096 | Stories of Light: 97 Years of Wisdom - Nell Patten Roquemore's Timeless Lessons for Success in Business, Marriage, and Life - Part 1
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[00:00:00] Welcome back to the Called to Lead podcast. So, as I mentioned in last week's episode, I am. Currently in the midst of walking through some really hard times with one of my best friends and her sweet family. And as I record this, there is a definite uncertainty in the timeline of the events. And the Lord only knows. What is going to happen and when, and if he is going to give her and her family, the miraculous healing that we are praying for. So join me in praying. Wherever that they are in that season. But I am grateful for the opportunity to be available to them. And a part of that availability is being able to get ahead of some of the content, as well as share something that the Lord put on my heart for today's episode, as well as next week's episode. And before you think, oh, okay. You know, I'll just skip this one. I encourage you to keep listening because the wise words of my beloved grandmother now [00:01:00] Patton Rockmore, who passed away a few years ago. had the opportunity to sit down and share her wisdom and interview her and ask her many, many things. And I played this before on my very first podcast over on the stories of light podcast, but I have the opportunity to reshare it again with you here today. And I will split it into two parts. To make it a little bit more palatable for those of you guys who like to keep these episodes for under 30 minutes. So stay tuned for today's episode as well as next weeks. And I hope that it blesses you as much as her life blessed mine. Thank you guys again for your grace and patience. As I walk with my friends through this season, let's dive into the episode.
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So today is an incredibly special day for me to be able to introduce y'all to somebody who's probably the most important person alive in my life right now. And I just am so excited for y'all to meet my beautiful Grand Mama, Nell Rockmore. Patten Rockmore, I should say, because she just [00:03:00] has been a light to so many people in her 97 years and still has so much more to give and more to share with us, but I just wanted to share a little bit of the wisdom that she's imparted to me through some of the stories and lessons that she even shared at a commencement speech where she was asked by the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College to do the commencement speech.
So I'm going to share a little bit of that. And Grandmama, it just means the world that you would take the time to be with me today and to share a little bit of what's on your heart. It's my honor.
Oh, my goodness. Well, my G. G. As we call her so great grandmama. She's a mom to five kids. She is a grandmama to how many 11. That's right. And then, of course, I think all of us have got married and had kids. So how many great grandkids now? I can't keep count.[00:04:00]
About 23. 23 great grandkids. That's unbelievable. So our little tribe has just grown from, you know, just grandmama, granddaddy, and he passed away. What year was that, grandmama? Granddaddy pass away and 97 97. Okay, that's why I was saying 97. But the two of them, they have just left such an amazing legacy on this family that's now getting grown so rapidly.
We honestly can't keep up, but they've done more than that. They have just absolutely transformed this little tiny town where I'm visiting with her today. It's called Lakeland, Georgia, and Grandmama literally has written two books about this beautiful town. One is called Roots, Rocks, and Recollections, which is a little bit based around the history of our family.
Grandmama's great great grandparents were actually the very first people to settle in this town, [00:05:00] right? Mm hmm. Yeah. And what is Lanier County? They were the first two people, other than Indians, to be here when the county was... Wow! Not when the county was created, but... The land that became Lanier County, what they were the first two settlers in that.
Wow. Wow. That is just really, really amazing. And so she has also written a book called Lanier County. A history or linear county, the land and its people. That's right.
Linear county, the land and its people. And it's just really cool because she's also done a play here. She plays the violin and has played the violin in her church, her little small church here. For, since you were little, right? Since you... Since I was ten. Ten? Wow. And she's just really amazing. But she has [00:06:00] recorded albums.
Over ten, you said, right? Ten or twelve albums. Uh, playing the violin with different accompaniments and... Duets, which is really, really amazing. So it's only fitting that now she's going to have a podcast podcast episode and anybody that knows her well, certainly know that this is just the perfect way to kind of share her story and her wisdom a little bit.
So before we get into some of the questions, I wanted to share something that really inspired me and was the inspiration for. This podcast and that was going back to that speech, the commencement speech that that grandmama did for the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College ABAC. That's what it's known.
What town is that in? Is it in Tifton? It's in Tifton, Georgia, which is South Georgia and Agricultural Center here. Or no, your grandfather started. The local general store here, right? RL Patton and Sons, that was your, your granddad, right? And then your dad Lawson, who is. The namesake of my daughter, [00:07:00] he was the one that started patent seed company, right?
