Bette Carole Tooley Curtis graduated from Rockport High School in 1947 at age sixteen.
She was awarded a Bachelor of Science Degree from Western Kentucky University, and
taught school for thirty-eight years. She then worked as a substitute teacher for
twelve years, for a total of 50 years in the field of Education.
Bette C. Tooley married James Edward Curtis. She has four children and one granddaughter.
Write-up by Bette Curtis. Thanks Bette.
Bette C. Tooley married James Edward Curtis. She has four children and one granddaughter.
Write-up by Bette Curtis. Thanks Bette.
James Edward Curtis is a 1946 graduate of Rockport High School. He served two years
in the United States Navy, and twenty years in the United States Air Force Reserve
reaching the rank of Major. James attended Western Kentucky University for three and
a half years, and taught school and was a Rockport High School Basketball Coach for
one year. James then worked as Office Manager for Peabody Coal for twenty years, and
as a Federal Mine Inspector for twenty-one years.
He married Bette Carole Tooley, and has four children, and one granddaughter.
Write-up by Bette T. Curtis. Thanks Bette. Sure makes my work easier.
He married Bette Carole Tooley, and has four children, and one granddaughter.
Write-up by Bette T. Curtis. Thanks Bette. Sure makes my work easier.
Juanita Kennedy.
I am certainly elated that I don't have to come up with a write-up for Juanita Park. What could a person write that could cover all that she has meant to Rockport? What accolades could a person use that has not been said many times before? How could one condense her accomplishments down to a few pages, let alone a few paragraphs? Her behavior toward Rockport is self evident and any of a write-up here could not do justice to Juanita Kennedy Park.
Juanita graduated from Rockport High School in 1944. When this writer moved back to Rockport in 1945, Juanita was a third grade teacher. She was a very young third grade teacher, having graduated from Rockport at an early age and attended Western Kentucky University for a few months. She received enough credits from Western Kentucky University to start her teaching career and became a third grade teacher in 1945. I think that all of the young third grade boys had a crush on her.
The next few years of her life consisted of teaching and trying to finish her education. Juanita got her degree in education and she married J. Woodrow Park. With a teaching degree and a new husband, she continued with her career and worked tirelessly for the betterment of Rockport and the Rockport School System. With J. Woodrow Park, as a husband, she found someone that shared her interest in education and in working for their town and their church.
Changes are inevitable and the small towns in Ohio County were losing their High Schools due to consolidation and Rockport was no exception. What would have been the 1957 Class at Rockport High School was sent to Beaver Dam for their final year. Where Juanita and Woodrow had worked long and hard to keep the school at Rockport, they now worked just as long and just as hard to make the transition to Beaver Dam work. And work, it did. The consolidation went off smoothly and uneventfully.
In the next twenty years or so, Mr. and Mrs. Park became leaders and workers for the county instead of the town and their effect on the community will be felt for as long as there is a community. Mr. J. W. Park became the Superintendent of the Ohio County School System and kept that position until retirement. Juanita continued with her education that eventually led to her becoming a Professor at Western Kentucky State University where she taught until retirement. During this phase of her life, she was on more planning and improvement boards that I could name. Guess the one that she is most proud of would be working with the system to bring a hospital to Ohio County. Ohio County Hospital started off with a few rooms and was not considered to be much more than a "First Aid Station", has evolved into a nice small town hospital. With Juanita working with others on the hospital board, this "Small Town Hospital" has become a center for the health concerns of Ohio County and is a very large asset for Ohio County.
Juanita is now retired and living in her beloved town of Rockport. She has not slowed very much on her work for her town and her church. Lead on Juanita and thanks for all.
I am certainly elated that I don't have to come up with a write-up for Juanita Park. What could a person write that could cover all that she has meant to Rockport? What accolades could a person use that has not been said many times before? How could one condense her accomplishments down to a few pages, let alone a few paragraphs? Her behavior toward Rockport is self evident and any of a write-up here could not do justice to Juanita Kennedy Park.
