School

memories

by Eva Doris Allen

and Kathy Needham Flowers

In 1948, we enrolled in the first grade at Albany Elementary School (current location would be near Dollar Store and Lisa Beard’s State Farm office.) Because we were “war babies” there were a lot of us and they had two first grades for the first time. Mrs. Eula Mackey had taught school many years and her class was upstairs in the old building. Miss Joyce Powell (her first teaching assignment) was the other teacher and our class was in the basement under the gym. When basketball boys practiced every afternoon, it was very noisy. The light bulbs shook and you could hear the shoes squeaking on the floor.

Carvin Reneau was County Schools Superintendent, L.H. Robinson was principal and Raymond Reneau was the boys basketball coach. There were no school buses for the town of Albany so we walked to and from school.

The two first grades put on a Tom Thumb wedding. We remember that the gym was full the night of the performance and Mary Wayne Bertram was bride (she fell from bottom step of grandstand the week before the wedding and broke her arm) and she had a cast on, Gary Tucker-groom, Kathy Needham-maid of honor, Tony Conner- best man, Perry Had Richardson-ring bearer, Lane Smith-preacher, Eva Doris Allen-mother of the bride and Don Hicks-father of the bride. We cannot remember what other classmates did in the wedding.

Our reading book was the Alice and Jerry series, we did not have telephones or televisions in our home. At recess we played on monkey bars and swings behind the cannery. Mrs. Della Hickman operated the cannery and people brought their summer fruits and vegetables for her to can. The cannery was a W.P.A. project.

After first grade, we always just had one class and our teachers were 2nd-Ruby Nell Upchurch, 3rd-Nova Hickman, 4th-Marie Robinson, 5th-Eva Conner, 6th-Dora Morton Dyer, 7th-Sallie Mae Dyer, 8th-Lillian Nolan. We remember the teachers reading from the Bible in the morning and we said the Lord’s prayer and the pledge of the flag.

We went on to be the biggest Freshman class at C.C.H.S. and the biggest graduation class (at that time.) Our basketball team won the 5th Regional tournament and we went to the state tournament in Louisville and were defeated by the Hopkinsville Attucks. Our class is still close and reunions are well attended.

Thanks to Mrs. Colene Gibson and Mrs. Joyce Armstrong for answering some questions for us. We send our deepest thanks to Mrs. Joyce for giving us this fun, learning experience!

Eva Doris Allen

Kathy Needham Flowers

Got a story to tell – try our new feature

Let the

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The Clinton County News is seeking short, personal stories from you, our readers, for our new feature area, “Let the readers write”

Tell us about an experience that resulted in a life-long memory, something that happened during your childhood or even yesterday. No hidden agendas. No politics. No religion. Don’t try to sneak in coverage for your 3rd grader’s basketball team. No poems.

In your own words, hopefully between 300 and 600 words, submit your article, along with a photo of yourself, via email to: gpcompany@kih.net, or bring a typewritten copy in to our office at 116 N. Washington Street in Albany. If you don’t have a recent photo of yourself, we’ll make it for you.

You can also mail your submission to P.O. Box 360, Albany, KY 42602. Include an address and phone number that we can use for verification purposes only.