Interview with Mrs. Francis Faulk
May 3, 2003
Interviewed by Jean Uzzle
Mrs. Faulk went to the Mitchell School in the Carrsville area. It was a one-room school on the Mitchell family property and the teacher was Mrs. Luvenia Mitchell.
Q: Mrs. Faulk, what area of Isle of Wight did you grow up in?
A: Isle of Wight County, Carrsville.
Q: How many brothers and sisters did you have?
A: Only one, one sister.
Q: What school did she attend?
A: Georgie Tyler
Q: What county school did you attend?
A: Isle of Wight and the first school was Mitchell School.
Q: What grades were taught at Mitchell?
A: I can’t even think. I think it was just grade school.
Q: Like one through –
A: Maybe one _______________________. I’m not for sure. I really don’t.
Q: Well, how many classrooms were at Mitchell?
A: Seems like it was just one large room.
Q: Okay. There was one teacher?
A: Yes. Mrs. Mitchell.
Q: What grades did you attend there?
A: When I first started school, it was first grade, because then my father, he ______ got somebody to come through there that we could catch the bus . And I think I just went through the first grade there I believe _______________________________
Q: How far?
A: About seven or eight miles when I first started.
Q: ______________________ about fourteen miles a day ________
A: Yes.
Q: Can you remember what year that was?
A: Let’s see. I didn’t start until I was six years old, so I’m trying to think. And I was born in ’42, so -- 1948, I guess.
Q: And you said the teacher was Mrs. Mitchell?
A: Yes.
Q: Okay. __________ first name?
A: I’m trying to think. Was it Ethel _______________________
Q: Do you have any history on the school; do you know when it opened or when it closed?
A: I sure don’t.
Q: At that time was it a county school or was it privately owned?
A: I think it was privately owned. Because I think it was Mitchell School and Mrs. Mitchell taught there.
Q: How did you get to school?
A: Walked. Walked back and forth.
Q: What jobs did you do before and after school?
A: Like for chores at home?
Q: Chores at home.
A: Washed dishes, get that wood ___________________
Q: When you went to school, what chores – did you have chores to do at school?
A: No. ________________________
Q: Can you remember when your school day started?
A: What time? Probably _____ about nine __________ I believe.
Q: How long was your school year?
A: Well, there I think I just went one semester _____________________________ was too far for us to walk, for me to walk, at least.
Q: So once you were at school, how did your school day begin? Do you remember what you did when you first got to school?
A: When we first got to school, we tried to get warm.
Q: Did you have devotion or anything?
A: I can’t recall.
Q: What subjects did you have in the first grade there?
A: ___________ just reading, I can’t – I don’t know.
Q: Okay. Was there a special textbook or reader that you had – that you remember or that you kept?
A: _____________________-
Q: So you did not have a real book in the first grade that you remember?
A: _________________
Q: What about lunch, where did you eat your lunch and how long did you have for lunch?
A: _________________ in our classroom.
Q: You ate lunch in the classroom?
A: Yes. Seems like they put up tables and just ate in the classroom, I believe.
Q: Do you remember how long your lunch period was?
A: Could have been about an hour ____________________________________
Q: Did you have a recess?
A: Yes, I’m sure we did.
Q: What did you do at recess-time?
A: Just played a game I believe.
Q: Do you remember some of the games you played?
A: Heck. Little games like Ring-Around-The-Roses or something like that. And maybe Hide and Go Seek, I guess.
Q: How would you describe your classroom?
A: Just a large room. Seemed like it was just large room, to me, could have been two, but seems like it was just large room, because I remember a great big building, you know.
Q: All right. Can you remember how your school was heated in the wintertime?
A: Wood.
Q: Had a wood stove?
A: Yes.
Q: Where were the restrooms?
A: I think it was outside. ___________________________I believe. I know it had to be ________________
Q: Now, where did you-all get your water supplies?
A: __________________ must have been a well outside also.
Q: So can you remember if you had to go to the well or where you had water, to get the water if you needed water to drink, or whether they brought into the school, the classroom:\?
A: I think we just went to the well _____ to the pumps, whatever.
