Special to Atmore News
The Escambia County Training School Alumni 16th Annual Gathering was held Friday, September 21, at Power Pentecostal Holiness Church. This was a very special gathering of the ECTS Golden Eagles with the theme Back Home Again, because the classes met in a church that was once part of their school.
The reunion was hosted by the ECTS Class of 1967. Barbara Poole Harris, Class of ’67, is the founder and chairwoman of the annual gathering.
About 75 alumni and guests attended. The class with the highest number of attendees was the Class of 1967 with 13.
Attendees included
Class of 1943 – Ida Nell Baldwin
Class of 1949 – Willie J. “Bill” Grissett
Class of 1956 – Mavis Torrence (instructor), Fannie B. Rivers, Lois Gandy
Class of 1957 – Gracie River Gant, Willie Ruth Knotts, Bishop Willie Lee Williams
Class of 1958 – Johnnie Jones
Class of 1959 – Harold “BuBu” Dailey, Lois Brazzell, Johnnie Mae Ankum Johnson, Eva Gracie Bryant Jones
Class of 1960 – Mildred Poindexter, Robert White, Barbara Staples Dukes (Instructor)
Class of 1962 – Mary Ester McBride Bolden (Instructor), Jacqueline Reynolds Peterson
Class of 1963 – Doris Ridgeway
Class of 1965 – Eunice McNeil Wilson, Delois Abney McKinley, Linda Hubert Baldwin
Class of 1966 – Shirley Bynum Hazley, Ruby Nell Williams White, Rebecca Finney Thompson, Charles Brown
Class of 1968 – Pastor Henry McNeal, Patricia Dailey Reynolds, Clinton Abney, Dorothy Barnes Mitchell
Class of 1969 – Ida Brown Coger, Gwen Dale-Frye, Edna Stotts Humphrey,
Class of 1970 – Rev. Moses McNeal
Class of 1971 – Jerry McMillan, Yvonne Grissett Archie, Rev. Jacob Archie Jr., Joseph McCants Jr., Alice McNeil
Class of 1972 – Rosie Riley Davis, Ann McNeal, Flora McNeal McMillan
Class of 1972 – Gloria Lee Jones, Virgenna Johnson Saunders
Class of 1974 – Barbara Dickerson Rostchild
Class of 1975 – Ronald Armstrong
Class of 1987 – Russell Robinson
Year unknown – Voncile Stallworth, Carol McNeal Otis
Guests were Rosie Holmes, Clara O’Neal, Johnny Pleasant, Kristin Armstead, Annie Armstead, Jack Davis, Elaine McNeal, Carnell Otis, Geral McNeil.
Eagles and guests traveled from Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida, Monroeville, Daphne, Bay Minette, Montgomery.
Each year, the ECTS Alumni fund raiser helps nursing home patients and funds scholarships for high school students.
Those who donated funds, food and items to help with lunch included Mary Esther McBride Bolden, Harold “Bu Bu” Daily, Twilla and Arthur James Pierce, Alfred Johnson, Robert and Annie Leslie Poole, Liza Riley Wilson, Barbara Poole Harris, Janice Bank Millender, Rebecca Finney Williams, Robert and Ruby Williams White, Herbert Payne, Willie Edward Johnson, Lantoria Harris, Dr. Keecha Harris, Apostle Robert and Zola Frye-Grissett, Fred and Sarah Stots Flavors, Liza Riley Wilson, Anne Travis Powell, Shirley Brown, Dea. Jack and Eula McNeil Davis, Annie Lee Brown, Fannie Rivers, Gracie River Gant, Shirley Gray Smith, Judy Frye Lambert, Pastor and Sis. Tucker, Shirley Brown, Willie “Preacher” Montgomery, Annie Norman, Clifford “Bo” Knott, Robin Leslie Kidd, Dorothy Barnes Mitchell, Jimmy Brown, Rev. Jacob and Yvonne Grissett Archie, Ida Brown Coger, Barbara Staples Duke, Pepsi Cola Bottling Company of Atmore (Dale Ash), and David’s Catfish.
With God’s blessing and if the church is available the 2019 program will be held at Power Pentecostal Holiness Church on the day of Escambia County High School’s Homecoming Day.