I Was Meant to be a Mother…

By Debbie Gregory

Mother’s Day is a special time set aside to celebrate motherhood. This year the Macon County Chronicle would like to honor Mrs. Becky Cutrell, who has been a mother for 67 years.

 

“It’s hard not to smile when I think about the early years,” Becky Cutrell said when I stopped by her home last week. “For as long as I can remember our home has been a happy home.”

“Herbert and I got married on April 28, 1949, immediately after we graduated from Macon County High School,” said Becky. “After our first child, Cherri, came along in December of 1950, I knew I was meant to be a mother.”

Becky said that Anita was born on November 29, 1953, followed by Kim on August 8, 1958 and Woody came into this world on September 29, 1963.

“I’m searching for the right words to describe my four children as I watched them grow into adulthood,” continued Becky. “Cherri was always my studious one and she passed her love for music to her children. Anita was and still is the caretaker of the family. Kim is her father’s child, and she is fun-loving and more of a jokester. And Woody was my athlete who survived growing up with 3 sisters, and today he is my protector.”

Becky said she stayed at home with the kids until 1967, and she went to work at Macon County High School, the year Cherri was a senior. “I retired from the high school in 1983,” said Becky. “Herbert, who passed away in 2003, had a career with the phone company and he was the first man hired at North Central Telephone Cooperative.”

“Herbert was a great father and I couldn’t have done it without him,” Becky pointed out. “It wasn’t always easy raising four children, but Herbert was a loving husband and together we provided a happy home for our kids.”

“Being a wife and a mother is the most wonderful thing in the world and my family is my greatest accomplishment,” said Becky.

Becky says that church has always been an important part of her life and through the years her faith in God has helped her to be a better parent . “I have raised four Christian children, and I am the only surviving charter member of Lafayette First Baptist Church, where I have been playing the organ for over 60 years.”

“Everybody has ups and downs, and when I am down my children are the people I look to,” smiled Becky. “As they came to me when they were growing up, today I turn to them.”

When I asked Becky what motherhood meant to her, she said, “Motherhood is love. Each of my children are entirely different, and I love all four of them in separate ways. Each has a special place in my heart especially for them – I guess you could say they keep my heart beating.”

“I have passed down my beliefs to my children and I have taught them to walk with God faithfully,” detailed Becky. “I taught my children to be kind to one another.”

“Our home was always a place where kids gathered to play when they were young and where they gathered when they were teenagers,” added Becky, who is 87-years-old. “I wouldn’t trade those years for anything.”

Becky says that she considers her children a true gift from God, and although her kids are scattered everywhere, she knows when she leaves this world they will be okay. 

 “I thank God every day for my loving family,” concluded Becky.

Today, Becky enjoys music, church, and art work, along with her family.

She has 8 grandchildren: Jennifer, Julia, Tara, Brad, Brian, Wes, Jason and Christy; 14 great grandchildren; and one great-great grandchild.