_ " e Lew 6
^ The Hoke County News - Established 1928
VOLUME LXXI NUMBER 27 RAEFORD, HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
t| Around I Thomas Clubwoman Of Year
- journal
The Hoke County Journal - Established 1905
S8 PER YEAR THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1979
Town
BY SAMC. MORRIS
| The Bethel Presbyterian Church
annual Ingathering will be held
today (Thursday starting at 1 1 a.m.
and continuing until 2 p.m. The
usual plates of barbecue and
chicken salad will be served.
Besides the good food, it is
always nice to see old friends and
enjoy the fellowship of everyone
there. Hope f see you there.
? * *
Someone mailed me a bulletin
| from the First Baptist Church of
Hamlet and made a notation on the
front of the bulletin that an article
on the inside of the bulletin might
be of interest.
In the bulletin under the head,
"Pastor's Word" was the following:
"Sunday is 'Mrs. Bessie Nash
? Day'. We honor Mrs. Nash for the
many years of faithful service to our
church. She and her husband,
Jacob Daniel Nash, Sr., through a
labor of love, spent over five years
compiling the information Mrs.
Nash used in writing the History of
n Hamlet First Baptist Church. In
today's 'Voice' we feature the
pictures of these books. If you
would like to purchase the books,
Mrs. Nash will be glad to auto
graph your copy. This history
contains a significant record of the
? highlights of our heritage.
"Again we say thank you to Mrs.
Nash and pay honor to her on this
day. She will speak to us during
morning worship and the pastor
will conclude the service with a
meditation and invitation."
D For many of you readers. Mr.
and Mrs. Nash reside at the Open
Arms Rest Home here in Raeford. I
have had the opportunity to talk
with Mrs. Nash on several occa
sions and a couple of times on
subjects that concerned the book
that she and her husband wrote.
'' Congratulations to the writers.
An article elsewhere in the paper
tells about the honor bestowed on
Ethelynde Ballance, who retired
from the Raeford United Methodist
Church. She has become a familiar
person around Raeford and will
soon have been here long enough to
call a native.
Miss Ballance came here in
September of 1959 and has worked
t with many different pastors during
that time. We know that she will be
missed at the church and we wish
for her many years of happy
retirgipent.
? * *
Lester Seals of Austin, Texas was
by the office last Tuesday. He and
his wife were here visiting relatives
and especially his mother, who
resides in the local Open Arms Rest
Home.
> He was born and raised in Hoke
County and finished high school
here in 1940, just in time to leave
with the National Guard unit that
was inducted into Federal service in
September of that year. Lester,
along with my brother Spec, and
this writer served together for over
? five years before being separated
We went overseas together and
came back to OCS and then went to
Texas.
When Spec and I went to the
Philippine Islands we were separ
ated from Seals.
I Lester now works for the Civil
Defense Office in Austin and his
health is good. It was nice to see
him and always enjoy a visit from
old friends.
* * *
^ Another visitor by the office last
week was Jim Tillman of Hickory.
He and his wife were on the way to
visit relatives at the beach for the
weekend and he was visiting a few
old friends in the city.
^ Jim worked at the plant that is
now Tex-Elastic in either the late
40s or early 50s. 1 can't recall right
off whether it was Para-Thread or
U.S. Rubber at that time. He was
the plant's production superinten
dent and lived in the home that
^Mrs. W.E. Freeman lived in for
"many years at the corner of
Prospect Avenue and Bethel Rd.
Tillman was a captain in the
National Guard and served with the
late Bill Lamont and T.B. Lester
along with Paul Dickson and
Myself. His health was good and his
tPwife was the same cheerful lady
(See AROUND TOWN, page 1 3)
Raeford Clubs Win Top District Awards
???????????
Teacher's
Dismissal
Is Voted
Action to dismiss a South Hoke
School teacher for "neglect of
duty" was to be initiated Tuesday
afternoon on motion of the Hoke
County Board of Education.
The "no" vote was cast by Mrs.
R.S. McNair, who said she felt it
should be determined whether the
teacher's problem is a health
problem.
The action of the board affects
Mrs. Miriam Letie, who teaches the
third grade in the program for
gifted children.
Specifically, the board at emer
gency personnel meeting Tuesday
afternoon adopted a motion that
"Miriam Letie be suspended
without pay, under the (state)
Teacher Tenure Action, for neglect
of duty, and that the superin
tendent immediately initiate dis
missal proceedings."
