Claudis Levi Alexander married Shirley Danks soon after graduating from high school. He, like most of his graduating class had to leave the area to find work and ended up in Louisville. Shirley was an elementary school teacher and I think that Claudis initially found work with General Electric and then decided to finish college. He graduated from University of Louisville with a degree in engineering. Claudis and Shirley have some children, but I am not sure of the number. The family was raised in Louisville. Claudis finished his working career in Louisville, retiring a few years ago and he and Shirley have spent their retirement years traveling in their mobile home. Wintering in Florida, Arizona, and New Mexico sounds like a fun way to spend a retirement. It gets cold in Kentucky.

Martha Kay Baggarly married A. W. Black soon after graduation from high school. They tried the "Out Of Town" work process for a while, but both wanted to return to the Echols Community to live and raise a family. Kay worked for several of the dentist in Ohio County and ended up working for Dr. Young until he retired a few years ago. I think that Kay has a son and a daughter..

Bettye Jane Barnard entered Murray State University after graduating from high school. She finished her college career and became a Registered Nurse and ended up at the Ohio County Hospital as a surgical nurse until she retired. She married L. H. Harper and they built a house in the Echols community where they raised their family. I think that there was a son and a daughter..

Frances Lee Chancellor was born and raised in the Ceralvo Community and had no desire to leave the area after graduating from high school. She got a job with General Electric in Owensboro, and worked for G. E. long enough to get a partial retirement. Frances met and married Ted Clark from Fordsville. He was killed, 3 weeks after they married, in a car wreck. She moved back home with her parents after that and car pooled to GE with a group from the Rockport area. Later, she married an older man, Tommy Hall, from Muhlenberg County. He was in very bad health for years before he died. They had no children. Francis is not in the best of health and not able to do much of anything. She has most of the medical conditions that are associated with ageing. About the only place she goes is to the doctor. She lives at Ennis, KY.

Thanks to Betty Sublett for the information on Francis.

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Obituary from Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer 4/8/12

Frances Chancellor Hall

BROWDER--Frances Chancellor Hall, 76, of Browder died at 2:20 p.m. Wednesday, April 4, 2012, at her home. Mrs. Hall was born May 29, 1935, in Ohio Country. She was an assembly line worker at General Electric in Owensboro and was a member of the Eastern Star for 55 years. She was a member of the Forest Oak Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter "Tommy" Hall; and parents Henry and Sophia Chancellor.

Survivors include her brother and sister-in-law, W. A. and Jane Chancellor of Rockport; nieces Judy McConnell of Henderson and Melissa Kirk of Crawford, Texas; nephew Clark Chancellor of Smith Grove; great-nieces Angela McMeen of Cross Roads, Texas, Tina Goldman of Hewitt, Texas, and Nicole Bateman of Austin, Texas; six great-great-nephews; and two great-great-nieces.

Funeral services are at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Tucker Beechmont Funeral Home with the Rev. Curtis McGehee officiating. Burial is in Forest Grove Cemetery. Visitation is from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday and after 8 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Condolences may be made at www.tucker-funeralhomes.com.

Bobby Milton Drake never found that good, local job, that he wanted. This area, in that time frame, just did not have any available jobs. One night, coming home from a date from Centertown, he ran off the road and wrecked his car. He did not survive. A young man's life was just never fulfilled and he has certainly been missed by this writer as well as the rest of the world. As I can recall, the time frame of the wreck was in the fall of 1957, maybe in October..

Jerry Russell Durham was too young to enter the work market after he graduated. After finishing a year at Western Kentucky State University, he worked about a year for the Majestic Dry Cleaners and then secured a job with G. E. in Louisville. After getting laid off, he entered the Air Force and served four years and four months from February 1958 until June 6, 1962.