It all evolved from my granddaddy, Patton. The patent name just kept going with the business even though the business changed drastically through the years. Definitely. And, and of course I think that shifting of the business model from that, General store to sell in the seed, which then your husband, my grandfather, Bill Rockmore, turned into a grass business, the largest sod business in the southeast, if not right in the south, would you say, which then turned into golf courses in the Atlanta area, which my mama Lee Rockmore Burton.
She ran for many, many years. And so I think from a business perspective, no doubt over the many years, this family has done so much. And the coolest part about grandmama, she's been right there, especially when [00:08:00] she, when my grandfather was alive, she was right there kind of in the supporting role of keeping everybody fed.
But she was the local postmaster. She was gosh, well, you did so much. You've had many, many jobs here in Lakeland, right? Well, first taught school when I got out of college. And then, I wanted to get the sequence right. I was clerk at the draft board. And... Worked at Moody Air Force Base, medical secretary.
Interesting. Yeah. And that's about it. I went back to school teaching later for a couple of years. I started having children, so that would, I'd have some hiatuses in there. That would interrupt my school teaching, [00:09:00] but it's been an interesting life. Yes, it has. It's been pretty amazing to watch just the time that I've been here.
But you were born in 1924, right? Right. 1924. Wow. 97 years old. Well, so obviously, My grandmama, she has learned some amazing lessons and I just think it's really valuable for me to read that commencement speech because it's just, it's so powerful. And then, of course, I'd love for you to elaborate a little bit more on that, Gigi.
But it's lessons I have learned through the years. And she says, so Dr. Bridges is who invited you, right? To speak. And did you speak the speech in person? I know I was not able to be there, but did you? Oh, yeah. You said this all from stage, right? Uh huh. That's amazing. And what year was this? It must have been about six years ago.
I could be out for a year or two or three. I could look it up and share it with you later. But you were [00:10:00] in your 90s, I know that, early 90s, which is pretty crazy. And so she said, this is what she shared, she said, Through the years, I have learned a few valuable lessons that I want to share with you.
Hopefully, your graduating students might find them helpful in starting out your adult life. I was born in 1924 in Milltown, before it became Lakeland. As a child, I was painfully shy, which is really hard to believe. As a teenager, I was still very shy, especially with boys. Had it not been for a boy named Bill Rockmore, I probably would have ended up an old maid.
Bill and I had a blessed marriage, although it was not perfect as no marriage ever is. And we added considerably to the population of Georgia and South Carolina. Yes, you did. So, music has always been an important element of my life. My mother started me in piano lessons when I was about six years old.
When I was ten, she decided I should learn to play the violin. At age [00:11:00] twelve, you played at your first wedding, which you played at our wedding too, I remember that. It was so sweet. And about 13, I played at your, uh, my second wedding. And it says, is it Ellen? Ellen Jones? Ellen A? Ellen? How do you say it?
Eileen. Eileen. Eileen. Eileen. What a beautiful name. Jones. Eileen Jones and Monroe Atkinson. 65 years later, I played at Monroe's funeral. My goodness. I'm still playing at church every Sunday and occasionally at weddings and funerals. How many weddings do you think you've? I have no idea. No idea. Countless, right?
Many, many. Many, many. Oh my goodness. And then of course COVID has thrown a big wrench into things. I know you hadn't been able to, that was, I remember that was COVID. Is when they wouldn't let you back in that church to play the violin, right? Oh my goodness. So she said, I have enjoyed attending the ABAC concert band [00:12:00] performances for the past several years and am impressed with the quality of your music program.
I hope that those of you who have performed in the various ABAC musical events will keep your talent alive throughout your year. Music provides a constant joy to your everyday existence. I'd love to talk a little bit about that with music and just how you have been drawn to that from an early age and maybe how that plays into your faith and.
I'm sure it had a big part in my faith by going regularly to the church and school. B Y B U, we called it, Young People's. So I'm sure that had a big influence on my life, even though I didn't realize it at the time, probably. Kind of seeds planted. I had great leaders in our church, teachers, [00:13:00] and one of the best was my mother.
Oh, wow. She taught the young people's Sunday school class. Wow. For years. Wow, so she was a woman of strong faith herself. Oh yeah, her father was a missionary Baptist minister. Oh, that's right. In Wayne County. That's right. A little country church. Grew into a pretty large church. I remember going there with you a few years ago.
Yes, I've been there. And her name was Clyde. Your mama's name was Clyde, which I think is also such a unique name. Clyde Purcell. Clyde Purcell. Special. And was she musical? Musically inclined? No, she could not carry a tank. What about your dad? Not really. He loves music. And my mother did too, but they were not [00:14:00] performers.
