TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
The Legacy of a Simple Life
BY RACHAEL CHERRY
T here is something nostalgic and pure about the idea of picking blackberries, gathering eggs and enjoying birds chirping in the morning breeze from your oversized front porch. It evokes feelings of a quiet and uncomplicated life, untainted by the bustle of busy streets. It is country living at its best. Nestled in the very center of Bowie County, down a long and winding red dirt road, sits a small and unassuming bit of the good ole days. Country living is not for everyone, but for Faith and William Ellis, that long dirt road represents more than the route to their home. It is a passageway to a simpler life. Long Walk Spring Farm in New Boston, Texas, has given the Ellis family precisely what they were looking for and a few surprises they were not expecting. In 2012, after a long battle with her health, Faith was diagnosed with Lupus. A few years later, illness struck another blow with a diagnosis of Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Three different autoimmune diseases stole her health and mobility and tried to steal her life. Faith learned that reducing stress and maintaining a healthy diet was the key to managing and taking back her health as she struggled with the debilitating condition. While living in Fort Worth, Texas, William and Faith both had careers they enjoyed. William worked at the DFW Airport as a senior procurement analyst. Faith was the Congressional Outreach Director for Congressman Michael Burgess. “I loved my job,” Faith
explained, “but there was a tremendous amount of stress that triggered the autoimmune diseases.” The couple recognized that everything about living in the city added to their stress and took away from their precious time together. So, in November 2016, they made plans to move back to William’s hometown and, more importantly, back to their roots. William retired, and the couple embarked on their new journey with little hesitation. “We called our adult children and said, ‘if it’s in the attic and it’s yours, and if you want it, come and get it.’” They were out of their home within 30 days and packing themselves and their 15-year-old son into the small cabin located at their new address. William grew up in New Boston. He and his eight siblings own the small 80-acre farm along the bank of the Red River that has been in the family for more than 150 years. Faith had lived in Fort Worth her entire life. “Years ago, you could not have gotten me to move here [to New Boston] for anything in the world,” she said. “But things change when you’re looking at your health.” She soon realized, “Healthy food is so expensive.” So, she told her husband it would be better if “we could just grow the food ourselves.” The couple had both experienced farm life separately as children. Faith spent summers helping her grandparents on their farm in Karnack, Texas. William had spent his youth working with his grandfather on the farm in New Boston. Still, there was quite a
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LIFE & STYLE
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