VERA E RIDDICK TOGETTINGKNOW VERA The Growing years GrandsandG-Maher The Swinging Teen Age Years WHO CAN FIND A VIRTUOUS WOMAN, HER CHILDREN CALL HER BLESSED 60thBirthdayEdition
for the Cheerleader Birthday Cheers 2
4 Getting To know Vera 6 Describe Vera 7 Origin of Name 8 Meet the Parents 9 Did you know 10 Growing Years 12 Swinging Years 13 Making Cents 17 Grandma and Grands 18 Virtuous Woman 19 Becoming the First Lady Table of Contents 3
So, let the fun begin! Bring on the cake, ice cream and all of the other trappings that are fitting for such a worthy celebration.
Getting to Know Vera 4
Just remember, “it’s your birthday, it’s your birth day!”
the years, Vera has made a powerful and pos itive impact upon the lives of many. Serving along side her husband as a pastor’s wife, she has touched the lives of countless children and adults. As a thir ty-year veteran working on a college campus, she has been privileged to work with many parents and children, assisting them in securing the necessary resources to pursue a college education. She is often sought out for her wisdom, guidance and wide counsel. Though she is full of wisdom, it does not negate the fact that she is full of fun and seeks to enjoy life. Anyone who has ever been around her will know that she likes to laugh and enjoys playing various games. But watch out; make sure that you do not underestimate that short statue and serious look on her face. She has been known to be highly competitive and will take on the toughest challenge. Boy does she hate to lose! So, she will often win by any means necessary. She is certainly an overcomer and high achiever. Throughout her life, she has overcome illnesses, dis appointments, and many of life’s difficult moments.
Vera E. Riddick will hit a major milestone in her life on this weekend. On May 13, 2019, Vera will turn 60 years of age. This will be a weekend of notable celebrations. Many worthy events that will summon family and friends are scheduled to occur: Honoring mothers and watching college students walk across the stage to receive their diplomas to name a few. Joining these notable moments will be the obser vance of Vera’s 60th birthday. It seems like it was just yesterday her parents held her in their arms for the first time. So much has transpired over these 60 years. Vera has endured and withstood the test of time! She has made many strides and accom plishments in her life. From the small community of Fentress located in the city of Chesapeake to a top administration position on a college campus, Vera has held numerous positions, served in multiple ca pacities and given much of her life in the service of helping others and making the world a better place in which to live. The greatest accomplishment in her life has been that of being a mother and grandmother. The suc cess of her children are a credit to the wisdom and love that she has demonstrated throughout the years. Much like the woman highlighted in the 31st chapter of the book of Proverbs, Vera may also be called a Virtuous woman. She’s smart, energetic, in dustrious and adored. Her husband praises her in the gates and her children rise up and call her bless Overed.
It is only fitting that she is celebrated at this defin ing moment in her life. This birthday celebration is aimed to do just that! The occasion is filled with surprises, special people and awesome gatherings to reflect upon her years. Not to mention, there’s going to be a lot of food, fun and laughter.
Vera, we all wish you a happy birthday and hope that you enjoy the series of celebrations coming your way. Take time to take it all in. There is no way that your fruitful years can be celebrated in one week end; but those who love you are going to do their very best to make this a special moment for you and a birthday to be remembered.
5
BestHowtoDescribeVera Royal Regal RespectedReserved Refined 6
POPULARITY OVER TIME: How Many Girls Have Been Named Vera This chart illustrates how many Girls were named Vera in the U.S. since 1880.
A few facts about the girl’s name Vera: • Records indicate that 131,052 girls in the United States have been named Vera since 1880.
The name Vera was introduced in the late 19th century. Vera is from the Russian Vjera (faith). It coincides with the Latin Vera (true), and the name is often believed to be derived from this, rather than the former. What is Vera short for?
