On May 30th, Kevin and Lillie hosted a reflection ceremony inside the old service station and were honored to invite some past employees and lifelong Blowing Rock residents who fondly remember the property. Kevin had the opportunity to introduce his neighbor Roy Gryder, who worked at the service station when he was in high school. Roy spoke caringly of the Forbes’ and how “Mama Ruth” was very good to her employees. Ruby Walters, a former waitress, also recalled how wonderful the Forbes were and that “it was the best job she ever had.” The Forbes’ then sold the property to Jim and Mary Douglas O’Dell. Lynn Lawrence, 4 Forty Four’s office administrator and Blowing Rock native, reminisced about her first job as a waitress in the restaurant from 1968-1971 and affectionately referenced Mr. O’Dell as “Uncle Jim.” During the 80’s, the building operated as a candy store. Cathy Barker of the Blowing Rock Chamber, shared how she and her brother would walk to the store to buy little bags of chocolate covered pretzels and would eat them all the way home.

The ceremony certainly provided a way to not only reflect on the past but to celebrate the future. Kevin shared that in 2018, when he and Lillie brought several members of their team over to the land to have a conversation about potentially building their office there in the future, he vividly remembers Lynn getting emotional. She pointed over toward the old Ranch Motel and Restaurant and she said “my first job I ever had was right there and the last job I’ll ever have is right here.”