Mary Marie (Milburn) Sullivan

(Run originally 1/19/04 on our old site)

Don Thompson

Dan Randle's memories of our second grade teacher are similar to mine. I entered the second grade three months after the school year started in 1943, and I remember how Mrs. Sam Sullivan helped me to adjust to the “big city school” after I had been in the first grade at Rose Bud.

Over the years, I have reflected on how welcome she made me feel, and how the second grade was my best time in school.

Harold has given me many pictures (digital) of his family, and I would like to share two pictures of Mrs. Sullivan. One is her high school graduation picture, and the other is a Searcy Grammar School pic from 1944-1945.

She was a sweet lady. I had the opportunity to talk with her in my teens, when I lived two doors from the Sullivans. Harold and I did many things together, like model airplanes and electronic stuff.

One of the treats of visiting the Sullivans was getting a cold Pepsi Cola™ from the ice box. Harold's father worked for Pepsi, and the fridge was always well-stocked. Remember that, in those days, we went to cafes, filling stations, etc. to get a cold drink.

Whenever I visited Arkansas in later years, I would make a point of visiting Mrs. Sullivan and chatting with her. She was always charming, and enjoyed talking about her sons and their families.