Sugar Grove
By Paula Mitchell
History records the high schools in Pendleton County as being situated in the South Branch Valley at Franklin, with the other in North Fork at Circleville. There was no high school in the South Fork and since there was no transportation from Sugar Grove to Franklin, the students had a choice when they completed eighth grade and wanted to continue on to high school. They could attend the Franklin High School and pay for room and board by living at Franklin, or they could attend a high school in Virginia. Practically all the students from the Sugar Grove community chose attending a high school in Dayton, Virginia, or Bridgewater, Virginia. The latter was most often chosen by some parents who could not afford room and board.
Bridgewater High School was located in a beautiful farming area and some of the farmers gave room and board to students for their help. Some names mentioned who did this were Ralph and Elmer Waggy, as well as Gordon Todd. They would get up early in the mornings and with the help of milking machines, would milk about 40 cows. Then, they would get ready and walk, a mile or so, to school returning by way of the mile walk to milk the 40 cows. Following the washing of the milking machines, supper was eaten and then studying took place.
The former teacher, Leona Rexrode Mitchell, who taught at Brandywine School prior to her retirement, was a student whose parents were fortunate to be able to pay her room and board. Because of this, she was able to take extra classes in order to graduate in three years. Mr. Suter, her principal said to her, “I don’t understand it. You boys and girls come over from West Virginia and some of you graduate in three years while others work on the farms in the early morning and in the evening and still you make better grades than most of our local students.”
In time, transportation allowed the South Fork students to attend Franklin High School. Students were then able to stay at home and work on their own farms.
Life’s daily instructions that mean a lot include the following:
- Vacuum behind furniture.
- Volunteer to help without being asked.
- Clip a news story for a friend who’d be interested.
- Wipe the kitchen sink every morning.
- Pass along a book one loves.
Moisture in the nature of less than a shower fell Sunday morning. Monday morning was on the cool side.
The last full moon of spring or the first of summer is called the Strawberry Moon. This particular moon was named by the Native American Algonquian tribe as June is the time of great abundance of strawberries to mark its ripening.
Quotes for the week are as follows:
“My mother shed her protective love down around me and without knowing why people sensed that I had value.” — Maya Angelou
“Never explain – your friends do not need it and your enemies won’t believe you anyway.” — Elbert Hubbard
“Joys come from simple and natural things: mists over meadows, sunlight on leaves, the path of the moon over water.” — Sigurd F. Olson
“A friend is what the heart needs all the time.” — Henry van Dyke
“Cheerfulness is the atmosphere in which all things thrive.” — Jean Paul Richter
Sitting on the front porch to hear the “Talk of the Grove.”
Emma Puffenbarger and the Pendleton County Minor softball team ended their season on Saturday. Everyone had a fun time learning “the ropes” of playing softball.
Phil Downs attended the Memorial Day ceremony at the VFW park. He also attended Jim and Sharon Puffenbarger’s cookout where Austin and Carter Puffenbarger, Brian and Loretha Bland, Beth McNulty and son, Kyle, and friend, Tia, Tim and Danita Kiser, Tracy, Bobbie, Kinsley, and Connor Armstrong, K.D. Puffenbarger, and Bob Puffenbarger were all in attendance.
Thursday overnight guest of Phil Downs was Rose Smith of Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania.
Marleta and Junior Wimer, along with Terri Grogg and Claude Castleberry, were visitors of Rosalee Grogg.
Congratulations to Willard and Judy Rader on their 63rd wedding anniversary.
This week’s clickety-clacks for the chin waggers are as follows:
- French perfume factories employ people with noses so sensitive, that some can distinguish at least 7,500 different odors.
- The doughnut hole was invented in 1846 by a sea captain, Hanson Gregory.
- Only three people in a hundred are naturally red-headed.
- Hair grows faster in the morning than any other time of the day.
- Natives of New Guinea sometimes wear ceremonial masks that are 19 feet high.
Concerns for this week are many, and they are as follows: Charles Anderson, Roger and Joan Ashley, Mercedes Aumann, Vernon “Fuzzy” Baldwin, Lynn Beatty, the Debbie Beal family, Jed Conrad, Jeff Craig, the Jack Eye family, Mary Eye, Donna Fleisher, Lola Graham, Jordan Greathouse, Marvin Hartman, Steve and Armanda Heavner, Gary and Jackie Hills, Virgil Homan, Jr., Myrtle Hoover, Debbie Horst, Mike Jamison, Alice Johnson, Richard Judy, Danny Kimble, Dennis Kincaid, Kim Kline, Melissa Lambert, Robert Lambert, Rex Landis, Angela Lung, Linda Malcolm, Betty Mallow, Roger and Skip Mallow, Neil McLaughlin, Melvin Moats, Aaron Nelson, Ruth Nelson, Don Nilsen, Cheryl Paine, Barbara Parker, Sutton Parrack, the Charles Pennybacker family, Shirley Pratt, Alda Propst, Kathy Propst, Linda Propst, Sheldon Propst, Steve Propst, K.D. Puffenbarger, Harley Propst, Jason Rexrode, Jimmy Rexrode, Pam Rexrode, Donna Ruddle, John Ruddle, Annie Simmons, Barry and Phyllis Simmons, Davey Simmons, Erin Simmons, Robbie Sites, Ona Smith, Rosa Tichenor, Sandra Vandevander, Amy Vaus, Judy Williams and Margaret Wimer.
