Maxine Wells Community:  Wilkesville Date of interview:  March 3, 1998. Interviewer: Carrie Wells and Rachel Stapleton, Vinton HS

What was Maxine's typical drive delivering fruit for the orchard?

TAPE LOG

0:00:00:     Teachers and students practicing with camera

0:07:21:     Identification Slate

0:07:22:     Early memories in Nitro, West Virginia until end of 9th grade, moved to Vinton County

0:08:20:     Recalls favorite childhood story - Hiawatha, learned how to play the harmonica, funny story of boy and the dill pickle, loved school and teachers

0:11:17:     Start in Vinton County, 10th grade in Vinton, rode the bus, graduated in 1944 from high school

0:13:50:     World War II, gas shortage meant much walking

0:15:00:     Brown bag lunches, changes in society - television, education,discipline, didn’t have television

0:16:49:     Large family, chores, sees changes in American family structure

0:18:10:     Attended Rio Grande College, became a 1st grade teacher, paid $10 per week for room and board in the 1940s, school teacher routine

0:20:40:     Married in secret in order to keep her job, moved to Wilkesville in 1947

0:21:20:     Fruit orchards, worked in the family-owned orchard*, delivered produce to the area markets [good detailed description of daily routine]

0:26:00:     Learning to drive the new delivery truck

0:26:45:     Taught head start when the orchard had a bad year in the 1960s, description of typical school day

0:29:13:     Returned to college to take a night class in 1966 in Gallipolis,wrote a paper about the Vietnamese

0:32:00:     Taught lower socio-economic students in head start, took another class (economics) from Ohio University, returned to teaching remedial skills in reading, enjoyed teaching

0:38:22:     1974 taught special education in Southwestern High School, attended Ohio University at night, 1975 her husband, Walter, died

0:40:00:     Keeps in touch with some of her former students

0:42:36:     Taught special education and 4th grade in Vinton County

0:43:00:     Reflects on changes in educational system, believes strongly in homework, parents need  to get involved

0:47:00:     Physical changes in Wilkesville in the past 40 years, fire of 1946, a second fire a few years later, no fire department at the time

0:50:00:     The World War II years and draft evaders, shortages in chocolate

0:52:51:     Husband was in the Navy stationed in the Pacific, gas rationing,

1:04:00:     School consolidation

1:13:45:     She was an old woman going to school and the young kids looked at her as if she was  crazy

1:18:00:     She was determined that she was going to graduate

1:20:00:     When you quit learning that you are getting older, there is so much to learn

1:24:00:     Visual: An unknown woman shows a picture of her home and buildings

1:31:33:     Inside the building

1:57:30:     End

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