Hixson, Tenn. — January 26, 2026- They met as young women in their 20s through Sunday School, built careers and families in the Chattanooga area, and spent decades serving their church and community. More than 70 years later, five lifelong friends from the same Red Bank Baptist Church Sunday School class are neighbors again — now living together at Morning Pointe of Hixson.
All local to the Chattanooga area, the women have shared faith, friendship, and community since the late 1940s and 1950s. Two of them have known each other since kindergarten, growing up less than two miles apart. Over the years, they hosted class potlucks, attended activities together, and remained deeply involved in church programming and service at Red Bank Baptist Church.
Today, they describe living together as one of the best decisions they’ve ever made.
“We grew up together, worshipped together, and now we live together,” said Pat Arnold, who was the first of the group to move to Morning Pointe of Hixson in 2016 after a fall and hospital stay. “I felt like that wasn’t a coincidence. That was a God thing.”
As Arnold settled in, her longtime friends came to visit regularly. One by one, they eventually followed by choice. Together, they’ve formed what they now describe as family.
The group includes retired teachers, a longtime telephone company employee, and a former TVA professional woman, whose lives and career helped shape generations in the local community.
Inez Parson, born and raised in Chattanooga, will turn 101 this May. She met the group in 1947 at age 22 and later worked for the telephone company. She moved to Morning Pointe of Hixson in 2020 after a fall.
“It’s been real good,” Parson said. “Everyone is really nice here. It’s so good to be with all these people.”
Betty MacDonald, 97, has known Arnold since kindergarten. A stay-at-home mother and proud grandmother of five grandsons and several great-grandsons, she says faith and friendship have been her greatest support.
“Stay close to the good Lord,” MacDonald said. “Knowing you’re not alone makes all the difference.”
Sarah Malone, 88, taught elementary school for 29 years and served for more than a decade as a program director for their church group.
“These girls are family,” Malone said. “We look after each other.”
Virginia Atkins, 97, taught clothing and human behavior at Western Kentucky University for 27 years. She became part of the group through shared faith and friendship. Atkins recalls one time when she returned from the hospital and the Morning Pointe staff greeted her warmly and with genuine excitement — a moment she said meant a great deal to her.
Church life has changed over the decades, the women note. Hymns have given way to contemporary music, and Sunday dresses are now often jeans. Still, traditions matter. They attend senior church services together on Tuesdays and dress up a little nicer on Sundays, just as they always have.
Their days are filled with cards, dominoes, bingo, Mexican Train, and plenty of friendly competition. They schedule game times, cheer each other on, and laugh often.
“We’re very competitive,” Arnold said with a smile. “But we’re happy. We’re people people.”
Arnold also credits the staff at Morning Pointe of Hixson with recognizing when she needed help during a stroke she did not initially realize she was having. “They saved my life,” she said.
For these five women, living together isn’t about looking back — it’s about continuing something that began generations ago.
“It feels great and rewarding to be part of something that’s lasted for generations,” Arnold said.
“Long-standing traditions still matter,” MacDonald added. “They give you peace.”
After all these years, sitting side by side still means everything.
About Morning Pointe Senior Living
Founded in 1997 by healthcare entrepreneurs Greg A. Vital and J. Franklin Farrow, Morning Pointe Senior Living operates assisted living and Alzheimer’s memory care communities in five southeastern states, including AL, GA, IN, KY & TN. For more information, visit morningpointe.com.
The philanthropic arm of Morning Pointe Senior Living is the Morning Pointe Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to provide clinical scholarships and caregiver support.
