page 1 - Mature Living in the Southeast
page 1 - Mature Living in the Southeast page 1 - Mature Living in the Southeast
feature storyBy David TootleAfter twenty years of parenthood,Edie and LamarSmith of Reidsville find themselveswith an “empty nest.”Their two sons, Taylor andSteven, are students at the Universityof Georgia in Athens,while Mom and Dad adjust toa new phase of life without theboys at home. Edie, the pharmacistat Vidalia’s Buy $martPharmacy and Home Medical,says the dire predictions oflonely times she heard fromfriends may have been exaggerated.“They said, ‘Oh, it’s goingto be horrible, just horrible,’”Edie recalled, “but we’ve beenso busy, we haven’t had muchtime to think about it. Lamar,by nature, works fourteenhours a day, and I’ve beenworking on getting this (Buy$mart) started. We see eachother at night, and it’s been nicejust being together. Now wecan be kind of spontaneous. Weave a house at the coast; if weant, we can just go downhere and get away.”She added that she feels the24Empty nest, full slateBusy schedulefulfilling forlocal pharmacistMature Living Winter EditionEDIE SMITH PREPARES A PRESCRIPTION AT BUY $MARTPHARMACY IN VIDALIA.boys were sent away prepared,and that this has helped calmthe parents’ normal anxieties.“Lamar accused me ofspoon feeding the boys growingup, and I’m sure I did,” sheremembered. “I made sure theydid everything that came along.My philosophy was that if youthrow enough out there, they’llfind something they’re interestedin. Both of them werealways busy, always doingstuff.”Then, when the time came,Edie says she sent them outwith her blessing.“I said, ‘Guys, I feel reallygood about where you are.You’ve gotten some great exposureand had some great opportunities,but now you’re onyour own.”The Smith sons were notthe only ones who had beenbusy those twenty years. WhileEdie speaks of her boys andhusband as being energetic andambitious, she too is somethingof a dynamo. She took offabout ten weeks for the birthof each child, but has otherwiseremained constantly involvedin the work world and in communityaffairs. Her story beganin Taylor County, Georgia.Edie was born in Butler, asmall town between Maconand Columbus, and grew up ina family where her father wasa funeral director and operateda private ambulance service.She was the fourth generationof her family born in TaylorCounty, and thefirst to leave.“Daddy stillasks when we’recoming home,”she said with asmile.She attended asmall privateChristian school,Mauk Academy,through theeighth grade. Itwas about fivehundred yardsfrom her grandparents’house,out of which hergrandmother operateda post office.Her grandfatherowned a general storeacross the street.“I got to go to their houseand eat lunch every day,” sherecalled. “Then I would goacross the street and get ahoney bun, and go back toschool.”Edie remembered a “brushwith fame” as a youngster. Heruncle, who was in politics, arrangedfor her and other famcontinuedon page 26
Mature Living Winter Edition 25
- Page 1: Mature LivingIN SOUTHEAST GEORGIAA
- Page 4 and 5: health newsHeart conditions can be'
- Page 6 and 7: feature storyPassing His Blessings
- Page 9 and 10: enteen years old,” he remembered.
- Page 11 and 12: Continued from page 9happen the nex
- Page 13 and 14: The First Baby BoomerFew people att
- Page 15 and 16: perhaps their greatest accomplishme
- Page 17 and 18: Every tidbit had to be verifiedfor
- Page 19 and 20: THE LEGENDARY STORY OFObediah’sOk
- Page 21 and 22: spot it was built. Although itwas n
- Page 23: owed assets.IRA: Individual Retirem
- Page 27 and 28: decide on pharmacy. She hada family
- Page 29 and 30: talented.”Edie took piano lessons
- Page 31 and 32: Mature Living Winter Edition 31
- Page 33 and 34: Why go the Distancewhen there’sCa
- Page 35 and 36: pulled on him one day. On this part
- Page 37 and 38: health newsIs Poor Posture Aging Yo
- Page 39 and 40: R ENTZR&ENTZINSURANCE, INC.453 SOUT
- Page 41 and 42: continued from page 38you want to f
- Page 43 and 44: nity volunteers that believe charit
- Page 45 and 46: Still Searching for a CureToday, as
- Page 47 and 48: Tison school as a child, where she
- Page 49 and 50: Mature Living Winter Edition 49
- Page 51 and 52: out of respect for what’s happene
- Page 53 and 54: Helping a Parent After the Loss of
- Page 55 and 56: ExcelCare Ambulance ServiceSpeciali
- Page 57 and 58: *Virgin - oil produced bythe use of
- Page 59 and 60: upcoming community eventsHappenings
- Page 61 and 62: Annual Peaches to the BeachesYard S
- Page 63: Good “Ole” HumorGoing Visiting:
<strong>Mature</strong> <strong>Liv<strong>in</strong>g</strong> W<strong>in</strong>ter Edition 25
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