B97. Grandma Remembers Her School Days

My Grandma Vestal was born July 4, 1914, exactly 100 years ago this week. In 1994, at the age of 80, five years prior to her transition, she wrote a column of  memories for the local newspaper about her childhood near Boonville, NC.  I don't know how many articles she wrote, but I have copies of three and would love for any family members who have others to share them with me.  Leading up to her 100th birthday, this is the second in a series of these stories.  Grandma said:


It was probably three-quarters of a mile from my home to the school I attended through seventh grade. My older brothers an sister had to walk much farther when they were in school.  Our schools were one-room buildings with one teacher for all seven grades.  There were a few two-room schools, but they were scarce. Schools were heated by a wood stove that stood in the center of the room. Teachers always had a long bench by the stove where they held classes. While the teacher had warm feet, most of us pupils only warmed ours during lesson times.

Teachers worked out schedules as they saw fit, then we went to the long bench to have our lesson.  Teachers had to be dedicated and tough to teach an average of about 30 students in all seven grades. At that time, high school grades were 8-11.

Most teachers were very conscientious, though, and we learned many things that weren't in books which helped us through life. Parents were strict also, and very few pupils broke rules because if we had to be punished at school we would also be punished at home.

Our entertainment was our recess, of course. Sometimes on a Friday afternoon the teacher would let us have spelling bees. We formed two rows on either side of the room and were graded by head marks. We sat on two long benches and as each correct word was spelled we crossed over for a head mark. We would move up a space. The side with the most head marks at the end of the match was, of course, the winner for that week.  I really enjoyed this because spelling was one of my favorite subjects and when we were chosen I would be one of the first picked.

Sometimes we had a community spelling at night, and the adults and some parents took part in our bees. This was a lot of fun because some would spell words the way they sounded which didn't always work.

We always had a Christmas program and tree and at the end of school a commencement program. I remember wondering why we called it a commencement when it was at the end of school. At both times every child had a part in the play, saying a recitation or, for the very bashful ones, songs for all to sing. We would be so nervous knowing our parents and other family members were going to be out there to hear us,  But the very worst thing for me, my daddy would have me stand up at home to practice my part before the family.

One of my very special memories was at Christmas. My daddy and youngest brother put two boxes under the tree for me at school.  Daddy's gift was a small basket made of siver wire, and my brother's was my very first compact with powder and puff. I was about 12 years old then, but that made me feel grown up.

Back then, we wore warm clothing because of the long walks to and from school.  We wore long underwear tucked inside long, dark-colored stockings. On wet and muddy days, rubber overshoes covered our high top shoes. We usually wore the same outfits all week. When we arrived home from school, we changed into other clothes to do our chores, keeping our school clothes clean. We always wore overcoats and toboggans. No one ever went bareheaded as they do now, not even in the summertime. Then they wore bonnets or straw hats.



Photo: Grandma's family - She's the baby.

Related posts:
B10: Grandma's Childhood Memories
B11.  Grandma's Childhood World
B12. Grandma's Childhood: Memories of Family
B13. Grandma's Birth and Ancestry
B14.  Grandma's Special Memories and Favorite Pastimes
B15.  Grandma Meets Grandpa
B16.  Grandma's Kitchen
B17.  Grandma: Children, Grandchildren, and Random Musings
B96.  Grandma Remembers Corn Harvest and Corn Shuckings

B13. Grandma's Birth and Ancestry

Happy Birthday, Grandma!

(part 4 of 8 of a series written in memory of my grandma, Ellie Irene Nance Vestal, born on the 4^th of July, 1914, near Boonville, NC)

In 1986, when Grandma was 72 and I was 24 I gave her a birthday gift that I thought might help her fill her days.  It was a memories book filled with prompts for her to write about her life.  She had lived alone since Grandpa’s death in 1977, and she enjoyed writing.  I forgot about the gift, but months later she gave me a far greater gift, which has become one of my most treasured possessions, the same book, completely filled in with her memories. 

In her honor, and to share this precious gift with others who love her, I continue here a blog series of her own memoirs in her own words: 

I was born on:  July 4, 1914, 4:00 PM
at:  near Boonville, NC, Yadkin County

I weighed:  4 ½ lbs. and was 18” long.

I had dark brown hair and brown eyes.

My given name was:  Ellie Irene

I was named that because:  I was named for a relative of my mother.

My name means:  My name is a diminutive of Eleanor.

Nicknames:  When very small they always put Little before my name which I grew to hate as I got older.  My sister called me “Bug” and sometimes other objects.

The rest of my family included:  father, mother, Earl, Luther, Jerry, Thurman, Mattie, Vernice

Special names I called them:  Thurman was 13 when I was born.  When I started talking I couldn’t say his name.  I called him Pudlum.  That was his nickname for a long time.

Other relatives who lived in town or nearby:  uncles, aunts, numerous cousins

My parents:  Richard H. Nance, Mary Frances Michael
My mother’s parents:  Rush Michael, Jerusha Stanley
My father’s parents:  Clemuel Nance, Susan Swaim

(Husband):  Thomas Carl Vestal
(Husband's) parents:  Charlie M. Vestal, Minnie I. Angel
(Husband's) mother’s parents:  James Angel, (Luretta Willard)
(Husband's) father’s parents:  Joel Vestal, (Elizabeth Vestal)

The earliest ancestor I know of on my mother’s side of the family was:  my grandfather
The earliest ancestor I know of on my father’s side of the family was:  grandparents
My surname comes from:  France or Germany
It used to be spelled:  Nantz
Family traditions that came from national and/or religious origins:  Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter get-togethers, birthday celebrations, family  reunions and church homecomings

I lived in:  the country west of Boonville, RfD 1,Boonville, NC, from 1920 to 1933; 1 mile east of Boonville, Rte. 1, Boonville, NC, from 1933 to (present)
I went to school at:  Reece Free School, 4 ½ miles west of Boonville, NC, grades 1-8; Boonville High School, Boonville, NC, grades 8-10 ½

What I remember most about my mother:  She was pretty, gentle, kind, a very loving mother and grandmother; was also my very best friend who understood my joys and sorrows.

What I remember most about my father:  He was loving, strict, honest, loved all children and always wanted them to “amount to something” as he used to say it.  Was proud of us.

My mother’s full name:  Mary Frances (Michael)
I called her:  Mama
She was born in:  Surry Co., NC  4/21/1875
When I was a child she was:  5 feet 4 inches tall and weighed about 118 pounds.  She had black hair and brown eyes.

My father’s full name:  Richard Henderson (Nance)
I called him:  Daddy
He was born in:  Surry Co., NC  4/7/1872
When I was a child he was:  5 feet 11 inches tall and weighed about 170 pounds.  He had brown hair and blue eyes.

See also:

Grandma's Childhood Memories  (first of this series)

Grandma's Childhood World  (second of this series)

Grandma's Childhood: Memories of Family  (third of this series)

coming soon:  Grandma meets Grandpa, Grandma becomes Mama, Grandma becomes Grandma