All were invited to join the Goddard clan at the First United Methodist Church in Elizabethton this weekend to honor and celebrate Patsy and her milestone 100th birthday.
Even the Johnson City Press marked this special occasion by interviewing both Patsy and Grandmother Ginny on their long, lives.
‘Just like it did at 30:’ Elizabethton sisters say 100th birthday like any other
Longmire began teaching at Elizabethton High School in 1954, where she worked for 33 years. She taught mostly science courses — chemistry, biology, physical and earth sciences as well as home economics. “I like science because there was always something new going on,” Longmire said. In 1959, Longmire was actually one of two women and 40 men chosen to participate in a National Science and Mathematics Institute sponsored by the National Science Foundation. In addition to science courses, Longmire was also certified to teach aeronautics. She learned to fly a Piper Cub model airplane as part of a special training program that taught women to become certified pilots to deliver mail via air during WWII. Longmire said turning 100 doesn’t feel any different than turning any other age. “(It feels) just like it did at 30,” Longmire said. “I really wasn’t aware of my age, because I was so busy being a mother and a teacher and a wife.”
Laws began working at Milligan University, at the time called Milligan College, in the business office. Her career at Milligan began by setting up a double entry bookkeeping system. “We put in a huge computer,” Laws said. “We had to put in air conditioning for the computer, not for us.”
Before coming to Milligan, Laws worked as a Certified Public Accountant for May Ross McDowell before being approached to help take on the task of building the bookkeeping system. She said she decided to start working at Milligan in the hopes she would be able to further her education which she did earning her degree and in time running the Business Department for 20 years. “I figured if I went to Milligan I would have an opportunity to get off hours and finish my degree,” Laws said. “And that’s what I did. I completed my degree and graduated.”
In addition to their impressive careers, the sisters were both married, raised families and remained active in their churches and their communities. And while most people would see turning 100 as another accomplishment for the sisters to add to their long list, Laws agrees with her sister’s sentiment on it. “(There’s) no difference,” Laws said. “I mean, it’s just another day.”
Dad and Janice made their way to east Tennessee Friday, making an overnight side trip to Morristown to cheer on the Elizabethton Fighting Cyclones as they took on the Hamblen West Trojans. The Cyclones soared to victory beating the Trojans 20-7. More importantly, they ran into Ashley who was there rallying her boys and the home team.
Early Saturday morning, Roy, Terry and I loaded up and headed to Elizabethton. Normally, we would have also been on the road Friday but Roy had a live painting commitment to fulfill that evening.
Since the air conditioning in our Jeep was on the fritz and since Roy was sporting a new Toyota 4-Runner, he “volunteered” to drive us all up which was great. New car smell plus XM Radio for commercial free hits from the 1980’s with an Egg McMuffin thrown in was the makings of a more than perfect day. It was also spacious enough to deliver a black cast iron bench along with two urns and Boston ferns to accent Grandmother’s English garden.
We arrived mid-afternoon and as we were pulling in the driveway, Eddie and Ann Camm were just heading out from their visit. Piling out of the car, we found Dad, Janice and Phyllis gathered around the kitchen table savoring slices of homemade cheesecake that Eddie and Ann had brought with them all they way from Philadelphia. It was a confectionary labor of love as it takes days to bake. Eddie said he found the recipe many years ago and has become a family staple. It was amazing!
Since it was a gorgeous day, we made our way to the screened-in porch, my favorite place, and talked and caught up until it was time for Dad and Janice to meet David Pinkard, Dad’s childhood friend, and his wife for a late afternoon cup of coffee. I loved seeing the black and white photo of Dad and David with their friend Howard White in their ROTC uniforms at East Tennessee State College, the precursor to East TN State University. It has been a lifetime since they have seen each other and from their recollections, it sounds like they barely kept out of trouble.
Phyllis surprised Roy with a belated birthday gift. He will be well attired when football season starts in a few weeks. Go Vols!!!
Our take-out dinner that evening around the kitchen table from Black Olive Saturday night was an Italian feast. Having skipped lunch I was starving as I’m sure Terry and Roy were as well. Everything on the menu sounded so good it was hard to decide which meal was the best: Dad and Janice’s antipasto salad, Roy’s manicotti, Grandmother’s chicken marsala, Phyllis’ salad with chicken or the chicken fettuccini that Terry and I split.
And how about the unexpected visit from Mike and Paulina Camm with their sons Mike and Pat later that evening. I thought it was so sweet of them to bring Grandmother a handcrafted, ceramic dish as a hostess gift as they made their way through North Carolina.
I was equally surprised to see Eddie and Anne Camm return bringing his daughter Karen and his granddaughter with them. Listening to Mike and Eddie reminisce, it sounds as if some of their favorite memories were the summers they spent visiting Grandmother Carrie and their Aunt Ginny from youthful first kisses in Grandmother Carrie’s hall closet, to her hearty meals, eating apples from her tree, or just sitting in her front yard watching the world go by. Mary Etta would have been so pleased to see her boys, grandkids and great-grandkids together and to know that they were visiting her sisters. I’m happy we were able to get some family photos in Grandmother’s backyard to mark the occasion.
