Aldean Pryor was born near Harmon, Oklahoma in 1933. She is pictured here as a child, on the farm with her family. She had a horse of her own and a dog named Lassie. She is pictured here with her parents Leo and Florence Pryor. Her brother, Marvin was much older and was enlisted in the miltiary while she was still quite young.

Her father, Leo Pryor was a farmer and was enlisted as a private in World War I for a year. Her mother, Florence had been a school teacher in a one-room schoolhouse. Florence played the organ and taught Sunday school. On the farm she cooked for 12 farm hands as well as her own family and even when I was small she still caught those chickens from the back yard and fried-em up for us to eat. Her hens laid colored eggs. As kids we loved to catch the chickens. One time I tried to catch a large turkey who wouldn't let me pick him up, but scratched me up something terrible. "That's OK," Grandma said, "He's next Thanksgiving's dinner."

Aldean was a majorette during high school. She later worked for the telephone company in Oklahoma City and then Braniff Airlines. It was during her time at Braniff that my dad, Gene Redman proposed marriage to her and gave her an engagement ring.

Gene was running a seismograph field crew doing oil and gas exploration in Oklahoma. They later moved to Kansas City, MO where Aldean became a mother at the age of 25 with my birth and later had my sister Sherry. They loved to travel and explore and for a while even owned a boat for exploring the lakes and rivers. After moving to the Chicago area my brother Steve was born. We traveled to all the nearby states to camp, hike and see the wildlife. Pictured above are some of the trips they took to places like Yellowstone Natl. Park with my sister Sherry, and all of us in later years to the Porcupine Mountains in upper Michigan. In 1972 we moved to Phoenix, AZ., mostly for territory yet unexplored. Mom helped with the Mountain Search and Rescue Association as a dispatcher while my Dad and brother Steve were busy repelling the mountains and four-wheeling in the jeep in hope of finding survivors. Dad was also volunteering with the Maricopa County Sherriff's Dept.

In 1981 Mother helped prepare me for my wedding. She was later the proud grandma of my little girl, Rebekah, and then as four others came along she had 5 granddaughters, all mine. When her mother passed away we visited Oklahoma again and you can see her pictured here beside the old water pump outside the 2 room schoolhouse she attended as a child. She would ride her horse to school and tie it up outside. The little outhouse was quite a trip behind the schoolhouse and those three tiny seats were awefully cold on an icy winter day.

She is pictured here with "The Clan" (mother is far right) our family before the granddaughters started getting married, and then also pictured with my Mom and Dad is my daughter, Michelle at her wedding. During the last three years before her stroke Mom and Dad traveled in a motor home up into Oregon and Washington state. There they volunteered in campgrounds as hosts and she worked in the gift shop in the lighthouse at the campground while dad gave the tours. Not too long ago her first great-granddaughter was born and is pictured in the lower right-hand corner above.

From her obituary:

Aldean Redman, loving wife and devoted mother passed away on January 3, 2008. She leaves Gene, her husband of 51 years, her children; Kathleen Converti of Payson, Sherry Redman of Flagstaff and Steve Redman who lives in Peoria, AZ. She leaves five loving granddaughters and one great-granddaughter.

When asked to describe Aldean, some words that come to mind are Endearing, Courageous, Giving, Mother, Gentle, Empowering, Determined, Nurturing, Strong, Spiritual, Compassionate, Conscientious, Wife, Friend, Partner, Woman.

She was incredible in many areas throughout her life.

She was an Oklahoma farm girl who married an Oklahoma City boy. In addition to being a wonderful mom and homemaker, she became a founder of ACLD in the Chicago area in an attempt to get her own children and others the help they needed for learning disabilities. She was Chapter President for a number of years.

Aldean was a member and dispatcher for the Central Arizona Mountain Rescue Association; now the “Maricopa Country Sheriff’s Office, Mountain Rescue Posse.”

As a member of the Cactus Combat League she often competed with her .357 magnum revolver against the men as well as women. She won a number of shooting trophies to prove her prowess.

She is the founder of Independent Living Products, parent of ActiveForever.com. After selling the company she and Gene spent long summers traveling via motor home and volunteering at Oregon State Parks and even working as docents in an Oregon Lighthouse.

She has always been an active church member, especially involved in the Stevens Ministry and the Bridge Ministry.

Here are some pictures from her memorial:


Mother made a large number of scrapbooks displaying family history on both sides of the family, camping trips, children growing up, years with the grandchildren and retirement vacations. These scrapbooks are her legacy and will always be cherished by her family.


This is the chair she had reserved
for herself in the Sunday School class
because of her back condition.

The little stuffed doggie was a favorite because it reminded her of my dog,
Pico, who she dearly loved.

Displayed as well was her wedding cake topper, which sits on a doily made by her mother, her tiara from her wedding veil, her baton from when she was a majorette in high school, her cap from working with the camp grounds, a sampling of "owls" she collected and another of her many scrapbooks.

Here memories that she had written in her memory book were displayed along with her study Bible. Here you can see only one end of the baton had a ball on it. We think this was her practice baton and it was made to be that way by a close look at her pictures.

The little angel adorned her rooms while in the hospitals and nursing homes as a gentle reminder of God's presence and love for her.

She was a wonderful homemaker, mother, counselor, encourager, and stronghold during tough times. She sewed beautiful clothing for each of us and herself. She painted our rooms and refinished furniture- redecorated the rooms and made a real home for us. She even tried to be everywhere at once as she was spending time with my Dad and teaching me to sew. She was always busy serving her family.

I will miss her Saturday phone calls and the opportunity to ask her opinion or counsel. She has been a wonderful and strong counsellor, friend and mom in my adult life as well. Even when she is not here with me her voice of counsel, her instruction and even her reprimandings are in my head.

Her torch is now being passed through me to my children as a friend and counsellor in their adult lives. I want her to be at peace and go meet Jesus and receive her reward. She will not suffer anymore, but instead will feel the Lord's great presence and fall into His everlasting and loving arms forever. A New and Everlasting Life is just beginning.

I am so glad she no longer has to endure the pain as she has the last year and a half and is resting in the presence of the Lord. For to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. (II Corinthians 5:8)

Our lifetime is short in comparison to eternity. She dearly missed her mother, dad and brother very much and now the whole family is together with the Lord. We don't know what we might have to face in the days ahead down here and I am thankful she will be out of harms way. We will see one another again in heaven for eternity.