Origin of the name Vera: Vera Vera, Is a Beautiful Name for a Beautiful Girl. “It’s a female name of Russian origin; there are two meanings for this name which are: “Truth” or “Faith.”
3) Short form of Verena. 4) Short form of Olivera.
• The greatest number of people were given this name in 1918, when 3,923 people in the U.S. were given the name Vera. Those people are now 100 years old.
7
Origin and meaning of the name Vera So ... how do we know this stuff? Baby Names Hub identifies trends by analyzing vast amounts of data made available by the U.S. government and other public sources. This data, including social security statistics, provides detailed information on baby name popularity and trends in the United States.
1) Latin verus = ‘true’ 2) Short form of Veronica.
Meet Vera’s Parents
A Daddy’s Girl
You would have thought that she was a tomboy as she spent a lot of time hanging on to her father’s pant leg. As a young girl, Vera enjoyed hanging out with her dad. She has grown up to be a respectable young mother because she had a mother who demonstrated wom anhood and instilled in her daughter all the traits of womanhood. Vera has in turn, instilled in her daugh ter and other young ladies the traits and lessons taught to her by her mother.
8
At the age of 60, Vera is looking more like her mother every day. Vera had a special bond with her mother, perhaps because she was the baby of all of her siblings. As the baby, she was spoiled by her mom who showered her with love. Of course, mother, Mary Brite did not spare the rod when it was necessary. But, Vera has taken to heart many of the lessons taught to her by her mother.
During the early years of her life, her father drove a cleaner’s truck on the weekends. The cleaner’s truck rode through the community collecting clothes that needed laundering. Once clothes were cleaned and pressed, they would be re turned. Vera enjoyed riding the cleaner’s truck with her dad. Dad also enjoyed having his baby girl hanging out with him.
What is Vera’s favorite color? Fuchsia What is Vera’s favorite food? Mexican
Did you know?
What is Vera’s favorite subject in school? Math
What is Vera’s favorite perfume? Beautiful What is Vera’s favorite Game? Any Card Game
What college did Vera graduate? ODU
What is Vera’s favorite scripture Joshua 1:9
Did you know that Vera was one of the first African American Students to integrate Butt’s Road Elementary School in Chesapeake, VA? Did you know that Vera was a cheerleader in high school? Did you know that Vera’s first job was at the McDonald’s located on Battlefield Blvd. in Chesapeake, VA?
9
Did you know that Vera was so smart that she skipped a grade and graduated when she was seventeen years old? Did you know that Vera played the flute in Junior High School?
What was the color of Vera’s first car? Burgundy What is Vera’s favorite song? One Day At A Time
10
When people think of dramatic changes in children over time, they typically think about the first two or three years of life. Although striking changes, the developmental and social changes that occur between ages 6 and 14 are dramatic as well. Imagine a six-year-old girl starting first grade—maybe she has braids in her hair and is wearing a cute dress; she looks like a little girl and she is likely to be quite excited about going off to school. Her parents still exercise great control over her comings and goings; their biggest worries are likely to be about her safety when cross ing streets and about her adjustment to elementary school. Now imagine that same girl as a 14-year-old starting the ninth grade: She now looks like a fullgrown woman, leading her parents to worry about the negative influences of peers, premature sexual relationships, and the risk that she may come to physical harm during the many hours that she is away from home. Equally dramatic changes occur in the social contexts where youngsters spend time. A six-year-old boy is likely to be enrolled in a local neighborhood elementary school—perhaps within walking distance from home. By age 14, he will have changed schools at least once, moving into a junior high school or middle school. He may be looking forward to his classes, or he may have already psy chologically turned his back on formal schooling. He may have sampled out-of-school activities from Scouts to basketball to handling a paper route. Be cause the experiences both boys and girls have in school and other activities will shape their develop ment through this pivotal age period, efforts should be made to optimize these experiences, as recom mended in the other articles included in this journal issue. This article provides an overview. From a toddler to a young teenager, Vera was known by most of her friends and family members as “Lisha Brite.” She was called Lisha which was short for “Ellisha,“ her middle name. I wonder as a young girl growing up, if she ever imagined that she would become the woman that she is today.
