Feature article
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Fall Branch conveniently situated in region
By Carmen Musick
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| Fall Branch has always been home for Sue Morelock |
Sue Morelock likes to travel and she’s been a lot of places. But, when it’s all said and done, she prefers coming home to the quietness of Fall Branch.
“It’s really the only home I’ve ever known, the only community that’s ever been home,’’ said Morelock. “I’m just very happy here. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.’’
After all, her life is in Fall Branch. She lives there and her children — all 20 of them each year — are there.
As a second-grade teacher at Fall Branch School, Sue considers her students and the school’s faculty to be her extended family.
“These are not just visible faces that you see from time to time. You get to know these people, and they’re like your extended family,” Sue said.
The school, with its small student body, is an asset to the community, Sue says, because everyone is well-acquainted, and students receive the attention they need from teachers who know them well and care deeply about them.
Sue and her husband, Gary, lived in a more populated area of Sullivan County for a brief time after they were first married. But, they quickly returned to the slower pace Sue had grown up with in Fall Branch.
“The desire to be away from the busy, crowded community that we were living in at the time was the biggest thing,’’ said Sue.
“I enjoy this openness, I guess. You have some areas that are developed, but you still have the rural farm areas, the wide open spaces.”
Sue attended Fall Branch School all 12 years. But, unlike many of her classmates, she had no desire to pack up and leave the area when she graduated.
“It’s funny because now, a lot of them are coming back,’’ said Morelock. “Some of them have even said, ‘You made a wise decision staying here.’”
One of the best things about Fall Branch is “the convenience of the location.”
“We’re well-located between Kingsport, Johnson City, Bristol and Greeneville,’’ said Sue.
“We’re located such that we can have fun on the lakes and at the parks. When there’s cultural events that occur in our area, we can travel to those places in just a few minutes. We can have mini-vacations right here in our area.”
And, for such a small community, Sue says Fall Branch is pretty well-rounded.
There are several churches of different denominations, several small businesses and a couple of small eating establishments, she explained.
A local favorite, Sue said, is Nor-A-Lee Café, where you’ll see a host of residents gather to have their morning coffee and breakfast together.
There are youth leagues for children, and families can find plenty of recreational areas within a stone’s throw of the community. Some local residents are also trying to upgrade the area around the waterfalls, for which Fall Branch is named.
“If they expand that, I think it would be a nice facility for families to visit,’’ Sue said.
In the 50-some years Sue has been there, she’s seen Fall Branch go through a lot of changes.
Housing developments are springing up everywhere. More businesses, like Pizza Plus, have moved in. The Crossings Golf Club is nearby.
“The fact that the interstate has come through is one of the biggest things. It’s just expanded our area so much,’’ Sue said. “There is quite a bit of growth and development.”
Still, overall, it’s still the same “friendly, convenient and pleasant” place it’s always been.
“When you get into this community, whether you’re a newcomer or someone who’s been here for years, it doesn’t take long to see that you can get close to the people,’’ said Morelock.
“If you have a problem, no matter what it is, they’re right there for you. But yet, you’re allowed your privacy, too.”
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