Peggy Price, retired Austin Elementary School Teacher, admires the school quilt
made by Marion Dildy, in 1976, as a Bicentennial project. Lavyn Sisco, right, represents
the Hopkins County Genealogical Society, who will raffle the quilt during the Fall Festival,
at their concession stand, in the Civic Center.

 

Bicentennial Quilt Preserves History
and Benefits Genealogical Society

 

by: Bobby McDonald
with information supplied by Marynell Bryant

 

Did you attend Austin Elementary School? Do you remember what you were doing during our nation's 200th Birthday Celebration? Well, you might just be the lucky winner of a quilt featuring the Austin Elementary School teachers in 1976, when our nation celebrated 200 years, as a handmade quilt will be raffled off at this year's Fall Festival, by the Hopkins County Genealogical Society. Three quilts were made by longtime Austin Elementary School teacher, Marion Dildy, as a tribute to the bicentennial and two were given to teachers who were retiring that year. Dildy kept one for herself.

This quilt was donated to the Hopkins County Genealogical Society by Dildy's daughter, Betty Dildy DuPont. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit the society's projects. Tickets will cost $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00, and can be purchased from the HCGS, at their concession stand in the Civic Center, throughout the week of Fall Festival, September 11-18th.

Signatures on the historic quilt include: Imogene Barnett, Patty Palmer, Elizabeth Cotton, Nona Gober, Beth Hargrave, Barnie Thompson, Elaine Garmon, Mary Jane Teetes, Peggy Price, Sandy Waldrup, Sue Byrd, Yvonne Rollins, Linda Potts, Dianna Mitchell, Paula Herman, Gladys Brumley, Bertha Guthrie, Betty Higgins, Martha Reynolds, Elsie Douglas, Polly Harlan, and school principal, Lem Plaxco.

Certainly, if you attended Austin Elementary School or taught there, you will be interested in this piece of Hopkins County history. The Hopkins County Genealogical Society has on display a number of Austin Elementary School items, including a number of school yearbooks, "The Mustang," that makes a wonderful "trip down memory lane."

Make plans to purchase a piece of history, at the Fall Festival, and drop-by to see the display of items from Austin Elementary at the Genealogical Society on Main Street!

 

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