School Story:
I loved playing in the MHS band, though no one could hear my pitiful little flute, since I marched right in front of the bass drummer! He made it a point to drown out my little squeaks.... (Remember him?)
After our father's death, we moved to Knoxville with Naomi, and we kids finished our high school years at Young High School in South Knoxville. I then went to Maryville College, about ten miles from Knoxville, for two years, then transferred to the University of TN. Ed, Janet, and I graduated in our turn from UT-Knoxville. Ed is retired as an engineer, Janet is retired from teaching. I taught school, also, but didn't teach long enough to retire! My only claim to fame is that I did my practice teaching at Clinton High School the year it was integrated. What an experience that was! The kids were great; it was the people who came from up north who tried to cause trouble. My major field was choral music, though I also taught instrumental music, too.
However, my first job was with the TN Dept. of Public Welfare as a case worker. I then taught music for several years, and now spend most of my time on the tennis courts. I hit a mean backhand! I've also been singing in the Knoxville Choral Society since I graduated from UT. (My daughter sings in the group too...when they don't need her to play her 'cello) and that's really neat.
I married soon after college and my husband is in fine paper sales: He uses his first name, Tom, for his customers. (He says they wouldn't quit laughing long enough to buy his paper if they knew his middle name is Searight!) He's 'Searight' to family, friends, and church family. He's a fine man; people love to be around him just to be entertained. We live on a ridge a mile off I-40/75 on the west side of Knoxville, with a great view of the Smokies to the East and the Cumberland Mountains to the Northwest. Love to watch the weather come rolling in! And Ed and his wife sit on their side of The Great Smokies in NC and watch the sun set over the Blue Ridge Parkway! Wow! What views! Ed, (Class of '54), is retired, and his favorite and frequent pasttime is hiking those grand mountains in NC. If he can't see off the top of one mountain, he'll just go climb another one!
We Stuarts are all die-hard Lady Vols basketball fans. We never miss a home game, and wear our colors proudly.... and yell loud! If you watch a UT Lady Vols home game, you'll find us 3/4 of the way up, on the left of the UT band..... wearing our orange sweaters! Can't miss us! Go VOLS!
