Copy of 180 | Restore Rewind: Meet My Grandma "Nell" - 97 years of Wisdom Personified
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~Hey friends. ~[00:00:00]
Hey friends. Welcome back to the Call to Lead podcast. So I'm gonna be continuing a series we're doing called Restore Rewind, because if you have been following along the journey of us founding our new direct sales company, restore Collective, getting ready to public launch here very soon. You may not have heard kind of the backstory behind what brought us here.
And so I wanted to take the time to spotlight a few episodes on this podcast, the called to Lead podcast, which fun fact used to be called Scale Without Social, when I was off of social media for a year, and then it first started as The Dream With Me podcast, but I also had another podcast called The Stories of Light Podcast.
That was my very first podcast. And this interview today is. Honestly, it's probably the most special one I have ever done because it's interviewing my beloved grandmother, Nell Patton Rockmore, just a few months before she passed away at the age of 97. And it's pretty special to allow you to meet my beautiful Grandma Nell, [00:01:00] because you may or may not know that our shades.
That go into our curated glow capsule, ~uh,~ which if you're watching this on video, you can see it here. Now, this is one of our products with Restore Collective, but ~one of the shades, uh, all of the gran,~ all of the shades are named after grandmas real live grandmas for some of the key people that are a part of this community.
And I'm actually wearing. Nell today, and so in honor of my beautiful grandma and the blessing of being able to share her story and the wisdom of 97 years, even when she gave her life to Christ at, I think she was 91. I need to listen back to it myself again, but she shares even her powerful testimony that it's never too late.
To hand over your life to the Lord and all the wisdom that comes from everything from marriage to business, to raising five kids herself. It's all in there. So I think you guys are gonna absolutely love this episode, and I can't wait for you to dive in.
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Welcome to the Stories of Light podcast. Are you searching for God-centered mentors in the network marketing industry? Are you striving for success [00:03:00] or seeking to serve the kingdom? Do you wanna build this business his way? Your luck friend. I'm Heather, and I'm excited to introduce you to some of the most successful God-centered leaders in the industry who are willing to share their wisdom and pour into you.
Get excited for today's interview. 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 grandmama, Nell Rockmore, Nell Patton Rockmore, I should say, because she.
Just 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.[00:04:00]
Agricultural college to do the commencement speech. So I'm gonna 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. Okay. Oh my goodness. Well, my Gigi, as we, we call her so great grandmama, she's a mom to five kids.
She is a grandma mama to how many? 11. 11. That's right. And then of course, I think all of us have gotten married and had kids. So how many great grandkids now? You can't keep counting. I think it's, I think it's about 23. 23 great grandkids. Great. That's unbelievable. So our little tribe has just grown from, you know, just grandmama granddaddy, and he passed away.
What year was that? Granddaddy pass away [00:05:00] in 90, uh, 7 97. Okay. That's what I was saying, 97. But the two of them, they have just left such an amazing legacy on this family that's now, again, growing 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 and Grandmama's. Great-great-grandparents were actually the very first people to settle in this town, right?
Mm-hmm. Yeah. And what is the near county? They were the first two people other than Indians. To be here when the county was. Wow. Uh, not when the county was created, but the land that became Lanier [00:06:00] County. 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 Le Lanier County, A History or Lanier County.
The Land in Its People. That's right, right. Good. A plus A plus. Lanier County. The Land in its people. And it is just really cool 'cause she's also done a play here. She plays the violin and has played the violin in her church, her little small church here. Since you were little, right? Since you, since I was 10.
Red 10. Wow. And she's just really amazing. But she has recorded albums, but over 10, you said write 10 or 12 albums. Uh, playing the violin with different accompaniments and. Duets, which is really, really amazing. So it's only fitting that now she's gonna have a podcast, a 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 [00:07:00] 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, aac, that's what it's called?
Known that says aac. What town is that in? Is it in Tifton? Tifton? It's in Tifton, Georgia, which is South Georgia And Agricultural Center here. Mm-hmm. Or no, your grandfather started. The local general store here, right. Rl, pat and Sons. That was your Right, right. Your granddad, right. And then your dad, Lawson.
Mm-hmm. Who is the namesake of my daughter. He was the one that started Patton Seed Company. Right. It all evolved from my granddaddy rl.
Kept going with the business even though the business changed drastically through the years. [00:08:00] Definitely. And, and of course I think that shifting of the business model from that general store to selling the seed, which then your husband, my grandfather, bill Rockmore, turned into a grass business, the largest SOD business in the southeast.