Q: Can you describe your teacher’s desk?
A: Just a large desk.
Q: Do you remember what your desk looked like?
A: I kinda think – I don’t know if we had a desk, but we’d just sit, you know, at the table.
_______just a large table, each of us had a chair, just sitting at the table.
Q: Were there chalkboards used or blackboards, they called them?
A: Yes, I believe so. I think so.
Q: Now, what about your school supplies, your paper, your pencils and your books, who supplied those?
A: I think we had – I think we did, I believe.
Q: ____________
A: _________
Q: Can you remember if there were any teacher’s aids on the walls, such as maybe maps or something else that was on the wall to help with your – the teacher, to learn different things?
A: I think I can recall, I can’t think of _______________
Q: Now, about the lighting in the school, was it natural light, casting light, electricity?
A: I think it was electricity, I believe, I think.
Q: Did you have somewhere to hang your coats and hats at the school?
A: I believe so.
Q: Was it a special room or hallway
A: I think it was beside the wall or whatever. ____________________________
Q: What about punishment and discipline in the school, what was that like?
A: I don’t remember because I know I didn’t ever get punished, so __________ I don’t think it was anybody else that I can remember.
Q: Were there some positive memories of your school days, of the teachers and students, something that you really like about – at that time?
A: Not really. The only thing that I remember that I did like was when I met with the other children for those schools I would have had to walk all the way by myself, so I guess it was about three miles until I got to another house and then, you know, it was students to go, so then I had, you know, somebody to walk with. So that was better.
Q: Were there some negative memories, impressions of your school days or the teachers or students?
A: No, not really. The only thing that I didn’t like was I had to go to school, just so cold and had, you know, that far to walk and it was really cold. And when we got to school, we had to try to get around the heater to get warm
Q: Were there any other school experiences that you’d like to tell me about, that you can remember?
A: No, not really. ___________ when we got out I could come home and, like, you know, father got the bus to come through there so I could start school in Windsor Elementary; that’s where I started then.
Q: So how was the experience at Windsor Elementary once you were there?
A: That was much better.
Q: You liked it better?
A: Yes.
Q: Okay. We’ll finish the last of the questions. Are there any childhood memories that you can recall that were not connected to the school, maybe at home or maybe a vacation or something
A: Not really, just got home and just played because we didn’t ever go anywhere, you know, really.
Q: After attending school what job changes or experience can you recall in the county?
A: Well, you have seen some changes. Like what?
Q: At the schools, or –
A: After I left the school and went to Windsor?
Q: Uh-huh.
A: Okay. Well, _________ coming to pick you up then, because we didn’t have that at _____________
Q: That was a big change?
A: Big change, big one, yes.
Q: So, can you give me a short autobiography, sketch of the highlights of your life from Mitchell School up until now?
A: Mitchell School up until now.
Q: Just short, something short about them that you’d like to tell.
A: Well, it wasn’t that much to tell. Only thing that I can say is that I didn’t enjoy walking to school because it was too far and I got _______ when I got up with the other kids, it was better because I had other students to travel with me, children, so we walked there and we walked back, got home and just did my chores that I had to do at home.
Q: After Mitchell School your life went on to ______
A: To Georgia Tyler Elementary.
Q: And from Georgia Tyler Elementary –
A: To high school, but it still was the same because it was, you know, elementary and high school and I left Georgia Tyler I didn’t go to college, but I did go to Paul D. Camp and I took a course there. _________ (inaudible). I didn’t get my certificate because I was lacking 11 credits from getting that and I didn’t ever go back.
Q: It’s never too late, you know.
A: And then I started driving a school bus, started selling insurance, but when I retired I was in the insurance business for 23 years, and I retired in ‘98.
Q: All right. So you’re enjoying your retirement years?
A: Yes, indeed. And I asked the Lord for that before I even started to work, I just said, Lord, I don’t want to work all my life. I said when I get age 55 I want to retire. So I went one year over, but I did make it.
Q: Well, that’s great. Is there anything else you would like to tell me before we close the interview?
A: No, not that I know of.
Q: Well, we want to thank you for your interview.