I once wrote about how it seemed most of the people I talked to had little to no memory of their third-grade school year.

When I asked the question this past week, everyone had a memory to share.

While on an outing with my ladies circle at the First United Methodist Church, I decided to ask what stood out to them most from the third grade.

June Tompkins remembered vividly her third-grade class. She remembered the first day of school in the third grade, her teacher, Mrs. Osborne, wrote her name on the board by spelling it backwards.

The highlight of the year for June was the day she learned about nouns. She was so impressed with nouns and how important they were. Mrs. Osborne would introduce the new things to learn to the students on an easel.

She must have really made them sound great as she wrote and told about the nouns, and later verbs, on the easel and introduced each aspect of a sentence to the students. June became enthralled with words and the sentence structure.

She even remarked about her excitement when she learned to diagram. One of the sentences she remembers was, “I wonder why my dolly doesn’t grow?”

It was no wonder June later became a school teacher and taught English. She taught both of my daughters in school. She, too, must have impacted her students through her love of the subject since one of my daughters gets upset and wants to correct me when I say or write something incorrectly.

Dee Beverly, who attended the third grade in Lexington at Kenwick Elementary, remembered liking English too. Her teachers name was Mrs. Wisegarven.

The highlight of her year was winning a homonym contest and having her picture put in the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Dee ended up being a nurse and sings every week in our church choir.

Susan Redwine Riggs remembers the most about her teacher Miss Hay. She was not married and wore wedge heels made of straw with fruit on them. The young girls in her class loved the shoes. At recess, the girls would ask her to wear them and she would allow them, so they took turns putting her shoes on. Susan is a pianist in her church.

Jenny Smith grew up in Ohio. Her teacher was Mrs. Desmond Mary. She remembered it was her hardest grade in school. The teacher was strict. She said if you said, “she walked ahead,” it was considered a no-no and that you should say “she walked around.”

Jenny also told about the difference in the way we speak in Kentucky. When she moved down here, she did not understand when her neighbor told her she had “packed” her daughter instead of saying she “carried” her.

Kentuckians say “Hey,” instead of “Hi,” she remarked. Jenny is also a choir member.

Janice Holmes had a totally different third-grade experience than most. She took a 40-minute bus ride each way to school. She grew up in Marion, Indiana, and went to a four-room school. The restrooms were in the classroom. She said the school was like a split-level house.

She remembered the third grade was the year she got to move up to the top floor. Mrs. Brinegar was her teacher.

Another thing Janice remembered was the cafeteria was in the classrooms also. She said the cooks were good and one of her favorite foods still today is the cobblers they would make.

Her favorite holiday was Valentine’s Day. She said they all made valentine boxes out of cereal boxes to hold their valentine cards. We all remembered doing the same thing when we grew up.

At my school, the teacher would decorate a big box for the cards.

Rosemary Carruba also went to school outside of Clark County.

Her sweetest memory of third grade was her teacher taught them a new Bible verse every few weeks, and each morning, they started their day out saying that verse along with the pledge to the American flag. Rosemary became a school teacher also.

This brought back memories as the same happened at my school with the flag and reading the Bible.

My third-grade teacher taught us the whole Christmas story, which I still remember to this day. How wonderful to know it used to be that way at public schools across America.

I have saved the last one because it is so unique.

For Garnett Davis, the third grade would be the year she would meet the love of her life. She told me all about a little boy who stood out to her in her class.

He caught her eye because of his beautiful blue eyes. He also wore “this sexy blue shirt with a boat neck that matched his pretty blue eyes,” she said. That little boy was Bill Davis, who would later become Dr. Bill Davis and her husband.

One time Garnett remembered  Bill’s parents took them somewhere and Bill told her to bring some money with her. She did and when he asked her for her money she dumped a whole load of pennies in his hands. It evidently did not phase him any or deter their being friends.

She remembered making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches together. The proper way to make them, she said, was to include spreading butter on the bread first before adding the peanut butter and jelly.

They lived down the street from one another growing up so their entire life has included each other in it.

She and Bill remained boyfriend and girlfriend throughout middle school, high school and college. She still has a sparkle in her eyes as she speaks about “Ole Blue Eyes.” I love their story and find it so unique. Garnett became a realtor.

We had a fun night last Tuesday and it was interesting to learn a little more about the ladies in my church.

Sometimes it just takes a night out with the girls and a memory of the third grade to do that.

Sue Staton is a Clark County native who grew up in the Kiddville area. She is a wife, mother and grandmother who is active in her church, First United Methodist Church, and her homemakers group, Towne and Country Homemakers.