Interview with a Blessed Woman Named Jo

Jo, you live in Boone, North Carolina, the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, the home of Appalachian State University. I’ve heard of the scenic beauty from Grandfather Mountain, near Boone. What else is your town known for?

It’s the headquarters for Samaritan’s Purse.

A big, helping organization that offers warmth and compassion. Our church promotes Samaritan’s Purse during the Christmas season. Boone had flash flooding and devastation from Hurricane Helene in September 2024. The rivers flash-flooded and did catastrophic damage. Is that right?

Yes, the flood destroyed both bridges and roads. Some just disappeared. No power for three to four weeks for some people. Houses floated down the rivers. The people in town had struggles because of the lack of power, and the North Carolina Baptists on Mission along with the Red Cross delivered hundreds of meals daily. Up in the higher mountains, people probably knew more about surviving the disaster than the townspeople, if their houses survived. Now, ten months later, trees are still being cut away. Some of the local bridges are not yet repaired.

And now, we see news from Texas echoing the tragedy of Hurricane Helene, all the flooding and loss of life.

Yes, in Texas and New Mexico.

I hear your empathy, your understanding in the sound of your voice. You have three river forks right there in Boone. Major flooding, major destruction.

Helene’s rain in the mountains brought severe flooding to Western North Carolina and East Tennessee, as most of the rivers begin near here. Two major rivers begin in Boone—the Watauga River that flows west and the three forks of the New River that flow northeast into Virginia, West Virginia, and on to the Atlantic. We still have limited access to the Blue Ridge Parkway and US Highway 321 into Tennessee. We are recovering but not there yet. Schools and the university were closed, and damage was great. On Tuesday before the storm, my small Bible Study Group met, and by Friday, three members of the group had lost their apartments and cars.

Devastation and recovery. What did you see that’s hopeful?

The community. The people have pulled together whether it’s about delivering meals or rebuilding. The people are still working together.

It’s inspiring. Jo, I’m going to turn to your traveling. I don’t know if I know anyone who has traveled more than you when it was not job-related.

By the time I was sixteen, I’d visited 47 of the 50 states. My dad was an administrator for 30 years at Milligan College in Tennessee and recruited students for the college. Sometimes the family could go with him in the summers. I have always enjoyed travel.

What a lovely advantage to have at an early age.

Yes. I lived on the Milligan College campus in Tennessee until I was 21.

You would get the message, then, that college was important. And it was right there in front of you all the time.

Not only were the classes right there, but there were tennis matches, baseball, fun activities of all sorts.

Nice. Very nice. Now, what’s the story on your education?

As an undergraduate, I received a degree in English and Education. I taught high school, and I worked with a physical therapist as a volunteer. I loved it. I realized so much can be done for those with disabilities and their parents. So much. It’s a family thing. It’s a community thing. My master's is in Early Childhood Special Education, so I taught and worked with special children and their families. Then, when I was 46-50 years old, I worked on my PhD from Purdue University in Indiana while teaching undergraduate classes there. At age fifty, I received my PhD degree. By then, I was a single mom to a son in college and an 11-year-old daughter in elementary school.

Wow! That had to take a lot of courage and hard work to return to college. What motivated you to return for this degree?

My two wonderful children and my belief in moving forward.

Well done. What was next for you?

Once I had my PhD, my daughter and I moved from Indiana to North Carolina. That’s when we came to Boone, North Carolina. I came here to teach at Appalachian State University. I’m still in the same place.

You must have loved your job there.

I did. I began as an assistant professor in Child Development and Family Studies and completed my tenure as department chair the last seven years. I was at the University 25 years. I stayed at the University past retirement age.

That’s wonderful. Staying past retirement age speaks volumes. I have a granddaughter who was in Special Education throughout her schooling. I’m so grateful for all the programs implemented in this field, for all the work done with the children and their parents. I have no one else to thank, so I’m saying it to you, Jo. “Thank you for your help and contribution to this field.” I'd bet your parents would have been proud of you.

