Aunt Betty, 92 years young, the 12th child in the homesteading Waddell Family, aunt to "Paw Paw" Waddell, great aunt to Michael Waddell, and the "Queen of Booger Bottom," is the guest of honor on the latest episode of The Michael Waddell Podcast, presented by Spandau Arms and in partnership with Folds of Honor and Cigars International. Strong family ties and simple living in the rolling hills of Georgia's west-central Piedmont country are featured in this heartwarming visit between Waddell Family matriarch Aunt Betty and Michael Waddell. Much of the conversation focuses on Great Depression and WWII era experiences, farm life on the Waddell homestead, school days, dating, a Pimento Festival beauty pageant surprise, good and bad times, and plenty of wit and wisdom that comes from a long life lived well.
The Michael Waddell Podcast is produced by Outdoor Sportsman Group and is available widely on Outdoor Channel YouTube, MyOutdoorTV, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and OutdoorChannel.com, to name a few.
In this episode, Aunt Betty shares many colorful stories about Michael Waddell's great grandparents, and one story shines a special light on Waddell's future. According to Aunt Betty, Momma Waddell had confided that she was truly worried about young Michael. "I said, 'What's the matter, Momma?' and she answered, 'Boy, I don't know if he's going to amount to anything or not. All he does is come up here and toot his horn and shoot that ball," in reference to Waddell's constant turkey talk and his love for basketball. "But, she'd be so proud of you now, if she was living," Aunt Betty promised. "Everybody is so proud of you."
Booger Bottom is where it all began for Michael Waddell, but there has always been some question about whether the name was legitimate. "Oh, yes, " confided Aunt Betty. "Momma and her sister would get to arguing about where they lived, because they didn't want to live in a place that sounded scary. Just down the way was a place commonly called, 'Mexico,' so they'd argue back and forth about whether they lived in Booger Bottom or Mexico, but we lived in Booger Bottom. …Back then, it was kinda scary back there, and I thought, Why can't I live in the city; I don't want to live back there in the woods. Momma would always want to scare me with boogers, and I'd just want to run down the road and play, and she'd say, 'A booger is going to get you!'"
Life was good, but it wasn't easy in the early days, and the family didn't really have a lot, but Aunt Betty appreciated how hard Momma and Papa worked to provide for the family. "I always wanted my mom and dad to be proud. When I decided to enter this little contest, I didn't want to enter it because I didn't want my daddy to have to spend any money [on a dress]… I remember walking out in the gym, and when I walked out, I said, I don't have a chance, and there was a bunch of beautiful girls, and they had beautiful dresses. Oh, they were just gorgeous, and I felt intimidated because my dress was straight and slinky, but I thought, I'm going to walk just how they told us to walk…So, I remember I had to walk in front of my mom and dad and my sister Elsie and her children, and I remember walking by and my daddy was clapping his hands…and when I won the thing, I couldn't believe it. Daddy was smiling and he told everyone that Betty Jean had won the beauty contest."
Papa was fiercly protective of his young beauty queen. "I dated this boy in high school, Monty Sherrill from Manchester, and he later told me, 'Miss Betty, I was scared to death of your daddy. He said, 'Boy, I want her home by 11 o'clock, and I don't mean 5 after 11.' I told him that Papa wouldn't hurt a flea, or something like that, but he had me home on time!"
When asked about what advice she'd give to young people, Aunt Betty was thoughtful in her response. "I'd tell them to take one day at a time," she began, "to enjoy themselves, take care of each other, put God first, love one another. …Find a purpose in life," she continued, "something like hunting. A lot of people say, 'Hunting?' I say, get out on the land and enjoy nature, look around and see how beautiful the world is, you know, just where you live. Some people don't appreciate where they live. I get up every morning and see the sunrise and sunset and it makes me happy that I'm still around, at my age. I know it takes a long time to get to be 92, but it seems like just yesterday that I was the Pimento Queen. That's what I'd tell these young people."
"I'm so glad that Aunt Betty came to visit with me," said Waddell. "I tell people today, one reason I ain't never been skinny is because of Aunt Betty. She never let none of us get skinny – all fat and happy! Our family has had a lot of good times, some bad times too, but I am so thankful for my family and the way I was raised, and everything I have is because of Booger Bottom, and I can't wait to have another pan of Aunt Betty's cornbread."
The Michael Waddell Podcast releases new episodes every other week.
Waddell's story began in the backwoods of Booger Bottom, Georgia, where he grew up surrounded by nature, family, and a love for the outdoors. A self-proclaimed "rowdy redneck," his passion for hunting and storytelling led him to win a Realtree turkey-calling contest, which launched his career in the outdoor industry. From guiding and filming hunts to creating hit shows like Realtree Road Trips and Bone Collector, Waddell has become a beloved figure in the outdoor world.
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