Cool (Violin) Purse -un 39 is a Tennessee Native
Ms. Bobbie DeRidder Gives Violettes Violin Purse as a Gift Again
Giving a Purse as a gift may be unusual, but our music purses scream of East TN with their Instrument Shapes. Knoxville calls itself the other music city. (See "Other Music City Blog"). I sit down to interview Bobbie, who first purchased a Violin Purse for a Texas violinist daughter in-law, then another Violin Purse for a Florida Granddaughter. Before I could get one of my standard interview questions out of my mouth Bobbie says she brought a book to loan me, and she launches into telling me her long TN family history. It was fascinating, so I urged her to continue.
Bobbie DeRidder tells that her family owned a farm property by the French Broad River in Jefferson County, East Tennessee. After the Revolutionary War, properties "stolen from the Indians" were divided up and given out. So, it had belonged to her family that long until they were forced to sell for the construction of Douglas Dam. (Douglas Dam construction began in 1943.) Bobbie says the property had tenant farms with 2 tenant farmer houses, and her grandmother grew up there, and lived with her family. Bobbie loved to farm. And she loved large open spaces where she could "roam freely". Her family moved off the farm to Dandridge when she was nine. This actually was a good move for her father who ran the road department for Jefferson County. Their new property was large, and her Mom had a very large "marvelous" garden and a chicken house.
Dandridge was a place where Bobbie could "roam freely". Bobbie and her older sister each had their own paper route in Dandridge! Bobbie held this job from age 10 thru high school. After which she went to UT Knoxville to major in Accounting. She obtained her CPA license and only recently stopped working (doing taxes) due to numerous health problems. I think she's allowed to slow down at 83!
Bobbie has so many hobbies! She used to Ballroom Dance with her husband, and still dances some. She is an avid eclectric reader. She belongs to a book club which reads some "hard" books, such as the one she brought me to read, Zealot The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan. My Mother is already loving the book, thank you very much. She also enjoys mysteries. She is currently reading a mystery called The Man on the Washing Machine.
And Violettes asks about Bobbie's music background after Bobbie says how much she loves the violin purse as a gift because it's so unique. Her mother played piano. She and her sister had
some piano lessons, but not for very long. Bobbie has 4 children, including a multi-talented musician son who lived in Austin, Texas and recently died, and another son who lives in Knoxville. He assists families with financial management. One daughter works for the US Forrest Service and lives in Cleveland, TN and the other daughter lives in Seaside area in Florida. She owns a Jewelry Store called "Magpie Jewelry", and her husband runs 2 restaurants which she recommends, both called "The Perfect Pig".
I have been surprised to bump into Bobbie while hiking in the mountains! She is an avid hiker (until recent health problems). Bobbie belonged to the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club for many years.