Juanita graduated from Rockport High School in 1944. When this writer moved back to Rockport in 1945, Juanita was a third grade teacher. She was a very young third grade teacher, having graduated from Rockport at an early age and attended Western Kentucky University for a few months. She received enough credits from Western Kentucky University to start her teaching career and became a third grade teacher in 1945. I think that all of the young third grade boys had a crush on her.
The next few years of her life consisted of teaching and trying to finish her education. Juanita got her degree in education and she married J. Woodrow Park. With a teaching degree and a new husband, she continued with her career and worked tirelessly for the betterment of Rockport and the Rockport School System. With J. Woodrow Park, as a husband, she found someone that shared her interest in education and in working for their town and their church.
Changes are inevitable and the small towns in Ohio County were losing their High Schools due to consolidation and Rockport was no exception. What would have been the 1957 Class at Rockport High School was sent to Beaver Dam for their final year. Where Juanita and Woodrow had worked long and hard to keep the school at Rockport, they now worked just as long and just as hard to make the transition to Beaver Dam work. And work, it did. The consolidation went off smoothly and uneventfully.
In the next twenty years or so, Mr. and Mrs. Park became leaders and workers for the county instead of the town and their effect on the community will be felt for as long as there is a community. Mr. J. W. Park became the Superintendent of the Ohio County School System and kept that position until retirement. Juanita continued with her education that eventually led to her becoming a Professor at Western Kentucky State University where she taught until retirement. During this phase of her life, she was on more planning and improvement boards that I could name. Guess the one that she is most proud of would be working with the system to bring a hospital to Ohio County. Ohio County Hospital started off with a few rooms and was not considered to be much more than a "First Aid Station", has evolved into a nice small town hospital. With Juanita working with others on the hospital board, this "Small Town Hospital" has become a center for the health concerns of Ohio County and is a very large asset for Ohio County.
Juanita is now retired and living in her beloved town of Rockport. She has not slowed very much on her work for her town and her church. Lead on Juanita and thanks for all.
H T Kennedy graduated from Rockport in 1942. He was soon needed by his country and
joined the Army to help make the world a better place. H. T. married Nell Curtis
and they raised a son, H. T. Kennedy Jr. They tried the restaurant business and other
ventures until H. T. was able to secure a job with Peabody Coal Company, Ken Mine.
Nell passed away in the early sixties. A few years later, H. T. married Emma Rae
and she had a child from a previous marriage. This marriage produced two children
and thus, this family, as the old saying goes, raised "His, Hers and Ours". After
working for many years with Peabody Coal Company, H. T. retired and eventually,
he and his wife moved to Louisville to be with their children and grandchildren.
Betty Reid Brown.
Betty is the youngest Sister of Jamie Reid. The photo of Harold Welborn and Betty Brown was taken at the Rockport Reunion of 2004.
Betty went to school at Rockport then moved in with her oldest sister Martha Chinn in Danville, KY to finish High School. She then went on to graduate from U of K and later married Ken Brown in Oklahoma. She and Ken have lived in Sulphur, LA for many years.
Write-up and picture, thanks to Harold Welborn.
Wishing you all a great day.
See you......
jrd
Betty is the youngest Sister of Jamie Reid. The photo of Harold Welborn and Betty Brown was taken at the Rockport Reunion of 2004.
Betty went to school at Rockport then moved in with her oldest sister Martha Chinn in Danville, KY to finish High School. She then went on to graduate from U of K and later married Ken Brown in Oklahoma. She and Ken have lived in Sulphur, LA for many years.
Write-up and picture, thanks to Harold Welborn.
Wishing you all a great day.
See you......
jrd
Johnny Render.
Johnny Render was a member of the 1947 Rockport High School Class. After high school, Johnny entered the Air Force and served for twenty years, retiring, and then continued to live in the city of his last tour of duty, Lincoln, Nebraska. John served in the Korean and Viet Nam wars, most of the rest of the time was in Nebraska. Nebraska was the home of some of the large SAC Bombers used during the Cold War. The B-49 and the B-52 bombers were used as long range bombers during this time in history and Johnny was an aircraft mechanic.
During his service years in the Air Force, he met and married Lou Whitte in November of 1956. This marriage produced three daughters. Johnny had a daughter from a previous marriage making his family total comprised of four daughters.
John was an avid hunter and especially enjoyed pheasant hunting. His bird dogs were well trained and John found an interest in raising and showing his dogs. On several occasions, classmate Glen & his brother Jimmy Stewart would visit for the fall pheasant season. John loved the Nebraska countryside, however after a long illness he wanted to come back to Kentucky and live with one of his daughters until his death in 1992.
Thanks to Hilma and Sue for the information on Johnny Render.
Johnny Render was a member of the 1947 Rockport High School Class. After high school, Johnny entered the Air Force and served for twenty years, retiring, and then continued to live in the city of his last tour of duty, Lincoln, Nebraska. John served in the Korean and Viet Nam wars, most of the rest of the time was in Nebraska. Nebraska was the home of some of the large SAC Bombers used during the Cold War. The B-49 and the B-52 bombers were used as long range bombers during this time in history and Johnny was an aircraft mechanic.
During his service years in the Air Force, he met and married Lou Whitte in November of 1956. This marriage produced three daughters. Johnny had a daughter from a previous marriage making his family total comprised of four daughters.
John was an avid hunter and especially enjoyed pheasant hunting. His bird dogs were well trained and John found an interest in raising and showing his dogs. On several occasions, classmate Glen & his brother Jimmy Stewart would visit for the fall pheasant season. John loved the Nebraska countryside, however after a long illness he wanted to come back to Kentucky and live with one of his daughters until his death in 1992.
Thanks to Hilma and Sue for the information on Johnny Render.
Hazel Tooley.
Hazel is a 1946 Graduate of Rockport. She attended college and taught school on a part time basis until she received her degree in Elementary Education. She was teaching school in the time frame when Jim Rigsby came to town as a Presbyterian Preacher. Hazel and Jim married and he moved on and took Hazel with him. They settled in Madison, Tennessee and raised a family. Hazel continued to teach until retirement. She had a chance to continue working and to change careers and is now employed as a Data Input Specialist at a local Doctor's Billing Office.
Hazel and Jim Rigsby have two children, a boy and a girl. Their son is an Aerospace Engineer and their daughter is a veterinarian.
Wishing you all a great day.
See you......
jrd
Hazel is a 1946 Graduate of Rockport. She attended college and taught school on a part time basis until she received her degree in Elementary Education. She was teaching school in the time frame when Jim Rigsby came to town as a Presbyterian Preacher. Hazel and Jim married and he moved on and took Hazel with him. They settled in Madison, Tennessee and raised a family. Hazel continued to teach until retirement. She had a chance to continue working and to change careers and is now employed as a Data Input Specialist at a local Doctor's Billing Office.
Hazel and Jim Rigsby have two children, a boy and a girl. Their son is an Aerospace Engineer and their daughter is a veterinarian.
Wishing you all a great day.
See you......
jrd
Nobel Dale Brown
Picture of Dr. Nobel Brown was taken at the 2006 Rockport Reunion by jrd.
Nobel Brown was a 1947 graduate of Rockport High School. Further information will be added as it becomes available.
Picture of Dr. Nobel Brown was taken at the 2006 Rockport Reunion by jrd.
Nobel Brown was a 1947 graduate of Rockport High School. Further information will be added as it becomes available.
Durwood Maple.
Durwood Maple graduated from Rockport High School in 1945 and entered the Army a few months after graduation. He served his country for two years and decided to return to Rockport when his military obligation was over. Durwood had worked for the Illinois Central Railroad while in High School, and he decided to try that line of work again. He was able to start work at the IC RR Roundhouse in Central City and his work consisted of helping maintain the large steam engines used by the Railroad. A few years later, Durwood had a chance to go to work for the Atomic Energy Commission and he followed his dream to Paducah to the big uranium processing plant on the Ohio River. Another opportunity opened a few years later and Durwood left Paducah and went to work at the large DuPont Plant in Charlestown, Indiana. Five years later and in 1957 Durwood had enough training and knowledge to become a Construction Millwright and he followed the construction process and helped set up the large equipment that was being used at all of the large plants in the surrounding area. He continued the construction Millwright profession for thirty years and retired in 1987. Retirement is always nice, but Durwood says that he wishes that he could go back to work. Like all of us, he made some wonderful friends during his working years and he would like to see and work with them again.
