It was a cold, snowy, winter day in the school year 1941-42 at Maynardville Elementary School. It was also my first year of school. I had a new snow suit of gray tweed with a maroon velvet collar and buttons that I was very proud of. I was also one of the first graders who had to learn about riding a school bus. I did not have a watch, and I don’t remember if I could tell time then; but I do remember that I worried constantly about missing the school bus and not having a way to get home. Shortly after lunch on this particular day I decided it must be close to time to go home, so I made my way to the cloak room to begin putting on my snow suit and boots. Soon another classmate and another and another came in until the whole class was in the cloak room getting ready to go home. Was this the leader in me showing at such an early age? Anyway, Miss Hazel waited until we all got in the cloak room, then came with her paddle. She told us to get our coats off and get back in our seat. She gave each person a few licks on the hand as we left the room. The following are the class members who may have experienced this day.

Franklin D. Adams
Franklin D. Bridges
Carl Brewer
Johnny Brown
David Butcher
H. C. Hartgrove
Jack Dempsey Heiskell
Donald Lee Monroe
Eugene Darrell Monroe
Johnny Monroe
Bart Pratt
Johnny Pratt
Hobart Ray
Clemith White
Robert Wood
Eleanor Barnes
Bessie Burnette
Ruby Chesney
Mildred Coppock
Betty Fields
Bonnie Heiskell
Carolyn Keck
Kate Lee
Mary Nell Smith
Margaret Lee Hart
Effie Ray
To those who were absent that day, you missed a memorable experience and a funny story. To those who were there, I apologize–52 years later–for having gotten you in trouble with Miss Hazel’s paddle.

Miss Hazel is Hazel Walters Butcher, but she had not married at that time; and we all called her Miss Hazel.

From Shopper News May 2004
Bonnie Heiskell Peters
Union County Historian