St. Paul grads hold reunion in Combs
Posted on Thursday, October 2, 2008
A long-standing tradition of holding a reunion of the combined St. Paul class members from the 1930 s and 1940 s and even those members who attended later classes fell partially by the wayside this year.
Instead of meeting in the St. Paul School cafeteria on the Friday before Pioneer Day this year, the location had to be changed because St. Paul School was in session that Friday. Traditionally, St. Paul School has closed early or all day, or students have been dismissed and teachers required to attend inservice sessions on the Friday before Pioneer Day. If school were closed or only teachers attended that day, Pioneer Day reunion groups could use the school and activities and booths could be set up earlier.
The reunion still went on even with the new school calendar but at a new venue – the Combs Baptist Church.
The former St. Paul students reminisced about their experiences at St. Paul School and shared stories of their present circumstances.
Beginning in 1940, St. Paul students had classes in the Rock Schoolhouse (now known as the Old Gym ) where classrooms ringed the gymnasium floor that was located in the center of the building. Prior to 1940, classes were in the two-story wood schoolhouse located on the hillside above the St. Paul Corner Store overlooking the town. Overcrowding caused some classes to be held in the old, but still standing, Methodist Church Building, which was located across the street from the schoolhouse.
This year's reunion attendees from Arkansas were John and Joanne Paszkiet, B. E. and Macel Edwards, Bill Hankins, James and Betty Martin, Faye Smith, April Pittman, James and Mary Todd, and Wanda Wood all of Fayetteville; Claude Ogden and Wilburn Mullen of Winslow; Charles and Treva Combs of Havana; Ebb Riddle of Combs; Glenda Baker of Little Rock; Nellive Vines, Debra Dudley, and Jean Dudley of Huntsville; Myrl and Martha Massie, David and Virginia Massie, Velma Thornsberry, and Hilda Webber of Springdale; Keith and Jackie Robbins of Farmington; Sally Pace from Arizona; Cleo and Sue Ray from Kansas; and Max Ledford from Oklahoma.
"We all had a good meal and good visits," said Sue Ray. "Everyone hopes to meet again next September to see old friends and classmates."
Although the location hasn't been finalized for the 2009 Friday-before-Pioneer-Day reunion, the gathering will happen on the Friday before the second Saturday in September, and people will congregate to recall the happy memories from their St. Paul School days.
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