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MORE -Ai.V.491§Ttai..1. Vol. 115, No. 88 • Corinth, FFIlississip4.4 NOM 044/TakiieNt5.4WidiZIVWSWWW "A

Sunshine Today I Tonighn 76 1 49

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Sharp as a demanding teacher who showed a determined interest in their education. The tell of an attentive, dedicated instructor who instilled lessons that would last a lifetime.

"It thrilled me to death when I thought they were learning -- certainly wanted them to learn and to do their best," Sharp said. "The claim I pushed them a little and 1 don't doubt it. I hope I did it the right way."

Don Dalton graduated with the class of 1970. He said that he's writ-ten for public consump-tion almost every day since college -- in radio, as a sports editor and reporter for The Daily Corinthian, as a hospi-tal public relations ocer and currently as vice president for the North Carolina Hospital Asso-ciation.

"She taught me my trade. Yes, I learned fun-damental English from her but, more important-ly, I learned the power of a well-crafted sentence and the truth that good writing is clear thinking

CHS A rani Association

• The Corinth High .School Alumni . Assaciation has named Riith . Shar0 -- retired CHS.. typing • and English teacher as their 2011 Fie-ulty/Staff of the Year.

"Em 89 years old and I re-tired in '84. At this long a time it is quite a thrill for them to think about me,"-

Sharp said. "It brings joy to :me."-: • •

Sharp was born in Water Valley and graduated from high school there in 1938. She attended -Belhaven College in Jackson; - and Com-pleted degrees in English and Commercial (typing,• short-hand and book-keeping)_

Her first job as an educa-tor was.at Pearl 'River Junior College; where she taught English.

"That was one thing I said I didn't want. to do," Sharp said of her first teaching job. "Back• in my day, about all women could do was be a teacher or work in an office or be .e nurse. Now the field is

. wide open. Isn't that wonder-ful?"'

Sharp was offered her first teaching job while still in col-lege. She recalled being sum-moned by the college dean. and told that there was some-body from the Delta look-ing for a teacher for a school there.

Later Sharp would teach English at Pearl River Ju-ninr•C011ege for three years,

. Again, the job seemed to come to' her: .• lg got a call., from .Pearl

Sharp... From Page IA River Junior College. A teacher couldn't finish the term out in Commer-cial work, - and I would come down and finish the term out," Sharp re-called. •

"That was just a God-send. I had nothing to do with that," she said.

While working at Pearl River she met her hus-band, Richard, a veter-an of World War II who grew up in Guys, Tenn. She spent a semester teaching in Durant, was married to Richard, and moved to Memphis.

After teaching at Ram-er High School for a year -- where she opened the Commercial Department -- she moved to Corinth.

Sharp said she was offered a job to teach at Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville, but with a year-and-a-half-old child to care for, she said she couldn't bring herself to endure the hazardous two-lane drive every day with her baby at home.

Then she was offered a job teaching sixth grade at Corinth by Su-perintendent Anderson, who Sharp described as "quite the gentleman and a good superintendent."

Sharp wanted to teach Older students, but she said Anderson made her a- deal, If she would teach the sixth graders for the rest of the year, she Would have her choice of what class she wanted to teach the next year.

The next year Ander-son was true to his word and Sharp was moved to high school where she would teach English and Typing until her retire-ment in 1984. Students Pay Tribute

Many of her former students remember

Made visible. She taught me how to communicate. I've made my living doe ing so. I. would never have achieved the suc-cess nor experienced the joys I have were it not for her determination to see me learn," Dalton said.

"I am forever grateful," , ' he added,

Dotty Fortenberry, of the class of '82, said thanks to Sharp she could still diagram a sen-tence if the need arose, and she always laughs at the humorous result of a dangling participle.

Carolyn Ellenburg Da-vis recalled how Sharp's compassion helped her and her husband, Mike, through the death of their son.

"Mike and I had the experience of being on the receiving end of Mrs. Sharp's extreme love and compassion when we lost our son. There are few teachers in the world to-day who have the ability to guide, lead, love and charm," Davis said.

"I can look back now and know Mrs. Sharp was one of the most dedi-cated teachers I had. She

was tough but she had to be. I really had some class clowns in 3rd pe-riod typing. They would try to give her a hard time but she was Ruth Sharp. She could take it and give it right back to you, said Becky Belue Brown, of the class of '76.

"She was a great teacher even if she had to scare the life out of you to get you to do your work," Brown added.

"Somebody needs to take you a little further than you think you can go, and if I had any kind of influence on them go-ing down the road fur-ther than they thought they could that would be quite a blessing," Sharp explained.

A Happy Life Sharp retired from

Corinth High School in 1984. She currently lives in Corinth. Although she lives alone, she said that

there are enough good people around to keep her from being lonely.,

"My life has been a godsend;" Sharp said. "it's been a happy life and people have been so nice to me and my fam-ily, and Corinth's a great place to be. We have a lot of good people here."

