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Returning home to the class reunion
This is a story about class reunions and classmates who do come home. My high school class, E.C.I. 1963, recently cancelled our yearly reunion. We are a small class and we meet regularly and just could not work it out this year. Members come from Michigan, Tifton, Folly Beach, Charlotte and Coral Gables. A few days ago under a nearly full moon, I escorted a member of the E.C.I. class of 1957 for her 50th class reunion. My sister was one of the 45 class members of whom ten have died and about 25 came for the reunion. The setting was a new back porch on the old Higginbotham house next to the school. Historically it was built by Jeff and Lola Brown Durden at the turn of the last century. The house is surrounded by E.C.I. from the remaining wing of the old school that burned to Mr. R.E. Tanner's Ag building and shop. The house is now bounded in the rear by a much improved baseball field with amenities and a fantastic greenhouse. Looking out from the back porch all I could see was an incredibly beautiful middle age live oak and the old barn. I remember looking at that old barn from the other side when I was in the 8th grade class in the old building. Why this house? Just six weeks ago Lynda Cowart Talmadge returned to Twin City to live. This is the house she has restored and revitalized. I guess it is no coincidence that a member of the Cowart family would be living snug up to the school as this family has been one of the mainstays of the school since 1904! The Cowart Family Scholarship is perhaps the most prestigious award each year. Lynda has lived in the Lovejoy/Hampton area for the last 20 some odd years and it is a real asset for our community to have her back. When I went calling earlier in the day she and her sister and niece were working on the tables for the appetizers as the first course that evening. I felt the presence of that home demonstration agent, Louise Cowart. I can see her now with hair pulled back in a French roll, and two chop sticks tucked inside. Her daughters and grand daughter were working away to make the reunion a success and of course they are a credit to their mother, Louise. And a success it was. The warm greeting by Lynda and other class mates made it a great first hour. Class president Phil Smallwood spoke over a microphone to those assembled. This fellow from Garfield developed Atlanta's largest architectural firm. He brought forward Ronald Price, said to be the shyest person in the class to pick at a guitar and sing like this was the Grand Old Opry. He had a compatriot singer, Kerney Lamb. One class member wore a monogrammed red sweater reading "E.C.I. Class of 1957". The guys were talking about their first cars and antiques for sure they are today. Helen Kemp had organized the appetizers which were brought by various class members. Class member's name tags had a period photo of each person. Most all looked better today than they did as high school seniors. The sun was setting lighting a sky of vivid clouds of pinks and underling grey-black edges. That is when we walked over to the Bulldog Cafe at the school and had a Lew's Barbeque special and for a special treat, cakes by Jenene Donaldson. Before the classmates returned to Lynda Talmadge's house for pictures and more fellowship, the ice needed breaking for sure. There she was standing in a puddle of green beans, bacon and juice, Lynda acknowledged that the aluminum roasting pan became unstable before reaching the table and its contents made their way to the floor. (This was after the meal; don't worry because no one went away hungry.) With more poise than any grand dame could muster up, Lynda called for help and the brooms and mops came from classmates right and left. And that is what class reunions are all about: returning, reuniting, and being real.--Jack Atkinson is a guest columnist and a resident of Garfield.
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