The Girl Reserve Club, Mid-1930’s

The Girl Reserve Club of Lenoir City, mid 1930's

“Girl Reserve Club members will entertain the visiting teams at the East Tennessee Boys Regional basketball tournament in Lenoir City.  The tournament opens Wednesday.  They are: left to right, front row:  Bebe Ann Mills, Mary Alice McNew, Frances Hall, Alene Jones, Mary Ellen Wilkerson, Myra Miles Lewis; Second row, Betty Hand, Ernestine Lewis, Violet Breazeale, Jo Scarbrough, Velma Brown, Jeannette Connor; Third row, Mrs. Geneva Clement (sponsor), Frances Maher, Geneva McNew, Alice Ann Ghormley, Alice Blackburn; Back row, Lucile Kerley, Charlotte Armstrong, Genevieve Burnette, Evelyn Packet, Mildred Ingram and Nadine Blankenship.”

Letter to my mother from Annie Lou Overton, 28 years later

April 1963

Page 2

Page 3 of 3

322 Union Avenue, S.E.

Grand Rapids 6, Michigan

4-6-63

Dear Evelyn,

                It was very kind and thoughtful of you to write me such a nice letter of good wishes and information about yourself and your nice family.  You are, of course, the lucky one to have all the lovely children.  An “old maid”, no matter how active, useful, and interesting her life, gets very lonely at times, especially on occasions when it is so nice to have families together, such as Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.  The best I can do is, on occasion, have the good fortune to share my sister’s children, or one of them, for a time.

                I am certainly not intending this as a complaint.  Each of us, in his own way, must live his life according to the plan mapped out for him by the Good Lord; for there is purpose determined by Him and fulfilled with our cooperation for the lives of each of us.  So long as we try conscientiously to follow His design for us, we really have no reason to feel concern nor disappointment over differences among us.

                It is true that my work is very interesting, and I enjoy it, especially the kind of work I am doing now.  I have worked in many different capacities as a nurse, but administration in nursing service I enjoy the most.  However, we have tremendous problems in nursing, particularly nursing service, so I guess this work will make an old lady of me before my time.  So far, I have been fortunate to keep good health in spite of my size which continues to be large.

                If all goes well, I will obtain a Master’s degree in Nursing with a major in Nursing Service Administration in June.  If there is a delay, it will be due to the fact that I will not have been able to get approval on my dissertation in time to take comprehensives in May.  Obtaining this degree will be a source of considerable satisfaction to me because I have worked long and hard to get it.  My education has been obtained on a piecemeal basis because of the crazy ideas people have always had about the education of nurses.  Anyway, I always advise youngsters interested in nursing to enter collegiate programs, for them one can get in six years what I have spent about 10 year getting.

                This is the first time I have had a position in the North.  I have spent most of my working life in Georgia.  The people are different in many ways but alike in others.  It is interesting, though, and maybe a bit of a compliment to our Southland, that these people would be so anxious as apparently they were to have this Southern nurse accept this position.  I have secured a very difficult job because they have been without someone in this position for so long, and problems have been allowed to accumulate.  I am enjoying the challenge and the work, but, at first, the magnitude of the problems was overwhelming.  The people have so far been very kind and cooperative.  Whether this will continue remains to be seen, for Annie Lou is exerting discipline and trying to establish control that these folk have not been accustomed to.  So, it will be interesting to see what develops.  They may chase me out of town, who knows?

                I was pleased to hear about Miss Glover and amazed that she is still teaching but delighted for her students.  She is a wonderful person and a gracious lady.  They are fortunate to have opportunity to be associated with her.

                My nephew, Tommy Cagle, is attending Lenoir City High School now, and I may have another nephew, Geneall Overton, there, too, by now.  John and Eugene Cagle, nephews and sons of my sister Edith, have been graduated already.  So, time does go by, doesn’t it?  Come the 15^th, and I will be 45.  Hard to believe.

                Believe it or not, the work we did on the school paper has proved to have been valuable experience for me in years gone by.  I still find myself editing everything that comes across my desk, part of which must be done and the other from habit established long ago at LCHS.

                Again, Evelyn, thank you so much for having written to me.  It was a delightful surprise and still another to know something had appeared in the Knoxville paper about me.