Supt. Raz Autry said he would
send Mrs. Letie a registered letter
Tuesday afternoon informing her of
the board's action.
Mrs. Letie, who has been teach
ing in the Hoke County school
system since April 5, 1973, is
covered by the provisions of the
state act, by virtue of the length of
her service.
Autry, replying to a reporter's
question after the board meeting
ended, said South Hoke Principal
(See DISMISSAL, page 15)
' ? ? mmvmi 1 1 'Wi i' liW
L R. Mrs. Knox, Mrs. Stanley and Mrs. Thomas with district trophies.
Incumbents Unopposed
City Election Set For Tuesday
Raeford's biennial municipal
election will be held Tuesday but
the mayor and the five present
councilmen are unopposed for
reelection.
On the ballots are mayor John K .
McNeill, Jr.. and City Councilmen
Bob Gentry. James (Bennv) Mc
Leod. Mayor Pro Tem Graham
Clark, Vardell Hedgpeth. Jr.. and
Sam Morris.
Each is running Tor a new
two-year term. McNeill. Clark, and
McLeod are up for their sixth
terms. Morris for his fourth.
Hedgpeth his second and Gentrv
for their third.
Gentrv has been serving since
I97(i w hen he was appointed to fill
the unexpired portion of the term
of David Lovette and was elected
the following year to his first
regular term.
The Raeford Woman's Club and
Junior Woman's Club' and Kay
Thomas of the Raeford Woman's
Club received top awards of Dis
trict 9, North Carolina Federaton
of Women's Clubs, Thursday at the
district meeting in Hamlet.
The Raeford Woman's Club
received the district Cooperation
and Involvement award for the next
year, the most important com
munity service award given by the
district.
It also received the Elizabeth
Maynard Youth Award for out
standing work with young people.
Mrs. Thomas was named Club
woman of the Year for the past year
among the members of the district
Woman's Clubs. Mrs. Betty Knox
is president of the Raeford
Woman's Club.
The Raeford Junior Woman's
received the district Pinkie Jackson
Art Award, the foremost honor for
work and achievements in arts
programs, including drama.
The club's president, Mary
Stanley, placed second for the title
of district Junior Clubwoman of the
year.
The judges consider a woman fot
selection as Clubwoman of the Year
on her record of activities in her
community and church, and her
club work on local, state and
district levels.
The Junior Woman's Club also
placed second for the of the district
Education Department, in Con
servation, and in Home Life.
The Maynard award was given to
the Raeford Woman's Club for
activities, including the club's
sponsorship of the campership
outing July 2 - 9 for 24 Hokt
County children at Camp Monroe,
and working with the students at
Sandhills Youth Center at McCain
and O'Berry Center, for handi
capped children, at Goldsboro; and
providing bean bags for school
children. The club also recently
obtained large, used tires and cable
spools from Hoke County busi
nesses for conversion into play
ground equipment for Scurlock
School, but this work will be
counted on the club's 1979-80
record of community service.
In ' This Is Your Life' At Raeford United Methodist Church
Ethelynde Ballance Honored
For 20 Years' Church Service
Miss Ethelvnde Ballance was
honored Saturday night by the
members of Raeford United
Methodist Church for her 20 years
of fulltime service to the church
with a covered dish supper.
The honor was the Ethelynde
Ballance Celebration on the oc
casion of her retirement, and it
came also on the eve of her 62nd
birthday. The tribute was given in
"This Is Your Life," with friends
and present and former associates
participating in telling the story of
her life and service, starting with
her birth.
The complete text of the pro
gram follows.
Ethelynde, tonight is your night.
We are here to honor you. We and
your many friends want to present
this "Your Life".
It all started at Lake Landing,
North Carolina, on October 28,
1917, when you were born at the
home. This house was built in 1916
in Hvde County for your mother
and father as a bride and groom.
These first years were happy
years for you and your only sister,
Bernice. The canal on the back of
the house and the ditch on the side
were always a source of finding fun
things to do. From this ditch,
protected by a fence, you caught
many crabs.
You played with them, according
to your mother, you even tamed
them. But they were always thrown
back into the ditch.
There was a favorite apple tree
that you were forbidden to climb.
But climb it you did, and you were
unable to get down. So a limb had
to be cut out of that tree to get you
down. The spanking that was
promised never came.