My mother went to Radford College in Virginia. She and her mother were teachers, but I have aunts, uncles, great-aunts, and great-uncles who were teachers. My family comes from teachers and preachers. Teaching is historical in my family. My parents were my biggest cheerleaders. They were my encouragers.

I hear the legacy, and I can tell that you are well-grounded in your love of teaching. If you were writing a letter to your teenage self, what would you want to say to that young woman?

I’d say: Don’t be afraid to try something new.

Can you name something new that you once tried?

I worked at Yellowstone. It wasn’t about the pay. It was about trying something new and doing the unusual. That meant something to me.

True, that would not be the common place job. Now, you are 80 years old. Can you look back and name a time that you remember as difficult?

As my parents aged, my dad’s health was failing, I asked them to come live with me in Boone. They came, and we suddenly had a multi-generational household. All three generations had different needs. I had a new career. I was always trying to figure out how to get everyone what they needed. Frustrating. I wanted everyone to have everything needed.

Yes, Jo, I can see how that would have been frustrating.

It was hard and good. As Dad reached his last months, he needed more care, and he and Mom went to our local nursing home, only two miles away. Dad’s time was very short, and after his passing, Mom wanted to stay in the nursing home as she was truly enjoying her time there. This was the best place for her.

I hear resilience in your story. I’m wondering, Jo, what pleases you most, as you look back on your work life?

Keeping up with my students. I still try to keep up with them on Facebook. They remember me and visit when they come back to the university. It pleases me to hear from them, to hear their good decisions, how they are passing their education on.

You are intentional about being a conduit. You want to pass good things on. I like that. We met when you were visiting your brother and his family in Arkansas, but I had no idea how extensively you’d traveled outside the U.S.A. until I read a few of your blogs at https://carpentres.com. You have been places! Do you plan all of these trips yourself?

Yes, I traveled with my parents, my college, and in my marriage. Then, there were class experiences, programs at the university. I love taking a class of students and introducing them to the West, to Arizona, New Mexico, or a foreign country. I like showing them diversity, different cultures. I want them to have experiences that can enrich their lives.

Do you know how many countries you’ve been to? Have you kept track?

I’ve been to 24 countries. That would include Egypt, Israel, Australia, Peru, Poland and so many others. I’m preparing to take another trip in about a month.

I can see that you thrive on traveling. Obviously, you seek to be with different cultures, ages, backgrounds. And you are mentally sharp. What works for you to keep your brain active when you are home?

I read. 96 books this year, so far. Sometimes I’ll reread a book I’ve already enjoyed once before.

96 books. Impressive. You are taking care of yourself in so many ways. You have purpose, and you pour your heart into what you do. Jo, do you live with a routine?

Every day is different. I take each day as it comes. There’s friendship, photography, laughter, and such good in the world if we will look for it.

You are so pleasant to be around. To what do you credit your joy, your daily happiness? And what is it that stabilizes you?

I am thankful to the Lord for the day I’m in. My faith. He is in control. I think the Lord provides all of us with the opportunity to listen. He will take our problems if we will give them to Him. I think it’s my faith that stabilizes me. I’ve always had a strong church family everywhere I’ve ever lived. I’m just trying to pass on what I’ve learned.

I hear your great appreciation for the world we live in, for the diversity of people and for the Lord. You have been highly blessed, Jo, and you pass on your love and joy to those who live within your reach.

Yes, I am blessed.

________________

P.S. Thank you to all those who enjoy my blog. Please share! You'll find links to my books below the photo. I'd love to hear from you in the Comments section at the end of these pages. - Pat

Drawing of Jo by Mary Chambers of Jonesboro, Arkansas.

With empathy and understanding, Jo inspires!

Poetry Books by Pat Durmon

Women, Resilient Women

Push Mountain Road

Blind Curves

Lights and Shadows in a Nursing Home

Prose by Pat Durmon

The story of Lee R. Farrier from Norfork, Arkansas, is Pat's first book of prose and a tribute to Lee, the town of Norfork, and its people. All profits from sales go toward a scholarship at Norfork High School.

Going Home: A Memoir by Pat Durmon with Lee R. Farrier