Published: October 13, 2008 03:04 pm      

RHS Alumni Association to honor oldest known RHS graduate at meeting

Nellie Kennedy Gray, a resident of Lexington Place in Rusk, will be honored as the oldest known living graduate of Rusk High School during the Rusk High School Alumni Association’s biennial meeting on Saturday, Oct. 18.

On Jan. 26, 1913, Gray was born in Cherokee County to Joe and Matilda Kennedy. She was the third of eight children.

Life on the Kennedy farm made for many unusual experiences.

As Gray and her two older brothers were walking to school one day, they found the creek they had to cross to get to school was up, so the boys told her to jump — she did but her legs were too short, and into the water she went. Gray’s first year of schooling was at the Shady Grove Church.

The building, more than 100 years old, is still standing and the blackboard still hangs on the wall.

The next year Gray went to Iron Hill, a small community school east of Rusk, which only offered grades one through nine. When Gray finished the ninth grade, she transferred to Rusk school.

Because travel was by horse and wagon, Gray lived in Rusk with the Jim Gifford family until she finished the eleventh grade. She graduated from Rusk High School in 1931 at the age of 18.

After graduation, she attended Lubbock Tech and earned her teaching certificate. She began her teaching career at Iron Hill school in the fall of 1933. The school superintendent said something that meant a lot to her — “you will be a good teacher.”

Gray’s first love was second graders. She still has a special love for children. She did most of her teaching in the Houston schools.

At the age of 59, retirement came early for her due to arthritis.

During all her years of teaching, she was only absent once when she gave birth to her son, Albert Glen. Her husband was a teacher and principal.

At the age of 96, Gray would like to pass on these words of wisdom.

“So live in youth that you would not blush in old age,” she advises.

She also said a teacher should teach to a young child four principles for living — to learn to get along with schoolmates, to take care of your property, to respect people, and to acquire a love for knowledge. She said that if a child is taught these things, he will most likely go on through school.

RHS alumni are invited enjoy refreshments and reunite with RHS exes from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18, in the Commons area at RHS and walk over to the Eagle Plaza to locate your engraved brick. The Association’s biennial meeting will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday and will include a memorial service for deceased exes. Meeting is open to the public.