*097 | Stories of Light: 97 Years of Wisdom - Nell Patten Roquemore's Timeless Lessons for Success in Business, Marriage, and Life; Part 2
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[00:00:00] Welcome back to the call to lead podcast. So today's episode is going to be a continuation from last week's interview with my beloved 97 year old grandmother. Nell Roquemore who passed away two years ago. At the age of 97 and it was such a blessing and honestly, a miracle to be able to have the time to sit down with her and ask her so many things. And in today's episode, we're actually going to be diving into her personal testimony of finding the Lord despite growing up in church, her entire life. In her nineties, if you can believe it. So she's going to be sharing it from her words. It's something that has blessed me dearly. And it's something that I think. Whatever season you are walking through as a believer or an unbeliever. I think it's a great opportunity to really kind of reflect on your Or eternal focus and your eternal perspective. And ask yourself, have you fully devoted and given your life to Christ, [00:01:00] have you handed over everything to him? Because a relationship is so much better than religion. Let's dive back in to part two of the interview with my grandma. GG as we called her. As we share more of her wisdom with you today.
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So this story, I remember just being so impactful because as If you've listened to the podcast, you know, my, I didn't, even though I grew up going to church here, kind of like you, and I had a foundation of seeds planted and, you know, it hurt it a little bit, but it really wasn't until, you know, almost 10 years ago that I decided to give my life to Christ.
So this story is pretty amazing. So it says, it's never too late to change your direction. I had joined the Baptist church at age 11 at a revival along with my sister and brother and 13 others, mostly children. Brother Johnny Harold baptized us in the southeast corner of Lake Irma, and you've gone to Sunday school and church for many years, but something was lacking in your spiritual life.
Three and a half years ago, which, so at the time, Let's see, so you were, gosh, yeah, [00:03:00] 93. Yes. Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah, it says at age 89, you ask the Lord to come, or I ask the Lord to come into my heart and take complete charge of my life. I wish I had done that a long time ago. You've got to tell me that story.
I know you've told me again, but share with everybody how that, I know it's very simple, but that's all it takes, right? Right, and I don't know what the impetus was that caused me to make that decision. Uh, wasn't anything dramatic that I can describe. Finally came to my senses, I guess. Oh my goodness, but you were reading the Bible, right?
You were sitting there in your... Because you do a kind of a morning devotional, right? You kind of sit down and have a quiet time with the Lord. Right, it was that time, I'm sure of it. Something I read, I should remember the scripture from. Wow, well... [00:04:00] You do say this here, you said you like Dr. Wayne Hanna's favorite scripture, Psalm 37, four, delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
So maybe that could have been it, but that to me, and hearing that, and not many people probably know that about you thinking, Oh wow, she grew up playing the violin every Sunday at church, but it wasn't until 89 where you really decided to just fully give everything over to him, right, to the Lord. And how has that impacted your life since, would you say?
Well, really, greatly, but I have had so many distractions that would take almost 100 percent of my time. Like the arthritis that attacked me, ~uh,~ what, two years ago? Mm hmm. And it kind of gets you off your Mm hmm. thinking pattern when you've got something else that Seems [00:05:00] more, not, not more urgent, but it seems more urgent at the time.
So, I like it here and I want to stay here as long as I like having you here. So I try to do, try most everything that anybody suggests that best help them or what. But anyway, it's been a big change in my life. Wow. Since I've had to depend on so many people. And,~ uh,~ really for the first time in my life.
So, anyway, I'm blessed. You are blessed. And I bet that's probably what the Lord said. Listen. Listen. You know, you've been doing this thing on your own and doing an amazing job. But you can't do it without [00:06:00] not only his help, but also the help of the people that he's put in your life to care for you, because my thing that inspires me so much for you, Grandmama, is knowing that you were such a devoted wife and mother, still serving your town and community and, you know, working hard, but you kind of stayed behind the scenes and Thank you.
When granddaddy passed away, which I know is not easy, but you took what would be a hard time and could be debilitating, but you just soared and you just took off and you got so much done and just made such an impact. And I've never seen anybody who could dive people into action, but yet doing it from a place of love and heart.
And just the mere fact that all 60 something of us would come down here happily at the drop of a hat. To come spend time together. I think that speaks volumes driving all over the southeast to come be together. So grateful for that. Family has stayed on good terms with each other. We have a pretty amazing family.
