Miss Lillie made a conscious choice at a young age to not only survive her father's abusive alcoholism but to excel. Spending her formative years as a ward of the state, she graduated valedictorian from TIS/TPS in Nashville, Tennessee and was awarded a full scholarship to George Peabody College, now a division of Vanderbilt University. She chose, however, to raise a family and make sure her family had what she didn't growing up - stability and love. She never met a stranger and never stopped learning. These memories and her teachings are full of joy, imagination and humor.