Tuesday, September 15, 2020
/public-file/6176/Ultra/c5af0477-33b7-4307-b0aa-05c4a1798bd4.jpg
Until I got married, Mom was always the number one person in my life. The greatest gift she gave me was to tell me early and often that I could do anything in life I wanted to ... that I was smart and capable. Having that drilled into me, I always believed it and then lived it. Top grades were not hoped for, but expected, and because of that early confidence, I delivered. It's a gift every parent should give to their kids, and so few do.
There is a slight glitch in her bio here. Mom wasn't the state's Grand Worthy Advisor of the Eastern Star, but of the Rainbow Girls. However, her mother was active in Eastern Star, and her father served a term in the top office of the Masonic Order in Alabama.
Mom's parents were both from farm families, her father's from SE Mississippi. Her parents moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where she and her brother Don were raised, and were long time members of the Woodlawn Christian Church, where her father was at one time chairman of the Board of Deacons. Long time FSU coach Bobby Bowden was a member of that church a few years earlier.
There is a very funny story. Mom's maiden name was Butts, and in selecting a new minister for the church one year, the Deacons decided on a Canadian Minister named Outhouse. So the church bulletin announced that Chairman of the Board Butts called Reverend Outhouse. :-)
As much as Mom told me I was capable, she was, too. While she alternated as a career woman and a stay-at-home mom, she did well in business, at one time being a District Manager for Tupperware, and at another for Sarah Coventry Jewelry, both for Northern Alabama.
Mom had a varied and interesting life, and while they had a couple of ups and downs, she and Dad were ultimately quite successful in business and lived comfortably. She had a full life, and I'm very happy for that.
I so remember the great times when we kids were young and the family was close. These times come for us all, but it seemed so far away. It's hard to believe we've lived the passing of those years. The time seems to have run so fast.
Live Chat
ESPAÑOL 
Call Us
Live Chat
ESPAÑOL 
(321) 209-8117