FAMILY LEGACY
The Ethridge Family
FULFILLING THE CALL
A
love for Southeastern is what has kept the Ethridge family coming back for three generations. It all started in 1975, when OSCAR and SHIRLEY ETHRIDGE would frequently drive by the campus. Originally from Auburndale, Fla., the couple owned a phone refurbishing company at the time. “We would pass by Southeastern and Oscar would say, ‘Oh it would be wonderful to take care of those grounds,’” said Shirley. Unbeknownst to them, one of their friends, RITA MEADOWS ’67, submitted an application on behalf of Oscar to work in the maintenance department at the college. “In October of 1976, Southeastern called us about an interview and it blew us out of the water.We knew it was God,” added Shirley.
58 SOUTHEASTERN
The Carl Ethridge Family
That same month, Oscar was interviewed and hired by DWIGHT REDUS who was the supervisor of grounds. For the next seven years, Oscar worked in the maintenance department. During his time there, Oscar transitioned from maintenance into the supervisor of grounds. In maintenance, Oscar would service anything inside and outside of the buildings. Then, as the supervisor of grounds, he oversaw irrigation and the overall look of the campus. “Southeastern was his calling. That was his ministry,” said Shirley. The couple first heard of the college from Oscar’s cousin, CHARLES ETHRIDGE ’77, when he enrolled in the early 1970s. Early into Oscar’s time at the college, Shirley got involved at Southeastern as well. She enrolled in a few classes and then started working in different departments. In 1977, she started out in the administrative building. From there, she worked in the bookstore and in the
mailroom. In the summertime, she would help in the maintenance department, even helping to paint the dorms. She had a brief stint working in housekeeping in Spence Hall before transitioning back to work with ORTON QUEEN ’62 in the bookstore. For Shirley, Southeastern was special because of the move of the Holy Spirit on campus. Shirley remembers the powerful chapel services and two instances where she clearly felt the Holy Spirit move on people’s hearts to tell her something. One of those moments was when missionary Mark Buntain told her that she would one day be a missionary. Later in her life, when she would go on to work at Walt Disney World in Orlando, she believed that was her mission field. “There were so many miracles because of the move of God. That’s what makes Southeastern so special,” said Shirley. While working at Southeastern, in 1983, Oscar was diagnosed with cancer and passed away a year later.
