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A Columbia County Boy's Recollections and Memories of Columbia County Florida (2012) Lenvil H. Dicks

At that time I was married to Ruth Thomas, who was the daughter of Mr. T.S. Thomas, the Union
County School Superintendant. Mr. Thomas always treated me very, very good, and was of great
assistance in getting me the job in Lake City. He said I was too good a Band Director to spend my career
at Lake Butler, and if I got the Lake City job I would be better off.

He was right of course about my being better off, and in the summer of 1956 I moved back to Lake City,
the town of my birth, and for 10 years I was the band director at Columbia High School.

After the Korean War had been over for about 6 years, 1 wrote to the Department of the Army and
requested my discharge from the Army Reserve. I received a reply that they had no record of my having
been in the Army Reserve, and I certainly did not question that. 1 was satisfied with that answer, even
though they were incorrect. Since then, 1 have figured out what probably, (and I emphasize probably)
had happened. After my medical examination in Jacksonville, and while I was waiting for my
deferment, I am sure they sent all of my army records to the Infantry Company in Alabama, that I had
been assigned to, and I feel sure that all of my records are probably scattered out in some snow bank in
Korea.

Having spoken of Mr. T.S. Thomas, the Union County School Superintendant, just another word or two
about him. He was the father of my wife at that time, Ruth, and he was a fine gentleman. He served 40
years as School Superintendant in Union County over a 44 year period. The only 4 years that he was out
of that office was when Fuller Warren was Governor of Florida. Fuller Warren had a brother, Dick
Warren, who lived in Union County, and Dick Warren rode Fuller Warren’s coat tails and managed to
get elected as Union County School Superintendant for 1 four-year term, after which Mr. Thomas came
back and beat him, and got the office again for several more terms.

During the 4 years that Mr. T.S. Thomas was not Superintendant in Union County, he was the Principal
at Mason High School, south of Lake City, in Columbia County, and all three of his children attended 4
years at Mason. His older daughter Iris, who was a very pretty young lady, ended up marrying John J.
Lamb, before her graduation as I recall, and she never returned to Lake Butler to live. John and Iris had
one son, Johnny Lamb, who played in my Columbia High School Band for a period of time, but went in
to the football program and was an outstanding football player. He played football for the Florida Gators
after he graduated, on a football Scholarship, and he was one tough dude. He played at Florida at the
same time that Rick Casares, the Bull, was playing for the Gators. I have not seen Johnny in years, but I
still consider him to be my nephew, and I think he still considers me to be Uncle Lenvil.

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