Page 239 - some-stuff-i-wrote-and-some-stuff-i-didn't-(2011)-h-morris-williams

Some Stuff I Wrote and Some Stuff I Didn't (2011) H. Morris Williams

Our sophomore yearl973-74 began with a few changes.

Dr. Mellor, the headmaster, retired, and he was replaced by a
gentleman, Mr. Carl Greth who was the headmaster. I didn't care
for him a whole lot.

He was from a military school background, and everything, it
seemed to me, in regards to the total school operation became
more impersonal EXCEPT for the fact that in the front office, as
school secretary and bookkeeper, came one of the most beloved
and memorable staff members from Lake City Academy, Mrs.
Està Mae Bedenbaugh.

Oh, I loved her, and I still do to this day. She was warm,
wonderful, and made one feel that in the midst of what we
considered to be terrible days, that all was well with the world.
She is definitely a "people person", and she got along well with

everyone.

When I look back on my school experience at Lake City Academy,
she stands out in my mind as someone I truly LOVED more than

any other individual there who was part of the staff, although, for
those who were not part of the staff, I did love the late Bascom
and Gwendolyn Norris, Mr. and Mrs. John Burns, who served on
the school's Board of Directors, as well as the late L.A. Brinkley,
who came on later. I truly loved them.

A memorable teacher who came on "staff" our sophomore year
was Dr. Nancy Torres. Dr. Torres had a scar on her throat where,
at one time, she had a tracheotomy.

She had long hair, kind of frizzy, and wore "cat eye" glasses. I
guess, today, children would say she was kind of a "nerd". She

was, without a doubt, one of the best teachers I ever had.

She had a doctorate degree in linguistics from the University of

Heidelberg in Germany, and, boy, could she teach English and
literature and Spanish. She made Spanish "come alive". She had
lived in South America, and she taught more from a
conversational standpoint. She was exceptional.

231
www.LakeCityHistory.com LCH-UUID: 644B81FB-81A1-47B2-8D77-49DC2A1A0BE8