Pauline Sexton Lynch

Pauline Sexton graduated from Union High School in 1936. They had 23 class members graduating that year; Robert Anderson Beamer, Grace Greye Bostic, Gladys Lee Davis, Hazel Margaret Ellison, Sibyl Johnson Linton, Anna Margaret Mohler, Anna Lee Riner, Dorothy Ann Sibold, John Marse Smith, Thomas Ray VanStavern, Emma Jean Williams, William Franklin Bobbitt, James Harold Campbell, Marshall Johnson Honaker, Carlos Cllifton Duncan, Della Woodzie McNeil, Gethel Mae Pritt, Hazel Pauline Sexton, Marshall Shires, Fred Lewis Taylor, Phelena Pearl Whittaker, Kathryn Belle Wiseman, Juanita Marie Woodson and Eric V. Core was the Principal.

Going to school in the early thirties was either going to a one or a two room school through the eighth grade for the students that lived outside of town or in the country. There were no buses and the walk to school sometime consisted of a mile to several miles. When it was time to go to high school, you had to arrange your own transportation. Sometimes a family driving their child to high school would make arrangements with other families in the community to take their child along, others would board their children with families that lived in town, during the school term.

Pauline Sexton and her family lived with her grandfather in the town of Union.They lived in a house that was located next door to Kittle’s Hardware Store, and in the space where the Bryan Law Office is located today. She walked to and from school everyday regardless of the weather. Many times she talked of walking in the deep snow and ice, and the school was never cancelled because of the weather. Life and times were hard and very different from today.

Pauline attended Union High School when the high school was then consolidated with the Union Elementary School in the same building. The pictures below shows Pauline playing basketball on the school grounds with other classmates.

Pauline on the far front right

Pauline second from right

Pauline first on left

Nancy Lynch recalls one story her mother (Pauline) told her about her school days. It was graduation time, the caps and gowns were rented for graduation and were shipped to the school just a few days before graduation day. Someone had made an error when measuring her mom’s head and when the caps came, hers was very small. She was so upset and didn’t know what to do. She didn’t want to participate in graduation without a cap. She said that Mr. Core, the principle, phoned the company and they sent the correct size by express freight and Mr. Core made a trip to Ronceverte the day before graduation and picked it up so she would have it to wear. That whole process was a big ordeal in that time(1936). Her mother told of having the greatest respect for Mr. Core. She always talked about what a nice man he was and how he was so fair to all students.

Pauline Sexton, graduation 1936

Graduation Program -click for larger view

Graduation Program

Pauline Sexton married Elwyn Lynch and they had four children: Nancy Lynch Lightner, Ruth Lynch, Bill Lynch and Kathy Lynch Spadafora.

by Nancy Lynch Lightner – Class of 1961