My Hometown: Cherokee, AL

Last Saturday February 1, I went to Cherokee to celebrate my mother's birthday. On the way I decided to make some pictures of the places that were important to me as I grew up.

This picture above is the house I grew up in. I lived here until I went to Freed-Hardeman. My parents still live here on Cross Street. Our neighbors were the Moores and the Dodsons. We spent lots of time riding bikes and playing outside with our neighborhood friends.

The picture with the American flag is the Rock Crusher. I remember playing outside and hearing the dynamite blasting. The flag was painted to the side of the building after 9/11.

I went to Cherokee Middle School for grades 5-8. Mostly I had wonderful teachers throughout my educational career. In fifth grade I had Mrs. Ruth Guthrie for homeroom. Some great teachers taught fifth grade that year: Mrs. Cone, Mrs. McWilliams, and Mrs. Beene. In sixth grade I had Mrs. Judy Williams for homeroom. I also had Mrs. Thompson (we called her Debo) and Mrs. Haley. Fifth and sixth grade classrooms were in an old part of the school, but when we went to seventh grade, we got to be in the new part of the school. I had some great teachers in seventh and eighth grade as well. I loved middle school so much that I didn't want to go to high school. Sadly, the student population has decreased so much that the middle school has now been closed down. Below is the elementary school I attended for grades 2-4. I went to another building for first grade, and then after school started for second grade, we moved into this new school. I call it new, but we moved in the 1974-75 school year. My first grade teacher was Mrs. Mitchell. She's since passed away, and I went to her funeral. I think her funeral was the first one I ever attended. She was a wonderful teacher. My second grade teacher was Mrs. Crocker. She, too, was a wonderful teacher and person. In third grade, my teacher was Mrs. Strickland. In fourth grade I had Mrs. Hayes. I loved elementary school and dreaded going to the middle school. I started riding the bus in the afternoons when I attended school here.

This picture shows my high school. I didn't want to go to high school, but once I got there I had a great time. I had great teachers - Mrs. Mills, Mrs. Mitchell, Mr. Chumbley....I loved all the sports teams we played - football, basketball, and baseball. I graduated valedictorian of my class in 1985. I loved high school so much that I was very nervous about going to college.

I attended Cherokee Church of Christ from the time I was born. I have wonderful memories of going to church here and many people who have made life-long impressions on me - Mrs. Holt, Coach Hubbard, Kenny and Patricia, my Granny, Tommy and Evelyn, my parents, and the list could go on and on. L.D. Willis baptized me in February 1976 on a Wednesday night. I have tried since then to live right and to bring as many friends with me to heaven. Wayne and I got married here on July 22, 1989.

Grisham & Guthrie was a hardware business. My friend Mona's grandfather owned it. It's since closed.

The Cherokee Post Office was very important to me when I was the editor of the yearbook in high school. We would work right down to the wire on the deadlines and then rush the shipment to the post office.

Colonial Bank - it has a new name now - is where my parents do their banking. We had our wedding reception in the banquet room of the bank.

Old Cherokee - Mr. Harris was a prominent citizen. The football stadium is also named after him.

Chevron station

My Granny's house. It doesn't look like it did when she was alive. She always had lots of flowers and bushes as well as places to sit on the porch. I spent so many wonderful hours inn this house with my sweet Granny.

My aunt Evelyn's house. I'm so lucky to have such wonderful family members. Stacy and I stayed here with Tommy, Evelyn, and Melinda when Mother got burned and then when Chris was born. Tommy died of a heart attack here several years ago. Evelyn works hard to stay busy since then. We all miss him so much!