Sakes alive - Miss Sue's 105!
Birthday party to be held for teacher on Sunday
By Frank Bradley

On Monday, Sue Haigler turns 105. On Sunday, family and friends are planning a big birthday bash for her at the Gathering Place, First Methodist Church in Hayesville from 2 to 4 p.m.

When I talked to her on Tuesday, Miss sue said, "Tell them not to bring gifts."

Miss Sue is a teaching legend. She taught elementary school in Clay County for more than 40 years. She retired in 1967 and is currently living at Brasstown Manor in Hiawassee. She's still sharp as a tack.

A few years ago, she wrote about some of her experiences growing up in these mountains, getting her education and teaching episodes.

"I finished high school in 1919. We just had eight months of school and that year we didn't have that much as the flu was so bad we had to close early. We didn't have any graduation ceremonies. I went to Woman's College in Greensboro in the fall of 1919. The first year I was so homesick I hoped somebody would get sick and I'd have to go home. The next fall, I went back, but Mama's health was not good and Louise (my sister) was having to stay out of school too much, so I came home at Christmas and didn't go back. That meant I lost all credit as the semester was not out until after Christmas.

"Later, I went to Cullowhee (then-Western Carolina Teacher's College) and finished the two-year college. When it was made a four-year college, I went back and stayed until I graduated.

"Mama came with Ralph Smith to see me graduate (cum laude) as I didn't have a real graduation from high school (due to a flu epidemic) nor when I finished the two-year college. I also went to Chapel Hill (UNC) for three summers, which was quite an experience. One year Ora Killian went too and we were roommates. I roomed in the Old East Dorm, right across from 'The Well.'

"When we were growing up, I don't remember seeing any dogwoods in bloom except on Uncle Ham's Mountain. Farmers said when the dogwoods bloomed, it was time to plant corn.

"Some yankees came down and thought they would get rich mining Corumdum up on Shooting Creek. (Of course, it was a failure.) I was a baby when papa and mama moved up there and papa acted as caretaker or superintendent. All of their friends in Hayesville loved to visit them. They would all walk to Buck Creek and fish all day. Mama fried the fish for their supper as tired as she must

have been. I don't know how long we lived there before we moved back to Hayesville. One of the yankees wanted to adopt me and take me back north, but papa and mama wouldn't hear of that.

"It seemed it took about two years for Christmas to come when we were little. We got one toy, a doll, some candy, and apple and maybe an orange, but a bunch of the best raisins in the world.

"Did you ever eat roasted Irish potatoes after supper? We roasted them in the hot ashes on the hearth. In the winter, we had to put the jar of milk on the hearth so it would 'turn' so we could churn it. One time when the preacher was there and we were on our knees having prayer, I turned that jar over and milk ran everywhere.

"When we were little, we hardly ever saw a banana. If I did have one, I'd try to make it last a long time. I'd gnaw the inside of the peeling, then rub my shoes off with it before I'd eat the real thing. I remember, Uncle Bass brought a shoe box full of bananas once.

"For Valentines, we'd use wall paper and flowers out of seed catalogues and make our own valentines. We were not supposed to let anyone know who the valentines were from.

"I was eight years old before I really started to school. I went, but I wouldn't 'cite.' I just visited, but the day I was eight, mama said, "Now, you are going to school and you are going to 'cite.

"I don't know why we had such a big sweet potato patch

for we couldn't keep them either. Finally, Jim Penland had a special potato house built, and they kept pretty well in that.

"I always loved to pick berries, although I generally got covered with chiggers. I must not have been more than 14 years old when I went to a dew berry patch on Ritter Road by myself. I saw a snake in a coil. I think it was a rattlesnake. It's a wonder it didn't bite me. I walked away and kept on picking berries.

"When we were growing up, we didn't have an auditorium big enough to hold commencement. Commencement

was held in the courthouse. We'd go over there to practice. It lasted for days. One day, the boys would have a declamation contest. The next day, the girls would have a recitation contest. another day, the piano students would perform. The graduation class weould put on a play one night."

Miss Sue has not written much about her teaching days, and there are many stories to tell. But for those, you'll have to go to her birthday party and talk to some of her many students. Sunday at two. Happy Birthday, Miss Sue.

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