As far as I know, all the young girls in this picture of the old Sunrise School girl’s softball team are still alive except for one. More than 60 years have passed since it was taken, and I guess it is human nature to look back on a person’s life and accomplishments and wonder if you have lived your life with good purpose and value.
The members of this softball team all attended one-room schools before attending Sunrise. There were four or five one-room schools in southern Jefferson County that were merged to form the Sunrise School District. I started school at McGehan School in the fall of 1950 and was entering the third grade when the Sunrise district opened in the fall of 1952. The name Sunrise was selected by the students.
Most of my team members grew up on local farms and, like me, were quite familiar with the concept of “equal opportunity.” The farm work on our farm was not divided into “men’s work” and “women’s work.” It was just work, and the kid who was available is the one who did the work.
I can tell you that working hard on the farm, playing as a team at softball and starting out at a little country school apparently served us well. These ladies became teachers, business owners, and community and church leaders. One was a criminal investigator, and another a Naval line officer. A number of them were worked full time at their jobs while caring for their families.
Who wouldn’t want to be included in a group like this – one that included people who served their country, their communities and their families so well? Lives lived with good purpose and value? Absolutely.
New LOOKING BACK features are posted periodically on the Leader website. Send ideas for a local historical feature to nvrweakly@aol.com or bring or mail it to the Leader office, 503 N. Second St. (P.O. Box 159), Festus, 63028. Please include your name, phone number and a brief description of your idea. Photos are also appreciated.
