Pryor Scrapbook Bessie Mae, 2008

I want to wish you the very happiest Birthday wishes. I also want to thank you for all the wonderful lunches I ate at your house with Susan while we were in gramm ar school. I also want to thank you for spraying my throat with Chloraseptic when I needed it, for the prize d package of Barbie shoes for Christmas morning, for taking Susan and I to Shelbyville and for all the lovely times and memories at your home. With highest regards- Mandy Risinger Jones Dear Bessie Mae, Congratulations on your 85th birthday. You have been a lifelong inspiration to me and thousands of other young Christian women. I fondly remember the hospitality you and Dr. Joe showed me when I arrived at Harding in the summer of 1968. M y very first taste of okra came from your kitchen! I so enjoyed spending time with your family and occasionally babysitting the kids. The gi rls were always a joy, but I've often wondered if you ever recovere d from Jody giving his snake a bath in your Tupperware bowl! I have many, many fond memories of Harding and the Pryor family is central to my enduring love for this college. (It was a coll ege when I went there.) As a dean in a college in Illinois, I certainly do appreciate th e power of those who take students under their wing and provide guidance for their futures. May God bless you and your f amily! Deborah Hindman Payne ('71) and my mom, Mildred Teffertiller Phegley ('4?) To our dear Bessie Mae~ What fun to celebrate your birthday with you .... long d istance! We are sending you our love and prayers for many more happy days enjoying your family and every day life! You have been a very special part of our lives and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your love and friendship. Who would have known all that this Yankee girl would learn from dear Bessie Mae??!! Living in your home a nd becoming part of your family will always be a very special memory for m e. Through the years, we have shared little time toge ther but have always remained in touch. I love remembering how Dr. Joe e njoyed Mark in his bow tie look at age 5. Your interes t and love towards my children will be something I always hold dear. All of you (including Susan and her family) continue to mean so much and know that we are with you in spi rit today! Happy, happy birthday, Bessie Mae! We love you!!! Karen, Rachel, and Mark Gonzalez