At 98, Jodie Atwell of Tulsa still holds close the memories of growing up in rural Oklahoma. A native of Tupelo, Oklahoma, Atwell now lives with her son, Roger, while her daughter Brenda lives next door. Two other children, Ronnie and Judie, visit often.
Raised by Harvey and Carrie Bullard alongside six siblings, Atwell said her family always knew they were Choctaw through her mother’s side. Her father worked on the railroad and farmed, and Atwell remembers wanting to help pick cotton but often being told she was too small and needed to stay home to care for the house and younger children.
Atwell attended school in Tupelo through the 11th grade and walked two miles each day to a country school in Lone Oak.
Some of her fondest memories include listening to music near the country store on Saturday nights and walking to church on Sundays at the local schoolhouse.
Her memories of the “good old days” make her think maybe the world was better back then because there is “too much fighting today.”
She later worked many years as a waitress and also spent time working at a Tulsa factory that produced copper coils. Atwell and her husband, LG Atwell, raised six children. Though she has lost two to cancer, she remains surrounded by a large family that includes 22 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.
Reflecting on nearly a century of life, Atwell said faith, family and hard work have always guided her.
Jodie said she is happy to have lived a long life because she got to see her kids and grandkids grow up.
A message she would like to leave to all the generations of her family is, “Be good and take care of yourself!”
Her advice to younger generations is simple: “Obey God and obey the law.”
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