After cooking at R.A. Pickens Country Store for more than 46 years, Finely Davis III has retired.
Davis always maned the grill, smoked chickens, pork loins and pork chops to tempt the taste buds, but Davis was more than just a cook and cashier. He is a piece of Pickens, AR history.
Davis was born in Pickens, Ark. July 2, 1958 to the late Finley Davis Jr. and Queen Ester Davis. He is the oldest brother of 6 siblings of four sisters and one brother.
Davis’ father worked grading roads, land planning and worked on the Pickens’ farm. His mother was mainly a housewife, but also worked for at time at the McGraw-Eddison factory making electric fans and heaters.
Davis grew up watching his father work and doing chores around the house.
At age 11, Davis worked in the fields chopping cotton to make money to buy things he needed for school.
He graduated Dumas High School where he graduated in 1976.
Davis began working for R.A. Pickens and Son as a butcher at 18 years old. He learned how to cut meat under the late Bobby Gasaway. He also worked the cash register and helped make deliveries when needed.
He chose to become a butcher to stay close to home after high school. Davis learned from Gasaway how to prepare each cut of meat until he was sure Davis knew what to do.
As a butcher he prepared cuts of beef, pork and chicken along with slicing lunch meats.
He worked as a butcher for 30 years before R.A. Pickens and Sons decided to change from preparing food for cooking to serving food in a restaurant format in 2005.
“I was a butcher for 30 years and they said they wanted to try something different,” Davis said. “I was a butcher for 30 years and now a restaurant worker for 15.
For the next 15 years Davis, Kim McCuan and Deloris Jones have been serving up country cooking in the former butcher areas of Pickens store.
Davis said he liked working in the restaurant where he prepares several items including baked chicken, pork chops, smoked pork loin, and catfish. McCuan and Jones prepares the sides, desserts, meatloaf, salmon, and other items on the menu.
Davis learned to cook by watching other people including his mother. His favorite things to cook are pork chops and chicken fried steak.
Davis said many are surprised about how the location has changed from how they remember it and about how good the food is.
Davis attends church at the Bethlehem Worship Center; attends Wednesday night Bible class, sings in the choir on Sunday, helps clean up around the church when needed; and tries to invite others to church whenever possible.
In his spare time, He watches basketball or football games and puts together model battleships when he has one to put together. So far he has constructed the U.S.S. Arizona and the U.S.S Missouri. He often constructs ships he reads about in United States History.
Davis said many people have shaped his life like his mother,and father, his pastor Timothy Jones and his friend the late James Smith.
Smith influenced Davis by telling him about the Bible and to try and do what’s right. Even though Davis didn’t always do the right thing.
He learned from his parents to listen to them and do what’s right. His mother would tell Davis and his siblings about God and to lean and depend on him.
Davis’ advise future generations to just lean on God.
“He is the one who will carry you through, because there is not such a thing as luck. God is your everything. His is everything you need,” Davis said.
The Dumas Clarion and all those who enjoyed the great cooking tallents of Finely Davis III say, “Well done Finely, enjoy your retirement.”
