Dwana Pusser

Friday evening's "It's in the Bag" fundraiser, which benefits Community Clinic of Bedford County, will feature special guest speaker Dwana Pusser.

The event will feature a silent auction at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m. Dress is casual. Community Clinic of Bedford County serves the working uninsured.

For more information about the benefit, call 684-0594.

Pusser is the only biological daughter of legendary lawman Sheriff Buford Pusser. A woman of fortitude and strength, Pusser endured more tragedy in the first 13 years of her life than most people experience in a lifetime.

Today, despite her tumultuous upbringing, Pusser is a recognizable and respected member of society.

Since Pusser's father was sheriff of McNairy County and was determined to clean up the wayward community, her family was constantly exposed to many dangers. Their home was burned, threats were made to members of the family, and Pusser's mother was killed in a drive by machine gun ambush. After losing her mother at age six, Pusser saw her father die a brief seven years later in a fiery car crash.

Rather than letting her horrific past control her life, Pusser drew strength from these challenges. For 16 years, Pusser worked at radio station WKWX in Savannah, Tenn., where she built an identity for herself as an on air personality and sales executive.

In her home town of Adamsville, she continues to carry on her family's tradition of public service as a three-term city commissioner. Pusser travels across the United States speaking to various groups and organizations about her father.

Through these types of speaking engagements, along with various types of media interviews, Pusser continues to keep the achievements and sacrifices of her father in the minds of other law enforcement officials and the public.

In May 1988, one of Pusser's most ambitious dreams became a reality. After many years of her working closely with the state of Tennessee and the city of Adamsville, the Buford Pusser Home and Museum was opened to the public. Pusser continues to support and promote the museum and has a seat on the board of directors.

She is also a leading force in the annual Sheriff Buford Pusser Festival, which takes place just a couple blocks from the museum.

Pusser is married to Jamie Garrison. They have three daughters, Atoyia Barnes, Tara Moffett; and three grandchildren.