Debbie's mother, Pat, left her job in retail to care for her grandchildren, Dustin and Amanda, who were young and needed a positive, stable influence at home, thus allowing Debbie and Randy to concentrate on running Willie & Willie. "My mother was wonderful. She enabled me to go to work every day with peace of mind, knowing my children were well cared for so that Randy and I could devote the time needed to the business," explained Debbie. "She was a gift from God."

Murlin Willie had been a trendsetter in Baton Rouge, a man who was willing to step out on a limb, to try new things in the homes he was building, always keeping in mind the wants and needs of the families who would eventually live in and love the homes he was building. Being a land developer as well, he had the foresight to take a trac of land and visualize a neighborhood for families. It was this vision that Debbie and Randy wanted to continue as they took the helm of Willie & Willie Contractors. "We knew what Daddy wanted, and we wanted to carry out his wishes."

Four years later, Debbie and Randy decided to start a business of their own, and thus Legend Homes, Inc. was born. "We were still running Willie & Willie with my brother, Mark, but we wanted a business of our own, too, something we could build for our children, a tradition for them to carry on later if they wanted to. After four years of running Willie & Willie, we felt we had our feet firmly on the ground, that we truly understood Daddy's business and understood the Baton Rouge territory," said Debbie. "We had been sorting out Daddy's business and were a lot more comfortable with where we needed to go. And with that in mind, we started setting goals for our family's future. Daddy had set the goals for my future, and now it was time for us to begin setting goals for our own children."

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