“Lander and Dot were absolutely two people who instilled in me that you always work in your community,” begins their son Mark Bumgarner, executive director of Catawba County’s United Way. “You keep doing your work to make things better for everybody.” Mark shares that growing up he tagged along with his dad who helped with […]
Jennifer O’Keefe begins remembering her grandfather John fondly as “the best person in the entire world.” Growing up, her parents would work through the summer, so Jennifer was dropped off at her grandparents house every morning to spend the day. “He was just a big kid,” Jennifer laughs remembering those vibrant, loud, and musical summers, […]
Even though his formal education did not extend beyond the fifth grade, Charlie Pruitt’s unwavering work ethic persevered to nearly the end of his life. He built pianos for Kohler & Campbell for over 45 years until they filed for bankruptcy in the 1980’s. “Daddy did not think twice about walking three miles in the […]