Morganton's John Cantrell Jr. has lived a life of dedicated service

John H. Cantrell, Jr. will soon celebrate his 85th birthday. Known as Johnny Cantrell to many, he is a dear, dear friend. 

I first had the pleasure to work with John in the late 1990s, when he was named Chairman of the Morganton Redevelopment Commission. As the city of Morganton’s Public Information Officer, Mayor Mel Cohen assigned me to help the commission with publicity and whatever John needed to make his efforts a success.  

John’s efforts to help revitalize East Union Street were a resounding success and in just a few short years led to his election to the Morganton City Council. 

We kept touch as we both moved in different professional directions but as fate would have it, we ended our careers together. He was VP over Finance. I was VP of Communication and Marketing. 

I was honored to help celebrate his retirement in Fall of 2019 but after he left the company, the light was gone. I can’t express how much I missed his daily visits to my office where he’d tilt the visitor’s chair on its back legs. I knew by the mischief in his eyes that he had a good story to share.

I retired just six months later. But this isn’t about me. It’s about John. Dear, sweet, kind, and slightly naughty, John.

Morganton Station

John’s story begins with his grandmother, Empire Brown Becker. As he speaks of her, he lights up and begins to chuckle. Delight twinkles in his eyes as he tells the story of a clever young woman, determined to leave the family farm.

Born in 1882, “she was raised in Columbus County, one of 13 children,” said John. Down on the farm, John’s grandmother, now a young woman, helped fill the wooden crates with strawberries that would be shipped north.

As the story goes, Empire (Empie) had slipped a note into one of the strawberry crates that was bound for New York and the note, with Empie’s name and address, found its way into the hands of William H. Becker. 

Becker, a single man from the Bronx, regularly traveled with his family to spend winters in Florida and on one such trip, “He got off the train and found my grandmother, who was down in Columbus County. And, he started dating her and they were soon married,” said John. 

“They lived in New York for a short time but later on they opened Becker’s Variety Store (in Morganton). There was one in Morganton, on South Green Street, one in Valdese, and one in Marion,” John recalls. 

“William died in 1929, I think it was diphtheria or something like that and my grandmother continued to run the stores."

In 1930, the widow Empie’s household included William T. , age 18, Ruth Sara, age 15, three boarders and one servant [1930 U.S. Census]. The Becker family lived on the upper level at 601 South Green Street and Becker’s Variety Store was at 605, where Buzze’s Creamery is today.

John’s parents, Ruth Sarah Becker and John Hamilton Cantrell, Sr. married in 1936 and their small family moved to number 603. When John, Jr. was around 18 months old, John Sr. enlisted (drafted) in the U.S. Army and was promptly shipped out to serve in WWII.

John’s mother Ruth owned a beauty salon on the upper level of the complex. “She ran the beauty shop during the war and when my sister came along (1947), she closed the business,” said John. 

“Dad had two or three basic medals - the kind everybody gets. And, he also got the Purple Heart,” said John before changing the subject.

When John Sr. returned from the war, he and two partners opened McCall’s Distributing Company, a wholesale grocery, just down from Becker’s. “Empie only had her farm experience but ran the stores until about 1946,” said John. 

Growing up in 1940s Morganton 

Born in 1938, John was attending services at First Baptist Church of Morganton even before he drew his first breath and he’s been an active member ever since. He officially joined the church at age nine. 

“I went to Morganton Primary, where the courthouse is now, for three years before we moved to Highway 70. I went to fourth grade at Drexel Elementary, but then we moved back to Morganton for fifth grade. Claude Sitton and I went to Drexel together but he was in one class and I was in the other,” said John.

“In those early years and with a neighbor, Bill Brown from there on South Green Street, we would see the Saturday matinee which would always be a cowboy movie. 

“Roy Rogers was one of the favorites and when we played, he (Bill) got to be Roy and I was Gabby.” The story elicits another chuckle from John.

“I was 12 or 13 when I started working at Economy Wholesale (renamed from McCall’s) in the summers,” said John. Even as a young boy, John was hard at work loading and unloading bags of feed and seed and helping with customers.

Hard work pays off  

As the saying goes, “hard work builds strong bodies and strong minds.” John played football for four years in high school. He also played on the high school baseball team his last two years. 

“Bill Brown was a good football player. He made me aware of what you get from being part of a team,” said John. 

Already building a reputation of quiet service, John received the school’s Leadership Award and Best Attitude in Athletics Award after serving as tri-captain of the football team and captain of the baseball team his senior year.

“It’s something I’m really proud of. On class night (senior year) the awards were made and I got an award for best attitude and a leadership award,” said John. 

Also during his senior year of high school, John met the love of his life, Brenda Byrd, a sophomore. They dated while he attended Wake Forest University. 

“I graduated on June 6, married Brenda on July 10, and joined the U.S. Army on Aug. 1,” said John. The newlyweds relocated to Fort Lee, Va. 

Following two years of active duty, John became an Army Reservist and the couple moved to Charlotte where he worked for First Union Bank. But it wasn’t home. And John longed to return home. 

Coming home

“I wanted to be part of Economy Wholesale but I did not want Dad to make a spot for me. In summer of 1961, one of the salesmen at Economy Wholesale and somebody else were running the slot machines at the Moose Lodge. He lost his job at Economy Wholesale,” said John breaking into his signature chuckle. 

