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Photos by Anngee Quinones-Belian/Staff Correspondent The amount of wood Johnny Martin has cut and stacked himself would rival a lumberjack half his age. -
The sound of Johnny Martin’s 1967 Z-28 Camaro is just as impressive as it looks. He’s been tooling around with classic cars all of his life.
Ranger Johnny Martin does not act his age. Born in Violet in 1951 with the help of a midwife, the 72-year-old still works just a hard as any man half his age.
Martin sells firewood, and his extensive wood pile can be seen from the road driving past his house. It’s not the selling of the wood that’s impressive, but that he cuts down trees, then further narrows it into piles of wood that he stacks neatly by the road.
He does the work alone without the assistance of a crew. “I’ve been cutting firewood all my life,” the spry but soft-spoken man said.
Jon Barmmer of Hiwassee Dam is a customer.
“For him to cut the trees and wood, then bring it all to the state where it’s piled and ready to sell, is pretty impressive,” he said, adding with a chuckle, “So get busy, you slackers.”
Martin spends about 25 hours a week getting wood ready, and while he calls the endeavor a hobby, “It ain’t no easy job.” Amazingly, he has never been hurt doing it.
Martin also enjoys gardening and classic cars.
“I like car shows, and all my life I’ve liked to fool around with cars,” he said, then added with a laugh. “When I was young, I did some drag racing. I won some races and lost a bunch.”
Today, Martin owns a 1967 Z-28 Camaro. The first car he ever owned was a 1957 Chevrolet.
He’s retired today, but in his earlier years Martin’s employment included working 16 years in the mines as a driller making ventilation shafts in Copperhill, Tenn. He also spent 25 years with the state highway department.
Martin has never been a stranger to hard work. He is married with two grown children, five grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
His wife, Kay, said of all the time he spends cutting firewood, “I worry about him, but I know God will take care of him. It’s something that he thoroughly enjoys. He can’t stand not having something to do.”
While he’s doing that, she keeps herself occupied doing Sudoku puzzles, cooking and cleaning.
When asked where he sees himself in five years, Martin laughed and said, “I hope I’m still alive, but I don’t see myself doing anything different.”
For firewood, call 828-644-5462.