(1914 – 1971)
Born Fronie Victoria Maddox in Corona, Alabama, on July 26, 1914, this lady gave her time, money, and, finally, her life to the less fortunate.
Fronie always had a love for people in her heart. After graduating from Fayette County High School in 1933 as Valedictorian, she pursued many job opportunities. She worked in a mill, in a church library, and at home teaching piano. Finally, she found her most rewarding employment as Program Assistant for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program of the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service from 1969 until her untimely death in 1971.
Fronie’s love for life and her love of people made her a favorite in the county. The 20 families with whom she worked looked forward to her visits. Teaching them the importance of using donated food, how to prepare, store, and preserve this food, and also using fresh foods from their gardens took on new meaning and importance as she demonstrated easy and safe methods. Fronie used her entire salary to purchase “little extras” for these families and their small children. It was not until after Fronie’s death that her devoted husband and friend, Edwin Lloyd Redden, Coca-Cola Executive, learned that she was being paid a small salary for her work as a Program Assistant in Fayette County. This money had been used to buy much-needed supplies and food for her “families.”
Fronie taught them the importance of sanitation and how to utilize the donated foods, which they received through the government foods program. Preparation, storage, preservation, and the vital link between adequate nutrition and physical health took on new meaning for them as she demonstrated quick and easy ways to prepare delightful meals. Fronie’s quick and natural smile won the confidence of these “hard to reach” people, and she won their respect from the beginning. It’s no wonder that her death was a hard blow to them. She gave her time, her money, and her life serving those less fortunate.
In addition to her Extension work, Fronie was active at church and in the community. She could always be counted on as a volunteer for service projects. Fronie had many friends, but most importantly she was a friend to many who had never known a “real friend” before. For this reason, we offer this tribute to Fronie Redden and inscribe her name on the dedicatory plaque of the Extension Memorial Chapel.
Chapel Plaque Inscription Number: 176
