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- [S106] The Mountain Press, 26 Mar 2012.
Upland Chronicles: Olive Latham enjoyed 37-year teaching career in Sevier County
Olive Atchley Latham as an infant.
John Hatcher (bottom right wearing a bowtie) sitting with Olive Atchley who is to the right of her brother Aaron. Olive’s mother is holding her brother John Atchley, and her father is sitting on John Hatcher’s motorcycle.
Olive Latham seated behind her desk at Sevier County High School.
By CARROLL McMAHAN
While many Americans were celebrating Independence Day, a baby was born in a small log house near Alder Branch Baptist Church on July 4, 1912. Her parents, A. P. “Pink” Atchley and Lula Wear Atchley, named their first-born daughter Olive Ester.
The Atchley family soon moved to the old Frazier Place on the east prong of the Little Pigeon River. While living there, Olive’s brother Aaron was born in 1913 and her brother John in 1915.
One day, as the family was fording the Little Pigeon River, the mule pulling their buggy made an unexpected move and Aaron fell in the water. Both parents jumped in the river to save the child. Pink Atchley retrieved his son when the scared little boy surfaced for the third time.
Meanwhile Olive was standing, startled in the buggy until someone quieted the frightened animal. The water was not deep and Aaron was unhurt, so the Atchley family continued the trip. Except for wet clothes, they were no worse for the wear.
In 1916, Pink Atchley purchased a 100-acre farm two miles south of Sevierville beside the west prong. Another daughter, Jane Elizabeth, was born in 1921 and a son, Frank, in 1925.
Olive and her siblings grew up playing in the fields, the woods and the river. They played in the barn on inclement days. Although she spent a lot of time in the river, Olive never learned how to swim. However, she did climb onto the top of the rafters in the barn.
Until her brothers were old enough to accompany her to public school, Olive was home-schooled. She was 8 when she and her older brothers enrolled at Pine Grove School. From fifth grade through high school, they walked two miles to Sevierville to school.
Olive graduated from Sevier County High in May 1930. A few weeks later she passed a teaching certification test. The following August, Olive began teaching at New Era School. Reba Rambo also taught in the two-room school.
They walked the three miles from their home each day with their students joining them. Sometimes during bad weather, Olive and Miss Rambo spent the night with families living nearby. The young teachers’ salary was only $50 per month.
Feeling she was inadequately trained, Olive enrolled in Carson-Newman College. She was a boarder in the home of her great-uncle, Dr. R.M. McCown, in Jefferson City.
She studied there for 15 months before accepting a teaching position at Sevierville Elementary where she taught for five years. Her youngest brother Frank was one of her students.
Next she taught a year at Douglas School in Kodak, a one-room building commonly called Cornbread School. Crossing the French Broad River at Kyker’s Ferry, her father drove her to work on Sunday afternoon and she was a boarder in the home of a family near the school until Friday evening.
The following two years, Olive taught at Midway School with Fleeta Williams.
She gave some pupils permission to walk down to the neighborhood store during lunch break to buy lamp oil for their parents. When the time came for classes to reconvene, the youngsters had not returned. Glancing out the window, Olive discovered what the students had done with the oil. The entire field beside the school was ablaze. The remainder of the day was spent putting out the fire.
Following Midway, she taught a year at Kellum before enrolling in Knoxville Business College. While there, Olive was recruited by Great Atlantic Shoe Co. and accepted a position in the office. Later she found a job making more money at Gulf Refining. While working in Knoxville she sometimes lived at the YWCA.
Olive was recovering from surgery in a hospital in Jefferson City when her father announced, “Well, it happened.” She thought word had been received that one of her brothers serving in the Army had been wounded or killed.
However, her father had learned the Gulf Oil Refinery Building where she worked had gone up in flames. The office was relocated but Olive did not return to work there.
Her mother died in 1940 and within a few years her three brothers and brother-in-law, Harris Lawson, were serving in World War ll.
With no one left to help her father on the farm, she returned to Sevierville and worked with L.E. Sarten, Jim Trotter and Beulah Patty on the ration board. The men handled the gas and tire rations and Olive was in charge of shoe coupons.
Olive worked for a while in Oak Ridge, returning to Sevierville on weekends. While in Oak Ridge, her family home was destroyed by fire.
In 1946, her sister-in-law, Iva Matthews Atchley, wife of Aaron “Bat” Atchley, invited Olive to join them bowling in Knoxville. Iva also invited her cousin, Earl Latham. Olive and Earl began dating.
When Earl proposed, Olive told him she had dreamed of a June wedding. Earl said they couldn’t get married in June because he had to cut and thrash the wheat.
Olive Ester Atchley married Earl Beman Latham on her 35th birthday, July 4, 1947. He was 36. They moved to the Latham farm on Chapman Highway where they built a new house in 1948. Olive taught the first grade at Pi Beta Phi in Gatlinburg for a year.
She earned a bachelor of education degree from UT in 1953 and began teaching at Sevier County High. With the exception of one school year, she remained there for the remainder of her career.
While at Sevier County High, Olive and Earl moved to her father’s farm where they built a house near her brothers. By this time the farm had been split by the new Highway 441.
In addition to teaching, Olive helped on the farm. Additional responsibilities included raising a son, Ted, whom they adopted when he was 10.
