There was a family who came to Rockdale with Alcoa in 1970. Their last name was Englishbee. Until this past weekend, I never realized they lived in Pettibone and were bussed to school in Rockdale. They were here four years until they moved to Alaska after a trip there and falling in love with the state.
Loretta Englishbee is the daughter who was in my grade. In those four years we only had one class together, but she really made an impression on me in third grade in Mrs. Beryl Carter’s class.
Many years passed and we finally reconnected on social media. We have had some great behind-thescenes conversations, and I feel like we are kindred spirits, although how anyone could live in Alaska is beyond me. I couldn’t because I’ve barely stayed alive this week during this cold spell.
Her brother, Wayne, was also along for our brief visit because they were attending a funeral for their uncle. Wayne was in my sister’s grade. Loretta and I kept talking about who we had for a teacher in first through fourth grades. Mrs. Shoemake was her fourth-grade teacher while I had Mr. Gest.
As soon as Loretta said, “Mrs. Shoemake.” Wayne suddenly let out a yell. “Mrs. Shoemake! That’s who I had, and she was so beautiful I couldn’t concentrate on my schoolwork because I just looked at her with heartshaped pupils.”
I made a mental note to be sure to tell Sharon that, because I’ve known her since birth. But then I decided to go ahead and tell everyone. Sharon feels good. Loretta feels good. Wayne feels good. I feel good. It’s a win-win.
We went on a tour of the elementary school on Saturday. Loretta said she remembered a statue of a Tiger in front, but I think she was remembering the tiger and elephant embedded in the brickwork at the entrance.
Wayne was very surprised to see that the three-story “old junior high” was gone. He remembered having classes there.
Anyway, it sure was good to see Loretta in person. —kwc— I got to speak to Kerry Locklin at the MLK Day Parade on Monday and he said some very nice things about my parents and wanted me to be sure to tell them hello after he realized they were still living.
Parade organizer Henry Miller told him I was with The Reporter, and he looked at me kind of funny because I look just like my father. He asked me my name and I told him. “Oh wow,” he said. “Are you Billy Cooke’s son?” I told him I was.
He said, “I guess you took over the paper after he and your mom died.”
This will be news to both mom and dad as they are still very much alive. Or they were when I left for work this morning.
He couldn’t believe they were still living.
I had to gently break that news to my parents who got a good laugh out of it.
Kerry said he found a box of pictures from his high school years at his house that he was going to look through after the parade. I told him dad probably took most of them.
Dad said, “I probably did take them.” He said the year Rockdale won the state championship in 1976, with Kerry as quarterback, that he had just turned sports over to Mike Brown but since he was still just getting his feet wet in sports that dad still did a lot of the sports. It was good to see him back in Rockdale.
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