Owen Pryor of Sumner Co., TN

This article is from an unknown magazine; probably a church periodical. Please let me know if you can identify the source and its author. Owen Pryor was the son of John Edward Pryor and Eugenia Hill of Sumner Co., TN.

The article contains two photographs of Owen Pryor. Their captions state 1) This 1913 photograph shows Owen with his mother and a younger sister (Lucella), shortly before he was sent to Tennessee School for the Deaf, 2) Owen Pryor Today-he is now 66; he lives in Nashville and helps in the work with the deaf at the Central Church of Christ there.

I have a photocopy of the article, so regretfully the photos will not duplicate. I have posted our family's copy of the photo of Owen Pryor and his mother on this website in the Photo Gallery.

Owen Learns Twelve years old and deaf, Owen Pryor had never gone to school. but he learned about God when he baptized a chicken!

Owen had no way of understanding what was happening, for he was deaf.

He was watching the preacher lead his older sister into the creek. The preacher appeared to be asking Owen's sister a question. She nodded in reply. Then the preacher raised his arm, and looking toward heaven, spoke. What he said Owen did not know. But Owen watched with interest. The preacher now plunged Owen's sister underneath the water.

What, was the preacher trying to drown her? Owen quickly picked up a stone and made aim.

But the preacher was lifting Owen's siter out of the water again. On her face was rapture and happiness. Dripping wet, she waded out of the creek toward the onlookers on the bank. They greeted her with embraces and handshakes.

This strange drama was too much for Owen! He ran toward his still-wet sister. Pointing to the water and then to his sister, Owen gave a look of inquiry.

How would you explain baptism to a deaf child who has never gone to school and who has absolutely no conception of language? Owen's sister crossed her arms upon her breast, closed her eyes, inclined her head to one side, and pointed upward at the sky. This she hoped to convey to Owen the idea that the regenerated soul after death would go to heaven.

But did Owen understand? He looked straight up at the blue sky with its white clouds. He frowned questioningly at his sister. But she made no further reply. For lack of language she was unable to clarify her explanation.

They began back to the farm where they lived, Owen wondering while his sister rejoiced.

The John Pryors lived on a farm where there were horses, cows, pigs, and chickens. It was just after the turn of the century. These were the days of the horse and the buggy. Those were the days where men wore beards without fear of being called "beatniks," and where women's long skirts were accepted without the risk of being labeled "old-fashioned."

Also, those were the days when a firm belief in the Bible was not ridiculed. Country churches were the life of the community, and everyone knew everyone else.

Little Owen was well known by his community as the "deaf and dumb" son of Mr. and Mrs. Pryor.

Deaf he was, but he was farm from being "dumb!" His intellect was normal. It only remained to be stimulated! But his curiosity was insatiable. Alas, that he ahd the language to fulfill this curiosity! How could Owen know that the distant horizon was not the end of the earth? Was it the sun that actually rose and set, or was it the earth spinning? Were the stars no bigger than diamonds in your hands, or were they hundreds and hundreds of times bigger than the whole world? How would you explain these things to a deaf child yet uneducated? How would you tell him about God?

Owen's family was religious, and each Pryor child was taught of God. Owen could not know, but he could sense-he saw his father praying many times. To see someone fold his hands, bow his head, and talk-you knew there was Someone up there in the sky, whom you could not see, but who would listen.

And every Sunday Owen went with his parents to church. When he saw the worshipers singing and praying, he knew they were worshiping that certain Someone who could not be seen.

It is difficult to explain God or His ways to a deaf child, but sometimes they learn. The strange scene at the creek was in Owen's mind as he wandered among the clacking chickens in his mother's yard when he arrived at the farm. He came to a washtub in the middle of the yard. It was full of water. An idea came into Owen's mind.

Soon he had a squawking hen flapping round in the dirty tub water. He pulled it out, then plunged it back in, and again the hapless bird protested its indignity. Once again he pulled it out, and allowed it to straddle away like a drunk in a stupor.

This business of baptism was very interesting, indeed.

The next day he tried it again. But this time he held the poor devil under the water for a longer length of time. It flapped its wings; its claws swung wildly; feathers gathered in the water, but still Owen held its head underwater.

Suddenly Owen saw feet. They were his mother's feet. And she was standing before him, looking angry. He released the unfortunate fowl, which shook itself and zig-zagged in among the other chickens.

Owen did not attempt any more baptisms the rest of that day. He knew what the look upon his mother's face meant.

It was not long - in fact the next day-before his mother came to him and beckoned him to follow her. She led him to the dead body of the chicken he and been baptizing the day before. A glance at her face and at her finger pointing toward the dead hen, and you knew she was saying, "Do you see what you have done?"

Owen still had a long way to go in his conception of God and His ways, but he was learning. He was not as "dumb" as others might have thought he was! He pointed to the body. They he pointed at the sky. This he accompanied with a questioning look on his face.

His mother was taken aback, but the frown on her face softened to an understanding smile.


Truly, Owen was learning something!