Special to the
Opelika Observer

Ford and Betty McMurtry will present their book “The Growing Season: Cotton Chronicles 2” at OLLI’s July 23 Brown Bag Lunch and Learn. The book chronicles the life of Olivia Turner, who is described as follows:
“Olivia Turner was pretty, smart, kind, God-fearing and hard working. She was the girl every family hoped their daughters would grow up to be. That is until she made one mistake which would divide a small town and forever change the course of two families.”
“The Growing Season” follows the hard-pan lives of two south Alabama families as they navigate the Great Depression. The novel features strong women who succeed in spite of the cultural norms of the times and their ne’er-do-well men. “The Growing Season” is the second of six volumes spanning from 1932 to 1937.
Betty was born and raised near Hartford. She attended Auburn University and worked for the United States Department of Agriculture, Farmers Home Administration, as a civil servant. After early retirement, she ran a successful management consulting firm. In 1998, she became licensed as a National Football League agent and represented seven NFL players from schools such as Auburn University, the University of Alabama and Florida State University. She retired a second time in 2015 and has spent the last two years writing The Cotton Chronicles.
Ford was born in Columbus. He attended Auburn University where he was a walk-on member of the football team.
In addition to becoming a successful coach at the high school, college and professional levels, he counts NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal among his most accomplished players. Ford’s career included stints as an NFL agent, sports journalist, business owner and auto insurance claims director. He resides in Auburn, where he enjoys spending time with his family and dog, Missy.
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University (OLLI at Auburn) will host its Brown Bag Lunch & Learn from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities (Pebble Hill), 101 S. Debardeleben St. in Auburn. There is no charge for OLLI members and guests.
OLLI at Auburn is a program of the Office of the Vice President for University Outreach at Auburn University. OLLI administrative offices and select classes are located at the historic Sunny Slope property located at 1031 S. College St. in Auburn.
For more information regarding this event or to learn about becoming a volunteer faculty member, volunteer service assistant or sponsor, please contact Shawnee McKee, OLLI Administrative Support, 334-844-3146, olli@auburn.edu or visit www.olliatauburn.org.