There’s an old adage that says, “Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to.” The same is true for this week’s Home Town homeowners, June & Terry Burcham.
June and Terry grew up in Mississippi, June in small town Prentiss and Terry in Stonewall. Much like Laurel, most have only passed by these towns once or twice on the interstate. The Burcham’s were raised by small towns and were instilled with big hopes of experiencing bigger towns one day.
Terry says, “I actually lived in Downtown Laurel on 5th Avenue when I was at Jones County Junior College. It made me fall in love with this area even then.”
But for June, she couldn’t get away from Mississippi fast enough.
“When Terry and I got married, we moved to North Carolina for career opportunities. It’s funny though. You never outgrow missing your momma and daddy. So, after awhile we made our way back home.”
June and Terry moved back to Meridian for awhile and found themselves still searching for their forever home. With life’s unexpected turns, they moved again to Hot Springs, Arkansas and then to Texas, where they began a family and laid down roots for awhile. Their college-aged children are still there now, and like any pair of parents, they miss them endlessly.
“We have two kids in Texas now that are 20 and 21. Both go to Sam Houston State, but we’re both hoping they’ll come to Mississippi and fall in love with it here. Laurel has become such a charming and quaint place for them to come home to. We love showing them all that has happened since their last visit.”
While their kids are seven hours away, the drive is still doable for June and Terry. And, nothing can stop their fun weekend trips! While the kids are away, they have plenty of fun things to do in their new hometown.
“We love that we’re not too far from anything. Laurel is a prime location for all the things that we love to do.”
In fact, the family friendly activities are what sealed the deal for the Burcham’s.
“The first time we came back to Laurel was during the Loblolly Festival weekend. It was a huge draw for us. There are so many cute, quaint restaurants and coffee shops. Our favorite was Cafe Le Fleur.”
Not only did downtown life and activities feed their love for community, June loves the endless opportunities to give back and volunteer her time.
June says, “My father is in an assisted living home in Laurel right now, and my heart is full of compassion for the elderly community. I like to stay active where he is and try to bring a little joy to the older folks.”
Terry says, “In some ways, I guess that’s why we wanted to go with an older home. It’s why we love what Erin and Ben do to preserve the beauty in the past. They like to build on what’s already there and make it better.”
For June and Terry, we’re beyond grateful to have them home in Mississippi and part of our community. Our hope is to be a home town that has plenty of opportunities for our neighbors to serve and give back. We also want this town to be a place where everyone can build their own legacies and homes for their families. As neighbors, we hope to create a place where everyone feels like they’re welcome with open arms.