Q: Good morning, my name is Otelia Crawley-Hendricks, and I’m a member of the Isle of Wight County Oral History Schoolhouse Museum committee, I guess that’s a long heading isn’t it? I’d like to thank you for agreeing to interview and share your school days memories with us, Mrs. Edith Mae Staton. Would you tell us a little about yourself first?
A: I’m a native of Carrsville Virginia. I went to Carrsville Elementary School, and from there I went to Camptown Elementary, from there to Georgie Tyler and I’m a Mother of four children, I work at Obici Hospital. Been there for 30 years…and my parents are Wilbert and Afta, a magistrate of Carrsville, VA. I’m the second oldest of thirteen children.
Q: Would you like to share a little bit of your school day memories with us?
A: When I went to Carrsville Elementary I started at five years old, because first I went there just to be with my brother who had a learning disability. Then I started first grade. Mrs. Walden was my first grade teacher. She taught my Father also. So she taught me. From there I stayed at Carrsville Elementary School for about half of a year and then I was transferred to Camptown Elementary. What I can remember in the first grade at Carrsville is the seating. The seats were all lined up. We all sat in rows and we had a big potbelly stove (laughter) that we heated the building with by coal. In the play area we had a pump that we pumped our water with and that is about all that I can remember other than when I went to Camptown because like I say I was young and I can’t remember everything I done during that time. But I do remember going to Carrsville School.
Q: Did you have any best friends? Anyone whose name particularly stands out that started to school with you back then?
A: I can’t remember, I play with my brother, only person I knew back then. Can’t remember anyway but my brother.
Q: Did the girls have to participate in bringing in the wood or the coal for starting of the fire? Or just the boys did that?
A: The boys did that; I do remember that the boys did that.
Q: What about recess or lunchtime? Did you eat lunch there? Did you bring your own lunch or your own food?
A: I can’t remember but I lived so close I’m sure that I probably went back home. I’m not sure because I can’t even remember eating.
Q: You’re probably one of those lucky ones?
A: Yes
Q; Is there any particular subject that sticks out in your mind that you remember? If it was spelling, arithmetic, anything special about the teacher? Did she go to the board a lot? Anything in that area?
A: Okay; she, Mrs. Walden, was the one who taught me how to write my name. Cause I did not know how to write my name when I started school and she taught me how to write my name, and she taught me how to count. But not any other particular subject but she just taught me how to write and count.
Q: Tell me a little about the school building? What you can remember. How was it made?
A: OK. The school building itself had two doors. And you go in on one side and there was a petition between the rooms. On the other side there was one room because there were two rooms together and it had a petition in the middle and we were like on the left side and then there was another class on the right side and that’s all-just two rooms. Was a big old school building and its still standing.
Q: It is?
A: Yes it is. My aunt moved into it was in the fifties I believe it was in the fifties My uncle he renovated their house and they lived in it up until he died and its still standing. He raised his family in the old school building.
Q: So then you have relatives that are living in history?
A: Oh yeah.
Q: Is there anything that you remember in particular about your teacher? Did she have a special way about her?
A: She was a very sweet teacher. She used to tell me I taught your father, now I’m teaching you. (laughter) that’s all she would tell me.
Q: Were there many windows to the building? If they did, did the windows go all the way around or one side?
A: Yes it had a lot of windows. But like I said my uncle renovated the building. When he renovated it he had a lot of the windows taken out.
Q: Any special school supplies that you’ll use?
A: Just a paper and pencil. That’s all we had just a composition notebook and pencil.
Q: Was there anything particular in the classroom, on the walls ABC or Numbers what furniture?
A: No, no more only thing I can remember the desk. And the teacher’s desk and the heater.
Q: Tell me about the teacher’s desk?
A: The teacher’s desk was just a regular old desk. That’s all.
Q: What about the students’ desks?
A: The students’ desk was the one with the seat with the desk on top. Some of them were the ones with the pull back; if there was just a seat with the pull back the desk that you pull towards you-- you probably remember that desk. (laughs)
Q: Would you say that your experience in the first grade was a positive one?
A: Yes, I enjoyed being in the first grade because really I thought I was there just to play but then I found out later that I was there to learn too. But I thought I was there just to be with my brother but while I was there I started my studying and learning too.
Q: Well, we thank you very much, for sharing your school days with us, and this is Otelia Crawley-Hendricks closing out the interview with Mrs. Edith Mae Staton. Thank you.
A: You’re welcome.