Really [00:07:00] do. Yeah. I know every bit of that is that generational blessing that sounds like it's stemmed even from your parents and from your mama and her dad would be so proud and is I'm sure so proud looking down. From heaven at what you have been able to multiply here. I was blessed to be able to know my grandparents on both sides, my mother's and my father's.
Oh, that's great. No, not my father's because his mother died when he was two years old. Oh, really? So I didn't know her, but then granddaddy married again, and I thought I was our real grandmother. The only one we knew. Yeah. Wow. That is amazing. Well, I love that you ended your speech, the commencement speech, with your testimony and sharing that, and I think that that's probably one of the most impactful pieces of wisdom and life lessons [00:08:00] that Graduates learned.
And then, of course, what all anybody that's listening today can learn is that it's never too late to change that direction and to shift, especially if that is a decision to put your life in the hands of the Lord, right? It's pretty amazing. It just meant so much to me in decision making. This is what I should do.
Ask the Lord to guide me. And it makes a lot of difference when you depend on a reliable source. Yes. Anyway, that... I love that motto, love God, love people. I think that's the best advice that you could give for lies. What about for business? Is there a piece of wisdom or business advice that you could share with the people who are listening?
Well, one thing Bill believed in, don't spend money [00:09:00] for things, for things that You don't have the money to pay for. Don't buy things that you don't have the money to pay for. Amen to that. That's pretty good advice. And then Patent Seed has a reputation of being perfectly dependable about deliveries, and they do what they're committed to doing.
And that's important. I agree. So do what you say you're going to do. Right. And be dependable and consistent, and that's what's built that reputation. Mm hmm. And it's pretty impactful that even the, not only the family, but the company itself is debt free by all standards. I'm sure any specific debt is more of a strategic thing, not a lack of capital or cash.
And that's exactly how it's been built from the beginning. And that has been, I would say, probably one of the greatest blessings that I've had to learn in my journey as a businesswoman. It's that principle that I wish that I had [00:10:00] really implemented more in my early years, but now I'm just so thankful.
That I have that solid principle of not spending money that you don't have. And you have done such a good job as a business lady. You have. Well, you're so sweet. I'm not kidding. You have been my inspiration, actually, from the beginning. So, really the only reason that I was able to start my traditional business, the boutique, Right out of college is because you and granddaddy so generously incentivized or motivated us your grandchildren to go to college.
And you said if we graduated from a four year college, right, that you would give us a little bit of money to contribute towards buying a car or a new house. And I was driving the same car from high school, and I wasn't about to get married, didn't need a house. And I said, Grandmama, would it [00:11:00] be okay if I used that money to start a business?
And I think you might have been one of the only people that thought it might actually do, something might actually come of it. But you were so generous to, number one, do that incentive or motivate us to make that choice to finish college and pursue our passions. But then, Like I said, that's how I got started, was with that generosity that you guys gave to us.
So, first of all, thank you. And second of all, I'd love to know what was going through yours and granddaddy's heart to want to do that. I listened to his ideas because they usually were valid. And those were some of his ideas, the motivation for finishing college. Really, right? So granddaddy was a very wise man.
I know that. And he thought that it was a good idea to go to college. And so he wanted that for us. And you went to college too. You went to what is now Valdosta State University, [00:12:00] right? What was it back then? Georgia? Georgia State Women's College. Georgia State Women's College. About 300 students then. Wow.
And what was your major? Violin. Violin. That's right. And, minored in Spanish. Spanish? Do you speak Spanish? Not really. Did you then? Well, I've studied it. Studied it. I was never fluent in it, but Oh, wow. I've enjoyed Having studied it because of travels and all, it's been, been helpful. I'm sure. Well, that's the other thing that you've instilled within me and our family is your love for travel.
So you and granddaddy have been all over the world and in Europe. And it's kind of funny when I think about these specific to the network marketing industry, which a lot of people listen in will be in the same industry that I am or in business of some sort, quite possibly. And I think that the principle of that motivating.
Are incentivizing people to do the results that you want. So [00:13:00] you guys wanted us to go to college and have that purpose. And so I love that. But then I also love that from a networking perspective, you and granddaddy have friends all over the world, right? You did. In fact, I'll never forget when I went to college, or right up, not college.
It was in between high school and college. And I took a school trip over to England and France. You remember this? And I stayed with Patrick, your friend Patrick, and his daughter Flavi, who feels, she's like a sister to me. She's an interior designer in Paris, and we both have two kids. Hers are two boys now.
