Ohatchee native Amy Nunnelly is a true country girl, having spent most of her life in East Alabama, fishing, riding ATVs and swimming in the family’s backyard creek.
"It was definitely a Southern upbringing," she said. She also has fond memories of her grandmother’s kitchen, where she feasted on fried green tomatoes and buttermilk biscuits.
kA 5:ClQ=ECQ 2=:8?lQ=67EQmp7E6C 8C25F2E:?8 7C@> ~92E4966 w:89 $49@@= :? a__c[ p>J 2EE6?565 y24<D@?G:==6 $E2E6 &?:G6CD:EJ[ H96C6 D96 C646:G65 2? 9@?@CD 5:A=@>2 :? 6=6>6?E2CJ 65F42E:@?]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQ 2=:8?lQ=67EQmQx 2=H2JD <?6H x H2?E65 E@ 36 2 E62496C[Q D96 D2:5] $96 DA6?E E96 ?6IE 7:G6 J62CD E6249:?8 E9:C5 8C256 :? v25D56?[ H9:=6 E2<:?8 27E6C\D49@@= 42C6 2?5 DF>>6C 42>A ;@3D E@ 62C? 6IEC2 >@?6J E@ AFCDF6 96C A2DD:@? 7@C EC2G6=]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQ 2=:8?lQ=67EQmQx H@F=5 EC2G6= H96?6G6C x 4@F=5[Q D96 D2:5] ~? E9@D6 @442D:@?D H96? D96 H2D F?23=6 E@ 7:?5 4@>A2?:@?D E@ ;@:? 96C[ D96 H2D?’E 27C2:5 E@ 8@ 3J 96CD6=7[ EC2G6=:?8 E@ DE2E6D DF49 2D }6H *@C<[ r@=@C25@[ %6I2D 2?5 r2=:7@C?:2]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQ 2=:8?lQ=67EQmx? a_`a[ p>J =67E E96 4=2DDC@@> E@ E2<6 2? @77:46 ;@3 H:E9 r2>A vC6J=@4< :? E96 >@F?E2:?D @7 |2DD249FD6EED[ 2 G6CJ 6I4=FD:G6 DF>>6C 42>A H96C6 9:89=J EC2:?65 DA@CED AC@76DD:@?2=D 2C6 3C@F89E :? E@ 4@249 J@F?8 2E9=6E6D] QxE H2D BF:E6 2? 6IA6C:6?46 36:?8 2C@F?5 2 8C@FA @7 A6@A=6 H:E9 2 324<8C@F?5 D@ 5:776C6?E 7C@> >J @H?[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQ 2=:8?lQ=67EQm(9:=6 =:G:?8 :? E96 }6H t?8=2?5 2C62[ p>J 564:565 E@ >2<6 2 ?6H 9@>6 7@C 96CD6=7[ D6EE=:?8 :? q@DE@? 2?5 @3E2:?:?8 E96 ?646DD2CJ E6249:?8 46CE:7:42E:@?] ~?46 E96C6[ 9@H6G6C[ D96 4@F=5?’E A:4EFC6 96CD6=7 DE2J:?8] u66=:?8 =@DE 2?5 4@?7FD65 — 2?5 EC2AA65 5F6 E@ 2 D6G6C6 3=:KK2C5 — D96 DA6?E EH@ H66<D 4@@A65 FA :?D:56 96C 2A2CE>6?E[ E9:?<:?8 23@FE E96 7FEFC6]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQ 2=:8?lQ=67EQm$96 EFC?65 E@ E96 x?E6C?6E[ C6D62C49:?8 E6249:?8 ;@3D :? tFC@A6[ 2?5 >256 4@?E24E H:E9 2 C6AC6D6?E2E:G6 7C@> E96 x?E6C?2E:@?2= %tu{ p4256>J] Qx :>28:?65 >JD6=7 =:G:?8 @? E96 @FED<:CED @7 !2C:D[ 62E:?8 4C@:DD2?ED 2?5 D:AA:?8 >:?:\6DAC6DD@D :? 4276D H9:=6 82K:?8 2E E96 t:776= %@H6C[Q D96 D2:5] qFE :? C62=:EJ[ D96 H2D 25G:D65 E@ AFCDF6 H@C< :? E96 rK649 #6AF3=:4[ H96C6 :E H@F=5 36 62D:6C E@ 7:?5 2 ;@3]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQ 2=:8?lQ=67EQmx? E96 DF>>6C @7 a_`c[ D96 >256 E96 >@G6]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQ 2=:8?lQ=67EQm%@52J p>J =:G6D :? !C28F6[ E6249:?8 *62C f WE96 6BF:G2=6?E @7 @FC D:IE9 8C256X E@ 2 4=2DD @7 6:89E DEF56?ED 2E E96 q669:G6 x?E6C?2E:@?2= $49@@=[ H96C6 49:=5C6? E2<6 2== @7 E96:C DF3;64ED :? 3@E9 t?8=:D9 2?5 rK649] (:E9 DF49 2 D>2== 4=2DD[ p>J :D 23=6 E@ 3@?5 H:E9 96C DEF56?ED[ 86EE:?8 E@ <?@H 6249 @?6 E9C@F89 E62>\3F:=5:?8 6I4FCD:@?D 2?5 7:6=5 EC:AD] $96 6G6? E@@< E96> @? 