Oh, my goodness. That is really, really cool. Well, we'll keep going. So one lesson I've learned is that big things can happen where there is encouragement and cooperation. Getting back to Bill Rockmore. He was my devoted husband as well as my mentor. Mentors are so important. As a World War II B 26 pilot, which is, that just still just blows my mind, he had assumed great responsibility while still a teenager.
He became a citizen of Lakeland a few years after we married, became editor of the Lanier County News, and turned into an outstanding community leader. He encouraged me to take part in community and civic affairs while raising our five children and working full time. My first effort at Bill's suggestion was to organize a countywide cleanup campaign.
Under the auspices, is that how you say it? Auspices? Auspices? Auspices of the Lanier County Garden Club, County Agent John chaired an organization that [00:15:00] became known as LILA, standing for Let's Improve Lanier's Appearance. Which, do you remember me growing up, Grandmama, with the little note cards with the lila face coloring?
And I remember, this is kind of a funny little thing, but one of my favorite pens, like business pens to write with, are the li pens. Do you remember that? You used to use them too. Do you remember those? I remember those. They are, they're just the best. But I can remember coloring or those lila note cards.
It's clear as day. Let's see. So, See, so John was the husband of ABAC's beloved journalism professor Helen Strickland. We recruited a representative of each target area such as churches, cemeteries, old abandoned cars, roadsides, schools, etc. The committee met regularly and scheduled a certain week to concentrate on each phase of the campaign.
Because of the enthusiasm of the committee and profuse publicity, profuse publicity in the Lanier County [00:16:00] News, the campaign was hugely successful and won state and national awards. Although Lila is now, well, it was 48 years old at the time, but let's see, does it say what year it is? Now it's many, many years.
It's still going, right? Lila's still alive. Still alive. That's crazy. Not very active, but still has a bank account. Oh, and you probably still run it, huh? Yeah, so the very small committee still meets monthly. Okay, so this is the coolest thing. So the, you founded the Milltown Murals in Lakeland and it was initiated by Lila, who continues to grow and maintain and underwrite the murals.
So maybe tell us a little bit about your experience and how you came to make Georgia, or Lakeland, Georgia's murals city, living murals city. Well, it evolved from just a very small project into. We [00:17:00] have 41 different locations of our murals now, over a hundred real people who here in 1925 when the town's name was changed from Milltown Lake.
So all of our murals depict people and places as they were.
So my sister and I are on our real playhouse in the park here, and she was two and a half and I was one and a half. Wow. So. Oh, that is wonderful. That's my favorite mural, for sure. But there are many. And if you're driving through South Georgia on your way to Baldosta, or if you're anywhere near [00:18:00] South Georgia, you have to come to Lakeland to see these murals.
It's pretty impressive and pretty amazing. And what a great way to capture that, that spirit of time. And I know a lot of people have been blessed by, by that work that you are doing. Did through the Lila, the less approval in years, uh, appearance and the governor son of Purdue came down and gave us a proclamation name in Lakeland, uh, mill towns, historic.
Mural City. So Georgia's Historic Mural City, right? Right. That's amazing. So we had a little ceremony in front of the log cabin mural. Wow, that's cool. That's really, really cool. So, let's see. So you continue on here and it says, My employment history included school teacher. Clerk at the draft board, medical [00:19:00] secretary at Moody Air Force Base, and Lakeland Postmaster, we've talked about this a little bit.
And after your retirement as postmaster, uh, you and great daddy decided that you should run for city councilman and you did. So you were the city councilman for Lakeland, right? Serving two years as chairman of the sanitation committee. Tell me about that experience, kind of being politics, if you will. It was very interesting.
Small city council and pretty much in agreement on everything, which is unusual these days. We were, had a very friendly group on the council, like, I think there was six of us in the mayor. So, we got a good bit done. I bet you did. And as chairman of the sanitation committee, I would ride around in the sanitation truck [00:20:00] with the driver.
Wow. And that was interesting, too. I'm sure to see it through that perspective, I'm sure most people don't get that opportunity. But the, the sanitation, uh, driver was
Uh, he and I were very good buddies throughout the time I was on the city council. That's wonderful. That's so cool. So the next lesson that you talk about is, I have learned that preserving family history is extremely important, which is exactly what hopefully we're doing here today. So hopefully this fits in with one of your lessons.
