Rising from the ashes, this plant still spreads love | Sam Venable
There’s no better time to tell Sue Ramsey’s story of family, friends and flowers than on this day of hope and new life.
It began in the late 1950s, when Texas-born Sue visited the Wisconsin home of her grandmother, Nola Mae Williamson. “Granny” had an indoor garden, and Sue remembers helping water its many plants — especially a certain red-leaf begonia.
Granny gave a cutting of the begonia to Sue’s mom, Georgia TeBrake Williamson, who took it back to Texas and started her own plant.
It grew exponentially, eventually covering a 3-by-4-foot table, Sue recalled. “Mom brought it with her when she and Dad retired and moved to Hot Springs, N.C.”
Sue married Dick Ramsey of Oak Ridge. They came to Sevier County in 1972 and began teaching careers: she at Pigeon Forge, he at Gatlinburg-Pittman. Naturally, when they purchased a home in Gatlinburg in 1975, one of dear ol’ Mom’s cuttings came along. And flourished.
Over the next four decades, Sue gave cuttings to friends and guests who admired the begonia and wished to start one of their own.
Then came the horrific wildfires of November 2016. Flames swallowed the Ramseys’ house, reducing it and its contents to ashes.
Not long after, Dick and Sue attended their regular meeting of the Sevier County Retired Teachers Association.
“The members were so overwhelmingly caring and gave us support and encouragement and love that day,” she said. “It was a wonderful feeling as we were fumbling around, trying to figure out where to go and what to do.”
Aided by the benevolence native daughter Dolly Parton showered upon her fellow Sevier Countians, the Ramseys rebuilt. The begonia circle remained unbroken, thanks to old friends who had received starts from Sue in the past and were now happy to return the favor. Over time, Sue resumed gifting to even more people — and hearing stories of how they, in turn, had done likewise.
At the retired teachers’ Christmas party in 2021, and again in 2023, she brought cuttings for everyone. They live on as symbols of the kindness she and her husband had been shown.
Dick Ramsey passed away in April 2022, yet the begonia line is steadfast. My wife received a cutting last December. And now, Mary Ann is about to move her potted plant outdoors. It’ll come back inside this fall and its progeny spread to her friends.
Said Sue: “To me, the red-leaf begonia represents love. Whenever I share a plant with others, I feel that life from the past is being handed from one generation to another. Spreading everlasting life and love is what we should all strive to do.”
Preach on, sister.
Sam Venable’s column appears every Sunday. Contact him at sam.venable@outlook.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Rising from the ashes, this plant still spreads love | Sam Venable
