There Were 10 Graduates In This Class.
Rockport, Kentucky.
Fiftieth Anniversary Of The 1955 RHS Class.
 Betty Barnes. The Following Write-Up Is By Betty B. Dougherty. Thanks Betty. Betty Francis Barnes graduated in 1955. Went to Western from High School, met and married James (Jim) Edward Dougherty (2nd Lieutenant, USA) in 1957. We spent 30 years in the military. We traveled all over the US and the world. We had a very full and interesting life, my husband retired in 1987 as a Colonel. I have 4 children, 2 girls and 2 boys, 2 grandchildren age 10 and 7 and a step-granddaughter 18. Our youngest daughter was born in Karachi, Pakistan. Two of our children graduated from high school in Korea and the other two graduated from high school in Germany. They all came back to the states and went to various colleges. I worked for the Federal Government for 12 years after my children graduated from high school. I retired when my husband did and we moved (for the 30th time) on the lake and golf course in Lago Vista Texas which is near Austin. We are fortunate to have our children and grandchild living near us. I am an avid duplicate bridge player and play in two groups once a week. I do volunteer work for the church and Lago Vista Women's Club and play some golf (very poorly).  Jimmy Beck. Picture of Jim Beck supplied by Jim Beck. Thanks Jim. The Following was written by Jim Beck. Thanks Jimmy. The week after I graduated from Rockport High, I joined the Air Force on June 5, 1955. I went off to basic training in Geneva, NY. I went to Scott AFB, in Bellevue, IL for a 9 month course in Radio maintenance. After I graduated Peggy and I got married, nine months later, our 1st Child was born (Terrell Lynne). I went off to southern Japan for 18 months on a mountain top providing radio communications to Korea and Formosa. After that I came back to Goldsboro, NC for about 3 years. There my son David was born in 59. From there, I went to Iceland for a year on the Dew Line. We moved a trailer back to the Render farm and Peggy and kids stayedthere while I was Iceland. From there I went to Biloxi, MS for 3 years as a radio electronics instructor. The week after President Kennedy was assassinated, I was selected for the White House Communications. There, I served from 1964 to 1975 providing radio and satellite communications for Presidential and Vice Presidential travel and local systems in Washington, LBJ Ranch (Johnson), San Clemente, CA (Nixon) and Grand Rapids, MI For President Ford. The highlight of my Johnson travel was to the island of Corregidor in the Philippines. To set up communications in the cave that General McArthur used during WWII was really exciting. In 1970, I was on President Nixon's trip to Moscow, a first for a US President. The highlight of Ford's Presidency was to golf outings ( I'm still addicted to it). During that tour my 2nd son Todd was born in 1969. In 1975, I retired from the Air Force. I worked with the Secret Service during my White House tour. So, they ask me to come to work with them. I hired on to work Radio communications, but shortly after, I moved to Headquarters to coordinate all communications projects at the 126 Field offices they have around the World. A few years later the man that hired me retired and I was selected to replace him. I was the only GS15 in Headquarters without a college degree. Everyone was always asking how I got there without a college degree. I just told them, it was the work ethic of a coal miner passed on to another generation. I think, I have passed it on to my kids. I retired from the Service in Aug. 1995, after 20 years there. I guess the highlight of my Secret Service career was providing the communications for the 1984 Olympics. Last but not least, in 1974 my lovely wife Peggy was diagnosed with breast cancer, after chemo, she was in remission until 1984 in came back in lung, left femur and then brain. In 1988 after 14 years of living with this dreaded disease, she passed away. She was small (5'1") in stature but was the biggest part of my life, the kids and everyone who came in touch with her. There is a scholarship given in her memory by the better business women's club of northern VA. to this day. I remarried 3 years after she died to a beautiful woman who had been a widow since she was 42. She retired 5 months after I. We moved to Florida and lived there in the winter and a condo in VA in the summer for 10 years and moved back to VA last November. We are in a senior community (on golf course) about 40 miles sw of WDC, enjoying life to the fullest. My youngest son Todd is getting married the 1st weekend in SEP or I would be at the reunion. Information above provided by Jim Beck.  