On The Mudline
Several months ago Nannette and I responded to an invitation to the 40th reunion of the Batesville Class of 1967. We were a little at a loss because we had no annual for this particular year. That loss was gone the second we walked through the door for we were greeted by Laura Davis and Brenda Miles. I had not seen Laura since that graduation in 1967. Although she had been a neighbor as she grew up she left home shortly after graduation. She spent many happy hours in our home as she grew up and riding horses with our girls. Brenda and Laura got name tags affixed to us.
Brenda Miles—I think she attended school in Water Valley Elementary School but came to Batesville as a seventh grader. Everyone here knew Brenda as a great basketball player. In later years Brenda and I were fellow members of the Northwest Community College Faculty. We had seen one another several times and I recalled a visit we had sitting on the steps of the Northwest Administration building. I knew that she lives in the Hickory Flat area where she teaches. What a gracious welcome we had to the gathering.
Not Just Books
One of the things quietly stressed under the leadership of the principal, Joe Hamlin, was “we teach for the world picture,” meaning that we should try to prepare our students for a career anywhere in our world. Mr. Hamlin and his two assistant principals were World War II veterans.
As I moved around the room and then sat at a table most of the members of the class came by to speak to us. If I did not know that they lived nearby, one of my first questions was, “Where do you live?” The answers ranged from Orange, Texas to California and a lot of places in between.
Leaders
The couple with whom we sat was our Supervisor and his wife. Jerry has served seven years, well—as I reflect, I realize—these people are our doctors, lawyers, politicians, nurses, mechanics, farmers, judges, salesmen, preachers, carpenters—they are the mainstream of our society today (even about half of the band playing over there in the corner comes from this class [they’re getting louder by the minute]. The beautiful, very chic young woman, who was once in my eighth grade science class and then Chemistry class, told me she lives in Athens, Ga. I would bet that she is just as at home in the Athens, Ga. society as she is here with her old home-town crowd.
Nannette and I usually make two or three of these reunions each year. They are a lot of fun! We’ve got another one scheduled on the 21st.
We do hope that you have a great week. You can reach me most of the time at 23541 Highway 6, Batesville, Miss. 38606-9103, 662-563-9879 or wsissell@bellsouth.net.
