"...The nearest school for blacks then, was called Cedar Top, a one room structure, located near Sulphur Well, three and a half miles from the Clark home. This meant that Lovie and her brothers and sisters had to walk seven miles a day for their early education.

But this was considered a time of socializing by these youngsters, for their path crossed that of several white children who were on the way to their own school and they'd all stop to visit. "Anytime it rained hard enough to make the creek rise while we were at school," Lovie recalled, "We'd spend the night with the Les Smith children because we couldn't get home."

There were six of the Smith youngsters she said plus five of the Clark's. This made a lively houseful indeed when they all got together. Their momma never seemed to mind though, according to Lovie.

When nighttime came she'd bed them down here and there all over the house. Come morning she would open two cans of salmon and scramble up a big skillet of eggs for their breakfast. "That woman could get more salmon patties out of a can of salmon than anybody I've ever known!" Lovie chuckled at the memory.

Ordinarily the children didn't mind the long walk to school, they had become accustomed to this. But there were times when the weather was bad their walk would be very unpleasant, especially when it was cold. The school bus for white students also traveled along the same route the Clarks took each day, but at that time blacks were not allowed to ride, so the driver never stopped for them regardless of the weather.

"There is no way to keep that from hurting." Lovie commented, "But I never look back. There is no use - that's just the way times were then." She spoke without resentment, simply stating things as they were in her youth. It was different for her daughters and granddaughters, things had changed by the time they came along. Lovie is happy for that..."

• Lifetime of Work and Success Shared by Kinnairds
• and at Lovie's death, this note Lovie Clark Kinnaird was among finest of women, a devout Christian
• And another link (offsite) I found of great interest: Civil Rights Timeline Milestones in the modern civil rights movement