Delbert Brown. Delbert Brown is pictured at his country home. Photo by ddd. Delbert left for Louisville after he graduated from Rockport High School and got a job with G. E. at General Electric's large Appliance Park in Louisville. He worked his way up to an inspector. While living in Louisville, he met and married a local girl. Mary Cannon and Delbert later moved to Zoneton, just South of Louisville, where they raised two boys and a girl. Think that there were four grandchildren and a great granddaughter. Mary died a few years back. Delbert had to retire early from G. E. because of eye problems and after a few years, he made his dream switch and moved back to Ohio County. He lives in Beaver Dam and likes to putter around doing carpentry work. Since his move back to Ohio County, he has purchased about twenty acres East of Hartford and built a small "Get Away" home including a small lake. When he is not building or remodeling or fishing, you may find him at his place in the country watching the fish grow.  Paul Brown. Picture of Paul Brown taken by jrd at the 2006 Rockport Class Reunion. Paul never wanted to go to the big cities to work and started out locally as a carpenter helper. With a lot of hard work and dedication to his job, he soon became a builder and a contractor. Over the years Paul has built many homes in the Beaver Dam area. He and has wife, Sue, have lived in Beaver Dam since a few months after graduation from High School. Paul and Sue raised their family in their dream home in Beaver Dam. Their children consist of two girls and from those two, five grandchildren were produced which includes two boys and three girls. Retirement life is nice, especially if you have some grandchildren close by. Paul always enjoyed farm life and his other love is his small farm with a few head of cattle. Having a few acres near his home allows Paul the benefits of farm life without have to endure some of the hardships. Have fun you two. --------- Obituary from Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer. November 9, 2011 James Paul Brown BEAVER DAM-James Paul Brown, 75 of Beaver Dam passed away Monday, Nov. 7, 2011, at his home with his loving family at his side. Paul was born March 27, 1936, in Echols to the late Clifford Brown and Nora Chinn Borown. He was a retired self-employed contractor and a building and maintenance superintendent at Beaver Dam Baptist Church where he was a faithful member. He enjoyed tending to his cattle, raising a garden, watching Kentucky basketball and especially spending time with his grandchildren. He is survived by his wife, Sue Stewart Brown of Beaver Dam; his daughters, Linda (Charlie) Snodgrass of Beaver Dam and Sandy (Jim) Wheeler of Wentzville, MO; grandchildren Jodie (Katie) Snodgrass of Lexington, Korey Snodgrass of Wentzville, Brittany (Dustin) Brown of Mascoutah, IL, Tyler (Shannon) Wheeler of St Charles, MO, and Olivia Wheeler of Wentzville; a great-granddaughter, Harper Kate Snodgrass of Lexington; a brother, Rurel (Kathryn) Brown of Beaver Dam; and a sister, Ollie (Dryil) Rhodes of Owensboro. Funeral services are at 11 a.m. Thursday at Beaver Dam Baptist Church with Brothers Glenn Armstrong and Jim Wheeler officiating. Visitation is from 4 to 8 p.m. today at the Miller-Schapmire Funeral Home, Hartford, and after 9 a.m. Thursday at the church. Burial is in Sunnyside Cemetery, Beaver Dam. The family request expressions of sympathy take the form of donations to Beaver Dam Baptist Church Building Maintenance Fund, 343 S. Main St., Beaver Dam, KY 43320 or Hospice of Ohio County, 1211 Main St., Hartford, KY 42347.  Pearl Chapman. Pearl (Slick) Chapman-Picture of "Slick" taken from the 1955 RHS Class Annual. Slick never did find his dream work and tried for years and years to find the job that would best suit his interest. He even tried the Marines. He did find his "Dream Girl", although late in life. He married Lou Coy and they were a happy couple until "Slick" got sick. He never recovered from his sickness and passed away early in his life. There were no children from this marriage.  Luther Cummings Photo of Luther taken at the 2006 Rockport Reunion by jrd. Luther Cummings joined the Navy soon after graduation from Rockport High School. He served four years and returned to the Ohio County area. He was not able to find work locally and had to go north. He worked for Inland Steel for a few years and until he was able to secure a job closer to home. Alcoa Aluminum, in Warrick County Indiana, offered Luther a job and he jumped at the chance. He spent the rest of his working career with Alcoa Aluminum retiring from there and settled in Owensboro, Kentucky. In 1964 Luther married Loretta and they proceeded to make their home in Owensboro. There are no children from this marriage. Luther, always a kind and gentle man, and Loretta enjoy retirement life in Owensboro. They are big fans of Kentucky Wesleyan Sports, especially basketball. Luther holds season tickets for the basketball games and never misses a game. He is a Board Member of "KWC All American-All Sports Club". Luther also enjoys bowling and fishing.  