If. 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 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, I first taught school when I got outta college, [00:09:00] and then let me get the sequence right.
I was clerk of the draft board. Mm-hmm. 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 and I started having children. So that would, I'd have some hiatus in there that went, would I?
It is 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 grandma, she has learned some amazing [00:10:00] 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.
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? Uhhuh. That's amazing. And what year was this? It must have been about six years ago.
I could be off a year or two or three. I could look it up, share you later, but you were in your nineties. I know that ear early nineties, 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 wanna 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. [00:11:00] 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've 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 10, she decided I should learn to play the violin. At age 12, 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. L and a. Ellen. How do you say it? Elene. Elene Ellen. What a beautiful name. Jones, Elene [00:12:00] Jones and Monroe. 65 years later, I played at Monroe 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? Right. Many, many, many, many. Oh my goodness. And then of course, COVID thrown a big wrench into things. I know you hadn't been able to that I remember. That was your biggest frustration with. Is when they wouldn't let you back in that church to play the violin.
Right.
So she said, I have enjoyed attending the A back concert band 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 a back 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 [00:13:00] maybe how that plays into. Worship in the Lord. I'm sure it had a big part in my faith by going regularly to the church, Sunday School, BYBU. We called it young people's. I'm sure that had a big influence on my life, even though I didn't realize it at the time.
Probably had a seeds planted. Had great leaders in in our church teachers. 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 who strong faith herself. Oh yeah. Her father was a missionary Baptist minister. [00:14:00] Oh, that's right. In Wayne County.
That's right. A little country church that. 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 is I think is also such a unique name. So she, Clyde Purcell. Clyde Purcell. Special. And was she musical, musically inclined?
No, she could not carry a chance. What about your dad? Not really. He loves music. And my mother did too, but they were not performers. Oh my goodness. That is really, really cool. Well, we'll keep going. So one lesson I have 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. [00:15:00] As a World War II B 26 pilot, which is, uh, 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 Linear 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 how you say it, Aus Auspices ES auspices of the Lanier County Garden Club County Agent John Strickland and I co-chaired an organization that became known as Lila, standing for Let's Improve LAN's appearance, which do you remember me growing up Grandmama with the little note cards with the Lila face?
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 lip pens. Do you remember that? Mm-hmm. You used to use them [00:16:00] too. Do you remember those? I remember those. They are, they're just the best, but I can remember coloring or watercolor.
Those lot really note cards. It's clear as day. Let's see. So see, so John was the husband of Abba's beloved Journalism Professor Helen Strickland. We recruited a representative of each target area, such as churches, cemeteries, old abandoned cars, roadsides schools, et cetera. 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 Linear County 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. And still going, right. Lila still? Still alive. Still alive. That's crazy. Not very active, but [00:17:00] she's still there.
Still has a bank account. Oh, 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, uh, or Lakeland Georgia's murals City Lemon mural City Living Bureau City.
Well, it evolved from just a very small project into, we have 41. Different locations about mural. Over a hundred real people who were here in 1925 when the town's name was changed from Milltown Lake. So [00:18:00] all of our murals depict people and places as they were in 1925.
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. Uh, that's my favorite mural for sure. But there are many, and if you're driving through South Georgia on your way to Valdosta or if you're anywhere near South Georgia, you have to come to Lake Linda 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. Through the Lila, the, let's improve on your, uh, appearance. And the governor, sunny Perdue, came [00:19:00] down and gave us a proclamation naming Lakeland, uh, mill Towns historic.
Mural city. So Georgia's historic 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. The draft board medical secretary at Moody Air Force Base and Lakeland Post we this a little bit.
After your retirement as postmaster, uh, you and granddaddy 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. [00:20:00] It was very interesting, uh, 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. 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 Santi ~sanitation, ~uh,~ driver ~was, uh,~ he and I were very good buddies through. [00:21:00] 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. And that led to the compiling of the county history, Lanier County, the land, and its people. These two books have proven to 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, and there were 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 [00:22:00] 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. Um, two reprints. And I, 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 and not just for our family, but for an entire county in the state of Georgia. So that's really, really amazing.
I think that is a, a really special lesson. Okay. I love this. Next one. I have learned that golf is an important sport. Bill, he 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.
Soon I took up the game and we played regularly for many years through golf. We [00:23:00] 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. 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. Mm-hmm. At Frederica. Mm-hmm. And 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 viol anymore.
