NJR DIGITAL June 2023 MAGAZINE

Reflections from Mayberry
/ Donna Journey
This is the month we honor and
Our family traveled all over NC
celebrate our Fathers. I would like to
singing as The Bledsoe Family and
share some memories of my Daddy
when I was 5 years old Daddy
with you.
answered the call to preach. We
continued to travel and sing and
Robert Rufus Bledsoe was born on
Daddy would preach after we sang.
August 10, 1922 into a family of 12
Then in 1969 he founded Welcome
older brothers and sisters. He grew up View Baptist Church and was pastor
in the era of the Great Depression. He there for 11 years. After pastoring
was raised on a small farm and learned Welcome View, Daddy started doing a
to work hard at a very young age and radio program every week at a
do without many things he and his
Country station in our hometown of
family needed.
Dobson, NC. After being there a year,
Daddy asked the owner of the station
He and Mom met and were married at if he would consider changing the
the young ages of 16 and 17. They
format of the station from Country
worked hard on the farm and then ten music to totally Gospel music. At first
years later my sister Vickie was born in the owner was not in agreement to
1950 and I came along in 1960. I was a that, but Daddy kept praying and
true Daddy’s girl. Whatever he was
growing his listeners and finally the
doing I was tagging along right behind owner told him if he could get 1000
him and he never seemed to mind.
signatures from locals that wanted
the station to become a full time
We lived on a farm in the foothills of
Gospel station, he would allow it to
the Blue Ridge Mountains in North
be changed to a Gospel station.
Carolina. Daddy was a farmer and also Evidently he did not know my Daddy
worked in a factory. He brought us up like I did. Less than a month later,
to work hard, love God, and as soon as Daddy presented the owner with a
my sister and I could talk Daddy and
petition with over 1000 signatures. I
Mama taught us to sing.
am proud to say it still remains a 24
hour Gospel station today.