Memories
By Clyde J. Arnold, Jr.
Our class annual wrote about Wanda Cox: "Sincerity is a true mark in life."
Nothing was more true about our sweet and caring HHS classmate, Wanda
Cox, who was born on Feb. 4, 1934 and went to be with her Lord and
Savior on Apr. 7, 2001.
At Hope High School she was in Speech class plays, in Library Club and a
Representative to the state meeting her Jr. year and was also in 4-H and
GAA. She later married, became a Hope homemaker, and was very active
in her local church. Wanda was always at our class reunions and was
actively involved in the planning of all of our class reunions during
her lifetime.
This attached picture was made at the time of the Joella Amour Stokes
Richardson Birthday Party but Wanda was too sick to attend. A group of
us went to her home facility and paid her a visit. I was there but
was not in the photo since I took the photo. Those with Wanda and Sony Ellen
(class clown in photo) are L-R: Lynn R. Ellen, Donna R. Nafe, Bonnie S.
Sinyard, Diane B. Stewart, Frances S. Arnold, Rev. Barky Fuller, Ronald
Richards, Dean "SeaWeed" Roach, and Carolyn J. Frazier.
I have many fond memories of Wanda over the years because we were always in
the same home rooms. The first time was in Mrs. Hatch's class in 6th grade
at Oglesby Elementary School. During this time period, many of the ladies
were bigger than the boys as was Wanda. She never changed much over the
years. It was in the fall of 1988 that I received several telephone calls
from sweet Wanda wanting to know if I planned on attending the reunion which
would be occurring near Thanksgiving. The place where it would be held was
at the Holiday Inn (now The Super 8.) I told her I was coming and--sometime
later in their planning--Wanda and
Bonnie decided I should be the MC which I accepted. (later Bonnie got
Darryl Messer and me further involved in one of her little skits, see
reunion 1988).
We always had a great time visiting with Wanda during the reunions and
with other classmates who did most of the prep work which made the MC's
job very easy. Wanda should have been a "detective" because if we
ever needed to find a classmate she could come up with them. The last
one to be found was Gladys Womack Manning who was found by her with some
assistance from Ellis Rothwell near Wanda's death.
Wanda was a dear friend and 1953 classmate and is sorely missed by all of
us and I know especially the class planning committee which have done
such an outstanding job all these many years for our class.
The poem about Wanda Cox Johnson, by Wanda Sinclair McCorkle described her
to a Tee. Wanda McCorkle knew her life story well and how hard both Wanda's
had worked on the many successful planning committees. Wanda is a lady whom
I will never forget and is greatly missed by our wonderful class of 1953.
Love in Christ,
Clyde Arnold, Jr.
Our class annual wrote about Wanda Cox: "Sincerity is a true mark in life."
Nothing was more true about our sweet and caring HHS classmate, Wanda
Cox, who was born on Feb. 4, 1934 and went to be with her Lord and
Savior on Apr. 7, 2001.
At Hope High School she was in Speech class plays, in Library Club and a
Representative to the state meeting her Jr. year and was also in 4-H and
GAA. She later married, became a Hope homemaker, and was very active
in her local church. Wanda was always at our class reunions and was
actively involved in the planning of all of our class reunions during
her lifetime.
This attached picture was made at the time of the Joella Amour Stokes
Richardson Birthday Party but Wanda was too sick to attend. A group of
us went to her home facility and paid her a visit. I was there but
was not in the photo since I took the photo. Those with Wanda and Sony Ellen
(class clown in photo) are L-R: Lynn R. Ellen, Donna R. Nafe, Bonnie S.
Sinyard, Diane B. Stewart, Frances S. Arnold, Rev. Barky Fuller, Ronald
Richards, Dean "SeaWeed" Roach, and Carolyn J. Frazier.
I have many fond memories of Wanda over the years because we were always in
the same home rooms. The first time was in Mrs. Hatch's class in 6th grade
at Oglesby Elementary School. During this time period, many of the ladies
were bigger than the boys as was Wanda. She never changed much over the
years. It was in the fall of 1988 that I received several telephone calls
from sweet Wanda wanting to know if I planned on attending the reunion which
would be occurring near Thanksgiving. The place where it would be held was
at the Holiday Inn (now The Super 8.) I told her I was coming and--sometime
later in their planning--Wanda and
Bonnie decided I should be the MC which I accepted. (later Bonnie got
Darryl Messer and me further involved in one of her little skits, see
reunion 1988).
We always had a great time visiting with Wanda during the reunions and
with other classmates who did most of the prep work which made the MC's
job very easy. Wanda should have been a "detective" because if we
ever needed to find a classmate she could come up with them. The last
one to be found was Gladys Womack Manning who was found by her with some
assistance from Ellis Rothwell near Wanda's death.
Wanda was a dear friend and 1953 classmate and is sorely missed by all of
us and I know especially the class planning committee which have done
such an outstanding job all these many years for our class.
The poem about Wanda Cox Johnson, by Wanda Sinclair McCorkle described her
to a Tee. Wanda McCorkle knew her life story well and how hard both Wanda's
had worked on the many successful planning committees. Wanda is a lady whom
I will never forget and is greatly missed by our wonderful class of 1953.
Love in Christ,
Clyde Arnold, Jr.