Mike Moser "I Say" Published July 1, 2005

George was always full of forgotten news tips -- I'll miss those

I had only been on the scene a couple of weeks when I heard a ruckus making its way down the hall of the old Chronicle building that once stood where Highland Federal Savings and Loan's parking lot on Stanley St. at Main St. now stands.

I was working under deadline and really didn't have the time or patience for an untimely ruckus, but I laid down my Exacto knife and greeted the source of the commotion as he entered the news room.

He was a distinguished enough looking older gentleman, a bit disheveled, curly hair surrounding a balding pate with grey locks running amuck. He had a devilish grin on his face.

"I've got a news tip for you," the man stated with a wry grin, "If only I could remember what it was."

A wave of his hands, a few unextinguishable mumblings, and up the hall he shuffled, as if he had never touched my life.

That was my introduction to George Donald Brookhart Sr.

I was taking some vacation time last week when word came of the passing of a former editor of the Crossville Chronicle.

I had called in one day to check on things and Assistant Editor Heather Mullinix said as an aside, "Oh yeah, George Brookhart died."

"I thought he was already dead," I replied, confusing George Brookhart for Donald's father. Donald's passing never crossed my mind until I saw the next edition with Donald's photo and the news story of his passing. I never knew his first name was George. To me, he was always Donald.

I never had the joy of knowing Donald and Jane Ann when they were in good health. Many of you did have that privilege, and recall the hey days of the Chronicle and life in Crossville when those two took Crossville's newspaper into the 1970s.

Looking back at the old editions will give you a clue as to just how hard those two worked to provide Crossville with an entertaining and informative newspaper. And I would dare say you never met either one without remembering them forever.

Jane Ann was and is ... colorful.

Donald had his own shades of color. Unfortunately in his later years Donald could remember bygone days but sometimes had trouble remembering what he wanted to tell me once he tracked me down.

When I first met Donald he was still enjoying his tennis game. But bad knees, sore elbows and advancing age first robbed Donald of his game. Later it robbed him of his focus. A cruel fate for one who loved and promoted and cherished the mountain as much as Donald.

Some may not have known that he served as the county historian. And what a wealth of information he had tucked away. It was a shame that in his later years that information became trapped, then lost. I would dare say Donald probably knew as much about the history of Cumberland County as anyone in his era.

Crossville lost one of her true champions in the passing of this newspaper man. I wish I could have known him in his prime instead of his later years.

I really will miss Donald calling me to give me a tip he heard at Mitchell's Drug or elsewhere, only to be told, "Dammit. I can't remember what I was going to tell you. I'll call you back."

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Mike Moser is the editor of the Crossville Chronicle. His column is published periodically on Fridays.