But you said one of the most rewarding projects of your life was compiling a family history, Roots, Rocks, and Recollections, and that led to the compiling of the county history, Lanier County, The Land and Its People. These two books have proven to [00:21:00] be well worth the 19 years that you spent working on them.
That is unreal. What made you decide you wanted to start writing a book? Uh, the book. Yeah, sure. Just that very first one. Well, there are a lot of things that need to be in writing and preserved through the years. So I just did whatever research I needed to do to gather the information that I thought we needed.
And now it has been reprinted twice and Updated. To include the latest group of great grandchildren. Wow. Two reprints. And I totally agree. I think preserving that family history, I know we are really, really blessed that you did all that research and spent that much time not just for our family, but for an entire county in the state of Georgia.
So [00:22:00] that's really, really amazing. I think that is a really special lesson. Okay, I love this next one. I have learned that golf is an important sport. Bill, you said, Bill and I had thought, like many non golfers, that chasing a little white ball around for a half a day was a foolish waste of time. Bill was forced to take up the game when he started building golf courses.
It was not long before he was hooked. So he and I took up the game, and we played regularly for many years. Through golf, we renewed old friendships and gained new friends who enrich the rest of your lives. And incidentally, it's a pretty good exercise if you walk a lot, uh, which is kind of neat, Grandmama.
You know, I've just started playing golf with my daughter, Lawson, which is really fun. So you are so active in golf for many years. I mean, and you said you even played like into. I mean, how old were you the last round you played, probably? It was, um, last time I played was with your mother at Frederico. And [00:23:00] I could have played on for several years, but I was afraid I would injure my left arm and would not be able to play the violin anymore.
Oh my goodness! So that really decided me to give it up. And that was... What, about seven years ago? Wow! Or six? So, you're 90, 91, something like that. That's pretty wild. Yeah, probably, probably 90. And, I know it's probably not in here, but you won Valdosta's Dancing with the Stars at 94, weren't you? 94? I think that would be right.
Maybe 94? That was really cool to watch her waltz. And, and we share a love for ballroom dancing. So you have always been quite active, and I know that you used to spend every single morning, right, on the treadmill for, yeah. So, would you say being active is, that's what's kept [00:24:00] you active all these years, is by just continuing to work?
Right, I wanted to stay in good health. Yes. So. And you have. It's amazing. It is amazing. So this next lesson is probably my very favorite, Grandmama, because it is just, I think it's wisdom that everybody needs to know and it's specific to marriage. So you said some of you in this graduating class will soon be contemplating marriage.
There's a wonderful rule for a successful marriage that I learned too late to apply to my own marriage, but I urge you to make note of it. The three A's, affection, admiration, and appreciation. And then you said there are the three C's, which I learned from my son, Jim. Who had taken the Dale Carnegie course as a young man and found it a great benefit in his life and career.
And the three C's are don't criticize, don't condemn, and don't complain. So tell me more about that. Well, uh, I don't remember where I picked up on that, the [00:25:00] three A's, but it, oh, it was just Make a marriage perfect if you apply those three A's in my opinion. So affection being, you know, showing your love to the other one and.
And admiration, look up to him. And then appreciation. All those are important. I totally agree. I know my husband Roger would agree. And I've shared this with him too. And he just, he loves it. And I love the three C's too, the three D's. And Uncle Jim, he's an amazing business mentor to me. He is such a wise man.
And he's the one that's carried the torch for the Patency Company and Superside. All the wonderful business side of it, and I know that he has you to thank for his, you know, influence and inspiration. It's been an amazing mama. So you might not think that, but I know it's true. I've [00:26:00] learned a lot from him and from my other children.
You've got some good kids.
I love that. So two important lessons I've learned through the years are smile at people and always say thank you when it is deserved. So tell me, maybe even if you can think of a specific story about where that's maybe made a difference for you. Not really, but that should just be part of your personality to thank people, show appreciation.
Thank people, show appreciation, and just smile. You're right. I think that that goes a long way to help people. If you smile at people, they'll smile back at you. That's good advice. I think people don't always, don't always live by that, but I know that you did. And that's, I think, how you've been able to accomplish so much.
It's just because you are a people person. You love Love people, right? Loving and [00:27:00] serving on them. And one of my favorite mottos that I've learned from close friends, Bob and Tracy Jones, they live by love God, love people. That's it. That's it. That's it. Man, if we, you know, that's the thing, grandmama, if everybody did that, can you imagine what this world would be?
I know. Oh my goodness. And that's it. That's the gospel, really, in essence, right? Wow.
