Ask 100-year-old Frances Juanita “Nita” Thompson Tidwell about her calling in life, and her response will be that it was “to raise my family.” She was a stay-at-home mom who never employed a babysitter. For 25 years, she was a school crossing guard in Montgomery. Not only was she one of Montgomery’s first crossing guards, but she also was one of the city’s first female crossing guards. (Her youngest child went with her to work from birth until first grade!) In her 60s, she started a career at Parisian (which became Belk), retiring just four years ago. At church, she was a Sunday School class secretary, was active in Woman’s Missionary Union and, with husband Neil, taught children and teens in what was then called “training union.”
Ministry description: Wife for 65 years and stay-at-home mom
Church name: Capitol Heights Baptist Church, Montgomery, in Montgomery Baptist Association
Life verse: “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
Describe where you focus your greatest ministry efforts. Seeing that my four children had a Christian upbringing and were at church every Sunday and participated in what was going on there. (My husband, Neil, worked long hours each day and on Sunday mornings to make a living.)
Q: Who was or is one of the most influential people in your faith life? Why?
A: My daddy’s oldest sister, Aunt Alta Thompson Claybourne. She led me to Christ when I was 7 years old. We lived in a small town in Mississippi and she was always involved in church. She was such an inspiration to me, to lead me to Christ. She was a living example of what a Christian woman should be. She was always there for me when I needed her. … I wanted to be like her. … I appreciate all the time she spent with me in my childhood and adulthood.
Q: What has God been teaching you lately?
A: To be an example for my family and to do things to help them when they need help. … To be supportive of my children and my grandchildren and great-grandchildren. To be close to them and stay in touch and be a friend to them. … I feel like God has been strong in my presence every day. … I am so blessed because I have four children (one deceased), eight grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Q: If there were one thing you could tell your younger self about faith, what would it be?
A: I have had faith in Jesus all my life. It has followed me.
Q: Have you ever read a book or heard a song that changed the way you think about God and faith? What was it and what did you learn from it?
A: “Victory in Jesus,” “In the Garden,” “Amazing Grace” — I like the old songs. There’s nothing like those. The old songs just seem so close to my heart. They bring tears to my eyes sometimes when I hear them. I guess I’m just old-fashioned.
Q: Does your church have any special traditions that mean a lot to you? What are they?
A: They keep up with old traditions to keep up with the founding of the church. We have founded other churches and supported them. … There is a deacon in my church who keeps up with me every week. … I think it’s so important to keep in touch with homebound people and keep them connected.
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