Lion of the Week

Joy Chapman

[Back}

I was the youngest child of William O. and Mozel Blow. I was born in Andalusia, Alabama - Lower Alabama - in 1937. . I had 3 brothers and 1 sister. My father was a farmer and a very religious person. He was killed in automobile accident 1945 right after the end of World War II. My 2 older brothers had just returned home from serving 3 years in the military overseas.

I graduated from Vigor High School in Prichard, Alabama in 1955.

I was married October 1955 to John T. (Steve) Stephenson

I have two sons, Ken and Sam Stephenson. They both graduated from Shaw High School, Mobile and attended Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama.

As a family, we enjoyed fishing, camping and hunting. Living in Mobile, Alabama, we were close to the water and enjoyed boating, travel trailers and motor home type entertainment in our spare time.

My career was in transportation having worked for 27 years with Mercury Freight Lines, Inc., Mobile, starting out as a file clerk , then secretary to the owner for 19 years and then promoted to Traffic Manager. The owner was killed in plane crash and the company was sold to U. S. Truck Lines who promoted me to Vice President. I left that company when it was relocated away from Mobile. I then worked in sales for AAA Cooper Transportation, Mobile and then with Fastway Systems in Gulfport, MS as Vice President, Sales & Traffic. I retired in 2002 from Knight Transportation (who purchased Fastway Systems, Gulfport, MS with whom I had worked 16 years). Much of my time with Fastway and Knight was involved in National Account Sales traveling pretty much the entire country. I am fortunate in that I really enjoyed my entire career in the transportation industry.

During this career I was involved with the Mobile Traffic & Transportation Club (serving on the Board of Directors and as President) American Business Women Association, National Secretaries Association as well as other civic endeavors.

My husband was in the Forest Hill Lions Club, Mobile, (women were not allowed to become members even though we were involved in many of the activities). He served in several capacities including President, Treasurer, Tail-Twister. This was a small Club but very successful in fund raising which included garage sales, handling Bass Tournaments, etc. much of which was allocated by them locally to a School For The Blind.

We moved to Franklin, TN in 1995 actually following our son Ken and his wife Crystal. At the time they were the parents of our only Grand children (2 girls). Sam and his wife Toni then moved from Auburn, AL to a nearby city, Columbia, TN, the same year. They now have 2 boys.

Looking back now I realize that God placed all of us here together for what He had in store. In December, 1995 Steve was diagnosed with cancer. He died in January, 1999. Even though we fought this as a family, we also had some good quality times together as family along with the wonderful spiritual support from our Church family, First Baptist Church, Franklin. In 2003, James N. (Jim) Chapman came into my life (his first wife was deceased after 50 years of marriage) and we were married on March 22, 2003.

So now we have 6 children, with actually 13 Grand Children including the in-laws (2 have married). God has blessed us with a wonderful relationship with each other and all our children and Grand Children. We are two senior citizens enjoying the autumn of our lives together.

We enjoy golf, traveling and working in our flowers. We volunteer with Grace Works every week, are members of Oak Valley Baptist Church, Master Gardeners Association of Williamson County, do Meals-On-Wheels as needed and sincerely enjoy our membership in Franklin Lions Club.

[Back}