A lifetime of service in one community

For a region that is quickly being defined by all of the people moving here from other parts of the country, there's still a large contingent of residents who have lived in the Lake Norman region for most, if not all, of their life.

Bernice Houston is private about her age and only offers this clue - that she's originally from Mooresville, but she's lived in Davidson for 70 years.

During those 70 years, Houston has seen the farmland change through decades of paced development in the area.

In fact, her home stands on what was once a far-reaching cow pasture in Davidson. Houston recounts a Davidson that was distinctly different from the still quaint, small town, remembering that Goodren's Drug Store, Johnny Brown shoe store, a post office and two grocery stores were about all of the retail one could find there.

"There weren't too many places to work - the Cotton Mill was open, and they supplied jobs to many in the community. Davidson College was a large employer and Carolina Asbestos too," said Houston.

Widowed for several decades, Houston raised her two daughters in Davidson and supported her family by working for two presidents of Davidson College, Dr. Sam Spencer and Dr. John Kuykendall, as a housekeeper and cook. She also worked for one of the fraternity houses on campus as their cook.

Houston also assisted with hosting duties, if needed, when the college's presidents would entertain important guests.

"It was so exciting to meet all sorts of people who came into contact with the presidents of the college," Houston remembers. One of the most heralded guests to arrive was President Gerald Ford. Houston distinctly remembers the president's home being on lock-down during the time that President Ford visited.

Houston still cooks for Kuykendall family and others in the community and enjoys sharing her gift of cooking.

"But I don't share my recipes," jokes Houston. She keeps those under wraps because she thinks each cook brings different skills to the kitchen. Houston, the eldest of four girls, learned to cook from her mother and wishes she had more time for this hobby.

Hospitality and service have continued to be a theme of Houston's life.

After retiring in 1995, she immediately recognized the need to continue to serve others.

"I enjoy taking care of myself and taking care of others," said Houston. "What a lot of people don't realize is that both of these things are important for leading a longer and happier life. Many people forget about helping others."

She has worked privately for several residents of The Pines at Davidson since retiring in 1995, and she often drives others to the grocery store who aren't able to get there themselves and visits the sick in their homes.

Houston continues to focus on volunteerism as a way of remaining active.

"Volunteering is such a wonderful thing to do to give back to the community, but it also keeps you socially active, which is just as important for your health," said Houston.

In 2004, Houston was awarded the Jack Burney Community Service Award, an award given annually to those in the community who exemplify the G. Jackson Burney's spirit of community and outreach.

Houston is humble about the recognition and is reluctant to admit the ways in which she's involved in the community.

But her dedication to service, prior to and since her retirement, has been a catalyst for change in her own backyard - literally.

Behind her home sits The Bungalows, an affordable housing development that is a project of the Davidson Housing Coalition, of which she is a board member. She lends her support as a volunteer to the Ada Jenkins Center and the Davidson Aging-in-Place Taskforce, serving as a board member of both.

"Davidson is growing fast," says Houston, "so, it's important to make sure that we continue to reach out to everyone in the area so that all residents feel connected to the town. It is what made this a special place to live for the past 70 years when everyone's been one big family, and it's something that we need to hold on to so that we don't grow too fast and lose sight of what's important."