                For your interest and further information, I am enclosing a copy of the hospital’s March “Butterworth Hospital News.”

                All good wishes to you and your family!

Affectionately and gratefully,

Annie Lou

P.S.  My father and mother are Mr. and Mr. J. W. Overton who live at Route 1, Box 404, White Wing Road, Lenoir City.  They are listed in the phone book.  My mother is not too well and, should you want to call her, would be pleased to have you do so.  She is a little deaf, but she loves to visit via telephone anyway.  My father is “retired” and does practical nursing which he has been doing since World War II.

Letter to “Polly” Packett, 12/20/1935

Polly Packett

Dearest Evelyn

L.C.H.S.  12/20/’35

Dearest Evelyn,

I’m in no mood for study this morning, so I’m going to do a little discoursing with you.

I just want to tell you that I heard so many nice things about your jokes this time, so you see your work is appreciated.  I appreciate your work very much.  As I’ve told you before, I don’t see how I could get along without you.

I’m wishing for you the merriest and most joyous Christmas you’ll ever have.  I want you to know that you have my love always and my best wishes for you in every way.

Don’t ever get in the dumps ’cause you think you’re no good, etc.  You’re most certainly a grand girl, and God gives everyone a talent, and you’re not left out.  So just keep a smilin’.  You’ll amount to something, my dear.

You’ve been nicer to me and more help to me than anyone I know in my work, and I appreciate it more than you know, and I’ll always be your friend.

Good luck to you always; God bless you with the choicest of blessings.  That’s the best Xmas wish I know.

Very sincerely,

Annie Lou

*****

(Annie Lou is Annie Lou Overton, the editor of the high school newspaper.  My mother was an associate editor and wrote jokes for the paper.)

The Staff of the LCHS “Orange & Black”, 1936

The Staff of the LCHS "Orange & Black", 1936

“Maybe it doesn’t look so much like it, but the staff of Lenoir City High’s “Orange and Black” are spelling the letters “L C” on the bank near the gym, as well as posing for The News cameraman.   Perhaps that “C” doesn’t look so good but the pretty misses who (with the help of the boys) write the articles and get the ads for the school publication make up for it.”

“Reading top to bottom on the “L”:  Mary Alice McNew, Martha May, Mary Nichols, Margaret Cooper, Margaret Breazeale (business manager), Anne Lou Overton (editor), and Miss Laura Glover (sponsor).”

“Top to bottom on “C”:  Bertie Fields, Cecil Simpson, Charles Riggle, Bob Pardue, Frank White, A. B. Goodwin, Jimmy Hartsook, and Evelyn Packett.”

What’s the holiday?? Easter!!

Ma, Pa, LittleSis, & CowGirl

Yup.  Must be Easter. 

Note the matching dresses, with white gloves, and white lacy anklets & patent leather buckled shoes.  I don’t remember my mother ever wearing a hat.  So.  Must be Easter.  Pictures must be made.

LilSis & YoursTruly

BigBroBob has identified the car as belonging to Will & Irma Jaques, our seasonal neighbors.  Irma had family ties to the area, and she and Will lived part-time in East Tennessee in the summer, and part-time in far-off Florida in the winter.  Every spring when they arrived, they would bring us little presents, like a doll or a stuffed animal or a special dress or purse.  I remember that the little purses that LilSis & I are carrying came from Irma & Will, and probably the matching dresses, too.  Will & Irma also had the special distinction of having me for a godchild.  Ta-Da!

Future CowGirl & Bronc Buster

I see the old push mower behind the Cadillac.  And who is off to the right side of the picture?  Somebody verrry hairy.  I hope it’s the dog Scrapper.

These pictures were made in the side yard.  The field where the daisies are growing belongs to the Chatham family.

James Packett’s WWI Registration Card

X marks the spot

Ride ’em CowRuth!

Yippie ki yi yay

My dad was a wheeler-dealer.  When I was a little girl, he worked for TVA.  Sometimes the job took him so far away from home that he was only home on the weekends.  He’d come home Friday evening and be gone again on Sunday afternoon.  He usually had a different watch or pocketknife when he came home.  He was like Tom Sawyer, always trading up. 