The Corinth Alumni Association will honor Sharp as the 2011 Facul-ty/'Staff of the Year from 6 until 8 p.m. Thurs-day at KC's Espresso in downtown Corinth.

For more information contact Caddie Emmons of Me CHS Alumni ASSO-dation at 662-415-2206.

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Sunshine Today Tonight 76 49

41,MEISIS2VM . vol. n5, No. 68 * Corinth, MiSSISSIPPi 22 pages • Two sections

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Underwood earns distinction in memoriam By Bobby .L Smith

• Stag water •

•The Corinth High School Alumni Association haS named Ripple Cates Underwood the 2011 Faculty/Staff of the Year in Memoriam.

Ripple Cates Underwood was horn Sept. 27, 1906, in Kossuth, to Joe and Effie Doggett Cates.

She graduated from Alcorn County Horticultural High School in Kossuth in 1925, and went on to earn a degree in .

Homemaking Education from MSCW in 1929, later obtain-ing a Master's Degrree in Home-making Education and a double major of Administration, Coma-soling and Guidance.

She married feriner Alcorn County Sheriff Jesse Ray Un-derwood in 1937, and they had

two children,.Mary Underwood Green (Bill) of Corinth, and Dr. Joe Ray Underwood (Nancy) of Starkville,

Her teaching career began in the Corinth School System, where she assisted the plan-ning of the Junior High and nior High Department at the request of the State Depart- . ment.

She began her teaching ca-reer iu 1935, taught until 1940, and after a few years at home with her children she returned to teaching in 1948. • She taught two years at Kos-suth High School and returned to Corinth in 1950, where she would teach until her retire-ment hi 1970. •

During her career in Corinth, she was responsible for student teachers from the University of

Mississippi and MSCW. . . : Her neighboring teacher across the hall was Ruth Sharp, and the two enjoyed a lasting • friendship that continued into retirement,

She had five grandchildren, William Green, Jr., of las, Texas, David R. Green of Corinth, Michael C. Green. (Amy) of Tupelo, John Under-wood (Ramona) of Morton, and Melinda Underwood Finch (Jeff) of Wilmington. N.C. She had six great-grandchildren, Catelin Green, Alison Green, Lawson Green, Will Green, Anna Cate UnderWoed and Kimber Lee Underwood,

UnderwOod was dedicated to. the First. Baptist: Church and to her work with the Future HomeMakers of America...She died on Jan, 8, 1999, and is

fondly remembered as a true southern lady and one who nev-er raised her voice.

Student Tributes ‘: The following are tribut,es to

Mrs. Underwood submitted by her fernier students:

•1 haVetaten in the homes of ' some of my female CHS class-mates, and when I comment-ed on how much I enjoyed the meal the classmate has said, "Yes, Ripple would be proud of me."

--Lew Talbert, Class of 1969 •From Mrs. Underwood, we

all learned from her calm and patience, a little about grace and being comfortable with beautiful surroundings. I al-ways think about her when my dining table looks especially pretty. I learned to sew in her

See Earns, page 3A

Earns... From Page IA class, but that does not mean that I enjoy it. I do love the feel of a pretty. china cup in my hand or the smooth silkiness of sterling silver.

--Faye Hodges Smith, Class of 1962

*Mrs. Underwood cared very much for ."her girls." She wanted us to succeed in every area of our life. The skills she taught us in the classroom are slag we use every day of off :

life. I think of her often and am thankful that she was part of my education.

--Jane bigger Cham-blee, Class of 1970

'Mrs, Underwood was an outstanding teacher with more patience than .

you can imagine. Just think of.teaching a class of teenagers to cook and sew, She always had a smile and was • an en-courager. You always. felt that you could talk with Mrs. Underwood. One of my memories of Mrs. Un-derwood and Mrs. Sharp is their daily visits in the hall between classes.

Being widowed at an early age, she was a won-derful mother to Mary and Joe Ray. She was a faithful member of First Baptist Church,

When I think of teach-ers who were a role model at Corinth High School, Mrs. Underwood is at the top of the list.

--Patricia Nash Burns, Class of 1960

•One day, someone was upset about the blouse they had on showing too much cleavage. I'll never forget how Mrs. Under-wood told that perSon "that the human body was beautiful and that they should have pride in themselves and real-ize that the person that was trying to make them

feel bad was probably jealous. I have never for-gotten that and how her response instilled pride in us in a situation that she could have responded in the same old judgmental attitudes. She was great and positive and I knew that she cared for her stu-dents. It was a precious feeling.

--Carolyn Davis Ellen-burg, Class of 1970 .

The CHS Alumni As-sociation. will honor the 2011 Faculty/Staff of the Year from 6 until 8 04a.;.:" Thursday at KC's EsprO so in downtown Corinth, "

For more information contact Cale EMMOTIS of the CHS Alumni A&9(xia-tion at 662-515-2206.