Dear friends,
Mary Lou Knox gave me permission to post this to our blog. I am proud to do so. I too feel we had a great staff and wonderful students. It was one of the best times of my life and I'm not just saying that. I have very fond memories of my Amarillo days. Anyway, enjoy Mary Lou's remarks and leave your comments if you are so inclined. Enjoy:
Jake
Hi to all,
This is Mrs. Knox, the homemaking teacher, and I am delighted that someone wrote about Mrs. Eads. I met her in about 1948 through a mutual friend. She was going to school at WT at the time and so was I. I didn't see her again until I walked into the faculty meeting in September, 1970, the first day I was at Sam Houston. What a surprise to see her and what a wonderful experience to get to work with her. She was truly amazing. She spent her entire career teaching in that room at the end of the hall, and you students probably didn't know that she was a super good cook. The faculty did and we all looked forward to the special times she brought so many goodies to the teacher's lounge we could nibble on them all day long. I still use her recipe for Banana Bread. And Mrs. Pierce's Zucchini Bread is still the best. I noticed in the paper today that Spam is getting popular again because it is low in price, so some of you might want Sarah Leisure's recipe for Spam Salad which is delicious.
Another teacher I enjoyed getting to know was Pat Groom. Her late husband was my late husband's high school basketball coach at Hereford, so I had heard him talk about them for years. What a treat for me to get acquainted with her and work with her! I still hear from her and talk to her on the phone occasionally. Great lady.
You students are not aware that the years we spent at Sam Houston Junior High are probably the best years of our lives. The school had a unique quality that I have never seen equaled. The faculty during the '70's was second to none. As one of the teachers, I can truthfully say that they were my most enjoyable years out of the 35 years I taught. Remember how much fun it was when we walked across the street to the park, sat on the grass and enjoyed Awards Day? I don't know if the kids get to do things like that anymore. Every year on the last day of school just before he rang the bell to dismiss us, Mr. Dial played the hymn, "God Be With You Til We Meet Again." I know that tradition has been done away with. Too bad.
I now live in Cordell, Oklahoma so I can be close to my two brothers. I find it a joy to live in a small town again. The traffic nothing compared to San Antonio's traffic where I lived before moving here last November.
I feel like you do, Jake, I hope more people will write post a word or two so we will know where they are and what they are doing.
Hoping to see more of you contribute to the blog soon!
Mrs. Mary Lou Knox
Hello all,
I got this comment to publish today but I thought it was such a beautiful thought that I decided to make it a "Post". It is beautifully written and a great tribute to Mrs. Eads. This would be a great time to leave your thoughts about this great teacher. Ben, I hope you don't mind. Let me know if you do. Jake
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "REMINDER":
I saw the comment from Mrs. Eads' grandchild, who I assume is no longer a child. I'm not going to go into too much detail, but for a long time after I left Sam Houston I often thought that I disappointed Mrs. Eads back there in the ninth grade.
She was a really good teacher and was one of the nicest people I have ever known, and she tried so hard to get me to understand the art of diagraming sentences. For some reason, I could never get the hang of it.There was that, and the fact that I absolutely refused to read "Great Expectations" past about page 30 because back about page 20 the book started depressing me.
Mrs. Eads worked with me far beyond what should be expected of any teacher, and I still didn't get it.
A dozen or so years after the ninth grade -- after several years in the Air Force, a few semesters in college, and a few years writing for the Amarillo newspaper -- I saw Mrs. Eads at Western Plaza.
She remembered me. (How could she have forgotten the most difficult pupil of her career?)She said, "The first time I saw your by-line in the paper I knew it had to be MY Benjamin."That's the last time I remember seeing her. I left the mall thinking that maybe, in the long-run, I hadn't disappointed her afterall.--Ben Keck
Hello All,
I hope everyone is doing well. Things have been kinda quiet on the old blog these days but there is still hope. Every once in awhile I will receive an e-mail letting me know that people still visit and read what's been posted but don't leave any comments. Recently an annonymous writer told me that he (or she) was googling her (or his) grandmother, Mrs. Eads and it took her (him) to our blog. Hopefully that person will tell us her (his) identity, other than she is related to Mrs Eads. There might be some of you that want to share some memories of Mrs. Eads.
Those of you that want to visit the site but don't want to spend the time of looking for new posts or comments, let me know your e-mail address and I will send you notices everytime a new comment comes in. The reason I know that comments are posted is that they come to me for editing and approval before they are posted on the web. So since I see them come in, I don't have to go searching. And I am glad to forward these messages to you if I have your permission to send them to you. All I need is your e-mail address and your permission.
If any of you have any ideas for getting people talking let me know. How about posting current pictures of us (yes you heard me right, I said current pictures). We all know what you looked like back in the 70's but what about what you look like now? We'd all like to know, wouldn't we? The good thing is that you can pick the picture you want to send so you will pick one that catches your best light ... right?? Anyway, just tossing some ideas out there. Let me know what some of your thoughts are.
Stay healthy and happy.
Jake
Burma Shave with the Statler Brothers> > Ah, the memories! You may need to watch it twice; once > to> watch the Burma shave signs change and once to catch all the > pictures> plus listening to the music of the Statler Brothers. THIS IS GREAT.> > For those of you too young to remember "sorry you missed > it!'> > click here......>
http://oldfortyfives.com/DYRT.htm
Some of you may remember this place. At least one or two of you had a parent or two working there.
This was in our neighborhood. Recognize it????
Courtesy of Ms Jane (Hemelstrand) Begy. Let us know if this looks familiar and tell us what kind of memories it brings, if any................. if none, try this..........
Scroll to the bottom of this page and click on the link. You'll find a lot of pictures of Amarillo in the 60's mostly but some before that. Take a look and let me know if you would like me to post any other pictures. I just took a guess which ones would be meaningful to you........Enjoy !