Once he got a pony for us.  I don’t know the circumstances of the deal, but I for one was darned excited to have a pony.  It was every little girl’s dream-come-true.  Her name was Happy, and she turned out to be the meanest pony that ever lived.  You couldn’t walk directly behind her, because she was a clever girl and waited until you were in the perfect position, and then she’d strike out with those hind hooves.  She had a beautiful kick, poised forward on her front legs, and both hind legs working together as one lethal weapon.  I was scared of her. 

After we got her, we were at Grandma Packett’s house.  Her house was surrounded by barbed-wire fencing, which we elegantly referred to as “bob wahr”.  I guess the reasoning for riding Happy there was that she would be completely fenced in.  It was my turn to ride, and I’d never ridden alone.  My grandmother, my father, my mother, my brother Steve, and my little sister Becky were there.  I remember sitting on Happy, nudging her sides with my heels to get her to start.  She wouldn’t go.  And then she decided to rare back on her hind legs, taller and taller, until she fell over backwards with me still in the saddle.  I remember that I landed on my back with her right between my little twig legs.  I was screaming, my mother was screaming, my father was scrambling trying to control the situation, and I was not loving this pony. 

My father got things under control, he got Happy back on her feet,  and he put my screaming self back on the pony.  “NO NO DADDY I’M AFRAAAAIIIIID!!”  My mother was frantically trying to convince him “NO ROY SHE’S AFRRRAAAIIIDD” that I was too afraid, which I was, and if the truth be known, she was probably very afraid too.  For as long as I knew her, Mom was afraid of everything.  She was probably envisioning squashed bodies and headline action for our local paper.  I really don’t remember what happened after that – I suppose I have blocked it psychologically. 

I lived to ride another day. I don't look convinced that this is safe. See my little hand patting evil Happy? Nervous little patting...

After that, Mom never let us ride unless Dad was around.

My friend Flat Stanley

“Stanley Lambchop and his younger brother Arthur are given a big bulletin board by their Dad for putting pictures and posters on. He hangs it on the wall over Stanley’s bed, but during the night the board falls from the wall, flattening Stanley in his sleep. He survives and makes the best of his altered state, and soon he is entering locked rooms by sliding under the door, and playing with his younger brother by being used as a kite. Stanley even helps catch some art museum sneak thieves by posing as a painting on the wall. But one special advantage is that Flat Stanley can now visit his friends by being mailed in an envelope.”

When BabyBoy was in second grade, his teacher used Flat Stanley in a project.  Each student colored, cut out, and laminated a Flat Stanley, and then mailed him with a letter describing the project to a friend or relative.  The recipient of Flat Stanley then wrote back to the child, with Flat Stanley in the envelope along with the letter, describing what happened while Flat Stanley was there.  The students plotted the locations of Flat Stanley’s travels on a wall map. 

It was such fun on so many levels.  There was the tactile, artistic process of creating the individual Flat Stanleys.  There was the reading and writing developmental area, focusing on letter-writing.  There was the fun of receiving mail, and the learning of the reciprocative process “I give/I receive”.  There was the geographic broadening of the second grader’s world, and learning to use maps.  And there was the historic, genealogical fun of letters from relatives. 

My mom wrote the best letter describing what they were doing when Flat Stanley arrived, what the weather was like, and that Uncle Steve was there visiting.  Heck, had Flat Stanley not visited, I most likely would not have known that Steve was there. 

My family does not get an A in communication.

*****

And, Deno kiddos, your Flat Stanley book has been ordered and will ship to you soon!

In which I get my name in the paper

BigSisSandi

Miss Sandra Jane Rawls became the bride of Robert Henry Patnode, Jr., at 4:00 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 21 at Trinity Methodist Church.

The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Clayton Rawls of Lenoir City Rt. 1, and the groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Henry Patnode, Sr. of Fort Myers, Fla.

Officiating at the double ring ceremony was the Rev. M. Brown, pastor.

The church was decorated with candelabra at the back of the chancel, used at either side of the altar, which held an open Bible.  Two baskets of white gladioli and greenery completed the decorations.

Traditional wedding music was presented by Mrs. Earl Oxendine,organist and Mrs. Ronald Easter, vocalist singing, “Entreat Me Not To Leave Thee” and “The Lord’s Prayer.”

Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore a long white gown fashioned with a lace bodice and long sleeves ending in points at the wrists.  The bell-shaped skirt featured a detachable cathedral-length train.  Her fingertip length veil was held by a circlet of lace reembroidred with seed pearls, and she carried a white prayer book topped with a white orchid with streamers of stephanotis.  Her only jewelry was a strand of pearls, a gift of the groom.

Miss Marjorie Browder, maid-of-honor wore a long gown of yellow crepe trimmed in moss-green velveteen.  Her headpiece of yellow nylon net, centered with a yellow rose, held a short yellow veil.  She carried a bouquet of bronzed fugi mums.

Miss Ruth Marie Rawls, sister of the bride, was junior bridesmaid.  She wore a short dress of moss green velveteen trimmed with heavy lace, and carried a nosegay of yellow baby mums.

Bruce Easton of Fort Myers served as best man.  Ushers were Petty Officer 3/c Robert C. Rawls of Norfolk, Va., brother of the bride and Robert Littelton.

The bride’s mother wore a light blue three-piece dress of brocade with matching accessories, and the groom’s mother wore a two-piece peach-colored suit, with matching assessories.  Each wore a white orchid corsage.

A reception was given in the social hall of the church by the bride’s parents.

The main table was covered with green, overlaid with a white cut-work cloth.  It was centered with a white three-tiered cake, decorated with pale yellow flowers and toppled with a miniature bride and groom.  Encircling the cake was white flowers.  Double candelabra, holding buring tapers, were used on both sides.  Yellow and green mints, and nuts were served from silver compotes, along with punch, which was served from a smaller table.

Mrs. D. L. Keebler planned the reception.  Assisting were Miss Sylvia Hargis, Miss Pat Hargis, Mrs. Lena Mitchell and Mrs. Z. B. Wilson.  Mrs. Joseph K. Lewis, kept the bride’s book.

Following the reception, the couple left for a wedding trip to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.  The new Mrs. Patnode wore a green two-piece wool suit with black accessories, and the orchid from her bridal bouquet.

They will make their home in Fort Myers.

The bride is a graduate of Lenoir City High School, where she was a cheerleader for two years, played basketball for two years, was a member of the Beta Club, and her senior year was voted Most Athletic Girl.  She attended Berea Colege, Berea, Ky. and is a junior at Edison College at Fort Myers.  She reigned as Miss Loudon County 1962.

The groom is a graduate of Edison Senior High School, where he was a baseball star.  He is attending Edison College and is a salesman for Castle Supply Co. in Fort Myers.

*****

The paper really did state that the cake was “toppled” with a miniature bride and groom.  That’s a fun mental picture.

*****

My best calculations show this to be in 1965.  This was three days before my ninth birthday, and I was annoyed that the wedding was getting all the attention, and I had to wear an itchy dress and slip.  My little sister got sick a few days before the wedding, and then she was getting all the attention. 

A middle child has a hard life.   

 

AskTheVet: Help! My pet has bad breath!

Just what you needed to know – from my employer, Dr. Gesund-pets.

*****

MY PET HAS REALLY BAD BREATH!  WHAT CAN I DO?!

Dogs and Cats both require dental care, just like humans do.  On a daily basis we people brush 2 to 3 times.  This helps reduce the accumulation of tartar and plaque.  Now I know it may not be feasible to brush your pet’s teeth daily but there are many things you can do to help improve your pet’s oral health.  For starters, at your pet’s yearly well check up, ask your Veterinarian to carefully exam your pet’s mouth, and remember to request advice on what you can do to keep your pet’s oral cavity clean and healthy.  If you notice a foul smell from your pet’s mouth, this could be a sign of early periodontal disease.  In my clinic I commonly see pets with advanced dental infections.  These patients have common complaints such as a fever, impatience, and sometimes facial swelling with tooth abscesses.  This type of oral disease is entirely preventable, and there are many options for the pet care provider.

It is well documented in people and animals that chronic dental infections can led to widespread bacterial infection throughout the body (i.e., kidney, liver, and heart), which lead to shorter life expectancies.

 Many veterinary clinics offer free dental evaluations with written estimates for procedures that range from instructing the owner how to brush and hand scale their pet’s teeth to dental cleanings which are performed under anesthesia. 

 Disclaimer:  This section is provided for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for regular veterinary care though a licensed veterinarian, including regular office visits.