After service, he applied for work with Peabody Coal Company, Ken Mine and The Tennessee Valley Authority. He started to work for Peabody in August of 1962 at the Ken Mine near Echols. A year later he was offered a position with The Tennessee Valley Authority, as a "Student Power Plant Operator". The school was located at the Shawnee Steam Plant in Paducah, KY. After two years of "Power Plant Operations" school, he transferred to the Paradise Steam Plant as an assistant Power Plant Operator. He then completed an "Instrument Technician Apprentice" training program and a few years later, completed the "Senior Instrument Technician Training program". In 1976 he transferred to the Beaver Dam Field Office where he worked in the field of monitoring the atmosphere for pollutants. He retired from TVA in 1997 and was called back in 1998 where he still works on a part time basis.

He married Doris (Dotty) Durbin in 1960 and that marriage produced two children, a boy and a girl. There are two grandchildren, a boy and a girl. Retirement life is good for Jerry and Dotty, as they spend most of their time on their three acres just South of Beaver Dam.

Again, thanks to Betty M. Sublett for providing this write-up on Jackie Ford.

Jackie Enon Ford worked for Gabe's Restaurant before graduating from High School. Gabe's, in that time frame, was one of the better dining place in his area and Jackie was learning the restaurant business after high school. He joined the Navy soon after graduation. Retired from TVA. He married a woman from Michigan, had one daughter and 2 twin boys. His daughter is a Nurse in Florida and has a daughter, Jackie's only grandchild. Jackie still is married although his wife lives in Michigan and he lives in Philpot, Kentucky. He has arthritis in his knees and doesn't get out unless he has too. Louise Stevens, a cousin of Jackie, supplied most of this information. Thanks Louise.

Evelyn is pictured above, in front and on the left.

Evelyn Fulkerson married Gene Gaither and soon after the marriage, she became a Law Enforcement Officer's wife. Gene served several years as the Sheriff of Ohio County and also worked for the cities of Beaver Dam and Hartford. Evelyn secured a job with the Peabody Coal Company in the Division Office. Her office was near the River Queen Mine and she worked there until retirement. They have four children, three boys and a girl. They have spent their marriage living in the Echols community. Retirement has been nice..

Willis Fay Fulkerson left Ohio County soon after graduation, moving to Indiana and finding work there. Fay retired from his work and continues to live in Indiana. He married Anna Bullock.

As you can see, I need more info on Fay.....

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Obituary

Beaver Dam--Willis Fay Fulkerson, 75 of Rockville, Ind., passed away Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012, at his home. He was born March 4, 1936, in Rockport, Ky., to the late John and Doretta Singleton Fulkerson. He worked as a pipe fitter for Union Tank in East Chicago, Ind. He also was preceded in death by his wife, Anna Dean Bullock Fulkerson: and his daughter, Debra Sue Weger.

Survivors include one son, Willis (Anna M.) Eugene Fulkerson of Hammond, Ind.; one brother, Jack Fulkerson of California; three sisters, Sue Moore of Central City, Barbara K. Calvert of Beaver Dam and Janet Cantu of Lansing, Ill; five grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services are at 2 p.m. on Feb. 29, 2012 at William L. Danks Funeral Home, Beaver Dam, with the Rev. Scott Fleener officiating. Burial is in Echols Cemetery in Echols. Visitation is after 11 a. m. at the funeral home.

Obituary info from the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer on Feb. 29, 2012.
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See you......
jrd

James Carrol Geary graduated from Rockport in 1954 and went to work for General Electric in Louisville in September of 1954 as an Assembly Line Worker. In 1955, he accepted a position in the "Tool And Die Maker" apprentice program and completed the program in September of 1958. The Army called and he was drafted into service in December of 1958. He spent two years in the Army and returned to General Electric Company in Louisville in December of 1960. While with G. E. he held several different jobs including, GE Model Maker, Wage Rate and Planning, Tool Engineer, Tool Room Manager, Manufacturing Engineer, and several more minor positions.

James left GE in January of 1984 to go to work for Spalding and Day Tool and Die. He was offered a Tool Engineer job with them and before retirement, he had advanced up to a Vice President. He retired from Spalding in January of 2001.