Oh my goodness. So that really decided me to give it up. Now that was. What about seven years ago? Wow. Or six. So you are 90, [00:24:00] 91, something like that. That's pretty wild. Yeah, probably. Probably 90. And I know it's probably not in here, but you won Dancing with the Stars at 94, were you nine four? I think that would be right.
Maybe nine, four. That was really cool to watch her walks 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, uh, on the treadmill for mm-hmm. Yeah. So would you say being active is, that's what's kept 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. 'cause 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.
[00:25:00] 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 of 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 three s, but it, oh, it would just make a marriage perfect if you apply those three days. In my opinion. So affection being, you know, showing your love to the other one and, and admiration look up to him.
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And then appreciation. All those [00:26:00] 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 patent seed company and, uh, super side and.
All of the wonderful business side of it. And, and I know that he has you to thank for his, you know, influence and inspiration as being an amazing mama. So you might not admit that, but I know it's true. Oh, I've learned a lot from him and from my other children. You've got some good kids, so
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. [00:27:00] 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 feel well. If you'll 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. Love people, right? And loving and serving on them. And one of my favorite mottoes 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, if everybody did that. Mm-hmm. Can you imagine what this world, what a world it would be? I [00:28:00] know. Oh my goodness. And that's it. That's the gospel really in, in essence. Right. Wow. So this story, I remember just being so impactful.
'cause as people listen 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. 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 Harrell 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 you.
So you were, gosh, yeah. 93, 89. Yeah, I have, yeah. That's crazy. Yeah, it says at age. [00:29:00] You asked the Lord to come in, or I asked 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 have got to tell me that story. I know you've told me again, but share with everybody how that ha I know it was 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 traumatic that I can describe. Just finally came to my senses, I guess. Oh my goodness. But you were reading the Bible, right? You were sitting there in your, 'cause you do a kind of a morning devotional, right?
And you know, you kind of sit down and have quiet time with the Lord. Right. It was that time. I'm sure that something I read. I should remember the scripture, but Wow. Well. You do say this here, you said you like, uh, Dr. Wayne Hannah's favorite scripture, [00:30:00] Psalm 37, 4, delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Mm-hmm. 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. And 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 a hundred 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 got something else that seems more not, it's not more urgent.
Mm-hmm. But it [00:31:00] seems more urgent at the time. Mm-hmm. So I like it here and I want to stay long as I can. Well, we like having you here so. 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 defend on so many people.
Mm-hmm. And, uh. Really for the first time in my life. Mm-hmm. So, anyway, I'm blessed. You are blessed, and I bet that's probably what the Lord said is, listen, you know, you've been doing this thing on your own and doing an amazing job. But you can't do it without not only his help, but [00:32:00] also the help of the people that he's put in your life to care for you.
Because my, the 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. 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 to drive them 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 do. Yeah, I know every bit of [00:33:00] that is that generational blessing that sounds like 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 of 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 Granddady. Married again and Papa 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 that. Graduates [00:34:00] 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?
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. It's pretty amazing. It just meant so much to me in decision making. Is this what I should do? Mm-hmm. Ask the Lord to guide me. And it makes a lot of difference when you depend on a reliable source
Anyway, that I love that. Motto. Love God. A love people. Mm-hmm. Oh, 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 for things for.[00:35:00]
You don't have the money to pay for. Mm-hmm. Don't buy things that you don't have the money to for. Amen to that. That's pretty good advice. And then patent seed has reputation of being mm-hmm. Perfectly dependable about deliveries and they do what they're committed to doing. Mm. And that's important. I would agree.
So do what you say you're gonna do. Right. And be dependable and consistent. And that's what's built that reputation. Mm-hmm. And it's pretty impactful that even that, 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 had to learn in my journey as a business woman is that principle that I wish that I had really implemented [00:36:00] more in my early years, but now I'm just so thankful. I have that solid principle of not spending money that you don't have.
And uh, 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. I 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 granddad 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 be okay if I used that money to start a [00:37:00] business?
And I think you might've 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 ears and granddaddy's heart to wanna 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 what. So Granddaddy was a very wise man.
I know that. Oh yeah. And he thought that it was a good idea to go to college. And so he wanted that for us. Right. And you went to college too. You went to what is now Fado State University, right? Mm-hmm. What was it back then? The [00:38:00] Georgia. Georgia State Woman's College, Georgia State Woman's College. That 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, I studied it. I was never fluent in it, but Oh, wow. I've enjoyed having studied it because of travels and all. 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 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.
