Day 40

We started this morning out at Hindman Settlement School where four of our alums call home and work. We were so pleased to meet with Rebecca Ware, Associate Director who shared with us the incredible mission of the School and took us on a tour of the campus and the new museum on site.

From there we drove through muddy rain towards Hazard where we were elated to be greeted by nine Berea alums and friends at the Circle T Restaurant. Roy Banks, ’50 graced us with his playing and singing. Sam Turner, ’54 told some good tales while the group socialized in some home made Berea hats. Did I mention that the food was scrumptious?

The conversation over lunch was a varied one and we touched particularly on the sacrifice the Fee family must have made to found Berea College. Eula Holliday, ’45 particularly felt that it must have been difficult to have been disowned by your family as Fee was. I shared a story from an earlier relay stop in Bracken County where we learned that John Gregg and Matilda Fee actually lost a daughter to death because of the harsh conditions they faced fleeing from place to place. Indeed, we have much to be thankful for!

It was special to see these folks again and to meet some new folks as well. Just goes to show you that we can never truly understand the depth and breadth of Berea’s reach as it is far too vast to capture in one moment.

Two days to go!

Amy Harmon, ‘99