2 EC2> EC:A E@ 2 q62E=6D C6G:G2= 4@?46CE]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQ 2=:8?lQ=67EQmx? @C56C E@ C6=@42E6 @G6CD62D[ p>J 925 E@ E2<6 2 D6C:@FD 4FE :? A2J] x? E96 &]$][ D96 62C?65 Scd[___ 2 J62C] x? !C28F6[ :E’D >@C6 =:<6 S`b[___] Q|@?6J 92D 364@>6 >F49 =6DD :>A@CE2?E :? >J =:76[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQ 2=:8?lQ=67EQm%@ 62C? H92E D96 ?665D 7@C EC2G6=:?8[ D96 @776CD AC:G2E6 =6DD@?D @? E96 D:56[ E6249:?8 t?8=:D9 2D 2 D64@?5 =2?8F286] $96 92D 25@AE65 2 DEC:4E 3F586E[ 62E:?8 =:<6 Q2 4@==686 <:5Q 2?5 =:G:?8 :? 2 D92C65 2A2CE>6?E H:E9 EH@ C@@>>2E6D]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQ 2=:8?lQ=67EQmQp== @7 >J 36=@?8:?8D 7:E :?D:56 2 4@FA=6 @7 DF:E42D6D[Q D96 D2:5] Qp?5 9@?6DE=J[ x’> C62==J 92AAJ 23@FE E92E] x 42? 7@4FD @? 6IA6C:6?46D C2E96C E92? E9:?8D]Qk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQ 2=:8?lQ=67EQmx? E96 A2DE D:I >@?E9D[ p>J 92D E2<6? 2 C@25 EC:A E9C@F89 xC6=2?5[ 2EE6?565 2 >FD:4 76DE:G2= :? wF?82CJ 2?5 DA6?E H66<6?5D :? 4:E:6D =:<6 {@?5@? 2?5 qCFDD6=D] u@C t2DE6C[ D96 9:<65 24C@DD {:649E6?DE6:?[ E96 D:IE9 D>2==6DE 4@F?ECJ :? E96 H@C=5]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQ 2=:8?lQ=67EQmw6C rK649\DA62<:?8 3@J7C:6?5[ kDEC@?8m'2Å¡6< z@<6Å¡[k^DEC@?8m H@C<D 2D 2 >FD:4 AC@>@E6C[ D@ 2 EJA:42= ?:89E :? E@H? FDF2==J :?4=F56D 2 4@?46CE @C =:G6 >FD:4 AC@5F4E:@?]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQ 2=:8?lQ=67EQmx? 255:E:@? E@ !C28F6’D ?:89E=:76[ p>J 6?;@JD E96 4F=EFC6’D C6=2I65 2EE:EF56D 2?5 ?6:893@C9@@5 366C 82C56?D]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQ 2=:8?lQ=67EQmpD 2 4@?EC:3FE@C E@ E96 >@?E9=J !C28F6 !F=D6 >282K:?6[ D96 C646?E=J HC@E6 2? 2CE:4=6 6?E:E=65 Q!:=D?6CD @7 !C28F6[Q :?E6CG:6H:?8 =@42= 366C 6?E9FD:2DED]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQ 2=:8?lQ=67EQmp=E9@F89 D96 :D E2<:?8 AC:G2E6 rK649 =2?8F286 4=2DD6D[ 4@>>F?:42E:@? H:E9 E96 =@42=D 42? 36 5:77:4F=E] QyFDE 8@:?8 E@ E96 5@4E@C’D @77:46 @C E96 A@DE @77:46 42? 36 DEC6DD7F= 2?5 4@>A=:42E65[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQ 2=:8?lQ=67EQm$96 4@?D:56CD E96 rK649 A6@A=6 E@ 36 4=6G6C 2?5 BF:4<\H:EE65[ 3FE ?@E G6CJ 7C:6?5=J] Q%96J 5@?’E >2<6 D>2== E2=< 2?5 2C6 92C5 E@ H2C> FA E@[Q D96 D2:5] QqFE @?46 J@F 2C6 23=6 E@ 4@??64E H:E9 E96>[ E96J 2C6 C62==J 2 <:?5 A6@A=6]Qk^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQ 2=:8?lQ=67EQmp=E9@F89 D96 >:DD6D 46CE2:? p>6C:42? 7@@5D[ DF49 2D A62?FE 3FEE6C 2?5 y24<’D 72DE 7@@5[ p>J 92D 4@>6 E@ 6?;@J rK649 4F:D:?6] w6C 72G@C:E6 5:D9 :D DG:4<@G2[ 2? 6?EC66 @7 3667 D:C=@:? 4@G6C65 :? 2 D2F46 >256 7C@> 42CC@ED[ A2CD=6J[ 46=6CJ 2?5 @?:@?D[ D6CG65 H:E9 3C625 5F>A=:?8D[ 4C2?36CC:6D 2?5 H9:AA65 4C62>] QxED 32D:42==J %92?<D8:G:?8 @? 2 A=2E6[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am
kA 5:ClQ=ECQ 2=:8?lQ=67EQmp>J 92D 4@?D:56C65 >@G:?8 E@ $@FE9 z@C62 @C $A2:? D@>6 52J[ 3FE D:?46 D6EE=:?8 :? !C28F6[ D96’D ?@E :? 2 3:8 9FCCJ E@ =62G6] Qx 5@?’E <?@H H92E E96 7FEFC6 9@=5D[Q D96 D2:5] QqFE x’> 92AAJ E@ DE2J 96C6 F?E:= x 7:8FC6 :E @FE]Qk^Am
kAmk6>mr@?E24E s@??2 q2CE@? 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@iD>2==E2=<o423=6@?6]?6EQmD>2==E2=<o423=6@?6]?6Ek^2m]k^6>mk^Am