Resident Spotlight: Angelyn Screws
Hello, my name is Angelyn Screws. Some people call me “Ang.” I was born in Alabama and moved to Georgia when I was very little. My dad worked on the train for most of my childhood, so my sisters, mom, dad, and I moved almost every year. I really enjoyed riding the train to school and back every day when I was young.
I resided in Columbus, Georgia, once my dad’s railway job finally settled down. I was a very good child. My mother told me I was the most trustworthy out of all my sisters. I was the middle child out of 5. My mother was the biggest influence in my life. She worked herself silly! She did not work outside of our house, but she worked a lot nonetheless.
I enjoyed school, but only sometimes. I went to high school in Columbus and met William (nicknamed “Bill”). I was playing softball as a first baseman and he noticed me. We dated, and I married him on February 10, 1945, when I was 20. He was in the military for a while. We had two wonderful children together. I love them very much.
When Bill was in the military, I was working various jobs. I worked at Sears for a long time, at least 20 years. I have traveled many places during my life. I remember going to Mexico and seeing a bullfight. It was very intense!
I do not get out much now, but I don’t mind. I enjoy it here at Dogwood very much. I have only been here a few months, but so far everyone here is very nice. My daughter chose this place for me and I’m very glad she did.
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Resident Spotlight: Virginia “Jinnie” McCord
Where did you grow up?
Jinnie was born January 25, 1921, and grew up in Atlanta. She was the youngest child with three brothers and one sister. She attended and graduated from Atlanta Girls High and attended and graduated from Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville, Georgia, with a degree in home economics.
What are some of your favorite memories from your childhood?
Jinnie states that her favorite memories from her childhood were being with her family, her wonderful parents and she was especially close to her oldest brother with her remembering him coming home from work and reading to her when she was young.
What are some of your favorite memories from adulthood?
Jinnie states that she has very fond memories of her time in college. She met her future husband, Ned Joyner McCord, when she was in elementary school and they dated for several years before getting married October 23, 1943. Over the years of their marriage they lived in many places related to her husband being in the military, including several locales in Europe and many places in the U.S. They had five children – four boys and one girl – and she has seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Jinnie was married for almost 58 years when her husband died in 2001.
Did you have a profession?
Jinnie was mostly a housewife and mother, but she also worked outside the home first as a substitute teacher for a few years and she worked for her church as hostess and dietician and cook at Central Presbyterian Church for 5-6 years.
Which accomplishments in your life do you feel most proud?
Jinnie was a good mother to her five children and she was very active and involved in her church.
Is there anything you have learned in life you wish to share with someone just graduating from college?
Jinnie states that kindness is the best thing that you can do for others. She states that she would stress the importance of loving your neighbor to anyone that she was giving advice to about life.
What brought you to Dogwood Forest?
Jinnie apparently had lived at Carestone in Jonesboro for 11 years after she had knee surgery and was no longer able to take care of herself and needed more care and assistance with ADLs than family could provide at home. Jinnie became unhappy at Carestone, and after a friend told her about Dogwood Forest of Eagles Landing she visited the community and decided that she wanted to live here. She states that she has been very satisfied here with staff and other residents treating her well and she has no desire to live anywhere else.
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Resident Spotlight: Humberto Quintana
Where did you grow up?
Humberto was born October 26, 1919, in Cayey, Puerto Rico, while his father was in U.S. military. At age 8, Humberto and his family moved to Govenor’s Island, New York, where he lived until he went away to college. Humberto had four brothers and one sister, but all of his siblings are now dead. Humberto was an excellent student growing up, attending famous private school Scarborough. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Williams College and received a master’s degree from Furman University.
What are some of your favorite memories from childhood?
Humberto was an excellent student and received a medal for top academics after 8th grade and Eleanor Roosevelt presented him with the medal of excellence. Humberto states that while living on Govenor’s Island he had to travel by ferry daily to attend school in New York City. Humberto was always very active in sports while growing up, playing football, basketball, and baseball.
What are some of your favorite memories from adulthood?
Humberto states that U.S. involvement in WWII was just starting as he graduated from college and so he went right into service after college and he met his future wife, Vera Drummond, at Fort Benning, Georgia, where she was an Army nurse. They got married a short time after meeting, but did not see each other for the first two years of marriage while he was in the Army and Vera worked as a nurse. At the end of the war, Humberto moved to South Carolina (where his wife was from) and got a master’s in education. He was married to Vera for 57 years and they were very devoted to each other. They had one child, a daughter, and Humberto has one grandson and three great-grandchildren. Humberto was a couch and teacher in South Carolina for eight years and his football teams were very successful with one team going undefeated and one team winning the state championship.
Did you have a profession?