Roy Neal Fulkerson Roy Fulkerson is pictured above with his wife and lifelong companion, Sue. All that Roy ever wanted to do was to work in the lumber industry. He started out, even before graduation, learning the "Ins and Outs" of lumber and timber. It was not long after his start that he had a business of his own and he stayed in the Wholesale Lumber Business until retirement. He married a local Beaver Dam girl, Sue Buck, and they made their dream home just off the Rochester Road. The marriage has lasted 50 years and produced three children, two boys and one girl. There are four grandchildren and one great-grandchild. --------- Obituary from Ohio County Monitor. July 29, 2017. Roy Neal Fulkerson  BEAVER DAM, Ky. - Roy Neal Fulkerson, 81, of Beaver Dam, went to be with Jesus Thursday, July 27, 2017, at residence. He was born April 23, 1936, in Echols, Kentucky, in a log cabin during a snow storm. Roy was a member of Slaty Creek Baptist Church and had the privilege of being baptized on the same day alongside his son and grandson. Roy was logger and saw miller for Fulkerson Timber Company which he owned and operated. He also was an all-star basketball player for the 1955 Rockport Tigers. He was preceded in death by his parents, John Douglas and Mildred Fulkerson. Survivors include his cherished wife of 61 years, Martha Sue Buck Fulkerson, of Beaver Dam; daughter, Marquetta (Mark) Ross, of Beaver Dam; two sons, Robert Fulkerson, of Beaver Dam, and Matthew (Rhonda) Fulkerson, of Masonville, Kentucky; one sister, Jackie (Donald) Hines, of Louisville, Kentucky; and one brother, Lonnie (Neva) Fulkerson of Willisville, Illinois. Roy was blessed with four grandchildren, Joshua (Shannon) Ross, Cristy Ross, Brandon (Tina) Fulkerson, and John (Tehya) Fulkerson; and seven great-grandchildren, Skyla and Abram Ross, Chamler, Braydon, and Parker Fulkerson, and Hayden and Sadie Fulkerson. Several nieces and nephews, lots of cousins and friends he adored also survive. Funeral services will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, July 30, at Miller-Schapmire Funeral Home in Hartford, with Rev. Darrell Moran officiating. Burial will be in Pond Run Cemetery in Echols. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until time of service on Sunday at the funeral home. A special thanks to Kathy Miller and her brother, Ralph Miller from EMS Services and Hospice of Western Kentucky for all they have done.  Aubrey L. Robinson. Aubrey's L. Robinson Picture taken by Betty Sublett at the Rockport 2004 Class Reunion. Aubrey "Hooker Bill" Robinson married Ella Ruth "Poochie" McCoy soon after graduation. They left Rockport behind and moved to St. Louis after finding work there. "Hooker Bill" secured a job working for Chrysler Automotive and stayed with Chrysler his entire working career. Now retired, they make their retirement home in St. Louis.  LeNelda Smith Write Up and picture of LeNelda furnished by Betty M. Sublett. Thanks Betty. Appreciate it. LeNelda quit school before graduation because of a nerve condition. She married Roy Sherrod a few years later. He was a Truck Driver for Aunt Hattie Bread for several years. Went to work somewhere else, became disabled after a back injury and several back surgeries. This marriage produced three children, one boy and two girls. LeNelda was a wonderful wife and mother. She took her mother-in-law in and cared for her until she passed on. She had grandchildren, not sure how many. After her children were grown, she went to work at Houchens' Market in Greenville as a checker, she retired from there, went to work at Stewart's IGA in Central City. She retired from there, ready to enjoy life with her family when she suddenly became sick and passed away about a year ago. Write-up about LeNelda by Betty M. Sublett. Thanks Betty.  Bobby Sublett Bobby Sublett with a lunch plate during Rockport Days 2005. Bobby married Betty Maddox shortly after graduation and held a few smaller jobs until he was able to go to work for Peabody Coal Company, Ken Mines. Shortly after getting married, Bobby and Betty secured a few acres in Rockport and built their dream house. The marriage produced one daughter that lives in Owensboro. No grandchildren yet, but Betty calls her daughter's dog a "Granddog". Bobby was in the work force for twenty three years, fourteen years at Ken Mine, before he got hurt at work, and had to take an early retirement. Bobby's hobbies include woodworking and wood crafts. Bobby was one of the initial members to help establish a Fire Department at Rockport. Now days, you will find Bobby and Betty keeping their place looking like the pictures that you see in the "Home and Garden" magazines. They also spend a lot of time with Church work and working to make Rockport a better place to live. Retirement is good.  |