Rarely has such a campaign been waged. The emails and letters came from children, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, friends and neighbors, each expounding on the qualities that make 92-year-old Jennie Waters the best candidate for the Washington Daily News’ Mother of the Year.

It was a successful campaign, not only because of the heartfelt words from her family and friends, but because of the story of Jennie Waters’ life as told through them. She is a woman who perseveres, always looks for the positive and who’s spent a lifetime caring for others, not just in thought, but in deed.

Jennie Waters is a Beaufort County native who was born in Washington — one of eight children—moved with her family to Douglass Crossroads as a girl, then moved to a Pinetown farm when she married Leroy Waters.

“When she announced plans to marry my father, her sisters tried to talk her out of it. She would be moving to Pinetown and an entirely different lifestyle. But to her, love was more important,” wrote Leroy Waters Jr. in an email.

Leroy Waters Jr. described her new life, living with her husband, his mother and one of his older brothers. Her mother-in-law taught her how to cook on the wood stove. For years, the house had no running water, electricity or indoor plumbing, but she took it in stride and cared for her mother-in-law and the brother who lived with them until their deaths. In the meantime, she was raising sons of her own — Leroy Jr., Frankie and Jerry — stressing education, faith and integrity in their upbringing. “You can tell the qualities of a good mother, especially when a mother becomes aged and how her children respond to her. To this day, her sons remain faithful, attentive and very caring for their mother. Mrs. Waters instilled Christian values, neatness, honesty and treating others with kindness and respect. Her children always worked together on the farm, excelled in school and attended college,” wrote Jennie Waters’ daughter-in-law, Kathy Waters.

And her intrepid spirit remains: when her husband became disabled at the age of 55, Jennie Waters went to work as a teachers’ assistant at Pinetown Elementary School. She, with the help of her sons, would care for him for 35 years.

The Waters family has grown over the years: her sons married and Jennie Waters became a grandmother of six; at 92, she’s now the great-grandmother of 14. And through it all, she’s gained the admiration of many.

“Mrs. Waters is always delighted to visit with family and friends, no matter how she feels at that moment, and she will always be stylishly dressed with her makeup and hair to perfection. At 92 years young, she is still rocking high-heeled shoes and lipstick,” wrote Karen Waters, her daughter-in-law.

“All moms are awesome, and I want to tell you about one of them: my grandmother, Jennie. … My dad and his brothers still talk to her every day and take great care to treat her with respect and make sure her needs are met. That, in itself, is proof that she did an amazing job raising them,” wrote her granddaughter, Jo Ellen Hemink.

“Grandmother would welcome each of us grandchildren with open arms, cookies, sweet tea, candy, and the occasional Coke. She was always proud of each of us and our accomplishments, and she never let us hang our heads when we felt like we deserved better. She reminded us there are more things to life than that. She always greeted us with a hug and a kiss, and she never let us walk out of the house without both of them,” wrote U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Frank W. Waters Jr. “She has never waivered in her duties, and she is undoubtedly one of the reasons I am currently and faithfully serving mine as an officer in the United States Air Force.”

“She is a special person and has exemplified values that I hope my children see in me as a mother,” wrote granddaughter Tracy Waters Copeland.

“For nearly a century, she has seen many changes in technology and society. In these years she has endured many changes, but she has never changed as a person. She has always been a Godly woman and has stayed true to her faith,” wrote grandson Todd Waters. “For as long as I can remember, she (has been) a woman with a loving, caring heart; not a woman of monetary possessions, but a woman with a bank account full of love and support. She would not shower us with material things, but would shower family and friends with unconditional love.”

This is just a sampling of the letters received in support of Jennie Waters, as mother, grandmother and friend, and a woman who gained much by giving all.

“If a person’s life can be measured by friends and the love of her family, then Mrs. Waters is rich beyond compare,” wrote Karen Waters.