September 10, 2026 • 6 mins
We got a question in for our American Mamas, Teri Netterville and Kimberly Burleson…
Dear Mamas, how do you make sure someone’s legacy continues even after they are gone?
If you'd like to ask our American Mamas a question, go to our website, AmericanGroundRadio.com/mamas and click on the Ask the Mamas button.
Dear Mamas, how do you make sure someone’s legacy continues even after they are gone?
If you'd like to ask our American Mamas a question, go to our website, AmericanGroundRadio.com/mamas and click on the Ask the Mamas button.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
We got a question for our American mamas. Dear mamas,
how do you make sure someone's legacy continues even after
they are gone?
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Well, let's ask our American mamas.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Mama, mama, mama.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Mama told me not to come. She said that ain't
the way to happen.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
And joining us now are American Mamas Terry Netterville and
Kimberly Burleson. This is an interesting question. I don't know
where this is really coming from. I guess, you know,
as we all pass on, I guess as it was
in Ecclesiastes, it's all dust.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
It's dust.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Everything is dust. Everything is vanity. It's all going to
go away.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
I've had, in recent years, I've had very good friends
pass away.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
And I think about them all the time. One of them,
both of them, larger than life.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
They were like the light of every party.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
You're talking about Denise? Denise was one.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
And my friend Cherie.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
So losing them at a time when they were looking
forward to their kids getting married and having children.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Right.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
It killed me because I thought after that, you know.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Both, you know, Cherie's husband is happy with somebody else
because I'm happy for him.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
And so is Denise's husband. He's happy with somebody else.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
And as happy as I am for them, I can't
help but put myself in their shoes and think if
I passed away today, because men can't be alone. Kevin
would be married eventually to someone else.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
And I remember what... Men really don't do well alone.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
They don't.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
They don't.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
But I will never forget something that Cherie said to
me one time and it has stuck with me. She said...
She was scared. She was scared that this cancer was
going to take her. She said, I want to see
my grandchildren. I don't want to be that grandmother that's
in a picture framed in the hallway where they pass by. And.
And if I know she's got four children and I
(02:04):
know those grandbabies will know who she was because when
I tell you she was larger than life, she was
everything for that family.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
And for all of us, she was just one of
those people.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
So I know those babies will grow up feeling like
they know her because of the way that we would
do with dad. And our children that did not know dad,
they feel like they did.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
They will.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
But I had that in my head when Steele and
Tristan gave birth to Ridge over two years ago. I
started doing things so that if I did pass away,
I wouldn't become just another picture on the wall. I
started videotaping our time together and started sharing it with
Tristan because she wanted that at work. She wanted to
(02:43):
get those. Well, then Kimberly taught me how to put
music behind it. So I have all of these videos.
And the purpose of it is not to show off
my sweet relationship with my grandson. Not all the way.
I do love sharing that.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
But it's for Ridge.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
When I'm no longer on this earth, he has proof.
He has evidence of the love that we shared between
each other. He will see how much I loved him.
He will see how much time we had together. And
when we were talking about this question, I thought there
has to be a way for people to extend another's
(03:18):
legacy within their family like we did with our father
by incorporating them in your conversation. Don't be afraid because
I find myself afraid to mention it. I don't want
to make anyone sad when it comes to someone else
who's lost a parent. If they show pictures of their children,
my first inclination is to say, your mom would be
eating this baby up. But I don't know what to
(03:38):
say or what to do. I do say that, too.
But I just hope that this conversation, like it did
with our sisters and brother, You have to leave things
behind so that people don't leave it up to other people.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
I loved you saying that the reels were like a
living memorial. Yeah. Because I never thought.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Of it that way.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Right.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Because I, too, am one that is constantly putting reels out.
And just yesterday or the day before yesterday, there was
a young mom. She's a social media influencer. She's 26
years old, four children, and she died in a car wreck.
And she has a huge following. Half a million people
follow her. And so I started seeing all these people
saying that, you know, Mama A died and I'm so devastated.