Humberto was first a teacher and football coach and then he went to work for Burlington Industries for 25 years. He was a corporate vice president when he retired in 1984.
What accomplishment in life do you feel most proud?
Humberto states that he was an excellent student and made good grades and attended a fine private high school in New York and a top private college. He was also very proud of being a high school football coach in South Carolina with the football program doing very well throughout his time there. He also was a big family man who loved his wife of 57 years very much (before she died related to Alzheimer’s in 2001) and very proud of his daughter, grandson and great-grandchildren. Humberto was a family man who loved his family very much.
Is there anything you’ve learned in life you wish to share with someone who is just graduating college?
Humberto states, “You have to take advantage of opportunities you have in life and do your best in order to accomplish what you want to do.”
Is there anything you’ve learned in life you wish to share with someone who is just starting a family?
Humberto stated, “Family is the most important thing in life,” and so make your family your priority.
What brought you to Dogwood Forest?
Humberto was living on his own in South Carolina until July 2012 when he moved to Georgia to live with his daughter because he could no longer live alone and take care of himself. He did pretty well at his daughter’s home, but she found that he needed more care and attention than she was able to provide at home. She lives out in the country and Humberto is very active and social and needed to be around more people, and his doctor recommended Dogwood Forest as a good place to reside. Humberto moved to Dogwood Forest Eagles Landing in November 2012 and his daughter states that there has been a period of adjustment, but Humberto seems to be settling in and doing better. He is acclimating to the Stockbridge senior living community and his daughter is happy with the care and treatment he is receiving.
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Resident Spotlight: Ms. Mary Augusta Neville
Ms. Mary Augusta Neville was born March 13, 1925, in Fairfax, Virginia. She had a twin brother whom she loved. She and her brother were adopted when they were 6 months old.
She moved at an early age and when asked about her favorite memory, she said it was going back to North Carolina and visiting family. She says she was an average child and did not get into trouble. She was called “Gussy” at school and loved having a nickname.
Ms. Mary grew up Presbyterian and loved going to church. She went to college and studied Sociology. Later, she worked at the YWCA in Washington before meeting her husband. She was married at age 24 to Walter. They had two children together, Bill and Harry. Mr. and Mrs. Neville were married for 60 years.
When asked why she came to Dogwood senior living in Fayetteville, she said her children live in Atlanta and she wanted to live in a place that was calm. She has been at Dogwood for almost a year and loves every moment of it. She says her favorite meal here is breakfast. She loves cereal and eggs, but mostly coffee. The three things she enjoys most are family, friends, and church. One thing she would like the world to know is peace. Also, keep your family close to your heart and keep in touch with relatives.
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Resident Spotlight: Nelda Grayson
Nelda grew up in Pensacola, Florida, where going to the library and checking out books was a great pastime. Her love of reading has been a passion her entire life.
Living in Pensacola, a military town, Nelda watched as the troops returned from WWll by train. She recalls all of the joyful noises the men made because they were so happy to be coming home. A similar scene was also noted when troops returned from Korea.
Nelda worked her way through Florida State University, and then moved to the big city of Atlanta. Her professional career included a teaching school, H&R Block, Georgia Tech, and real estate sales.
One of Nelda’s favorite memories of adulthood was the birth of her children, only topped by the birth of her grandchildren.
Advice for marriage: Be careful who you marry. You may be in love, but pay attention to signs you may not like in the future!
Advice on children: love them to death.
Nelda enjoys getting to know other residents at Dogwood Forest of Dunwoody, and is a founding member of our book club. In her circle of friends, she includes her care managers, A.L. director and James, our cook!
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Resident Spotlight: Nora Taylor
Hi, my name is Nora Taylor. I grew up in Albertville, Alabama. I lived on a farm all during my childhood. My father grew all of our food, as well as cotton. He was a sharecropper and my younger brother, mom, and I helped out.
I enjoyed my childhood so much! I had a wonderful home life. I was a very good child and tried my hardest to get good grades in school. When I didn’t make straight As, I would cry!
My family raised me as a Baptist Christian and after high school I pursued ministry with my husband, Marvin Taylor. I met him on December 26, 1949, on a blind date. Eleven days later, on January 6, 1950, we were married!
My parents really wanted me to go to college, so I did. After college, I became a nurse while Marvin was in the military. When he and I had our two children, I became a stay-at-home mother. When my children grew up, I worked at an office as a secretary.
We traveled all over the world after our children moved away. We settled in Germany for a while after he retired from the Navy. My husband pastored one of the churches while we lived there and I still stay in contact with some of the people we met. I really have a passion for sharing the word of God to everyone I meet.
My husband and I moved back to Alabama after we found out he had cancer. After my husband passed away, I was all alone one day and fell. I ended up breaking my pelvis and my daughter decided it was time to look into an assisted living facility.
