Mrs. Mae Vann was my Sunday School teacher at Swainsboro First Methodist, for my high school years. She gave us directions that I have strived to follow throughout the course of my life. She led us in a proverb to say together each time our class was dismissed.
You are writing a Gospel, a chapter each day by the things that you do and the things that you say. What is this Gospel according to you?
Our beloved Mrs. Vann and the proverb are memorable to the future ministers, nurses, teachers, and others including a navy admiral.
Marie Moore was my next-door neighbor. Our yards were divided by the creek that ran between our property. Neighborhood children gathered at this little stream that we called “the ditch.” Marie was happiest when her yard was filled with children enjoying the outdoors. She added a large room to her home to provide one of Swainsboro’s first kindergartens. She was outside with children all morning to supervise and lead games. I had never known of camping outdoors until she packed her station wagon with tents, supplies, her two curly haired boys and their friends to camp out in the North Georgia mountains. From Marie, I learned respect for needs of children, a simple lifestyle and to thine own self be true.
For many years, Miss Celestine Williams taught piano lessons to children of our town. She embellished the model of grace. She lived with her mother in the two-story yellow house on Church Street across the street from the grammar school. She was loved by her students even if they did not like to practice. Many of her students became fine musicians. Sorry to say that I was not one of them. I loved Miss Cellie, but I had no talent and disliked time spent on practice. She understood this and did not expect me to reach the level of better students. She gave me the love and enjoyment of music that fills my life today.