“I was at my reserve summer camp and when I called Brenda, she said my dad wanted me to call him. He told me he had an opening and I told him I wanted to come back to Morganton.

“I came back to Morganton the first of September of 1961 and worked for my dad as Assistant Manager until 1970. 

“He was smarter than I gave him credit for. He knew that the days of small wholesale businesses were numbered and he warned me,” said John. 

“My first job after that was at Carolina Caribbean, the company that owned Beech Mountain,” said John. 

From there John’s career in finance took him to U.S. Properties and in 1978 to Kaman Corp (Currier Piano Company, Ovation Instruments) which was a piano manufacturer located just over the hill from Dug Out Circle. 

John worked for Premier Products and Perfection Furniture before joining BriGam Medical in 1989. He was controller at Toner Machining until 2010, when he accepted the position as Vice President for Bridgeway Solutions, Inc. He retired from Bridgeway Solutions in 2019.

Public service

The 1990s was a particularly challenging and pivotal time for the city of Morganton. East Union Street had become a ghost town of derelict and abandoned buildings.

Premier Hosiery had closed in bankruptcy, leaving a 3-story, 160,000 sq. ft. structure filled with obsolete machinery, bricked over windows, and office spaces cobbled together during the 1970s and 80s. 

Nearby the former A&P Grocery store was barely standing with the roof caving in on itself. The crumbling parking lot covered a coveted city block within a stone’s throw of downtown. The owner was not interested in improving the property nor in removing the hazard.

There was no real business district. No modern housing. 

In response to the decaying 400 block of East Union Street, the Morganton City Council established the Morganton Redevelopment Commission in 1995. It would be the commission’s task to refocus resources on the East Union Street corridor. They named John Cantrell, Jr.  chairperson.

Under his watch, the commission was able to help the city procure the Premier Hosiery property from bankruptcy court for $250,000, including the 1882 building that originally housed the Morganton Trading Company.

As Chairman of the Redevelopment Commission, John successfully negotiated the demolition and clean up of the A&P property. 

Today, the Premier complex has been reclaimed as a cornerstone of Morganton’s downtown and is home to Morganton City Hall, a multiuse business complex, a restaurant, and residential spaces. The former A&P property is now part of the business and residential spaces along East Union Street.

Following his years on the Redevelopment Commission, John was elected to serve as the Ward 4 representative on the Morganton City Council, a position he dutifully filled for 17 consecutive years. He was serving as Mayor Pro Tem when he opted not to run for reelection in 2017.

City Manager Sally Sandy recently commented on John’s years of service and dedication to Morganton. 

“John’s love for his community can be seen in the revitalized area around the 400 block of East Union, the Morganton Trading Company project, and in every beautification spot in Morganton.

“Working with John was a pleasure. He always made his decisions based on what he believed was best for Morganton. He was a positive force in making Morganton better. His loyalty, attitude of service and love of his community was always evident. 

“On a personal note, I am so grateful to have worked for John and to call him a friend,” Sandy said.

Added value

Throughout his adult life, John has been an active and dedicated servant at First Baptist Church of Morganton, serving in a multitude of leadership and volunteer positions.

John was selected as Morganton Rotary’s 2017 Distinguished Person of the Year. During the banquet, John's close friend Rance Henderson addressed the audience. 

“We need to change John’s (Cantrell) name to ‘Added Value.’

“His contributions to discussion and deliberations were extensive and excellent (while on the Personnel Committee). John wasn’t satisfied to deal only with the needs of the moment. 

“In his quiet and unassuming way, he wondered aloud if things wouldn’t be better if we produced some written guidelines to help others as time went by. To help others. To help others. John Cantrell is highly motivated to help others,” said Henderson.

John has actively volunteered with over 20 nonprofits and organizations, often holding board seats such as treasurer and financial officer. He served on the city’s Community Appearance Advisory Commission and on the city’s Downtown Masterplan Committee.

His volunteer work includes Habitat for Humanity, United Way, Blue Ridge Healthcare Long Term Care Board, Burke County Cooperative Extension, the Burke County Public Library, the Historic Morganton Festival, and the Red, White and Bluegrass Festival, just to name a few. 

Always at his core a “Demon Deacon,” John found time to serve on the Gardner-Webb University Board of Advisors and at Western Piedmont Community College on the Computer Advisory Committee. 

 Although he says that he is no longer active as a volunteer he is currently serving on the Board of Trustees for the library, on the Morganton Community Appearance Commission, plus a handful of other positions.

A life well lived — with many years yet to come

John has truly added value to everything he’s touched, but he takes little credit. He values being part of a team over any personal accomplishment.

“And I can’t brag about the things I’ve done in church. I’ve done a lot but I’m not someone that has brought in a lot of new members or given a lot of money. I’ve never had a lot of money,” John adds quietly.

“Being part of the team. Being part of the city of Morganton. Part of First Baptist Church. That’s where the teamwork is. It is the church, and the city, and the family. But I don’t like tooting my own horn,” said John.

From his volunteer work to his unwavering dedication as an employee, from his selfless leadership on boards and commissions to his exemplary service as an elected official, John has added value – immense value. 

John’s wealth — his value — cannot be measured in dollars. His worth is incalculable. He adds value to everything and every life he touches and I’m forever grateful for the “added value” he has shared with me. 

Pam Walker is the Central Burke Reporter at The Paper. She may be reached at pam@thepaper.media or 828-443-6103.