But I never would have met them if you and granddaddy hadn't struck up a conversation at a, was it, where were you? Tell me about that. At, ~uh, ~Caves. And they say it's just the tie that come up. the famous cave paintings. Oh, okay. But we were on that same tour and [00:14:00] Patrick and his wife. So I asked the guy if he spoke English and he said no.
But anyway, Patrick thought he was rude. So he stepped over there and said, I'll translate for you. Wow. So you struck up a conversation. He stepped in to help and serve you and showed you that kindness, like he said, smiled, and then y'all struck up a long time friendship, right? Then that evening, we were staying at the same hotel, and I guess it was Georgie and Connor Thompson were with us.
But we were up on a kind of a mezzanine having our 5 o'clock cocktail. And who would walk up the stairs but Patrick. Oh my goodness. So it was meant for us to become friends. Oh my goodness. So we had dinner with him that night. at the [00:15:00] hotel, and it was a long take, and some Canadian students, who of course spoke French and English, but they were so amused at our conversation.
Patrick was practicing his. English, and I was trying to learn a little more French. So anyway, we kept running into those Canadian students. They'd have a smile on their face. Oh my gosh, that's so funny. It's a small world, even if you're across the world, right? Right. And I just love that you and Granddaddy had that spirit to connect with other people and stay in touch, and I know, like I said, I've been blessed from those relationships because...
Did you ever imagine that I would be going to his daughter's wedding in the south of France? I know. That's pretty crazy. That was a really amazing trip with my mama back there. And we [00:16:00] certainly inherited your love for travel. That's for sure. What's your favorite place you've ever been in the world?
Actually,~ uh, ~Italy's my favorite. Oh, really? Which city if you had to pick? There's so much that I like about it. I like the country and Venice I love. And so many, so much history there that really appeals to me. I love the music there and the language. So, really, overall, what's the beauty of the country is such.
Beautiful scenes. I have not yet been to that lake country, but I'll have to go back. Mom and I had a quick little trip to Italy and then another cruise back in the day, too, on the other side. We did go to Venice, and that was beautiful. Yeah, you'll love that Lake Como. We went back several times in that area.
And, ~uh, ~anyway, later, I don't know if I can bring this story up, but later, Two of the grandchildren must [00:17:00] be J. I can't remember, but... We went back to the hotel where Bill and I had stayed. Oh, wow. And,~ uh, ~I don't know what his title was, but he was kind of a host there. And so I explained to him that those were my grandchildren.
And I think they, I don't remember, but anyway. Did he remember you? No. No, no, no. Okay. But. You were just introducing yourself to everybody. I know that you've always been that. You never met a stranger, right? Well, I hope not.
But anyways, I said they were babies when I was there before. And he said, you know, that big jazz band. Big Bambinos. Oh, that's so funny. Oh my goodness. Or something to that effect. That's amazing you can remember that. It's [00:18:00] really, really special. We had a lot of fun with languages. And can you speak French a little bit, or Italian?
Learn keywords that you really need to know. Look them up if you need them. Well, not as easy to do back then as it is now with smartphones and everything. I wish we could go back to Europe together. I wish I could have seen some of those things with you. But French pronunciation is so hard to understand.
It is. It's one of my life goals is to learn to speak French. Because our ancestry is French, right? The Roquemore granddaddy's side came from that. And so I feel like there's something. That is just within me that I'm drawn to that French culture and French spirit. Good. Maybe one day I'll learn to speak French.
But I'll certainly be back. I can't wait to go. And I'll have to go to those caves. I don't think I've ever been to those [00:19:00] caves either. So that'll be fun. I think it's spelled A L L E F G In other words, E Y Z I E S, well they say they're famous, cave paintings. Cave paintings. Ancient, really, really old. Wow.
So anyway, and of course Patrick and his Families had been over here to visit us, and the first time Patrick came, he brought Caroline. She was 11, and I was a little bit nervous about hosting an 11 year old. Oh, I bet. I bet. A random child. But she spent the night. At your mother's house, I knew of them.
Slept in the bed with you, didn't you? I think so. That would have been an interesting conversation to take. I know, I don't remember it [00:20:00] either. I think it would, it had to be you. I think so, I think she was my mom. But anyway. That's wild. Well, grandma, looking back over your 97 years, I love that you've shared already have documented these important lessons and I can actually share.
