Things you need to “hear” from Paula! 
(even if you don’t know you need it yet!)
- I was born Paula Bernice Tollison
- Born in East Prairie, MO
- Mom is Helen (86)
- Dad is William (died at age 72- in 1993) He was a bi-vocational pastor.
- Youngest of 5 children (2 brothers and 2 sisters) Grew up in the bootheel of Missouri
- My dad used to tell me big bird stories (not the big bird of Sesame Street-he wasn’t thought of yet)
- Had crazy ear infections growing up…mom would put a washcloth on the coal stove and warm it up and put it on my ear and rock me.
- My mom and I had the mumps together when I was a preschooler.
- My babysitter when I was 5 was a lady and her husband from up the street – we used to make homemade potato chips and he let me take a puff off his cigar once…it was awful.
- I had a boyfriend in the first grade that wet his pants
- Was in brownies for about one meeting in second grade…hated to be away from my family
- Had to stay inside for recess one time with my head on my desk in 3rd grade…for what you say? Chasing the boys and kissing them
- Was saved and baptized at age 8 – my daddy baptized me in “3rd ditch” in Matthews, MO
- 4th grade I got in trouble for writing love notes – 4th grade was tough…I think I almost flunked
- Had a bad bicycle wreck in the summer before 5th grade…my face scooted across the pavement…nasty
- 6th grade girls are kinda mean as I recall…kinda 2 faced…but I did get voted Princess of my class.
- 7th grade got my first stab at cheer-leading, and going “steady” A boy named Joe…let me wear his initial ring. You wrap the ring with a rubber band so it fits you…had to be careful or you would get it too tight.
- 8th grade got in trouble – My best friend and I ripped up our panty hose in the back of Math class. By the way my Math teacher married one of my sisters. We also had a pancake club and a cupcake club – which one you were in depended on the cup size LOL
- Moved the summer before ninth grade…was tough leaving all my friends.
- My best friend’s name in 9th grade was Paula. She was Paula1 and I was Paula2
- Started dating in 10th grade.
- Was in a folk group called the New Modrians…remember singing “Sloop John B”
- Had a wreck before I turned 16 and had to go before the Juvenile Officer – my punishment was to write the entire book that you study for your test with…by hand and to turn it in on my birthday!
- My brother made me go take my test when I was 16 1/2 – I was nervous to take it after my wreck…I made 95 on the written but flunked the driving…couldn’t straight line back up LOL…took it again the next week in a different town and passed.
- 11th grade was chosen to go on a trip to St Louis for a Metropolitan weekend.
- Was in another folk group with my brother Jimmy, a guy named Eddie (had a crush on him) and my great cheerleading friend, Lynda Gail. We were chosen to go to the Memphis State Fair to sing…we did a lot of Mamas and the Papas songs…like “Dancin in the Street”
- Started giving piano lessons at age 16…had 18 students.
- Played the flute in school. Was voted the John Philip Sousa student in high school band my Senior year. Started dating Ron Andrews
- Went to college in Cape Girardeau, MO
- Spent a summer in Jamesville, Wisconsin with my older brother…was proposed to 2 times there LOL
- Married my high school sweetheart, Ron in 1972
- Worked in banking
- Had first child in 1976 – Bradley Duiane
- Sang in a gospel group with my family called “The Kingdom Singers”
- Had 2nd child in 1978 – Bryan Douglas
- Sang in another gospel group with 3 other couples
- Had a miscarriage in 1984 – a boy
- Had 3rd child in 1985 – Brandon Dean
- Built a new home in 1986
- Raised a family – went to various games and activities for the boys
- Lost my father from a heart attack
- First son graduated from High School in 1996 – 2nd son in 1997
- Had a wreck – 30 stitches to my head
- Opened PBA Music Studio with 25 piano students…7 vocal students and 15 Musikgarten students.
- Had hysterectomy – changed dramatically resulting in closing my studio and some heavy duty emotional ups and downs
- Brad, first son, married Holly in 1999
- Bryan, second son, married Stacy in 2000 – first grandson, Joseph, in 2001
- 2nd grandson, Cooper to Brad and Holly in 2001
- Separated from Ron in 2002 and divorced shortly after
- Very tough time – very alone and sad
- Remarried to Bobby Maupin in 2003 – not just my husbandbut my best friend
- Met Bobby’s boys in person, Jonathan and William
- 3rd son, Brandon, graduated High School and moved to St Louis to attend school.
- Margo, first granddaughter, born in 2003 to Brad and Holly
- 2004-2006 rough time financially – did you know you can make spaghetti a lot of ways?
- 2006 2nd granddaughter, Sloan, born to Brad and Holly and 3rd grandson, Jonas, born to Bryan and Stacy.
- Started to work at KBSI Fox23 in Cape Girardeau, MO
- 2006 Brandon and Ashley are married
- William graduates high school in Lexington, KY
- Transferred to Nashville, TN to WZTV – WUXP – WNAB television as National Sales Assistant
- 4th of July in Nashville was awesome
- 2007 – 3rd granddaughter, Nora, born to Brandon and Ashley and 4th granson, Everett, born to Brad and Holly
- Jonathan finishes his home schooling and graduates
- Had Thanksgiving with family in Springfield – including Ron and his wife, Rose. Bryan wasn’t quite ready for that yet.
- Christmas in St Louis… great time
- 2008 – Got a promotion at work.
- And the beat goes on…
