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Married my senior year, to William Wiley who was year ahead of me at Smith. He was my high school sweetheart, and the father of our daughter. While in high school I was a long distance telephone operator for Southern Bell. Later on I had several jobs doing customer service and admin assistant. Divorced by choice. Married 2nd time to Jerry Jarvis who went to Page High School, we had a son. For two years I worked with Greensboro Police dept. and spent lot of nights laying on top of the train station and walking the back allies of downtown Greensboro, looking for strong-arm robberies & assisting in drug bust. I had an uncle my Dad's oldest brother, Lindsey Purcell that was Chief of Police. He had two son's that was detectives and a cousin who was police officer. Guess being police officer ran in family.
I was very proud to have been offered a job as the first female sales rep in the Southeast for Nabisco Co. There were 600 interviews, and all the reps were guys, I felt intimidated and didn’t take the job. Shortly after I applied at Keebler Cookie and Cracker Co and was hired. For little over year I worked with Greensboro Police dept and spent lot of nights laying on top of the train station and walking the back allies of downtown Greensboro, looking for strong-arm robberies & assisting in drug bust. I had an uncle my Dad's oldest brother, Lindsey Purcell that was Chief of Police. He had two son's that was detectives and a cousin who was police officer. I really enjoyed that line of work until I got pregnant with my son & after the Natsi/Klan shoot out in 1979, if you remember that, I did not want my children to be mother less so I quit.
Spotted ad in newspaper for a sales rep for Keeble Cookie and Cracker Co. I was chosen out of 675 applications. I loved the job and challenges; I had a show case territory. But due to divorce, I relocate to Wilmington NC, where I met & married my husband Joe Walls.
Joe was in the USAF. We did not leave the US during his career; we stayed on the eastern seaboard except for extended TDY's for husband. We spent 7 years in Fayetteville NC. I was very involved on Pope AFB and with base chapel and serviced as President of NCO's wives club and started a wives club for husbands squadron.
The wives of our Base & Wing commanders of Pope AFB, ask if I would represent Pope Air Force base in serving on the Fayetteville Arts Council down town. I was honored to hold this position. What an honor and all was successful. I worked full time for First Citizens Bank/Ft. Bragg. If that was not enough I was member of Beta Sigma Phi and held all offices and chaired all committees. From there we went to Charleston AFB, SC where we thought we would retire. I worked for First Citizens Bank in Charleston. Due to many CO. changes I wanted to do something different and make more money. So I applied and got job with an International Co.
Due to my parents health, I was running up and down the road to Greensboro helping my sister with our parents. A job was posted for a position in Charlotte, so I applied and was able to transfer which put me closer to Greensboro to help out. My father died in 1999.
My husband is a mason, so we decided to join the Shrine’s and was very involved. Joe & I were ask to take over and run the hospitality room for in/out of town events. In 2003 my husband took job with Foreign Service and we spend next 2 yrs in Beijing China & 1 1/2 years in Kazakhstan. I loved working at the Embassies, for Foreign Service. We were diplomats, wow! I was blessed with great jobs especially the Secure Procurement position. I had to have a top secret clearence to procure items for our Embassy in secure areas. After the Chinese governmnt pulled our tarmack my job took a turn, and I was ask to help with staff that set up Congressional Delegation visits, most were from Washington DC. I setup and worked control rooms, for the arrival of President Bill Clinton, Former President George Bush Senior, Colin Powell, Dick Chaney and wife Lynn, Condoleezza Rice and lots of Congressional teams from DC. I would meet and greet & man their contol rooms until wheels up. This experience was a privilege and honor. A unique way to serve our country by beng in Foreign Servce. Not like a job at all, just doing my job. Then in 2006, Joe had medical issue & they Air Vacked him to London, then we had to return to Washington DC to get better treatment. Mean while my mother had gotten worse. I lost both my mom in Aug & sister in Nov 2007. I am so glad we had to come back to states and I was given that time to spend with them. After that I took job with a Property Management Company in Charlotte NC, I was the Admin/Coordnator to the Senior VP and Property Manager.
Due to companies cut backs, two of us were laid off March 20, 2009. Offered another job September 2, 2009 with another Property Management company. as Tenant Coordinaior and Office Manager. Then due to economy, I was laid off this job January 27, 2010. I learned later they folded and left Charlotte.
I can say there were many Challenges through out my journey of life, during my school years and since, but without the friendships of many of you and the support of teachers and family, I would not be the person I am today. Life has been fun, rewarding, and most of all I can say I have been very blessed with many great friendships around the world, and along the road of life. It was really good to see everyone at the 40th reunion.
