said of the cherished utensil that has been hers for
decades.
“That’s part of what makes them special, I guess.”
Arthur also insists the biscuits must be made with
buttermilk from Beason Farms in Philadelphia – some-
thing she picks up at the local Piggly Wiggly.
“Now, I won’t make them without the buttermilk,”
she said firmly.
She also said bakers should avoid beating them too
much. At about the 20-minute mark of baking, she
starts to watch them to make sure that they are brown
enough, but not too brown.
“I make sure I watch them,” she said. “I sit right
there and look at them.”
Besides her children, grandchildren and other family
members, one of the biggest fans of Arthur’s biscuits
is her poodle, Pepper. The dog has been trained not to
beg, but has a way of making eye contact with Arthur
and letting her know she is eager for a biscuit.
“Pepper eats what mother eats,” Rucker said.
Arthur recognizes – and in a way relishes -- all the
attention her Nannaw biscuits generate. But she said it
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sometimes surprises her a bit.
“They make a big fuss over it, but it’s really some-
thing so simple. Good but simple,” she said.
Rucker is quick to describe her mother as a “true
blessing,” and said that her commitment to staying
active and connected to others is one of the reasons
she is still doing so well as she approaches the century
mark.
Arthur walks for at least 20 minutes most days,
does her own laundry and attends Westwood Baptist
Church. Although she has lost some of her cherished
friends over time, she still has a group of several
women she talks to each night.
“They call each other and tell each other good
night,” Rucker said. “They tell each other they love
each other, and if one of them has a need, they pray
for each other. I think that goes a long way. She has
her prayer warriors – people she talks to on the phone.
She does for others and for herself and of course we
are here as she needs us. It’s a blessing and part of why
she does so well and means so much to so many peo-
ple.”