She chose Dogwood and I enjoy it here so much! I try my best to meet everyone and greet them with a smiling face. Everyone here, including the staff, are very nice. I enjoy all the various activities they set up for us. I loved being able to minister to those who were hurting, but I’m glad I am now able to call Dogwood Forest of Fayetteville my home.
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Resident Spotlight: Carolyn Waits
Where did you grow up?
Carolyn was born on Dec. 10, 1925 in Stockbridge, Georgia, and she also grew up in Stockbridge with one older brother. She graduated from Henry County High School and took some business courses from a school in Atlanta, Georgia.
What are some of your favorite memories from your childhood?
Carolyn stated that when she was growing up Stockbridge was a small community and she knew everyone in town and everyone in town knew her. She lived right across the street from the school that she attended and she would go home for lunch every day. She would first go to her aunt’s house, who lived right next door to her, and find out what she was having for lunch. If she liked what her aunt was having, she would eat that or she would go home and find out what Mother was having for lunch and eat there. She also stated that growing up, her father worked for Southern Railroad and so family had pass to travel anywhere they wanted to and they would go to St. Simons Island when she was young. Carolyn states growing up she was her father’s favorite and daily he would say, “What do you want today?” and her father would do it for her and so she felt special.
What are some of your favorite memories from your adulthood?
Carolyn stated that she remembers taking business courses in Atlanta and then going to work for Federal Reserve Bank where she met her future husband, Lawrence. She tried to get Lawrence to notice her, but he wouldn’t and so her father arranged for her to have a get-together with coworkers at her home. Lawrence attended that event (group ate hot dogs and then went on a possum hunt where they caught a possum) and then Carolyn and Lawrence started dating and they married August 19, 1944. They had two daughters and Carolyn has two grandchildren (boy and girl) and two great-grandchildren (two boys).
Did you have a profession?
Carolyn stated that all of her jobs were working in a bank as a secretary, first for Federal Reserve Bank and then Fulton National Bank.
Which accomplishments in your life do you feel most proud of?
Carolyn stated that she was most proud of her work as a secretary in a bank and she enjoyed the person that she worked for. She is very proud of her two children and very proud of her grandson who works in Washington D.C. and talks to her regularly, and her granddaughter and her two great-grandchildren.
Is there anything you’ve learned in life you wish to share with someone who is just graduating college?
Carolyn stated that her advice would be to always do the thing that is right, don’t do something because someone else is doing it, have trust in yourself, and remember that you were taught right from wrong and always do the right thing.
Is there anything you’ve learned in life you wish to share with someone who is just starting a family?
Carolyn stated to always remember that you have to teach your children the right thing to do, parents are responsible to teach their children right from wrong and responsible for seeing that the children do the right thing and if they do not do the right thing then the parents must straighten them out and parents are ultimately responsible for their children.
What brought you to Dogwood Forest?
Carolyn states that she was living on her own and she and her family determined that she no longer needed to live by herself and needed help in becoming more independent through therapies. She and her family decided on Dogwood Forest, and she has been very happy here. Carolyn stated that she knows several other residents who live here and she has a gift of getting along well with others and she gets a lot of pleasure from positive relationships with others. Carolyn is very fortunate to have a close relationship with her family, with one daughter visiting her daily after she gets off of work and the other daughter calls Carolyn twice daily and visits often.
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Resident Spotlight: Marion Costello
Where did you grow up?
LaSalle, Illinois – I was born there in 1918.
What are some of your favorite memories from your childhood?
Growing up with my sister in a country home, I also remember going to a one-room schoolhouse until the 6th grade and then going onto town to a Catholic school. Marion said they had nice nuns as teachers in fact she revealed a gold bracelet with a charm on it that one of the nuns gave her on her first communion. She has worn the bracelet since she got it! Her aunt was a nun in Belgium.
What are some of your favorite memories from adulthood?
Graduating high school and from Brown Business College. My family owned a dairy and my sister and I worked in the office part of it, until I met the man of my dreams!!
Did you have a profession?
At the dairy until my husband and I got married, which we met on Thanksgiving night and was married the following October. He had to travel a lot for his job at Goodyear until WWII started and his job at the rubber plant was gone. He worked on the shipyards during the war.
Do you remember what was happening in your life during a significant event in US history such as WWII, Vietnam, Woodstock or any other historical event?
I remember Pearl Harbor and that I was pregnant with my son Jack.
Which accomplishments in your life do you feel most proud?
I am most proud that I raised three wonderful, successful children. They are my pride and joy.
Is there anything you’ve learned in life you wish to share with someone who is just graduating college?
Take every advantage to learn, read and travel, and not to waste time.
Is there anything you’ve learned in life you wish to share with someone who is just starting a family?
