I started my business in 1979 just after Donald lost his mother. The next year we lost my husbands feed & seed business to a tornada.  I was in the Egg Production & Delivery Business and had started my own markets for the eggs.  The blizzard of '79' also took out the feed system which caused us to have to sell the chickens.  I had to give up my wholesale outlets for my eggs, but held onto the retail routes by buying eggs from another producer and reselling. 

The goverment would give us a small business loan to rebuild the feed business, but we had to have colateral, which we didn't have any longer due to the tornado, so we didn't rebuild.  We had remorgaged the farm to renevate his business about a year before, so when we couldn't keep up our payments we were forced to sell our farm. 

The new farm owner was kind enough to let us rent the house, so we didn't have to move.  I decided to keep just the egg customers who also bought Watkins from me.

Then in July of 1981 my mother and dad were killed in an auto accident.  After the funeral and the realization hit me,  I knew crying wasn't going to keep us going and with four daughters to put through school we had to put everything into looking to the future.

I got a new haircut and a new look, and set out to build my Watkins business,  and my husband helped me with fairs and different shows and the 'kid sitting" when I was out on routes.  I had my routes built up to where I was gone 5 and sometimes 6 days a week.  Winters in Ohio can be ruff.  Every winter I would say "when the kids are out of school, I'm going to quit these routes, and get off these icy roads."  Well, as luck would have it, we were blessed with two granddaughters to raise, More winters of icy roads etc. 

I had made director and managed to build my business considerably.

In '91 our oldest grandaughter was married and we took a long weekend off and went to visit our daughter living in Mississippi.  We enjoyed our trip and visit so much. We had Thanksgiving dinner outside on the picnic table, enjoyed wading along the beeches on the Gulfcoast and then had to return to another bad winter in Ohio.  That winter we decided to make the move to Mississippi. It took me a year to convert my dealers to ordering direct from Watkins and I turned my best customers over to my youngest daughter.  We moved the winter of '91-'92.

We got settled in Ms. I got a job in a bakery and Don went to work at a housing project as a maintenance manager.  I got to know the people and my way around and sponsored a few people and built up another downline and customer clientel here in Ms. In Oct. of ''98 I guit my job to go full-time Watkins and now I have made Bronze Manager.  I want to keep on building my business so my husband can quit his job and work with me. 

I only graduated highschool, and I know if I can do it, anyone can do it, especially with the type of education you get now .  I urge everyone to stay in school, get all the education you can possible get.  Become an 3-commerce Watkins Consultant.    The sky is the limit!  It's a job where you can make your worth and get paid for it and have fun at the same time.  Watkins has always been there for me when I needed it. 

This is "MY STORY"  What will your story be?  I can leave a legacy for my family.  I have heard so many stories about the "Watkins Man " who used to come to their home or their parents home, and if I can be remembered in that way, I feel I have left a fine legacy.

Please check out the other pages by clicking the subjects at the left, place an order if you choose, or I'd love to have you join my team.  You can join by filling out the "Agreement Form" in  "Become A Watkins Associate.  Or just to order-click on start shopping.  Type in my ID#;080837n, or e-mail me at afraker@watkinsonline.com or alice@fnobp.com   If you have a story about one of our wonderful Wathins products you'd like to share please e-mail it to me,  I "thank you" very much and may all your days be wonderful "Watkins" days!  Alice Fraker