Wiregrass lineman finds long-lost cousin amid Hurricane destruction

STATESBORO, GA (WDHN) — An unlikely reunion occurred in eastern Georgia when a lineman crew from the Wiregrass made a chance stop at a church to help with Hurricane Helene disaster relief.

Steven Baxely, a lineman for Pea River Electric, met his cousin, Jeff Parmer, the associational missionary of Ogeechee River Baptist Association in Statesboro, Georgia, after 40 years of separation.

“You know, the whole aspect of that day was moments. There were several moments before that I believe were God-ordained moments,” Parmer told WDHN.

“I never thought I’d meet some of my kinfolk while out on a storm, but you never know how things work out,” said Baxley.

Baxley ran into his cousin Parmer at Agape Church in Metter, Georgia, where a large downed tree from the hurricane was in the front yard.

The crew was originally down the road helping the coop restore power in the area, but they saw the church crew struggling to clean up the tree, which would have taken them at least two days of manpower. So, the Pea River foreman asked if they needed machinery to help take care of the tree.

“I had not paid any attention to the name on his shirt, and he got to say he was from Ozark and with Pea River. Then I started talking about the family I have in Blue Springs, and I mentioned Texasville, and he said, “I got a guy on my crew from Texasville,” Parmer said.

“My foreman said you got some kinfolk over here and I said no way I have kinfolk over here in Georgia,” Baxely stated.

Baxley got to the church and removed the tree in 10 minutes, leading to a conversation about family relations between the two. Come to find out that Baxley’s grandmother and Parmer’s dad were brothers and sisters.

“For me it was god moment after the effects of a hurricane and we’re meeting together I still sit back in awe of it,” said Parmer.

The two say they haven’t had time to catch up due to their busy schedules.

In fact, Baxley is on the second trip in Alma, Georgia, right now, helping a coop that still has almost 2 thousand customers still without power.

Pea River officials say they are rebuilding the backbone of the coop there, and this second trip, along with the cousin reunion, shows the character of their employees.

“As they get the power restored and they see things that need to get done, they go above and beyond clearing and cutting trees out of people’s way; that’s just the co-op way,” said Heath Whatley, Vice President of Operations at Pea River electric.

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