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Lake City, Florida: A Sesquicentennial Tribute (2009) H. Morris Williams, Dr. Kevin M. McCarthy
Chapter Fourteen: 1940 - 1949
Local students
When Columbia County was a mostly rural farming county
with many farmers, the Future Farmers of America (FFA) was one of
the most important high school clubs. To be elected an FFA officer
was a high honor and to be elected a state FFA officer was a special
tribute. Two local students achieved that honor when they were elected
state FFA vice president: Robert McDaniel in 1940 and Donald
Cason in 1941.
CHS students Marilyn Bevan and Dot Mikell Gould
Sistrunk (both CHS 1942 and pictured below), two high school
track stars, were given an amazing opportunity when they were just
17 years old in 1941. They traveled to Cuba as part of the Florida
pre-Olympics track team and competed in the Pan-American Games.
Marilyn recalled: “Our CHS coaches, Hobe Hooser and
Mike Buie, made all our arrangements and drove us to Jacksonville
for the try-outs and eventual send-off. A Jacksonville chaperone
accompanied us. Here are some of the things I remember: hard bread,
chicken with yellow rice, and fried green bananas—at least they looked
like bananas to me.”
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