Reading, writing, reminiscing:
Northside marks 50 years

Past, future mix as alumni tour new school

April 23, 2007

By CHRIS TRAINOR
Index-Journal staff writer

It was a celebration 50 years in the making.
Northside Middle School had a 50 Year Reunion Celebration Sunday afternoon. Current and former students, staff, faculty and representatives from Greenwood School District 50 were present, with the estimated crowd of 400 touring the 50-year-old facility and remembering the time they spent there.
Following a reception and program, guests paraded from old Northside to the site of the new Northside Middle School, which will open in the fall and is located off Deadfall Road.
District 50 Superintendent Darrell Johnson commented on Sunday’s festivities.
“Phenomenal, simply phenomenal,” Johnson said. “It warms my heart to see so many in the community come out and show support for this reunion. We have former students, current students, parents, teachers, senior citizens, you name it. Northside has a very proud tradition, and I’m sure that will continue at the new school.”
Janada Jay, president of the PTO at Northside, helped coordinate the event.
“I’m very proud of how it turned out,” Jay said, smiling as she watched people mingling and laughing with friends from decades ago. “Everybody here has stories about Northside Middle School.”
During the commemoration program in the gym at old Northside, Jay was presented with a bouquet of flowers for her efforts in helping organize the event.
Guests made their way from station to station in the school lunchroom, which was decorated with balloons and streamers in the school’s colors of red and black. Each station represented a decade and had pictures and documents from that time period.
A slide show was presented on a loop, showing old photos of Northside alumni. One particularly popular item on display was a copy of The Index-Journal from 1956, the year the school opened.
One of the men perusing the old newspaper was Boykin Curry. Curry was on the school board of trustees in 1956 and was honored during the commemoration program.
“This is a wonderful event,” Curry said. “I think it was a good idea to have a celebration for the old school before they head off to the new one. I am encouraged that students are getting a new school.”
For some, Sunday’s event was a family affair. Mary Jane Thompson taught at Northside for 28 years. Both of her sons and her eight grandchildren attended the school.
Thompson, who came to Greenwood in 1960, said it felt good to reminisce about all the good times she and her family had in the old school building.
Mark Abell and his daughter Leslie were busy Sunday looking at yearbooks from decades ago. Both attended Northside, and Mark’s younger son will attend the new school in three years.
“This has been a great place, but it is time for something new,” Mark said. “The new school will be bigger, more advanced and will probably be more secure. Security is important these days, especially in light of what happened at Virginia Tech last week.”
Tammy Roundtree Sampson attended Northside from 1976-78 and was a cheerleader for the football team. She said many of the teachers she had there had a lasting impact on her.
“Coach (Gary) Roper is someone I talked to on a weekly basis,” she said. “He had an open-door policy for former students. He inspired me in my life, and I still think of him as a father-like figure.”
Johnson said the Northside spirit will remain the same, though the facilities are changing.
“One thing will remain constant,” Johnson said, addressing the crowd. “Northside will continue to offer a quality academic program and instill excellence in our students. Northside is the place to be.”

Obituaries

Betty Cody LaFrance

ABBEVILLE — Betty Cody LaFrance, 91, of 329 Oakridge St., formerly of New Haven, Conn., and Florida, widow of Joseph Cody and Edward LaFrance, died April 21, 2007, at Abbeville Nursing Home.
The family is at the home.
Palmetto Cremation Society in Greenville is assisting the family.

Ray Pardue

Fred Ray Pardue, 78, resident of 707 Keisler Drive, died April 22, 2007, at The Veterans Administration Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia after an extended battle with leukemia.
Born October 2, 1928, in Greenwood County, he was a son of the late Wilson L. and Jessie Parkman Pardue. He was a graduate of Greenwood High School and a 1950 graduate of Clemson College. He was a U.S. Army veteran having served during the Korean War.
Mr. Pardue was retired from Monsanto, now Solutia. He was an avid member and supporter of Clemson IPTAY and was a member of the Golf Club at Star Fort. He was of the Baptist faith.
Being the last member of his immediate family, he was survived by a special cousin, Claude McKinney, Jr. of Piedmont.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday from the Blyth Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Tony Hopkins officiating. Burial will be in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Pallbearers will be members of the Seniors Group of the Golf Club at Star Fort.
The body is at the funeral home where the family will receive friends from 1 to 2 p.m. Tuesday.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, SC Chapter, 1247 Lake Murray Blvd., Irmo, SC 29063.
For online condolences please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting the Pardue family.

