The nice thing about it was, our first grade class had a teacher, Miss Martel Hunt, all to ourselves at Klondike. (Two years later, they changed the rules and Miss Martel taught first and second grades.)

I was left-handed and Miss Martel wanted to change me, but Daddy had a talk with her about that, and I am still left-handed today. They also wanted to skip me a grade, but could not convince Daddy it was the right thing to do. I am glad -- especially after all the trouble my husband, Basil, had with that.

When my class graduated in 1942, eight of the original first graders graduated. We had lost some and added some, so that twenty of us graduated, about the same number that started in first grade.

We had some wonderful teachers back then: Miss Annie Lou Scott had us for second, third, and fourth grades. Mrs. Miriam Allard was our teacher in fifth and sixth, and Mr. A. D. Fultz in seventh.

Teachers were not paid much then -- at one time, the elementary teachers were paid $50.00 per month. Out of that, they bought little prizes (combs, powder puffs, tooth brushes, cute little bars of soap, etc.) for us for being good, for perfect attendance, or for making 100% on a subject for a month, etc. Plus their living expenses, of course. They also bought supplies for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentines Day, and Easter parties for us. I don't know how they did it.

Each teacher, except for seventh grade, was expected to teach two grades, each with about twenty students. They did -- and they taught us well.

In eighth grade (High School!) we had a different teacher for each course. All good teachers. Texas, at the time, had only eleven grades -- our class was the first to graduate under the twelve-grade system.

I loved school, from the first grade to graduation. I hated for summer to come and interrupt the school year. I took heavy loads the first three years of high school so that my senior year would be relatively free -- only three classes.

Mr. Morris Allard -- "Prof" -- was superintendent of the District, and Mr. Manton Pound was the principal. In addition, they both taught a full load of classes and coached the sports teams. They warranted -- and received -- a lot of respect from us.