Miss Anne Blanchard, retired rural schoolteacher taught children in the two-room schoolhouses in Oklahoma in the 1920's and 1930' shares the stories of her life, its joys and tragedy, with her young friend, Mandy Jones, a teenager and neighbor who helps Anne with her chores and projects until unexpected tragedy changes their relationship. Challenged by Mandy's delightful personality, Anne's life is renewed and happiness returns as they share their day to day lives in rural Oklahoma after her career in Oklahoma's rural schools where four to eight grades were in a single room." Still single, Anne knew the community gossiped about her, mainly because she was not actively involved in the community, church or school. They wondered why she "kept to herself" so much after working with students for so many years..." "At the foot of the steps to the dorm, Robert turned to Anne while still holding her hand. They looked into each other's eyes. Without a word, he bent down and kissed her softly on the lips. It was a quick kiss, but its power swept through Anne; she liked it...." "Sitting there on the bedside, feeling the warmth of your hand, I just wanted to hear your voice. My crying, shaking, and tears wouldn't stop. Tears covered your beautiful face when I kissed your warm, soft lips...." "When my mother was young and my father was away in the Army, her chocolate pie was bought by old and toothless Mr. Whitaker at the Scoby School; she had to eat with him. She was so young and beautiful. And, that old man used his knife, instead of a fork or even a spoon, to eat the pie..." "Anne, the Fourth is going to be great because as many of the family as possible, will make their way here. With so many in the military and with cash hard to come by, that means a few won't make it. But, we'll have a catfish feed and make ice cream and find as many ways possible to have a great day together...." "Anne could hear clamoring and shouting from the road and knew that there was something seriously wrong in the neighborhood. She buttoned her housecoat and put a shoe on the foot that was not injured; then, she crawled and limped to the door. It was an arduous task but she was finally able to open the door and see what was happening. Mandy and Sarah's house was on fire. Mr. Steward and many other men were on the road watching it burn. Anne could see Mandy was with them; she was being held by Caurie Steward and was crying loudly...." "People from the farms and rural school neighborhoods always went to town on Saturday evenings. The men gathered at street corners to discuss the war, the affairs of the community, politics of the nation, family news and share the latest jokes. The ladies visited while they shopped at JCPenney's and Sears, both corporations had small department stores in town. Children and teenagers were dropped off the theater to see the latest movies which included Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy. Special favorites were the movies starring child stars Natalie Wood and Elizabeth Taylor...." ""That may be the best reason people have to vote for me. The rural schools are extremely important. Before most students enter high school, they've been in the small rural schools like Scoby, Randolph, Moore and Florence Chapel. When they receive good education in those schools, they are more apt to go to high school and to be successful enough to graduate...." "Then, we heard Uncle Lightning shouting and cussing. We were shouting, "it's just us, Uncle Lightning! It's just us!" And, when we looked back, we saw Daddy come from the back of the house. He had fired the shotgun thinking that Uncle Lightning wasn't home because he did not come to the door when Daddy had knocked it earlier...." "The December Friday sirens and horns could be heard all over town. An explosion had occurred at the high school. Just as the firemen approached the inferno with their hoses, a huge explosion jarred the area.
About the Author: Ann Gross Patterson spent her early years in rural Oklahoma 1938 to 1951 and she writes about those days telling what life was like for her family before telephones, electric lights, television while showing the commitment of family members as they lived their lives during World War II and later. She draws on her life and family experiences as she tells the story of a rural schoolteacher like those she knew during her early years in Garvin County Schools. Ann attended Scoby and Moore Schools in the rural Paoli School District and also attended Paoli elementary and junior high school where she played on the Jr. High Girls basketball team in 1950-51. Names of family and friends fondly remembered were used in the story. She spent her life both at her home near the schools and at her grandparents' (Buddy and Corrie Steward} farm north of Paoli and East of Pauls Valley. With her parents (Wilburn and Mildred Gross), she moved to California in 1951 then she graduated from Modesto High School and Fresno State University before teaching "Creative Writing" to eighth grade students in Ceres, California. After retirement, Ann took a writing course with Long Ridge Writing School and began writing short stories and novels. "A Renewed Life" captures the way of life Ann and her siblings knew before they moved to California where life was very different than they had known in Oklahoma. The family experienced rural life as it was across America in the early 1940's during World War II.