By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.com
CHINA GROVE ó Family and friends of Jonathan Efird are celebrating his 21 years of life, which they described as crammed full of excitement, joy and friendship.
Later today, 10 of Efird’s friends will serve as pallbearers at his funeral. And they will be driving the big-wheel trucks Efird loved to maneuver over rocks, hillsides and the toughest terrain they could find.
Jonathan Efird ó called “Efird” by friends ó died Friday night from burns suffered in a bonfire accident on Mayberry Lane near Deal Road in the Atwell community.
It was a typical Friday night. The buddies got together at Andrew “Andy” Pauley’s house to cook, eat, work on trucks in his shop and swap stories around a bonfire.
A friend of one of the regulars rummaged around the paint shop to find something to get the fire going. He tossed the substance, possibly lacquer, on the wood.
The resulting explosion severely burned Efird.
Aaron Brumley was one of the friends who put out the fire burning Efird’s clothes and flesh. Friends lay down beside him until emergency personnel arrived.
Burned so badly he didn’t feel pain, Efird talked and joked with his friends. When they assisted the paramedics in lifting him into the ambulance, Efird kept the quips coming. “Don’t drop me,” he said.
A few minutes later, he died aboard a medical helicopter en route to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.
His parents, Dennis and Kay Efird, sister, Angela, and some of the wheelin’ buddies gathered at the Efirds’ home on Stirewalt Road on Wednesday, where they swapped stories, showed photos and a watched homemade video of Efird tackling a mountain course filled with boulders.
The video included music and good-natured commentary by his fellow drivers.
His parents said the young man who threw the liquid into the fire pit came to their home and talked with them.
“We don’t blame him. There’s no reason to blame anybody,” Dennis Efird said. “I’ve thrown stuff on fires. … Everybody has done it.”
“Being mad at him never crossed our mind,” Kay Efird added.
Anchored in their faith, they believe it was God’s decision to take their son ó a belief shared by his friends, who also share the Efirds’ commitment to God.
Efird’s parents believe his life ó however short ó was something of a miracle. Efird was born with spina bifida, and doctors said he would never walk.
They believe prayers made it possible for their son to have a very full life.
“He had an awesome life. … In 21 years he had a full life. He had more fun than a lot of people who live to be 80,” Kay said.
Of his friends, she said, “These guys are awesome.”
“How many 21-year-olds have 10 or 12 close friends?” Kay asked. Some of the friends he had almost grown up with. Others he picked up along the way ó guys that shared his interests, beliefs and a desire to have fun.
And having fun didn’t include drinking alcohol. “If you’ve got to have a drink to have fun, there’s something wrong with your life,” said Dennis.
Efird was hooked on bikes, dirt bikes, ATVs and building trucks. He built his first truck when he was 16.
A 2005 South Rowan High School graduate, he took automotive technology at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and worked at Sudden Impact body shop until it closed. Recently, he had been working at the Food Lion warehouse, living at home and working on trucks.
“He had no fear,” said Dennis, who added that in his younger days, he had a lot of fun with bikes.
Efird’s exploits are legendary. When friend Brandon Bettis enrolled at Appalachian State University, the group began making frequent trips to the mountains to go skiing.
Efird was the one who wouldn’t use ski poles.
And then there was the time they decided to go sledding.
No snow. No problem.
Efird volunteered to ride on the sled, taped a camera onto his head to document the trip and held on as he was pulled through all the mud his friends could find.
Statler McCorkle, one of Efird’s friends, said whatever they could come up with, Efird was the first to try it.
And his friends say they usually cheered him on.
Last year, a wheelin’ expedition could have been fatal.
The front wheel of Efird’s vehicle dropped off the narrow mountain road on which he was driving. The pickup began barrel rolls down the mountainside in the dark.
All escaped without injury, but Efird decided it was time to add doors and seat belts.
On Wednesday, his friends played a video for his parents that showed Efird’s truck on the side of the mountain. A small sapling stopped it and likely saved their lives.
The video includes a shot of Efird and Brandon talking about the roll. Both credit the “Big Guy” with saving them.
Both also probably credited the Big Guy with their friendship, which started because of a misunderstanding.
Brandon was in the second grade when his family moved to a home near Stirewalt Road. Shortly after starting school, he asked his mother if a boy who lived down the road could come over and play. He wasn’t sure what the boy’s name was, but told her it started with “J.”
Patricia Bettis checked around and located Jonathan. She called his mother, got the OK and picked him up for a play session.
Kay remembers the conversation when they dropped her son off. “Mom, we had fun,” said Brandon. Then he added, “Who was that boy?”
She had picked up the wrong boy.
Brandon and the group of friends will say farewell to Efird today at 3 p.m. at Mt. Moriah Lutheran Church.
And then they plan to build the truck that was Efird’s next project.
On Friday night, Efird told his parents and friends about his plans to transform a small Toyota truck into a big-wheeled monster capable of taking on any terrain.
His parents say Efird would love the plans his friends have for his truck.
“It’s going to have tires this high,” Kay said, raising her hand up to her head.
Contact Jessie Burchette at 704-797-4254.