Or incentivizing people to do the results that you want. So you guys wanted us to go to [00:39:00] college and have that purpose, and so I love that. But then I also love that from a, a networking perspective. You and Granddaddy had friends all over the world, right? Really? You did. I know you did. In fact, I'll never forget when I went to college or right after, 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, she's an interior designer in Paris and we both have two kids. Hers are two boys now.
But I never would've 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 say.
Cave paintings. Oh, okay. But we were on that same tour and Patrick [00:40:00] 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 and said, I'll translate for you. So, so you struck up a conversation. He stepped in to help and serve you and showed you that kindness, like you said.
Mm-hmm. Smiled and then y'all struck up a long time friendship. Right. And then that evening we learned we were staying at the same hotel, and I guess it was George and Connor Thompson with us, but we were up on a kind of a mezzanine, having our five o'clock. 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 them that night at the hotel, [00:41:00] and it was a long tape. And some Canadian students who of course spoke French and. English, but they were so amused at our conversation that Patrick was practicing his English and I was trying to learn a little more French.
Hmm. So anyway, we kept running into those Canadian students. They'd have a smile on the face. Oh my gosh, that's so funny. It's a small world, even if you're across the world. 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 mom up back there. And we certainly [00:42:00] inherited your love for travel. That's for sure. What's your favorite place you've ever been in the world? Actually, I, Italy is 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. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And so many, so much history there that. Really appeal student. I love the music there and the language. So really overall that's and beauty of the country. Such beautiful scenes. I have not yet been to that late 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 that.
On the other side, we did go to Venice and that was beautiful. Yeah, you love that. Lake Como. We went there several times in that area. And, uh, anyway, later, I don't know if I can bring the story up, but later, two of the [00:43:00] grandchildren must have been Jay, 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 had, I don't remember. But anyway. Did he remember you or 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. Big Bambinos. Oh, that's so funny. Oh my goodness. Or something to that effect. That's amazing. You can remember that. [00:44:00] That's really, really special. We had a lot of fun with the languages. And Can you speak French a little bit?
Or Italian learn key words that you really need to. No, you look 'em up as you need them. Mm-hmm. 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 for N is so hard to understand.
It is. It's one of my life goals is to learn to speak French. 'cause our ancestry is. French, right? The Rockmore Granddaddy's side. Mm-hmm. 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 and 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 [00:45:00] I've ever been to best case either, so that'll, I think it's spelled LEF, another word, E-U-Y-Z-I-E-F. They say the famous cave paintings. Cave paintings, right. Ancient. Really, really? Wow. Oh, to go back there Anyway, and course Patrick and his family had been over here to visit us and first time Patrick came, he brought Caroline, she was 11.
And I was a little bit nervous about hosting 11-year-old. Oh, I bet. I bet. A random child. She spent the night at your mother's house, you mm-hmm. Slept in the bed with you, didn't she? I think so. Mm-hmm. That would've been an interesting conversation to take. I know. I [00:46:00] don't remember it either. I. I think so. I think she was little, but anyway.
That's wild. Well, grandma, looking back over your 97 years, I love that you've shared already. I have documented these important lessons and I can actually share them 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 'em.
I'll be able to do that. Are there any other lessons or any other stories that you can think of that you would wanna share on a platform like this? Well, so many things have happened in, in my lifetime. Do podcasts stay on forever? Forever, really? Yes, ma'am. Mm-hmm. All of them? Yes. Unless somebody deletes some, which I don't plan on doing so.
Well, the last. Several years [00:47:00] we've had World War II Reenactor come. Oh wow. To Lakeland. Mm-hmm. To Camp Patton. Really sweat. And they put on a demonstration of battle. Bob's been in one or two or three. But anyway, I got acquainted with one. I don't remember what his style was, but he was doing a podcast. Oh.
Of the event out there. But anyway, somehow I got acquainted with him and told him about Bills experience in the war and all. And so I went out and got him my root tracks and recollections so he could read about, so I gave him. And then he asked me a few questions about what I remembered about Pearl Harbor, where it was [00:48:00] when I heard it, 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.
World War Reenact. Lakeland, Georgia, Mike would bring it up. Sure. But he was fascinated to run across somebody who was living when 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 what I had experienced. Mm-hmm. 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. [00:49:00] Wow. And I never heard of Pearl Harbor. Mm-hmm. Anyway, they nice, friendly people. Oh. And that they had a dance that night at the street 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 Doctor Byline is real and his wife real good books swing call it now. Mm-hmm. So anyway, I went back there and told them to get out there jitter. So he came and, and got me to dance.
