What is your oldest childhood memory?
I guess walking to high school in Greenville. Walking to Sterling, walking around the corner to my high school. You know previously I'd been riding cause I was in another area. I guess walking to school up to Sterling. I know I loved that. I just thought it was so great. And then with the little boys and all of that. I went to Sterling High School in Greeville [South Carolina]. That's where I grauated from. I started out in Laurens. I remember I didn't like down there. So I can't remember the name of the school.
What kind of work did
they do?
Mom was a school teacher. And daddy did so many
things. He farmed, he was a carpenter, he was a painter, and he taught himself
everything. In fact he only went to the-, I guess 7th or 8th
grade.
And you mom was a teacher,
how far did she go in school?
She went-, she finished college. Two or three years
of college. You know back in those days how it was. She finished Morris College
in Sumter, South Carolina. She went back [home] and you know back in those days
that was very unusual.
Who were your
childhood heroes?
Ooh Lord, let me see if I remember. I know my
parents were. My mom, dad, my mother’s mother. My mother’s mother was Lila. I’m
named after her, Lila Woody. I’m trying to think of any other movie stars or
anybody. If so I can’t remember them. I cant remember any movie stars back in
those days. Maybe Lena Horne or somebody like that, you know. But other than
that, as far as I know, I don’t know if there were any heroes back then.
What types of games
did you play?
Basketball in the yard, Backyard Basketball. Cause I
never played cards and things like that. I couldn’t sit still that long.
Everybody was in the yard in those days. We weren’t in no house. In fact I
hated that anyway. Being in the house. I loved the yards, I guess that’s what’s
wrong with me now. I love to be out. Not in my yard, but I just love to be
gone. I like to get in the car and get gone.
How did you spend the
holidays?
Probably with my-, with mom in the kitchen, and
grandma you know. on the holidays in the kitchen cooking. Just around Christmas
time. Looking, watching them cook. Not me. That’s why I can’t cook today
Is there anything
special that they would prepare for the holidays?
Turkey and that type of thing. Cakes and special
made pies and things like that. And somewhere in there, put in there how I love
coffee. And I don’t like anything in it, I just like plain black coffee. I
learned to like that cause my parents kept their coffee cups on the table, and
once they’d leave out I’d go drink it. I’ve always been a character, I can tell
you that. I used to drink they’re coffee when they’d go leave out of the
kitchen or somewhere, leave out from the table. If they have any left, I’d go
run to and just-. And you know back in those days they made it hard, that real
coffee back then.
What do you remember
about schooling?
I loved it. The love of school. I always loved
school. And I loved the fact that mom taught me for a long time. Quite a few
years. Mother was a teacher and she was real strict on me, I know that. Seemed
like I liked English better than all the others. Seem like I wasn’t a Math
person.
Where did you live?
Where did you grow up?
Two areas. Laurens County, you know down there where
Tom [Thomas Weldon Garrett] and those live. And Greenville [both in South
Carolina].
Did you live on the
land?
Yeah. I lived on the land. That house is still there
I guess.
Why did you all move
to Greenville?
I don’t know. My dad decided he wanted to just change
locations.
Did you have to work growing
up?
No, I didn’t have to. No. We helped around the house
and all of that. But we didn’t have to work. But now when I was a teenager, I
worked. I didn’t have to but I worked. I worked at the hospital, General Hospital
in Greenville. I worked at a restaurant, in the kitchen of course. I had to
work in a kitchen. I couldn’t keep still now. I never have been the type to
keep still.
What event had the
greatest impact on your life?
Well marriage I guess. I got married. A great
wedding; a big wedding. Planning for a big wedding. And obtaining degrees.
Did this event impact
your family?
They caused them to have a lot of pride. They were
real proud of me obtaining degrees. Cause when I got my M.A. [Master’s of Art]
it was back in the 70’s and that was kind of unusual to get a Master’s from the
University of North Carolina at Greensboro, UNC. My mom was very proud. My dad
had died by then.
What did you get your
M.A. in?
Business Education. My doctorate is in education.
What was your
profession? How did you choose it?
My profession was a teacher. I was a high school
teacher and a college teacher. High School and College. The professions were
limited back in those days. The areas of work were limited. We didn’t have many
choices back in those days.
What is the one thing
you most want people to remember about you?
That I tried to be helpful to people. I tried to be
as helpful as possible. And I tried to let everybody know there are unlimited
opportunities out here in the world.July 21, 2012
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