Yes! I wish I had taken my children with us when we were traveling. I have been all over the world; I have missed Russia and Australia. Marion has a painted map on her wall with little stick pins in every country she and her husband traveled to. I was a world traveler, not a home body!
What brought you to Dogwood Forest of Gainesville?
I needed to be by my family more, so I moved from LaSalle to be with my son and daughter-in-law. My son picked Dogwood Forest and I trusted him that this was a good place.
How do you enjoy Dogwood Forest of Gainesville as your new home?
I feel like I am a member of the family here, but then sometimes not, because I am a Northerner and the other ladies and I have trouble understanding what is being said. Like “fixin to!!”
What is your favorite part of living at Dogwood?
Being near to my family, and being able to go out with them or over to their home for dinner. I wouldn’t trade it for anything!
Who is your best friend at Dogwood?
Nell and Bertha that sit with me while we dine and the girls that give me support here at Dogwood: Judy, Amanda and Christina. Christina calls me her “Sugar Burger!”
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Resident Spotlight: Mary Jane
Mary Jane, who we affectionately call M.J., was born December 26 in Huntington, West Virginia. She graduated from William & Mary College in 1945 with a B.A. in art. She went on to teach grades 1-12. M.J says that her favorite age group to teach was students in middle grades. She enjoyed their inquisitive nature.
Mary Jane met her husband, Emmitt, at an alumni dance at William & Mary. They were married in 1946. She and Emmit raised four children, two boys and two girls. She spent many years volunteering in her community with Reach for Recovery, a breast cancer survivors group, working on various fundraisers, and was an active member of Women’s Club. She did her best to stay busy helping others. Mary Jane has lived in several places such as Norfolk, Va.; Philadelphia; Chicago; Pittsburgh; Troy, N.Y.; St. Louis; and Massachusetts. She has called Lawrenceville, Ga., home for the past 16 years. Old movies and listening to Hymns are two favorite pastimes. We are excited to welcome Mary Jane to our senior living community in Dunwoody, Georgia, Dogwood Forest of Dunwoody.
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Resident Spotlight: Eunice Scarborough
Where did you grow up?
Eunice states that she was born on November 21, 1934, in southeast Atlanta and she grew up in the same area. She was an only child and graduated from Roosevelt High School, which had been the old Atlanta Girls High, in 1952.
What are some of your favorite memories from your childhood?
Eunice states that one of her favorite memories is her mother reading to her. She states that while growing up her mother had multiple sclerosis and so Eunice had to help her mother with housework. Starting at age 9 Eunice would make biscuits for her father for breakfast and she was so short that she had to stand on a stool to reach the kitchen counter. She also remembers that at some point in childhood she went to live with her aunt, who she loved, and they started traveling together with her mother. Eunice also has good memories of elementary-school friends who she would play with outside.
What are some of your favorite memories from your adulthood?
Eunice states that as an adult she loved to travel and she enjoyed trips to Panama City Beach, North Carolina, Virginia, Washington, Kentucky, places in Europe including England, Spain, France, and Middle East, Israel, Egypt. Eunice met her future husband through a friend of hers and she got married to Randall Scarborough when she was 46 years old and they were married for 27 ½ years when he died. She states that she regretted never having children but that they had a good life together.
Did you have a profession?
Eunice states that she worked for Atlanta Public Schools for 38+ years, first as a clerk typist. Then she became a buyer for the school system, which she did until she retired. She states that the thing she liked most about her job was the personal contact that she had with people.
What accomplishment in your life do you feel most proud?
Eunice states that she is most proud that instead of getting married early in life like a lot of her friends did, she finished school and stated working before she got married. She states that the only bad part of waiting a long time to get married was that she was not able to have children. She is also proud of all of the traveling that she was able to do in her life in the U.S. and overseas. Eunice states that she was able to repay the kindness of her aunt taking her and her mother into her home with mother having MS; the trio loved to travel together.
Is there anything you’ve learned in life you wish to share with someone just graduating college?
Eunice states that when you work, be devoted to your job but not to the point that you don’t have a life or family outside of your job.
Is there anything that you’ve learned in life you wish to share with someone just starting a family?
Eunice states that you should have your family come first, and not your job ahead of your family in your life.
What brought you to Dogwood Forest?
Eunice states that she could not live alone anymore and could not maintain her home like she needed to and could not fix her own food. She states that she had aides helping her in her home, but she could not always depend on them coming to help her. She states that here she doesn’t have to worry about people coming to help her with her care.
How do you enjoy Dogwood Forest as your new home?
Eunice states that she enjoys meeting new people here and enjoys that staff helps her as needed with her care at the Dogwood Forest senior living community in Stockbridge, Georgia.
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