returned this past October for another reprise at the R-C reunion.

. . . It seems after all these years and because of the R-CA we have discovered my heritage and our roots. So, to the good old R-CA and to all of you, we therefore say — Thanks!”

Special thanks to Connie Roark Perrin for her assistance with this Tribute which was included in the Treasury of Past Presidents..