Terry Bailey, Michelle Laws Bailey, Patrick Camm, Paulina Camm, Virginia Taylor Laws,
Dick Laws, Mike Camm, Phyllis Laws Dycus, Roy Laws, Janice Driver Laws, Michael Camm
Eddie Camm, Mike Camm, Ann Camm, Patrick Camm, Phyllis Laws Dycus, Mike Camm, Paulina Camm,
Virginia Taylor Laws, Roy Laws, Karen (Eddie Camm’s daughter) and Eddie’s granddaughter
Of course, the terrifying show stopper of the weekend was the slow gas leak Dad and Terry noticed emanating near the chimney alongside the driveway. I’m so glad they called Atmos Energy to come investigate. I was completely wigging out and thought he would never arrive. How fortunate we were that the gas man was able to reach out to a friend who was able to repair the leak at 9:30pm, on a Saturday night, in a thunderstorm. It was serendipitous that Phyllis had worked with the man’s wife at the Coalition for Kids. I’m sure she heard the name Laws and urged her hubby to get out the door and go help Ms. Virginia. It was a massive relief to know that we were not going to blow up. Way too much excitement for me.
Thankfully, things were back to normal the next morning so we could all relax and enjoy a hearty Sunday breakfast together. Dad made his homemade biscuits using the biscuit cutter that his grandfather had handcrafted, Phyllis set the table and sous cheffed while Roy monitored the sausage, bacon, and scrambled eggs with melty cheese all served alongside sausage gravy which fortified us for Patsy’s birthday party at the church that afternoon.
Grandmother, Janice, Terry, Roy and little ole me getting ready to head to the church.
The fellowship hall at the Methodist church was elegantly decorated for a celebratory gala. A long table was draped in a glittery tablecloth and was laden with a crystal punch bowl, an enormous cake with piped, pink roses, a trifled fruit bowl, a variety of nibbles and a glorious, floral centerpiece all framed with arched balloons in shades of pink, white, and gold. It was a lovely affair. Didn’t Patsy look beautiful in her soft pink, tiered dress with sparkly accents and corsage?
Candace Linkenbach, Allie Birchfield Gillenwater and Michelle with the star of the day, Patsy center stage.
It was a wonderful gathering of family and friends as I buzzed about hugging and catching up with everyone. I was overjoyed seeing Terri and Richard, Patricia, Ethan, Carrie, Carlos and Candace, Charlie and Meg with their two little kiddos, Rachel and Sean, Jennifer, Allie and Ashley with their families and Pat, Kathy and Hunter. And I couldn’t believe that Logan and Grayson (Goddard) Morrow were expecting a baby in just three weeks time. I know Pat and Kathy must be beside themselves to become grandparents. We’ll be welcoming a wee member of the family in just a matter of days.
It was also a treat to finally meet Dad’s longtime friend, the myth, the legend, David Pinkard.
Dad and Janice had to duck out during the reception to get a head start on their drive and week ahead while we lingered and visited until we were being shooed out the door.
I was grateful that Eddie and Anne Camm were available to drive Grandmother and Phyllis back to the house that afternoon because it would have truly taken an act of God or the fire department to get them into Roy’s lifted truck.
Being back at the house gave us another opportunity to dive into another slice of cheesecake with Eddie and Ann. While we tucked into dessert, Roy headed over to Terri and Richard Parker’s house to catch up with an assemblage of cousins and to partake in the Chicago style pizza that was specially ordered from Chicago. Nothing says happiness like ooey, gooey, cheesy carbs.
After all the excitement and hubbub it was nice to kick back and relax. Phyllis scooted back to her apartment to make sure Sally had not instituted a coup, Grandmother snuggled into her recliner with her heated throw while Terry and I grabbed a couch each and watched an episode of “Columbo”, resting on our laurels after a long day visiting.
When Roy returned from Terri and Richard’s later that evening he had Patricia in tow and we found ourselves back around the kitchen table. Phyllis returned as well and she and Grandmother enjoyed a slice of pizza they brought back with him in return for a slice of Eddie’s cheesecake that Terri was anxious to try.
I hadn’t spent that much time with Patricia since the family reunion in 2000 after which she, Roy, and I found ourselves together riding around Elizabethton. We laughed and reminisced and it was really great catching up with her, and hearing about her life, career, and what her life may look like in the future.
Roy, Terry and I were up early Monday morning to get packed up and the car loaded to hit the road. Before leaving we shared a cup of tea and coffee with Grandmother while admiring her lovely back yard. We hugged and said our goodbyes and were on our way to Franklin.