Earl died in 1973, Olive retired from teaching in 1975.
With Earl gone and Ted grown, Olive and Frances Ostergren became traveling partners. Incidentally, they are now the only survivors of the SCHS Class of 1930.
They visited several western states, the Holy Land and the Canadian Rockies.
Brought up Baptist, Olive was baptized at 9 in the east prong of the Little Pigeon River at the confluence of Middle Creek. She was a faithful and dedicated member of First Baptist until she married Earl, who was a Methodist. Olive then joined Pleasant Hill Methodist. Later, they moved their membership to the First United Methodist in Sevierville where she taught a Sunday school class for many years and was active in UMW.
Olive is a member of the Spencer Clack DAR, American Legion Post 104 Auxiliary, Tuesday Evening Music Club, Sevier County Retired Teachers Association and the Sevier County Home Demonstration Club.
As her 100th birthday nears, Olive lives in a house on the same land where she grew up. Her son Ted and his wife, Linda, live next door. The busy Parkway runs through the property. Commercial buildings such as Hardee’s Restaurant and Eastern Shanghai Theatre occupy real estate where she played as a child.
Among her faithful visitors are members of the Good Fellowship Sunday school class of FUMC, which she taught for many years.
Olive Latham was a school teacher for 37 years. 21 of which she taught in English and literature at SCHS. Many of her former students, such as this writer, think of her fondly when they read a classic novel such as “Silas Marner” by George Eliot or see a production of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth.”
— Carroll McMahan is the special projects facilitator for the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce. The Upland Chronicles series celebrates the heritage and past of Sevier County. If you have suggestions for future topics, 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.
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 7 Jul 2013.
Legion auxiliary member celebrates 101st birthday
SEVIERVILLE — American Legion Post 104 Auxiliary members Pat Gwathney, Juliana Varner, Carolyn Wells and Hilda Hickman visited 101-year-old member Olive Latham to celebrate her birthday.
She was presented a beautiful lap robe in lavender and white made by auxiliary member Monika Negrete.
Although Mrs. Latham is unable to come to auxiliary meetings she maintains her membership. She has been a member of the auxiliary for approximately 60 years.
Born in 1912. she married Earl Latham in 1947 on her 35th birthday.
“Earl and I were not high school sweethearts but we did attend high school together,” she said.
Olive and Earl were married 26 years and had one son, Ted, who now lives next door to his mother.
Olive Latham was a teacher in the Sevier County school system, beginning her long career at the age of 18 at the New Era School. She taught for 30 years and said, “I loved all the children.”
When asked if she remembered having American Legion Post member Bobby McFalls in her class, she said, “Oh yes, I do remember him.”
Mildred Rule stays with Mrs. Latham on a daily basis and helps with housework, meals. When visitors are not in she loves to read.
- [S47] Sevier County, Tennessee and its Heritage, Sevier County Heritage Book Committee, (1994, Don Mills, Inc.), 247.
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 25 Jul 2014.
Upland Chronicles: A school called Cornbread remembered
- [S23] Atchley Funeral Home, (http://www.atchleyfuneralhome.com/), 4 Oct 2016.
July 4, 1912 - October 4, 2016
Resided in Sevierville, TN
Olive Atchley Latham, age 104, of Sevierville, passed away Tuesday, October 4, 2016. She was born July 4, 1912 and lived all of her life in Sevier County where she taught school for 37 years in the Sevier County Education System. She was a graduate of the University of Tennessee and was active in many community clubs. After retirement from Sevier County High School, she volunteered at these various clubs. Olive volunteered at Fort Sanders Sevier Medical Center for 25 years. In addition she was active in Senior Citizens Clubs, American Legion Auxiliary Post 104, Spencer Clack Chapter of DAR, and the Sevier County Retired Teachers organization. She belonged to the First United Methodist Church of Sevierville and taught the Fellowship Sunday School class for many years. Mrs. Latham was very fond of traveling. She enjoyed the British Isles, Switzerland, the Holy Land and several points in Canada. She was fortunate to remain at home during the long period of her sickness. Her caretakers, Stella Suttles, Mildred Rule, and Ted and Linda Latham, Wanda Brackins and Candice Gibson were all very faithful.
Olive always enjoyed her family and friends from church stopping by to visit over the years.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Earl Latham, son, Ted Latham, parents, A.P. and Lula Wear Atchley, brothers-and-sisters-in-law, Aaron and Iva Atchley, John and Carrie Atchley, Frank and Mary Atchley, sisters and brothers-in-law, Jane and Harris Lawson.
Survivors:
Daughter-in-law: Linda Latham
Sister-in-law: Kate Dunaway
Nieces and nephews: Aileen Kerr, Imogene Ford, Jackie Reed, and Ernestine White, Connie and Ben Ogle, Gail and Johnnie Atchley, Ginger Atchley, Penny and James Manning
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First United Methodist Church, 214 Cedar Street, Sevierville, TN 37862.
The family will receive friends 4-6 PM Friday with a funeral service to follow at 6 PM in the West Chapel of Atchley Funeral Home with Rev. Jeff Lambert officiating. Family and friends will meet 11 AM Saturday in Shiloh Cemetery for interment. Online condolences may be made at www.atchleyfuneralhome.com.
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