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- [S106] The Mountain Press, 19 Dec 2014.
Teacher remembered Dolly Parton’s first day at school
CARROLL McMAHAN
Dolly Parton pictured with her first grade teacher Archie Ray McMahan
Dolly Parton as a grade school student
Archie Ray Dennis McMahan lived a long, productive life.
Born April 27, 1915, she was the youngest of eight children of John D. and Tina McMahan Dennis.
She grew up in the Pearl Valley Community and graduated from Pittman Center High School and attended the University of Tennessee and Maryville College where she earned a teaching certificate.
She married Fred O. McMahan December 24, 1932. In the ensuring years they had two sons: Jack and Tommy.
Archie Ray taught in the Sevier County School System from 1945 to 1963. She was proud of the achievements of many of her students and was especially boastful of having been Dolly Parton’s first grade teacher.
She managed the 7-11 market for four years and worked as cashier/hostess at Christus Gardens for 21 years.
In addition to her family obligations, operating a farm, and her employment, Archie Ray served Richardson’s Cove Baptist Church as clerk for 50 years and as treasurer for 25.
Archie Ray served on the board of Sevier County Public Library and Sevier County Farm Bureau, and was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to serve on the Tennessee Agriculture Stabilization and Conservation Service Committee.
Somehow she found time to sit down and write the following account of Dolly Parton’s first days at Locust Ridge School:
“On a beautiful August morning in 1951, I stepped down from the Pittman Center school bus, crossed a swinging bridge, and then started the two-mile trek to the brand new school on Locust Ridge.
I had not taught the year before and I had no intentions of doing so this year. But here I was on my way to school. Why? How did I get myself in this position again? Well I didn’t actually. There had not been a school building in the Evans Chapel community for many years. The Evans Chapel Baptist Church had allowed their building to be used but last year the members decided to close the doors to the board of education, therefore the children stayed at home.
Even though the children got behind with their education for that year, the board of education got busy and builta school. Now they had a building and twenty-seven students, but no teacher. So there I was. I had let our board member talk me into getting the school opened and going for one week until he could get a teacher; someone who would walk four miles each day to and from the bus route. The roads were barely fit for a truck or jeep.
I climbed one mountain then walked down the other side. I had begun to wonder if there were no houses along the way. I knew this general area but had never been on this particular road into the school. There were two children waiting at their grandmother’s house to go to school with me. They were Geneva and Hubert, I learned. We would walk on for about a half a mile. As we did I just drank in all the beauty of the woods; the vines, flowers, and the tallest straight poplars I had ever seen. At the next fork, the road led up another mountain. At this point there were four other students to join us. Three I already knew from teaching them before. “Of course,” I said, and asked “Who is this with you?” The answer was: “She’s Dolly and she is old enough to go to school this year.”
That’s how my acquaintance with Dolly began. We started our day with devotions — usually the students would sing hymns. I noticed in the beginning that Dolly liked to sing and knew the songs by heart. I soon asked her if she would sing alone for us. She didn’t hesitate one minute, but took herself up to the front and proceeded to sing. This was a regular occurrence and on Friday we usually had an entertainment hour in the afternoon. If the song Dolly chose had many versus, she didn’t miss one.
I can see many things in Dolly’s songwriting that reminds me of that year. Our school was cozy after it got warm but that took until twelve o’clock. Sometimes I felt my feet would freeze for I tried to be sure those twenty-seven children were warm before I tried to find room in the circle I had arranged around the heater. Yet somehow, for no apparent reason, I didn’t have a cold that year.
My seven little ones were almost blue by the time they climbed that ridge. Often, I’d rub their little feet and legs to try to get them warm quicker.
Dolly says she didn’t like school but she missed very little and regardless of any dislikes she smiled all the time. I can never remember her looking unhappy, except the time her little brother came running up the mountain breathless because they were afraid their Mommy might die; because she was so sick.
They needed the older children to get help for their daddy was away at work. I was torn in two wanting to go help those children, but I could not leave twenty-three other students to go to their aid. The neighbors did pitch to help locate their daddy and got a doctor.”
Dolly Parton never forgot her first grade teacher. Archie Ray was often invited to events at Dollywood when Dolly was there.
For Archie Ray’s 90th birthday celebration, Dolly recorded a video in which she sang “Happy Birthday.” Archie Ray McMahan died September 15, 2014 at age 96. Dolly sent a beautiful arrangement of roses to her funeral.
Carroll McMahan is the Special Projects Facilitator for the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce and serves as Sevier County Historian.
The Upland Chronicles series celebrates the heritage and past of Sevier County. If you have suggestions for ftopics, would like to submit a column or have comments, please contact Carroll McMahan at 453-6411 or email to cmcmahan@scoc.org; or Ron Rader at 604-9161 or email to ron@ronraderproperties.com
- [S112] Census, 1920.
Name: Archie R Dennis
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1920
Event Place: Civil District 1, Sevier, Tennessee, United States
Gender: Female
Age: 4
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Race (Original): White
Relationship to Head of Household: Daughter
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Daughter
Birth Year (Estimated): 1916
Birthplace: Tennessee
Father's Birthplace: Tennessee
Mother's Birthplace: Tennessee
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
J D Dennis Head M 47 Tennessee
Tina Dennis Wife F 42 Tennessee
Walter Dennis Son M 24 Tennessee
Sallie Dennis Daughter F 17 Tennessee
Blain Dennis Son M 14 Tennessee
Fred Dennis Son M 12 Tennessee
Bula Dennis Daughter F 10 Tennessee
Archie R Dennis Daughter F 4 Tennessee
- [S23] Atchley Funeral Home, (http://www.atchleyfuneralhome.com/), 15 Sep 2011.
Archie Ray Dennis McMahan
April 27, 1915 - September 15, 2011
Resided In: Sevierville Tennessee USA
Visitation: September 18, 2011
Service: September 18, 2011
Cemetery: Middle Creek Cemetery
Archie Ray Dennis McMahan, age 96 of Sevierville, went home to be with her Heavenly Father Thursday, September 15, 2011. She loved everyone with a Jesus kind of love and in turn was greatly loved by all. She will be missed so very much by those who knew and loved her.
Survivors include:
Sons and daughters-in-law: Jack D. and Lois McMahan, Tommy and Carolyn McMahan
Grandchildren: Cindy McMahan, Jackie Underwood and husband Randy, Richie McMahan and fiancé Alexandra Deas, and Lori Moore and husband Bill.
Great Grandchildren: Sarah Underwood and fiancé Zakk Nichols, Weston Underwood, Wyatt and Meredith Moore
Nieces and Nephews: Mary Alice and David Teague, Joann Riggs, Mary Katherine Matthews, Kathering Faye Mize, and Dottie Mize
Great nieces and nephews: Bill Mize, Kathy and Jimmy Hatcher, Deidre Burgess, Erin McCulloh, Phyllis Bierman, Josephine Tucker, Ardith Kelly, June Moler, Rebecca Shute, Jack Williams, Sammie Jones, and Helen Drubert.
The family will receive friends 12-4 PM Sunday with funeral service following at 4 PM in the West Chapel of Atchley Funeral Home with Rev. David Ayers and Melvin Carr officiating. Family and friends will meet 10 AM Monday in Middle Creek Cemetery for interment. Arrangements by Atchley Funeral Home, Sevierville. (www.atchleyfuneralhome.com)
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