Oh my goodness. Instead of his wife. Oh, of course he did. You can dance. I, well, she was really good. Well, still, so [00:50:00] we had a good 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. Is the dance, the ballroom dance, birthday balls as we call 'em.
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, um, 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.
That memory tho, all of those memories, they're just so special. So what made you decide to start doing that or wanna do that? Let you do the what? What made you decide to start doing the birthday ball? Ooh, let me tell. Or we probably did it to celebrate you and then it just kept going. Well, Lee was always liked dancing.
Mm-hmm. [00:51:00] And she has a lot of good ideas too. It's probably her idea, but I'm not sure. But it was fun. I liked the memories of how it started. Mm-hmm. And the band, same band all those years, but the band being up on the landing up there. Mm-hmm. And this house 20 and they said over 20 years they did it every year.
That's really amazing. Except one year this year. Yeah. Well of course that's right. Dang. What I remember, this was kind of funny, is if we didn't have a date or somebody we were dating mm-hmm. You'd set us up with somebody. Do you remember that? I did, yes.
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 [00:52:00] love pretty 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 girlfriend, he. He didn't invite her because he knew, we all knew if grandmamma, if you said we were gonna be here and so and so was gonna be our date, that that was just, we were just gonna do it.
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. Mm-hmm. But not by leading with an iron fist.
It truly is by leading with love and leading with heart and mm-hmm. 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. It's from Cultivate What [00:53:00] Matters, and it's called the 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 wanna be, not just this year, but where I wanna be when I'm 90. And it's pretty cool. 'cause what I write down in that power sheets is that you are what, what I wanna be when I'm 90 and certainly when I'm nine seven. 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. Oh, simplify. And I love that y'all were 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, 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 [00:54:00] bomb group reunions and I. Oh, Jay was maybe in that same group, 3, 8, 7. But anyway, the four of us flew out there. Wow. And enjoyed that. So, 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 side 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 looked like you were going somewhere anyway. But that picture is so cherished to me. 'cause it represents just both, both of you very much.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. Both families and that generational blessing from from 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 cool 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. I. They were good [00:55:00] traveling companions. OJ did something, something about the plane needed a little adjustment or something, and OJ knew how to do it. My grand, my other granddad, he was brilliant as kind of like an engineer. He wasn't technically an engineer, but he could have been 'cause he could take anything apart and he could fix anything and that's what he spent a lot of his day and time doing it.
I believe he was a tail gunner on similar plane. Oh my. A what 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. Yeah. And the war of both veterans and of course, bill, my cousin, another veteran, and 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 [00:56:00] this documented, not only written and from your speech from the commencement at avac, but it's just so neat to be able to talk through it with you and to share some of these stories and, and to have access to it when you can still do something about it.
Absolutely. Absolutely. 'cause you're right, it's never too late to change directions. Oh my goodness. Well, any other parting advice that you wanna 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. Fact that those life lessons, they are so simple.
Mm-hmm. 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, [00:57:00] that you've learned from. Absolutely. I think that's really what we're called to do, and that's the point of this podcast is.
All of these lessons 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.
Thank you. 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 gonna be so blessed and touched by this, so, oh, 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.
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 gonna get back up on that treadmill and you're gonna come see our [00:58:00] new kitchen up in Richmond Hill. Oh God. 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 thing. Pam's always.
She loves to drive. Mm-hmm. So the trip we have planned 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. Yay. Well, thank y'all for listening. We we're just so grateful to have Gigi in my life, and I hope that her words have impacted you as much as they.
What a blessing. ~I hope y'all enjoyed this episode and make sure to share with a friend. I'd also be forever grateful if you'd be willing to leave me a review over on iTunes, and don't forget to check out heather k burge.com for lots more info. Have a great week.~
So I hope you enjoy listening to my Grandmama Nell's story today, and I hope it was a blessing to you. I wanna wrap us up in prayer as we finish out this episode. Lord, thank you so much for the inspiration and opportunity to be able to [00:59:00] share my beautiful grandmother's words, ~um,~ literally on her deathbed at the age of 97.
And it's this kind of wisdom that just helps us to keep, uh, ourselves grounded as we head into all of the things that you call us too. And she was such a beautiful example of how to. Balance and do all of the things well. And I've always said she was like, uh, the Proverbs 31 woman exemplified. And so just thank you for the blessing of having her words documented and allowing us to share her story today.
And thank you for those listening and, uh, we are just so grateful for all of it. In Jesus' name, amen. All right guys, so stay tuned for more episodes like this one to come. Yay.
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