HURST - All that's left of the school where
Jackie Tweedy spent most of her career are a few bricks,
four lights and two numbers off the old scoreboard, a sign from the girl's bathroom - and lots of memories.
Whether
it was the mischief she and her friends caused, hanging out at the local diner, the Powder Puff, at lunch or making friends,
Tweedy had a strong bond with Hurst-Bush Community High School, which opened in 1922 and closed in 1966.
So
when it was finally torn down in May, she and other graduates had mixed feelings.
Yvonne Holland,
who graduated in 1954, said while it was hard to see it go, the building was so decrepit it was time to let it go.
"It
was kind of sad because so many of us went there,"
Yvonne said. "It's also a relief because it was caving
in."
Her husband,
John Holland, also graduated in 1954 and was a custodian there for 33 years. He
said the school was a fixture in the area.
"It's sad that it's gone,"
John said. "It's something we
won't see there anymore that we're used to seeing."
Jackie said some of her fondest memories include
the time spent with her friends.
"It was just amazing,"
John said. "Just being able to sit with my
friends and sit out on the lawn."
John's best memories include playing sports as a member of the H.B.
Hummers;
Yvonne remembers the delicious food at the Powder Puff. She said the owner's chili recipe was divine.
"The
lady there had the best chili in the world,"
Yvonne said.
But the former students also look back and
laugh about some of the more mischievous times at the school, including memories of smoke billowing out from under a bridge
where all the kids who smoked went to escape from the watchful eye of the faculty.
Yvonne and
Jackie
also remember a few exploits of their own.
"A friend and I set the clock forward, the bell went off, and everyone
went home,"
Yvonne said.
Tweedy remembers her cousin spitting out a window only to
have the mass of saliva land on a teacher's head.
"I'll never forget it,"
Jackie said. "We all got
in trouble."
John said he is proud of his roots at the school. He said many great students came from
the school, including a few doctors and future faculty members.
So even though the bricks have fallen, the legacy lives
on in the students.
"We all did good,"
Yvonne said. "We're not in jail and we don't do drugs. We all
did good."
codell.rodriguez@thesouthern.com / 351-5804
