Mom (52 Ancestors)

     I'm participating in the 52 Ancestors Challenge in Ahnentafel order, so week three is about my mom.

     Mom grew up in the Atlanta suburbs, one of six kids whose parents who grew up in mill villages.  Her dad, Roy Albea, was a truck driver and her mom Betty Huyler, was a homemaker.  Mom and her siblings were the first on either side of the family to finish high school, verses her parents who dropped out to work or get married.  Mom was raised with the expectation of being a homemaker as well, but when her high school engagement fell apart, she ended up getting a job instead.

     Mom started with Bellsouth (now AT&T) in the early 1970s as a telephone operator and worked her way through numerous positions with the company, ending with sales (for yellow page ads).  After 30 years she retired to help care for her parents.  I have memories of a few of the different offices she worked at, including one with a huge lobby and a glass elevator and another with artists desk everywhere, in which my uncle also worked.  Honestly, it seems like half of my maternal family worked for Bellsouth.

     If I had to pick one word that I would use to describe my mom I would say artistic.  As long as I can remember, mom has been involved in art in some way.  She used to paint ceramics, crochet and sew, she has a talent for drawing and was heavily involved with graphic design with one of her jobs at Bellsouth.  Today, she mostly scrapbooks and does other projects with her scrapbooking supplies.

     Mom is one of those people that everyone loves.  She's sweet, open and friendly and can always find something to say to a stranger.  If you don't like my mom, there's something wrong with you.  Personally, she's pretty much my favorite person in the world.