(04:22):
I immediately was thinking about her children, you know, having
to live without her. But then I had that feeling of,
look what they have. Look what she left for them.
All of these, and it's getting ready and feeding them
and loving on them and taking care of them. It's
like she did create a living memorial for them that
they will cling to forever. for the rest of their lives.
You know, the Hispanic culture, they have the Day of
(04:43):
the Dead.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Right.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
You know, they have this altar of their family members,
and they honor them and love them. But I know
that in our culture, we don't do that.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Right.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
We're not big about that. And the written word, nobody's
writing anymore. Everything's social media. So, to me, reels are
a modern-day living memorial.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
What I wouldn't give to have.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
But you're going to have to find a way to
make sure you preserve them, because if that social media
platform ever goes.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Down, you lose it. That's right.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
What I would not give to have videos of us
with our grandparents at that age.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
You know, we don't have that.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
When I think of, like, two things come to mind.
So my father started a tradition at West Point that continues.
It's the march back. So all the first year the
plebes come in, they're at camp, and they're doing basically
their first, here's how to be a soldier. And then
they have to march 18 miles back. Well, my dad,
(05:35):
as a grad, said, hey, do you mind if I
march with them? I liked it because he knew a
cadet coming in. And they started this old grads now
will march back with the plebes coming in. And this
is a tradition that's now gone on decades because of
something my dad started. There's legacy. One other aspect to that,
I think of Stephen Siller. Stephen Siller was the firefighter
who tried to get into the World Trade Center when
(05:57):
it was attacked on 9-11. He ran through the tunnel
to try and get because it couldn't drive in. So
he came in gear, full gear, ran a mile through
the tunnel, got to the Trade Center and then died
in the Trade Center Towers. His family created the Steven
Siller Foundation. It's the Tunnel to Towers Foundation that people
still donate to today. There's ways to keep people's legacy alive.
If you'd like to ask our American Mamas a question,
(06:19):
go to our website, AmericanGroundRadio.com and click on the Ask
the Mamas button. Terry Netto, Kimberly Burleson, thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Thank you.
We got a question for our American mamas. Dear mamas,
how do you make sure someone's legacy continues even after
they are gone?
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Well, let's ask our American mamas.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Mama, mama, mama.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Mama told me not to come. She said that ain't
the way to happen.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
And joining us now are American Mamas Terry Netterville and
Kimberly Burleson. This is an interesting question. I don't know
where this is really coming from. I guess, you know,
as we all pass on, I guess as it was
in Ecclesiastes, it's all dust.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
It's dust.
Speaker 1 (00:41):
Everything is dust. Everything is vanity. It's all going to
go away.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
I've had, in recent years, I've had very good friends
pass away.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
And I think about them all the time. One of them,
both of them, larger than life.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
They were like the light of every party.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
You're talking about Denise? Denise was one.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
And my friend Cherie.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:10):
So losing them at a time when they were looking
forward to their kids getting married and having children.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Right.
Speaker 2 (01:18):
It killed me because I thought after that, you know.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Both, you know, Cherie's husband is happy with somebody else
because I'm happy for him.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
And so is Denise's husband. He's happy with somebody else.
Speaker 4 (01:28):
And as happy as I am for them, I can't
help but put myself in their shoes and think if
I passed away today, because men can't be alone. Kevin
would be married eventually to someone else.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
And I remember what... Men really don't do well alone.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
They don't.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
They don't.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
But I will never forget something that Cherie said to
me one time and it has stuck with me. She said...
She was scared. She was scared that this cancer was
going to take her. She said, I want to see
my grandchildren. I don't want to be that grandmother that's
in a picture framed in the hallway where they pass by. And.
