Truckin' on the Western Branch

Johnny Ellis The Ellis family moved to Churchland from Nansemond County in the late 1950s when Johnny Ellis was about 11 years old. His father farmed and also worked in the Customs House in Norfolk. My mother taught school and we lived in a house across from Porter Hardy, who was a pillar of humanity. [Porter Hardy Jr. served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1947 to 1969 . ] He’d walk into a room and command respect with just his presence. He had a John Wayne aura, but was down to earth and playful. He was the last true politician and could get people to work together, but he really didn’t like politics. He liked saying he was a farmer.

Johnny Ellis. Image by Sheally

Bruce Speers was a father figure, and Eddie Speers, who had Speers Restaurant, a buddy. There were fields everywhere to bird hunt, and the fields of daffodils were absolutely stunning. But once development started, houses were built like wildfire.

I graduated from Churchland in 1966, and then everybody knew everybody. The day I feared the most was Thursday—the day my mother went to the beauty shop and heard all the news.

The American Legion Hall in Churchland was the center of so many activities in our community in the ’50s and ’60s. Of course, the veteran activities were there, and so much more with Boy Scouts, Friday night high school dances, baseball. For years they sponsored one of the best teams in the state.

What I loved about Churchland was the environment of love and caring that really made the place what it was—the quality of the people and their love of each other.

Bruce Spears, Johnny Ellis, and Eddie Spears

Previous page: Image by Sheally

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