Then in the show notes I can kind of copy this and put it in the show notes for anybody that wants to see these Lessons or copy and paste and print them I'll be able to do that But are there any other lessons or any other stories that you can think of that you would want to share? On a platform like this.
Well, so many things have happened in my lifetime. Do podcasts stay on forever? Forever. Really? Yes, ma'am. All of them? Yes, unless somebody deletes them, which I don't plan on doing, so. Well, the last... Several years, we've had [00:21:00] World War II re enactors come. Oh wow, to Lakeland? Uh huh, to Camp Patton, really sweet.
And they put on a demonstration of battle. Bob's been in one or two or three. But anyway, I got acquainted with one of the, I don't remember what his title was, but he was doing a podcast of the event out there. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But anyway, somehow I got acquainted with him and told him about Bill's experience in the war and all.
And so I went out and got him my route tracks and regulations so he could read about it. So I gave him that. And then he asked me a few questions about What I remembered about Pearl Harbor, where I was when I heard [00:22:00] that kind of thing. And I heard the podcast once, but I never have tried to retrieve it again, but you think it might be?
Oh, yes, ma'am. I'll find it. We'll figure it out. We'll get down to the bottom of it. I'll link that. Anyway, World War II re enactment. Lakeland, Georgia. Matt would bring it up. Sure. But he was fascinated to run across somebody who was living with all those historic things took place. Wow. That's a neat story.
And again, how cool that he's pursuing his passion and Talking to you and asking great questions and leaving an impact on you, right? Well, really it was about, about what I had experienced. And you remember it pretty clearly still? Yeah, I remember where I was when Pearl Harbor happened. I was in college.
You were in college, wow. [00:23:00] And I never heard of Pearl Harbor. Anyway, They were nice, friendly people. Oh, and that, they had a... Dance that night at the Threat Center. Oh, really? And jitterbug, I think it was a jitterbug contest. Oh, wow. Some of the girls with the reenactors jitterbug dance, dance with boys. And then Dr.
Ballon and his wife were the jitterbugs. Swing, call it that. Mm hmm. So anyway, I went back there. I told them to get out of Banjo Kazooie. So he came and got me to dance instead of his wife. Oh, of course he did. You can dance. Well, she was really good. Well, still. So we had a good [00:24:00] dance. I think our picture was in the paper.
I'm not sure. It was fun. That's amazing. Well, I have to say, one of my favorite memories, or many of my favorite memories, I should say, Is the dance, the ballroom dance, birthday balls, as we call them, we call it the ball every year to celebrate your birthday in March here in Lakeland, and it started off just right here in your home with just our family and as our family grew, and then we started inviting the town and for over 20 years, we have celebrated together, dancing and all the things that you love and to celebrate you are accepted, That memory, all of those memories, they're just so special.
So what made you decide to start doing that or want to do that? What made you do the what? What made you decide to start doing the birthday ball? Oh, let me see. We probably did it to celebrate you. And then it just kept going. Well, Z was always like dancing. [00:25:00] And she has a lot of good ideas too. It's probably her idea, but I'm not sure.
But it was fun. Like the memories of how it started and the band, same band all those years, but the band being up on, landing up there. And this house. And they said over 20 years, they did it every year. That's really crazy. Except one year this year. Yeah, well, of course, that's right. Dang COVID. What I remember this was kind of funny is if we didn't have a date or somebody we were dating.
You'd set us up with somebody. Do you remember that?
And actually when Roger and I were first started dating, we started dating in February of, I guess it was 2002. And that year I already had a date lined up. I cannot remember his name, but it's funny cause I was dating Roger and we fell in love pretty [00:26:00] quickly. And then I got here, he was my date cause it was already arranged.
And he said, thankfully, he had a girlfriend, too. So, yeah. Do you remember who that was? So, he had a girlfriend. He did. That he invited. He didn't invite her. Because he knew, we all knew, if grandmama, if you said we were going to be here and so and so was going to be our date, that that was just
We weren't about to cross you in that decision or switch up the plan. I was not aware of all that. No, we probably wouldn't have made you aware, but that's the amazing thing is what you've been able to accomplish and the people that you've been able to motivate and inspire, but not by leaving with an iron fist.