And if I know she's got four children and I
(02:04):
know those grandbabies will know who she was because when
I tell you she was larger than life, she was
everything for that family.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
And for all of us, she was just one of
those people.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
So I know those babies will grow up feeling like
they know her because of the way that we would
do with dad. And our children that did not know dad,
they feel like they did.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
They will.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
But I had that in my head when Steele and
Tristan gave birth to Ridge over two years ago. I
started doing things so that if I did pass away,
I wouldn't become just another picture on the wall. I
started videotaping our time together and started sharing it with
Tristan because she wanted that at work. She wanted to
(02:43):
get those. Well, then Kimberly taught me how to put
music behind it. So I have all of these videos.
And the purpose of it is not to show off
my sweet relationship with my grandson. Not all the way.
I do love sharing that.
Speaker 2 (02:55):
But it's for Ridge.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
When I'm no longer on this earth, he has proof.
He has evidence of the love that we shared between
each other. He will see how much I loved him.
He will see how much time we had together. And
when we were talking about this question, I thought there
has to be a way for people to extend another's
(03:18):
legacy within their family like we did with our father
by incorporating them in your conversation. Don't be afraid because
I find myself afraid to mention it. I don't want
to make anyone sad when it comes to someone else
who's lost a parent. If they show pictures of their children,
my first inclination is to say, your mom would be
eating this baby up. But I don't know what to
(03:38):
say or what to do. I do say that, too.
But I just hope that this conversation, like it did
with our sisters and brother, You have to leave things
behind so that people don't leave it up to other people.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
I loved you saying that the reels were like a
living memorial. Yeah. Because I never thought.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
Of it that way.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
Right.
Speaker 3 (03:59):
Because I, too, am one that is constantly putting reels out.
And just yesterday or the day before yesterday, there was
a young mom. She's a social media influencer. She's 26
years old, four children, and she died in a car wreck.
And she has a huge following. Half a million people
follow her. And so I started seeing all these people
saying that, you know, Mama A died and I'm so devastated.
(04:22):
I immediately was thinking about her children, you know, having
to live without her. But then I had that feeling of,
look what they have. Look what she left for them.
All of these, and it's getting ready and feeding them
and loving on them and taking care of them. It's
like she did create a living memorial for them that
they will cling to forever. for the rest of their lives.
You know, the Hispanic culture, they have the Day of
(04:43):
the Dead.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Right.
Speaker 3 (04:44):
You know, they have this altar of their family members,
and they honor them and love them. But I know
that in our culture, we don't do that.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Right.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
We're not big about that. And the written word, nobody's
writing anymore. Everything's social media. So, to me, reels are
a modern-day living memorial.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
What I wouldn't give to have.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
But you're going to have to find a way to
make sure you preserve them, because if that social media
platform ever goes.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
Down, you lose it. That's right.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (05:09):
What I would not give to have videos of us
with our grandparents at that age.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
You know, we don't have that.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
When I think of, like, two things come to mind.
So my father started a tradition at West Point that continues.
It's the march back. So all the first year the
plebes come in, they're at camp, and they're doing basically
their first, here's how to be a soldier. And then
they have to march 18 miles back. Well, my dad,
(05:35):
as a grad, said, hey, do you mind if I
march with them? I liked it because he knew a
cadet coming in. And they started this old grads now
will march back with the plebes coming in. And this
is a tradition that's now gone on decades because of
something my dad started. There's legacy. One other aspect to that,
I think of Stephen Siller. Stephen Siller was the firefighter
who tried to get into the World Trade Center when
(05:57):
it was attacked on 9-11. He ran through the tunnel
to try and get because it couldn't drive in. So
he came in gear, full gear, ran a mile through
the tunnel, got to the Trade Center and then died
in the Trade Center Towers. His family created the Steven
Siller Foundation. It's the Tunnel to Towers Foundation that people
still donate to today. There's ways to keep people's legacy alive.
If you'd like to ask our American Mamas a question,
(06:19):
go to our website, AmericanGroundRadio.com and click on the Ask
the Mamas button. Terry Netto, Kimberly Burleson, thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
Thank you.
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