The Methodist Church became a
strong force in your early life. Your
childhood church, very close to
your home, blew down in 1940.
Your family store was used for a
church building until the church
could be rebuilt.
Your father's store, a stone
throw from your house, was always
the center of the community. That
store building Is still very special in
your memory as you have a coffee
table and ? harvest table made
Miss Ballance in her church office Tuesday morning ... She'll keep working
rill the end of the year.
You and your cousin. Leon
Ballance, started first grade
together. You sat in one of those
double desks. Tonight we are de
lighted to have with us your (that)
cousin, Leon Ballance of Engle
hard. North Carolina. Leon would
you come up and give Ethelynde a
love around the neck?
* * ?
In school, I hear you were never
pleased with less than a hundred on
your work. You were always an avid
reader and walked away with the
medpls and honors.
Then in the eighth grade, your
life was made richer when a very
special person, Jeanette Dillard
moved to New Holland. You and
Jeanette were great friends, and
strong debaters. Jeanette is now
Mrs. E.D. Robinson of Mt. Holly,
North Carolina. Jeanette, would
you come up, and tell us a few
things about this lasting friend
ship*
? * ?
! hear In those days you asked to
drive the car to the post office. You
were refused permission but your
father would allow Jeanette to drive
the family car. You wondered why
as Jeanette was younger than you
were.
In June. 1934, you were a
member of the last graduation class
at Lake Landing High School.
Again, you and your cousin. Leon
Ballance. were together as co
valedictorian of your high school
class.
In September. 19.14. your father
died. Then in January of 1936. your
mother died. Uncle Tae Ballance
and Aunt Mattie moved into your
home with their three boys. Leon.
Wesley and Orville. For four years,
their family was your family. Any
story of your life would have been
incomplete without their being
there.
In those early days, there was
another aunt very close to you. This
was Aunt Geneva Payne who was a
Mann. Today that rocking chair in
your living room of Aunt Geneva's
is very special.
In those early days, you and your
sister. Bernice, had each other for
strength. She has always been one
of your favorite admirers, and in
turn, you think she is very special.
You call her "sister" and she call*
you "sister". You have played side
by side, gone to college together,
studied with each other and pre
pared many programs. You have
made many trips as room mates.
You even bought your retirement
(See HONORED, page 14)
imbhi
Bishop Robert M. Blackburn [Z.] of the Methodist Church 's Raleigh area
and Dr. Paul Carruth (/?) of Fayetteville. superintendent of the church 's
Fayetteville District, were among those who participated in the program
honoring Miss Ballance Saturday night.
The Junior Woman's Club won
the. top arts award for its spon
soring and presenting the musical
comedy. "Spring for Sure." acted
and directed by Hoke County
people; and its work in other forms
of art during the past year.
"Spring for Sure", given the last
two weekends in March, was a
popular and Financial success, and
its profits are being invested in the
club's other art work, Mrs. Stanley
said Thursday afternoon after re
turning from Hamlet. She said the
club also plans to present another
musical comedy the last two week
ends of March 1980.
The club's report for the in
formation of the judges of the
district competition follows.
Raeford. Hoke County, is a rural
agricultural community of less than
5000 citizens and is essentially
culturally deprived.
To emphasize the Arts, the
Raeford Junior Woman's Club has
worked closely with the senior high
students and instructors, encourag
ing the students to take an active
part in our local arts festival i.e..
sewing, public speaking, drama,
voice, musical instruments,
photography, and visual arts. Last
year we had students representing
our club and District 9 in the
"arts", they were asked to audition
for parts in our musical comedy
"Spring For Sure" along with other
citizens of our community. Re
sponse was tremendous!
Although our club is realitively
small (17 members) we have always
been hard working and set our
goals high. We were determined to
make our first production a
success. Everyone joined in to help
We solicited the help of the
Raeford Woman's Club to sell
Patron sponsorships, the Senior
Citizens to make the thousands of
dogwood blooms, the Hoke County
Youth Council to put the blooms on
live trees, the Home Extension
Club to make costumes, the High
School Art Students to work on the
set scenery, the High School Car
pentry Class to construct a set
( along with our husbands and other
willing souls), the local newspaper
and radio station for publicity, the
Jaycees to usher during each of the
four performances, the Juniorettes
to take up tickets and pass out
programs at show time, and last
(See AWARDS, page 15)