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50 Years Ago in Burke County

Mule gets a free ride

Vivian Murray

news@morganton.com

Published: April 12, 2009

Morganton - Shelba Moss and Judy Wood, students at NCSD, will be maids of honor at the Miss Morganton pageant.
• A Morganton young man is one of 16 candidates for Wake Forest College's "ugliest man" title. He is James Maxwell who represents Poteat Dorm.
• Patricia Haynes and Billy and Bobby Luckadoo are freshmen students who made the honor roll at Wingate College.
• Catherine Page, chairman of the homemaking committee of the Women of the Moose, displays a sample of her committee's handiwork. Belk Broome furnished dolls and the committee made doll clothes. These dolls will be presented to the Moose Children's Home at Mooseheart.
• Carolyn McFalls attended Kappa Alpha fraternity's "Old South Ball" at Wake Forest College.
• Nancy Marie Collins, senior at Oak Hill School, received a $25 savings bond from Dr. Ray Alexander for her essay on "Vision and Highway Safety" that won first place in Burke County. The contest was sponsored by the N. C. Optometric Society.
• Charles T. Keaton has been promoted to the rank of captain in the U.S. Army. He will be going to Fort Hood, Texas.
• Mrs. Nannie Jeter, who was one of the first teachers at the NCSD and later taught third grade in the Morganton City Schools, celebrated her 84th birthday with family and friends. She was married to Dr. I. P. Jeter, Morganton's first resident dentist and a member of the old Morganton band. She recalled when they returned from their honeymoon the band had planned to serenade them but the weather was so bad and the streets so muddy that they were unable to meet them at the station. She said back then the streets were not paved and only had stepping stones (if you could stay on them).
• William A. (Bill) Connelly, who joined the staff of the Norfolk Virginia-Pilot after his graduation from Wake Forest, is a newspaperman who is going places. On a visit home he remarked he was going to join a big organization ... Uncle Sam's Army.
• Newest entries in the "Miss Morganton" contest are Clarene Saulman and sisters Barbara and Gayle Eaker.
• Mrs. Annie Leslie celebrated her 84th birthday with four generations of Leslies. She was married to William A. Leslie who came here to open Leslie's Drug Store. She was born at Creekside in 1875. Her grandfather, T. George Walton, built Creekside in 1836 for his wife Elizabeth A. Murphy.
• Former students of Morganton High School who graduated last spring and entered some 30 colleges are maintaining "above C" grade averages as they adjust to the more difficult work.
• Geraldine Ball and Joyce Parton were winners in the World Speaking Contest. The contest was sponsored by the Woman's Club.
• Army 2nd Lt. Hamilton Erwin III has completed the 10-week military police officer's basic course at Fort Jackson, Ga.
• State Hospital girl's basketball champions are Willa Dean Walker, Vernie Chapman, Antha Brackett, Nina Hurley, Joan McGalliard, Lela Abernathy, Margaret Carswell, Jennie Roper, Frances Causby and Coach Jack Biggerstaff.
• Staff photographer Furman Dixon observed a truckload of household belongings rolling through Morganton with the mule right in the center of the truck enjoying the free ride and sights, destination not known.
• Bits from J. Gordon Queen: Jim Best and Hunt Riddle with enough clothes hangers on the front of their bikes to supply a dry- cleaning business…Ted Shirley ushering Roy Huffman into the barber shop…Bill McCombs and Perry Thomas leaning against parked cars and eating apples…Pretty Kay Mull shopping for her Salem School trip to Washington…Mrs. Flossie Griffen smilingly greeting friends…Women changing from shorts to heaver garb during our April winter…Joe Snipes gossiping on Gossip Corner…The rains made our beautiful thrift look like drowned rats.

50 Years Ago in Burke County is submitted by Vivian Murray, a volunteer at the History Museum of Burke County.