After graduation from Rockport, James married Avanell Murphy from Central City. They became the parents of two daughters and from those two came seven grandchildren, four grandsons and three granddaughters. At this writing, James and Avanell have been together for fifty-one years. James spent his working career living and working in Louisville. His retirement years have been with his wife in Louisville.

Marlene Hoskins married John A. Westerfield soon after high school graduation. After John A. completed his internship as a pharmacist, they moved to Lewisport and opened a drug store. Marlene became involved in the floral business and soon afterwards became the owner of Sunshine Cottage. She has since retired. John A. died a few years back and Marlene still lives in Lewisport. They raised two children, a boy and a girl. The children each had two children and now Marlene is the grandmother of four, two boys and two girls......

Betty Jean Maddox married Bobby Sublett soon after graduation. Neither of them wanted to leave Ohio County and Bobby worked at various jobs until her secured a good position working for Peabody Coal Company, Ken Mine. They built a house in Rockport and raised a daughter. No grandchildren yet, but there is a granddog. Betty is very active in her church and for any event that will make Rockport a better place to live. Betty is always one to visit and help the ones in Rockport that may be in need. She is usually the first in line to lend a helping hand. At this writing, Betty has been married over fifty years. The world needs more people like Betty.

Write-up on Betty Welborn is by Betty M. Sublett. Information from Billy Welborn. Thanks Betty; You are doing great.

Betty Welborn enrolled at Western Kentucky University after graduating from High School. She was young, to be in college and got homesick. She just did not want to return to college and went to Clarkson, KY to stay with her grand-mother. She started work in a Restaurant there where she met her future husband, Charles Kiper. He was in the Marine Corps. They married and traveled around different places with his job then finally ended up in Virginia Beach VA. They had one daughter Sherry who never married and is a big wheel with Dollar Tree stores. She is about 45 years old and still lives in Virginia Beach. Betty passed away in Feb. 1978 after fighting a battle with Colon Cancer.

Nola married Jimmy Casebier, from Beaver Dam, soon after graduating from high school. She worked at GE in Owensboro after graduation then married Jimmy and they moved to Florida where he had a car dealership. She was a Housewife and led the good life. Her brothers have an annual "Fish Fry" during the summer and Nola always tries to attend. Her husband, Jimmy, is the son of Paxton Casebier and Nephew of Frank Kelly Casebier that owned Casebier's in Hartford. Nola doesn't have any children. Retirement life in Florida is just what Nola enjoys and she will be the first one to tell you to come on down to Florida......

See you.....
jrd

Rockport Banner....
Hopefully a few people will see and read this information. It will be boring to some, I am sure. Others will find the idea to be a good one. After all, to me, it is a good start and a good idea. As you can see, a problem area is finding a picture and/or getting information that can be used for a write-up for each graduate. If you see your particular section, in this stat, and prefer another picture or another write-up, please let me or Hilma A. Stewart know. Feel free to use a picture of your choosing as well as a "Write-Up" that you have done. We aim to please, if reasonably possible. If you have a better picture of you or a picture of any Rockport graduate in the time frame of the fifties, please mail it to me or to Hilma. In particular, if you just don't like the idea, don't like the picture of you that is being used, or don't like the write up, feel free to let me know. Do want to thank you for looking and for reading this far. Hope you see something that is of interest to you. Thanks.

See you......
jrd

A Rockport Tiger.

A Tiger. The Rockport Tigers were a force to be reckoned with in the forties and fifties. Although, this school was a small one, there were times when the "Old Tiger" placed fear in the hearts of bigger schools. The larger schools preferred not to play some of the smaller schools in sports, as to get beat by them was not in their best interest. Especially in Basketball; When "Tournament Time" rolled around, all schools were on an even footing. Although I do not remember any Rockport teams going to a State Tournament, our basketball, baseball, volleyball, tennis and other groups stood in with the best of them. Long live the Tiger....

See you.....
jrd