Montie Reese

Montague Bone Reese, 96, resident of 118 Sherwood Lane, widow of John M. Reese, died April 21, 2007, at Self Regional Medical Center.
Born October 9, 1910 in Lowndesville, she was a daughter of the late Henry G. and Marie Frith Bone. She was a graduate of Lowndesville High School and attended Winthrop College and business college. Mrs. Reese formerly taught in public schools in SC and was employed by the War Department of the US Government during World War II. She retired from the administrative offices of Abney Mills in 1980.
Mrs. Reese was a very active member of First Presbyterian Church, having served many years as chairman of the Memorials and Gifts Committee, assisted in the Sunday School office and was awarded life membership in Presbyterian Women for her many years of dedicated service. She was also a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Surviving are a sister, Marie B. and husband, O.A. “Pepper” Martin of Greenwood; a brother, Marshall B. Bone of Orlando, FL; nieces and nephews, Ted and wife, Helen Martin of Greenwood, Claudia and husband, John Kersey of Lakeland, FL, Henry G. Bone, III of Detroit, MI and Marie B. and husband, Michael Clear of St. Louis, MO.
She was predeceased by a brother, Henry G. Bone, Jr. and a sister, Virginia Hammond.
A private family graveside service will be conducted in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
Memorial services will be conducted at the First Presbyterian Church at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday with Rev. David Mayo and Dr. George Wilson officiating.
The family is at the home in Kimbrook and will receive friends at Blyth Funeral Home from 6 to 8 Monday evening.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Greenwood, 108 E. Cambridge Ave., Greenwood, SC 29646.
For online condolences, please visit www.blythfuneralhome.com.
Blyth Funeral Home & Cremation Services is assisting Mrs. Reese’s family.

Mickey Shaw

COLUMBIA — Thomas Mix “Mickey” Shaw, 72, of 244 Lyndhurst Road, Columbia, husband of Nancy McLean Shaw, died Sunday, April 22, 2007, at his home.
Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Harley Funeral Home and Crematory, Greenwood, SC.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.harleyfuneralhome.com.

Opinion

Heroes of silver screen gave us valuable advice

April 23, 2007

My heroes have always been cowboys. Those are lyrics from a country song, maybe, but they are or should be relevant to real life today when “anything goes.” They might seem trivial to some, but they should be an inspiration to all.
There was a time not too long ago - before television - when just about every young boy in Greenwood spent many Saturday afternoons at the movies. There they were given lessons in life that we could use today.
The celluloid heroes back then had a lasting influence on youngsters - and many adults - that carried over into everyday life. When Hopalong Cassidy, O’Henry’s Cisco Kid, the Lone Ranger, Charles Starrett (the Durango Kid), Bill Elliott (Red Ryder), Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Tex Ritter and all those other Saturday afternoon heroes did their things, good always triumphed over evil.

THERE WERE SIX-SHOOTERS aplenty, and the good guys never had to reload. Nevertheless, there was no gratuitous blood or gore that are so much a part of the “reality” films of today. Therefore, the message that came through loud and clear was obvious ..... and good.
There were other positive messages, too, and they taught us more than might be imagined. For one thing, there was always a display of courtesy and manners by Gene or Roy or Tex. The Saturday afternoon heroes, for example, were respectful of the ladies to a fault. They made sure the villains got their proper comeuppance any time the ladies were offended or abused ..... usually the school m’arm or the pretty daughter of the put-upon rancher. The lessons youngsters learned from that also were obvious.

CHILDREN EVEN LEARNED something about the humane treatment of animals. Whether it was Autry’s Champion, Roy’s Trigger, Hopalong’s Topper, or the Lone Ranger’s Silver, everyone in the audience knew they were special and loved. Such lessons were not lost on the little ones, either, and the importance of caring for the welfare of animals left an indelible imprint on their character for the rest of their lives.
Motion picture cowboy/heroes of yore indeed were the heroes of the formative years for many of us. We learned about good, and that it contrasted with evil. That’s something that’s missing all around us these days. Still, there are old-timers around who will tell you quickly that cowboys have always been their heroes ..... and as noted in other lyrics, they still are today.
In the grand scheme of things, that ain’t bad.