Durwood married his present wife in 1967 and they have lived in Rockport for almost forty years. Pat Maple was a 1955 graduate of Drakesboro High School. A son was born from this marriage and Durwood has two daughters from a previous marriage and Pat had two daughters from a previous marriage. From this family, there are three grandsons and two great-granddaughters.
Pat and Durwood have been an asset to the community and to Rockport for as long as they have lived in this small town. Any idea or endeavor that has come up, for the betterment of Rockport, has seen the helping hand extended by those two. No job was to small or to large for them. As a team, they seem to always be available. The Ball Field and Playground area stands today as monument to their work and dedication to make Rockport a better place to live. May they always be remembered for their work in this area.
Wishing you all a great day.
See you......
jrd
Durwood Maple graduated from Rockport High School in 1945 and entered the Army a few months after graduation. He served his country for two years and decided to return to Rockport when his military obligation was over. Durwood had worked for the Illinois Central Railroad while in High School, and he decided to try that line of work again. He was able to start work at the IC RR Roundhouse in Central City and his work consisted of helping maintain the large steam engines used by the Railroad. A few years later, Durwood had a chance to go to work for the Atomic Energy Commission and he followed his dream to Paducah to the big uranium processing plant on the Ohio River. Another opportunity opened a few years later and Durwood left Paducah and went to work at the large DuPont Plant in Charlestown, Indiana. Five years later and in 1957 Durwood had enough training and knowledge to become a Construction Millwright and he followed the construction process and helped set up the large equipment that was being used at all of the large plants in the surrounding area. He continued the construction Millwright profession for thirty years and retired in 1987. Retirement is always nice, but Durwood says that he wishes that he could go back to work. Like all of us, he made some wonderful friends during his working years and he would like to see and work with them again.
Durwood married his present wife in 1967 and they have lived in Rockport for almost forty years. Pat Maple was a 1955 graduate of Drakesboro High School. A son was born from this marriage and Durwood has two daughters from a previous marriage and Pat had two daughters from a previous marriage. From this family, there are three grandsons and two great-granddaughters.
Pat and Durwood have been an asset to the community and to Rockport for as long as they have lived in this small town. Any idea or endeavor that has come up, for the betterment of Rockport, has seen the helping hand extended by those two. No job was to small or to large for them. As a team, they seem to always be available. The Ball Field and Playground area stands today as monument to their work and dedication to make Rockport a better place to live. May they always be remembered for their work in this area.
Wishing you all a great day.
See you......
jrd
The Tiger.
The Rockport Tiger.
As a Class Mascot, "The Tiger" was a mascot to behold. No other school system in Ohio County had a mascot that was in the same league with the "Tiger". During the period of time that Rockport High School was in use, the other schools had mascots such as Beavers, Mustangs, Merry Macks, Trojans, Demons, and even a Bobcat. All good mascots, for sure and each school had colors to represent their school and their team. The 1931 Class of Rockport High School selected the Tiger to represent Rockport High as a mascot. That same class picked out Purple and Gold to be the school colors. Long live the Tiger and long live the colors of Purple and Gold. Thanks class of 1931..
The Rockport Tiger.
As a Class Mascot, "The Tiger" was a mascot to behold. No other school system in Ohio County had a mascot that was in the same league with the "Tiger". During the period of time that Rockport High School was in use, the other schools had mascots such as Beavers, Mustangs, Merry Macks, Trojans, Demons, and even a Bobcat. All good mascots, for sure and each school had colors to represent their school and their team. The 1931 Class of Rockport High School selected the Tiger to represent Rockport High as a mascot. That same class picked out Purple and Gold to be the school colors. Long live the Tiger and long live the colors of Purple and Gold. Thanks class of 1931..