Ozarks Profile

Retired from the insurance business, Drummond said she is now "busier than I ever was." Her insurance business, Mass Mutual, which has since merged with Connecticut Mutual, was originally her husband's. When he died, she took over the business and ran it herself, learning, she said, each day. She was involved in the business from 1946 until 1984. Drummond has been on the boards of several nonprofit organizations in Springfield, including the Red Cross, the library, the Life Underwriters of Springfield and Greene County, and the state Humanities Board.

Age: 90.

No. of years in Springfield/area: Came to Springfield in 1944.

Education: Attended Stephens College, also took classes at what is now Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg while she and her family lived there. Has also taken classes at Drury. Lived as a child and young woman in Concordia, where she attended high school.

Early career: Grew up on her family's farm and was taught early the value of mastering skills. Her mother and aunt would teach her a task, then move on to something new to learn. "When I learned to iron a shirt, I learned to iron it well in 12 minutes, then it was time to move on to something else, say, hemming. That's the system a lot of women have grown up with," Drummond said. As an adult, she concentrated on raising her family and helping her husband build his business. When her husband died, Drummond knew she would be left to keep the business going. "When I knew my husband was going to die, I kept wondering what I would do. But I kept working on it, and I kept learning. He was almost training me on his death bed, but we covered it, and I learned," she said. The fear about what she would do was self-defeating, Drummond said, and she learned that if she wanted to do something, she could learn how. "When you've got the will and training, you can have a wonderful time working," she said. By the time she began taking over the business, her own children were grown, but Drummond said she understands the situation young mothers with children at home face. "I know other people are worried about how to manage their families and their work. When I see a young woman struggling with that kind of thing, I tell her to ask her mother. If you really need to work, they or others will be there to help you," Drummond said. Drummond served on the City Council from 1978 to 1983 and was chair of the Public Involvement Committee. Throughout her working life, Drummond said, she kept active in the community in order to better her business and herself. "When you can do something for someone, it helps you so much. It's good for your spirit," Drummond said.

Current projects: "I retired from business but didn't retire from Springfield," Drummond said. She stays active in the Rotary Club, which recently gave her an MVP award, and is an advocate for women, both in professional and other pursuits. "I am not a pushy woman, but I push, and one of the things I push for is for women to get out there and do things for themselves," Drummond said.

Spare-time pursuits: Enjoys traveling and is always interested in reading, especially about religion and psychology.

Family data: Two daughters, seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Mary, her oldest daughter, has lived in the eastern United States nearly all of her life, and her youngest daughter, Marthe, lives in Springfield.

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