Contributing

Writer

"Fayette

Portraits" is a publication of the Fayette County

High School and is in its 11th year of publication. Each

year a copy of Fayette Portraits is made to each one

interviewed in a special Reception.

Mrs. Becky

Lewis is the originator of the booklet and patterned it

after "Fox Fire", a publication in North

Georgia dedicated to preserving information on local

people and historic sites.

This issue

was filled with family connections, mothers and sons were

interviewed, inlaws also, as well as three

grandmothers and two grandfathers of the Portrait staff

members.

A current

cheerleader, Jennifer Edens, got the idea to interview

prior cheerleaders and chose Margaret Gilbert Turner, who

graduated in 1949 and Mary Ward Mitchell, who graduated

in 1971.

Mrs. Turner

related that their uniforms were homemade and the skirts

were long, running the risk of stepping on the hem and

having it hang down for the rest of the sports event.

"They were cumbersome...(but) they probably wouldn't

have let us wear them any shorter."

Twenty-two

years later, cheerleaders were going to a camp at Mercer

University each year, according to Mrs. Ward.

"Try-outs were at the end of the school year ... and

judges outside the school that didn't know anybody would

come in."

Other

Fayette Countians interviewed was native Lester Bray,

know for his good works and his good gardens.

When

presented his copy he stated "I'm proud of these

bright school kids, and the dedicated teachers. Every

generation leaves a footprint and you will leave a

footprint - make sure it points in the right

direction."

A mother

and son were in two of the articles, Mrs. Geraldine Adams

Stinchcomb, the first public health nurse in Fayette

County, and her son, Jerry Stinchcomb, who served as

Superintendent of the Fayette County schools in the early

1980's.

The

Portrait class consisted of 25 students and stated Mrs.

Lewis, "not only am I proud of them for the

outstanding work they did with their interviews, but

every one of the 25 will be attending college."

"Fayette

Portraits" is available, along with all the past

publications, at Fayette Book Shop, behind the Waffle

House.

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