Tattnall County is now home for Bill and Rachel Jones, even though they are originally from Franklin, Indiana, which is about 20 miles from Indianapolis. The family moved around quite a bit, considering Bill’s nine years in the Army Reserves followed by 24 years of active duty military service in the Army.

“We had some experiences that military life offers, which have included Bill’s stations in Ft. Campbell, Kentucky; Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri; Ft. Bragg, North Carolina; and Ft. Lewis, Washington. Bill was also stationed in Korea for a year, Panama, Kosovo, Iraq, and Cameroon, and where the family did not move with him,” Rachel said.

Bill’s parents are deceased, but he has two brothers: Tom, who lives near Indianapolis, and is self employed; and Daniel, in Ft. Worth, Texas, and works in the financial arena.

Rachel’s parents are deceased, also, and she is an only child. She met Bill in college, but it was years later that they were attracted to each other. Rachel was employed as a social worker until the couple’s first child was born.

Their two children, Cathryn and Michael, are seniors at Georgia Southern University. Cathryn is majoring in middle grades education, and Michael’s major is manufacturing engineering. He plans to continue with his Master’s degree in this field. Because of the many differences in the educational system from state to state, during Bill’s Army career, Rachel chose to home school the children.

Bill was an Infantryman in the Army, and his last station was Ft. Stewart, with his transfer there in 2013. He retired on October 1, 2018, and they were living in Ludowici at the time. They later moved to Tattnall in the Stoney Hill area, located between Glennville and Reidsville.  This location worked out well for Bill since he was a Junior ROTC instructor in Vidalia for several years.

“I found that I liked working for myself and became more involved in my business of Eagle Accuracy.  I have supported Boy Scout Troop #930 in Reidsville and currently serve as Director of Shooting Sports at the area’s BSA summer camp as an NRA (National Rifle Association) instructor,” Bill said.

Bill also is an Assistant Scout Master with Scout Troop #500 in Hinesville. In addition, he is a member of VFW Post #7764 in Reidsville.

Bill’s business of Eagle Accuracy offers a range of services, and one of those is firearms classes. These include classes for Basic Pistol, and CCW (Concealed Carry).  His knowledge is also extensive on all types of guns, including pistols, rifles, and shotguns. As an Army veteran and a certified NRA firearms instructor, he emphasizes safety in handling of any gun.

Scope mounting, laser bore sighting, sight and trigger replacement, cleaning of a firearm, and live round or stuck casing removal are included among his services.

His first class was with members of his church of Reidsville Baptist, and they were all female, women who wanted to know how to safely handle and shoot a gun, mainly for their own protection should the need arise.

“The basic steps were taught in how to load and unload a gun, different grips and your gun stance, depending on the weapon, and safety tips. For instance, I always stress to treat the gun as loaded; keep the gun pointed in a safe direction; keep your finger straight and off the trigger until ready to shoot; keep the gun unloaded until ready to use it; and never point the gun at anything you don’t intend to destroy,” Bill said.

Other classes are scheduled for September 24 and October 8 (Basic Pistol) and October 29 (Concealed Carry). For more information or to register for any of these classes, Bill can be contacted at Eagle Accuracy at 912-336-1675, email of eagleaccuracyllc@gmail.com, or visit his website www.eagleaccuracy.com.

Bill also offers one-on-one gun training in addition to his classes. Rachel works in the business, also.

“We have had a good response to my business, and I have restored several older guns to almost new condition, one that was to be a gift to a grandson.  I have access to hard-to-find parts for older guns, many that have a sentimental value to the person who wants to hand the gun down to a child or grandchild. Other customers have simply wanted a thorough cleaning of their gun,” Bill said.

As a member of the Altamaha Regional Shooters Club, which is located on the outskirts of Lyons, Bill has access to the facility for range shooting for his customers.

If a ladies’ group, civic club, or other organization would like information on having Bill host a class for them, it can be arranged.

“We are at a time in our country when self-defense is so vital to our well-being.  For many females who live alone, there is security in keeping a firearm in the home and knowing how to use it if that need arose.  I am available to offer this training, which gives you self-confidence while ensuring that you know all the safety measures that should be heeded,” Bill said.

As a family, Bill, Rachel, and their two children enjoy being outdoors, especially hiking and camping. Two rescue Pyrenees, Hogan, five years of age, and Lito, two years old, are part of the family, as well as Cathryn’s three-year-old hound dog, Percy.

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

(recipe courtesy of Ree Drummond)

Chicken:

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces (cut-up fryer)

salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup finely diced carrots

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1 medium onion, finely diced

1/2 tsp. ground thyme

1/4 tsp. turmeric

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Dumplings:

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

1 heaping Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 cups Almond Milk

2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley, optional

salt, as needed

For the chicken: Melt the butter in a pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. In 2 batches, brown the chicken on both sides and remove to a clean plate.

In the same pot, add the diced carrots, celery, and onions. Stir and cook for 3 to 4 minutes over medium-low heat. Stir in the ground thyme and turmeric, then pour in the chicken broth. Stir to combine, then add the browned chicken. Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes.

For the dumplings: While the chicken is simmering, make the dough for the dumplings. Sift together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then add 1-1/2 cups of the Almond Milk, stirring gently to combine. Set aside.

Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside on a plate. Use 2 forks to remove the chicken from the bones. Shred the chicken, then add it back to the pot. Mix together the remaining 1/2 cup Almond Milk and flour, then add it to the pot and stir to combine.

Drop tablespoons of dumpling dough into the simmering pot. Add the minced parsley if using. Cover the pot and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Check the seasoning; add salt if needed. Allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

CHARLIE’S AFTERNOON CHOCOLATE CAKE

(recipe courtesy of “Chocolate Epiphany” by Francois Payard)

Baking spray (cooking spray blend of oil and flour) or grease a round cake pan

10 Tbsp. unsalted butter

8 oz. chocolate chips (we usually use milk chocolate)

2 large eggs

2/3 cup sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., with rack in center of the oven.  Melt the butter to boil, either in a saucepan or in the microwave.  Remove from heat and add the chocolate to the butter, stirring to melt.  Set aside  In large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar.  Add the flour and mix well. Add the chocolate and butter mixture and mix until just combined.  Pour the batter into a prepared cake pan.  Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F., then reduce heat to 300 degrees F. and bake for an additional 8 minutes.  Cool, un-mold, and serve.