 Denison Herald September 19, 1993 "St. Xavier's Turkey Dinners" B. A. Mitchell Last Saturday, while attending one of Denison's gala social events (the free dog dipping on East Sears), I had the good fortune to speak with Mr. and Mrs. Bill Bock, and the conversation turned to ex-students of St. Xavier. As we stood in line, restraining our dogs, we talked of people - both dead and alive - who attended the old Catholic school. After the ordeal of dipping the terrified dog, I had time to reflect on the many good folks the old school had touched, molding their lives and futures. I wonder how many of us would be what we are today without the guiding hands of those good nuns. The job those nuns did was, in a lot of ways, a thankless one. They were underpaid, understaffed, overworked and subjected to criticism by parents who were unhappy about grades or the discipline of a child by the sisters. Then there was the constant worry about money. Some probably thought the tuition was too high at about $3.50 per month. I know now, for the most part, it was a lonely life with few rewards in this world. For me, it was very difficult to restrain tears as the old building was razed. I know it's a little late, but anyway: Thank you, Sisters!" The big event each year was the annual turkey dinner, one of the few fund raisers the school had. Always in conjunction with the dinner was the school carnival, complete with apple bobbing, penny pitching, cake walks and a fish pond. We kids looked forward to the occasion, but to the ladies of the church and other alumni, it meant lots of hard work. My grandmother always fixed a huge turkey, complete with dressing and gravy. Mom fixed sweet potatoes and creamed cauliflower. Both always baked apple and pumpkin pies. The sisters always had a big turnout because the food was excellent and generously served. Most years the food ran out before the crowd did. Of course, no Catholic benefit would be complete without some type of raffle, which ranged from homemade afghans to shortwave radios. In the late spring a church group held the a nnual ice cream social. You know, the whole works - ice cream, cake, etc. Gosh, those things were great fun. We kids played games and ran our legs off. I recalled the ice cream social because Mrs. Bock mentioned B.B. Tyson, and I remembered the big crush I had on her in the 3rd or 4th grade. I followed her around during one social, hoping she's notice me. I was just too shy to approach her. Please, B.B., wherever you are, forgive me for stalking you! I guess the days of gatherings like those are gone because people are no longer willing to give of themselves to that extent. We seem to always be in a hurry, without time to get involved - perpetually ready with an excuse! I'm certainly glad that I lived in a time when folks did! St. Xavier's Academy History Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson CountyTXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |