By Karah-Leigh Hancock
QUITMAN — Norman Frank Sims is a man who has seen many things in his life and is not afraid of hard work, even at the age of 67.
While conducting this interview, Sims is busy painting his home church of around 25 years, Graham Chapel Church in Quitman, on his day off.
“We’re painting the vestibule ... brightening (it) up a little,” Sims said. “Giving it a facelift.”
Sims serves as president of the trustees for the church, and religion is a huge part of his life.
“That’s what keeps me on the straight and narrow,” he said. “When I start out in left field, I think about my Lord and Savior. He directs me back to the sheep fold. I never went to college or anything, but Jesus never went to college. He knew what His Father expected out of Him. I mean, really and truly, I might not do it all the time, but I know what my Heavenly Father expects out of me, and I pray and ask him to lead me and guide me in the right direction.”
Sims is simply known as “Frank” to many in the Quitman community who get their prescription medications delivered from Lee & Pickels Drug Store.
“(My job) has been a very good aspiration for me over the years,” Sims said. “I’ve achieved more by working for (Curtis Pickels) than I have my whole life. They give you what they promise. They do what they promise to do for you. You have to work for what you get.”
Sims has no problem with a hard day’s work.
“You have to work for what you get,” he said. “The Bible tells me that a man earns his own living by the sweat of his brow. ... I praise the Lord for giving me the strength to work.”
Sims grew up in Quitman and went to Washington Street School. He has lived in Quitman all of his life except for a couple of
years in the Army where he lived in South Carolina and California, working in supplies.
After coming back to Quitman, Sims worked odd jobs, fixing screen doors, putting window panes in or painting. He also worked for a time at the middle school’s cafeteria before going to work for Pickels part time.
“I started coming in at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, working for Mr. Curtis,” Sims said. “Then Saturday I would work for him. That’s how I worked my way into this job by working part time into full time.”
Sims has now worked for Lee & Pickels Drug Store for about 18 years, and he’s not taking it for granted.
“In order to have a job, you have to like the job,” Sims said. “In order to perform like you’re supposed to ... which I can’t perform as good as I could at one time, but I’m still at it, being 67 years old. I don’t know how much longer I can work, but I’m just trying to do my share.”
Sims is certainly doing his share of work. He drives from house to house during work, delivering medicine to people who are sick or just in need of a refill on a medication.
But Sims never realized how much it meant to have the medicine delivered to him until he was sick one day himself.
“I tell you one good point about this job, that taught me the importance of this job,” Sims said. “Years ago, I was living on North Jefferson Street, and I caught the flu or something. The only thing I had to do is call the drug store and tell them to send me some cough medicine.
“When the delivery man got there with it, I could have hugged and kissed him. When you’re down sick like that and someone brings something to you and you have it in your hand, that’s like Jesus coming to you. That’s a relief. I experienced that and I’ve never been the same since.”
With his job, Sims meets all different kinds of people, some sick, needing their medicine, and some pushy, wanting their medicine that very minute. However, he tries to stay positive.
“I try to have a word of encouragement for all of them,” he said. “I just try to tell them something to pick them up and make their day a little bit brighter. Some people, (I) feel like they appreciate my word of encouragement.”
When Sims goes to deliver medicine, he sometimes has to get out of his car when people do not meet him outside. Sometimes when he blows the horn for people to know he’s there, Sims gets yelled at.
“I get a lot of insults on me for blowing horns at people’s houses,” Sims said. “But gee whiz, sometimes people have dogs. I think it’s more of a courtesy to blow than (an) insult. A young lady told me the other night ... I pulled up and went toot, toot, toot because normally, if I’m delivering a medication, you should be looking out for me, especially if it’s after hours. She’s on the sofa watching the TV. So, I went to the door and I have a special knock. I want people to hear me.”
Sims’ knock is currently known all over Quitman. Whether he’s going to the back doors of businesses or a doctor’s office, the employees know it’s the delivery man from Lee & Pickels.
“Back in the second World War, they had codes that people used,” Sims said. “That’s my code. I try to develop a technique for doing this. That’s what makes you enjoy your job.”
He also enjoys working for Pickels.
“Really and truly, I enjoy working for Mr. Pickels over the years,” Sims said. “I have more now than I have ever had in my life. I feel like he gave me a chance at bettering myself. He’s a real fine fellow. Can’t nobody say anything too bad about him. He will go to bat for you. You can write that down.”
Sims has also learned a lot by working for Pickels.
Pickels, according to Sims, would have to leave the store a lot to help rearrange elderly people’s medicines when they would get them mixed up. Now Sims can help take care some of the responsibilities.
“Sometimes they get confused on how to take their medicine,” he said. “A lot of people are fearful to ask. I can tell them, ‘You take one pill twice a day,’ or whatever, and call the drug store to confirm it.”
Sims says he believes the delivery service was originally created for people without transportation or the handicapped, but now he delivers to all people.
“I’ve delivered to people who have five cars in their driveway, and they’re on the phone, telling me to get there with their medicine,” he joked.
Now that he’s getting older, Sims has cut his work days down to three a week, only working on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Although he isn’t retiring anytime soon, he already knows what he will do when he does make the leap into retirement.
“I enjoy fishing as my favorite pastime,” he said. “I have a first cousin that’s about my age. We just sit out (there) and enjoy each other. We grew up together. I go to his house and mention fishing, and he lights up like a child with a brand new toy. He’s ready to go. We just sit out there, and we don’t be in a hurry. We just sit there, talk, and sleep a little bit.”
Sims will also spend more time with his family. Together, he and his wife of 45 years, Elvira, have four children — one who lives in Quitman, one in Valdosta, Jacksonville, Fla., and Ft. Bragg, N.C.
“I have a (great) grandson that should be about 7 weeks old in North Carolina,” Sims said. “I have a couple of grandsons and about four granddaughters.”
Most of all, Sims treats others — whether it is his fellow churchgoers, his customers whom he delivers medicine to, or a stranger in the street — the way he wants to be treated.
“I’m not a nasty person,” he said. “Most of the time I’m in a good mood. If the Good Master calls me right now, I don’t know anybody (whom) I’m really mad with. So, if he (goes), ‘knock, knock, Buddy, your time is up,’ I’m ready.”
