By Fred Guarino

The Lowndes Signal

 

“He’s funny and squishy and he loves me.”

That’s the way 5-year-old Charlotte Rose Meadows described her father, Kirk Meadows of Lowndesboro, the 2013 Lowndes County Cattlewomen’s Association Father of the Year.

A surprised Meadows received the award from Association President Mary Pate on Thursday, June 13 during the Association’s Father of the Year Dinner held at the Pate Charolais Ranch in Lowndesboro.

Pate did not know he was the winner of the award, however, until a description of that person written by his wife Tammy and 5-year-old daughter Charlotte Rose Meadows was read aloud by Pate.

“He is a good father because he’s first, a good husband,” wrote Tammy Meadows. “He’s leader of our house and also a leader in the community. Whenever he sees something that needs to be done, he will often fix it without even being asked.”

She wrote that people often ask her to pass on their thanks to him for things he’s done for them.

“Number two, he’s a loving dad and husband and shares his love with his family,” Tammy Meadows continued.

“Number three, he listens. He’s not too proud to ask for advice or to take advice from others…I always know he cares enough to listen even if his daughter asks for the 100th time to ride her pony.”

She wrote that the fourth thing was,  “He’s a teacher not only to our daughter but to other kids. Even before he was a parent, he gave tours of the chicken houses to students from Lowndes Academy. Many of his nieces and nephews have benefited from their uncle teaching them to shoot a bow, drive a tractor, clean a fish or fix the fence.”

Tammy wrote that her husband’s legacy is that, “He is teaching his daughter and others about the way of life that is rapid disappearing. He’s fifth generation farmer; our land has been farmed by his family since the 1830s. It’s a job that he loves, and I’m so proud of what he’s been able to do and how he continually seeks to improve the farm and adapt with the times.”

Charlotte Rose Meadows, age 5, said of her dad, “He’s funny and squishy and he loves me and takes me on motorcycle rides and to check on the cows and takes me to school.”

The Meadows have been married for 20 years. Kirk is a deacon at Lowndesboro Baptist Church and a member of the Lowndesboro Volunteer Fire Department.