It truly is by leading with love and leading with heart and just being that example and that. light to all of us. One of my favorite tools, business tools to help set goals is a book that's from Cultivate What Matters, and it's called [00:27:00] Power Sheets, and it's really just an intentional goal setter where I kind of take a deep dive and assess the areas of my life and where I want to be not just this year, but where I want to be when I'm 90.
And it's pretty cool because What I write down in my power sheets is that you are what I want to be when I'm 90 and certainly when I'm 97. And I always say that my other grandmother, Mary, was her name, of course. And y'all were friends, same age, right? Oh, yeah. And you two together, you represent the lady that I hope to be, that I hope to exemplify.
And I love that y'all are friends. And, you know, we made a trip to the bomb group. Reunion out in Texas with them. Oh wow! You don't remember that? I don't remember that. I must have been really little. Well, it was after y'all, Lee and Joey married. Okay. And we went to several of those bomb group [00:28:00] reunions.
And I think O. J. was maybe in that same group, 387. But anyway, the four of us flew out there. Wow. And Joe Adanson. Oh, that's actually, I have those pictures. I think, I know those pictures. And that was, I think I was very young, but I have a picture framed of the two of y'all. I'm pretty sure it was at the Sod Farm in Perry, but it's a picture of the two of y'all.
You're dressed up for something. Not a formal event, but you look like you were going somewhere anyway, but that picture is so cherished to me because it represents just both. Both families and that generational blessing from for both sides. Now, her side was very small, just my dad and just my brother and I.
And of course, on your side, you know, it's much bigger. But that's the coolest thing is just the blessings from both and the personalities and the fact that y'all were friends and traveled together. That's really, really cool. They were good traveling [00:29:00] companions. OJ did something, something about the plane needed a little adjustment or something, OJ.
My other granddad, he was brilliant as kind of like an engineer, he wasn't technically an engineer, but he could have been because he could take anything apart and he could fix anything and that's what he spent a lot of his day and time doing. I believe he was a tail gunner on a similar plane, that's the way granddaddy flew, right?
Yeah, I'd forgotten what his role was, but tail gunner. Yeah, I'm pretty sure, so that's pretty neat that they shared that experience in the war, both veterans, and of course Bill, my cousin, another veteran. Your grandkids have done some pretty amazing things, followed that journey. They really have. It's pretty cool.
Well, I know that we all, again, are, we want to know. Exactly. These lessons of wisdom when we are 97 to be able to look back and know what's most important. And I love that we've got this [00:30:00] documented, not only written and from your speech from the commencement at ABAC, but it's just so neat to be able to talk through it with you and to share some of these stories and, and,~ uh, ~I have access to it when you can still do something about it.
Absolutely. Absolutely. Because you're right, it's never too late to change directions. Oh my goodness. Well, any other parting advice that you want to leave us with today? Well, not that I can think of. Well, I think you've shared enough and that's what's amazing. It's just the... The fact that those life lessons, they are so simple, but if that's what people focused on, the love God, love people, put your faith in him, don't try to do it on your own and accept the help and love of others, but show that service and smile and just pass on the wisdom of others that you've known, that you've learned from.[00:31:00]
Absolutely. I think that's really what we're called to do. And that's the point of this podcast is. All of these blessings I know from our family and that came from your ancestors and that will continue forward long after we are gone, all of us are gone. They come from the Lord and our role is to just be a light to point that back to him.
And you have done that beautifully for all of your 97 years. So it's just, it's an honor to be able to share your beautiful voice and your beautiful heart with everybody. I know so many people are going to be so blessed and touched by this. So thank you. Thank you. And I've loved every bit of talking with you.
Well, love you, Grandmama. Love you. You'll have to come back and spend another while with me when we talk. I would love that. I would love that. Anytime. I'll be right here. You'll be right here. Well you said you're going to get back up on that treadmill and you're going to come see our new kitchen up in Richmond [00:32:00] Hill.
Oh yeah, I've got that trip planned. Yeah, we've got that. That's gonna have something to look forward to, right? Mm hmm. That's probably a good She loves to drive, so the trip we have planned will probably take at least a week. Yeah, I think that sounds like a good plan. Well, I love you, Grandmama. Thank you again for today.
Love you so much. Well, thank y'all for listening. We're just so grateful to have Gigi in my life, and I hope that her words have impacted you as much as they have to me. What a blessing. I hope y'all enjoyed this episode and make sure to share with a friend.
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