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Connie Pearson is pictured with 14 of the grandchildren ; the 15th was born a couple of months after the photo . The photo was taken in the Pearsons ’ front yard on her 70th birthday .
piano lessons . In the meantime , they had three children in less than five years – Laura , Matt , and Julie . By the time Julie was in elementary school , it was obvious that Connie needed to go back to school for a music education degree so she could work when the kids were in school and be home for all their activities after school . In the fall of 1985 , she started her second career as chorus teacher at Hartselle Junior High and general music teacher at Burleson Elementary . During those years , Connie kept prayer journals and wrote narrations for school programs , but formal writing happened rarely .
Connie and Steve were devoted to their church as well as to their careers , their marriage , and their children . Over the years , Connie was a church pianist and a church organist while Steve served as a deacon and taught Sunday School . They both chaperoned dozens of youth activities and mission trips and participated in short-term international mission projects in Brazil , Guatemala , South Korea , Kenya , and Venezuela . Each glimpse of other cultures and people groups tugged at their hearts to do more , stay longer , and build relationships , but all three children were then teenagers and Steve ’ s practice was booming .
Looking back , Connie knows just how true Gretchen Rubin ’ s words really are : “ The days are long , but the years are short .” With three teens in the house , some of the days ( and the challenges they brought ) seemed unending . Laura , Matt and Julie were good kids , really good kids , but Connie remembers a Sunday morning when she walked into the church sanctuary to begin the organ prelude , and a friend greeted her . He said , “ How in the world are the Pearsons today ?” This was a close friend , so Connie answered very candidly , “ Well , Julie is anorexic , Laura is in love with a guy who thinks he ’ s a homosexual , and Matt ’ s dating a girl nicknamed Hot Mama , but other than that , we ’ re fine .” The friend was stunned and has never forgotten her response . Before you get too worried , you should know that all three situations were resolved in positive , healthy ways , but that is a small sample of the teenage years in the Pearson household . Let ’ s just say that Connie ’ s prayer journals were brimming with requests for answers from God and for His protection for her children .
40 | SPRING 2022 CULLMAN COUNTY SENIOR MAGAZINE