The meeting room at the Iola Public Library filled Friday with stories that stretched back across decades, as members of the Old-Timers Talking group reflected on the people who left lasting impressions on their lives.
The monthly gathering is open to Boomers, and those older, with each session focused on a specific prompt.
Library Assistant Colleen Dobbins led Friday’s discussion by inviting participants to recall the most memorable individuals in their lives, from childhood and beyond.
The question prompted recollections that centered largely on early teachers and grandparents.
PAUL ROSS spoke about his first-grade teacher in 1948, whom he described as a “grandmotherly type.” Ross explained that he began school a year early and was only 5 years old. He recalled how his teacher provided treats, brought him Little Golden Books once a month, and allowed him to help clean chalkboard erasers after school. “I think a lot of people don’t realize how important that first year in school is,” he said, noting that her guidance shaped his lifelong attitude toward education.
He described one moment from the first day of school when he wandered from his desk to look out the window, only to have his teacher calmly take his hand and walk him back to his seat.
“I was just super lucky,” he said.
Dobbins shared a different first-grade memory, recalling how eager she was to read when she finally started school.
She remembered being disappointed when that expectation was not immediately met.
“I just thought, it’s the first day of school and I’m going to know how to read something when I get home,” she said.
Leon Harris recalled a kindergarten incident in Dodge City in 1940 when he took instructions too literally.
“My folks said to do exactly what the teacher says,” he explained.
The teacher instructed the students to not leave the classroom.
“I was in bad shape and had no idea where the bathroom was,” he said. “Even if I did, I couldn’t go because she told me to not leave the room.”
Other stories included mischievous moments like bringing a mouse into the classroom and flipping cotton seeds across the room during music time.
AS THE conversation shifted from classrooms to homes, grandparents became a central theme.
