Blanche and her siblings walked miles from the head of the Trout Cove over a dirt road to Ogden School in the 1930s. The Blue Ridge Mountains were locked in the jaws of the Great Depression.
Mrs. Lucy Hyatt was Blanche's teacher. She decided her students would have a happy holiday. "Who wants to make paper chains to decorate our classroom?" she asked. The students clapped their hands and rushed to the worktable. They cut strips from construction paper and pasted them together.
The teacher also asked if anyone would like to help the janitor cut a cedar in the woods. Blanche and her brother, George, volunteered. They selected a white pine and dragged it into the classroom. The pupils made decorations for the Christmas tree. For several days they cut bells, stars, and ornaments. Some children brought silver foil from chewing gum wrappers to design an angel to top the tree. They threaded strings of popcorn and put them on the tree.
While the kids made decorations, Mrs. Hyatt made hot cocoa on the pot-bellied woodstove that stood in the middle of the room. She poured cans of Carnation condensed milk, water, sugar, and cocoa into a pan. The teacher baked gingerbread and served it to the students with the drink. The children loved the treats.
A highlight of the holiday celebration was a program given by the John C. Campbell Folk School. Danish dancers and musicians entertained the mountain children. Blanche enjoyed the lively show that introduced her to the arts and culture.
Although times were hard during the Great Depression, one dedicated teacher brought a lot of joy into the lives of her students. She was a God Send during the time when many kids wouldn't have much for Christmas. This is a true story about my mother, Blanche.
by: Brenda Kay Ledford
I wish all my blogger friends:
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