The Growing Years
Erik Erikson’s Stages of Psychosocial Development Approximate age Psycho Social Crisis Infant - 18 months Trust vs. Mistrust l8 months - 3 years Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt 3 -5 years Initiative vs. Guilt 5- 13 years Industry vs. Inferiority 13-21 years ldentity vs. Role Confusion 21- 39 years Intimacy vs. Isolation 40 - 65 years Generativity vs. Stagnation 65 and older Ego Integrity vs. Despair © The Psychology Notes Headquarter - http://www. PsychologyNotesHQ.com Take a guess of how old this “Lisha Brite” is in this picture with pig tails and a bright smile. She is sure growing up. You can tell that she has re ally grown up. The new hair style and clothes makes her a young woman of distinction. 11
ISN’T SHE WONDERFUL The Swinging Teenage Years 12
Sure, that $5 yearbook looks supercheap today, but when you put it into perspective by looking at what other things cost in 1959, it makes a little more Gallonsense:ofgasoline ............................. 25¢ Loaf of white bread ........................... 20¢ Movie ticket .......................................... $1 Postage stamp 4¢ Average yearly wages $5,010 Average cost of a new car ............. $2,200 Average cost of a new house....... $12,400 Or to look at it another way, that $5 in 1959 dollars equals roughly $37 in 2009 dollars. So that 25¢ gallon of gas would cost $1.86 today (we can only dream…). Here are a few other 1959 to 2009 Loafconversions:ofwhite bread ........................ $1.48 Movie ticket .................................... $7.42 Postage stamp 30¢ Yearly wages $37,182 New car ...................................... $16,328 New house ................................. $92,028 Okay, but how does that compare to what things really cost today? As you might expect, most of today’s average prices are higher than their 1959 equivalents, with one exception. Yes, that loaf of white bread actually costs less today than it did in 1959 ($1.34 vs. $1.48). Gallon of gasoline in 2009 ............. $2.69 Movie ticket in 2009 $10.50 Postage stamp in 2009 42¢ Yearly wages, 2009 ..................... $45,864 New car, 2009 ............................. $26,300 New house, 2009 ...................... $175,000 Making Cents of 1959 Prices Now here’s the kicker -- average yearly tuition, room & board at college, then and now: Public 4-year college, in-state resident 1959: $810 2009 equivalent: $6,011 2009 actual cost: $7,020 Private 4-year college 1959: $1,510 2009 equivalent: $11,207 2009 actual cost: $26,273 Public 2-year college, resident 1959: $74 2009 equivalent: $549 2009 actual cost: $2,544 As you can see, going to a state school doesn’t cost that much more these days but private schools have more than doubled and community college is almost five times more expensive today. Maybe those really were the “good old days” after all …. 13
14
15
That Special One and that Special Day October 28, 1978 Mrs. Vera Elisha Brite Becomes Mr Dwight & Mrs. Vera Brite Riddick 16
Like G-Ma Like G-daughtersG-Ma comes over to help grand daughter Amber with her new sister Ryhan G-Ma babies puts a smile on her face Baby Jasmine sports her pink with G-ma at an annual Walk In-It banquet G-Ma is there to welcome her babies into the world G-Ma holding baby
G-Ma and Her Grands 17
G-Ma is there when baby Amber is about to take her first step G-ma is hold baby Jasmine getting ready for the dedication
Lil D’s 1st Birthday G-Ma wants to make sure that her grands are beautiful and sharp for their dedication service.
Who Can find a Virtuous Woman, Her Children Call Her Blessed 18
The First Lady Hanging out with a few of her First Lady Friends Standing by her husband A First Lady with theGettingandGraceStyleHerFeetWetasFirstLadyofGBC 19