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By Betty Etchison West
Cana/Pino Correspondent

The 100th birthday of the Farmington School will be celebrated at the Farmington Community Center (the site of the old Farmington School) beginning at 11 a.m. on Oct. 23. At the same time the Farmington Community Center will be celebrating its 50th birthday.
The people planning the celebration hope that every person who attended Farmington School as well as well as every teacher who taught at the school will be present on this special day. Carolyn Boger, Rose Andrews, Miss Withrow and I are the only teachers that I know who are still living. If you know of others, please tell them about the birthday celebration or contact me and I will try to find them.
The Cana School property is once again owned by a descendant of the Frost family. Donald Kamenz and his wife, Ina Blackmore Kamenz, the great-niece of the man who donated the land for the Cana Academy which became the Cana School, bought the property from Beth McCashin. Ebenezer Frost was the brother of Ina’s great-grandmother, Elizabeth Amy Frost Cain.
Mr. Frost owned a tobacco factory in Cana at one time and was killed in a buggy accident in 1903. Ebenezer’s wife was Tabitha Eaton Frost. Ebenezer and Tabitha Frost lived in house which was at Cana and Eaton Church roads. Donald and Ina Kamenz’s son, Ryder, is working on the Cana School property, which ceased being a school in 1941 when it was consolidated with other one-teacher schools into William R. Davie School.
The people in this area were sad to receive that news this week that Mrs. Nita Bullard had died. Nita and her husband, Norm, restored the old Charlie Dull house many years ago and moved there. They lived there several years and were a vital part of our community and Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church. Nita worked as a teacher assistant at Pinebrook School for several years. Norm died several years ago and Nita moved to Kinston to be near their only child, Gala, and her family. All of us who knew Nita are so sad about the death of this special, lovely, vivacious lady.
The people of Wesley Chapel are sorry to hear about the death of Ellen Rawlings. Ellen and her husband, Harry Rawlings, who were members of Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church, lived just off of Cana Road for a number of years. They were a vital part of our church and community while they lived there. Ellen was a talented lady willing to help with any project. She worked hard on the quilt which the Wesley Chapel ladies made several years ago. We send our condolences to Ellen’s family.
My column begins to sound like one long obituary, but we have lost so many valuable people in the last year or so.
I was thinking recently of all the people who faithfully came to the Wesley Chapel breakfast who have died since we had the last breakfast. We appreciated very one of these people and all that they did for us. Charles Anderson may be the one who passed away most recently. Charles and his wife, Oleana Groce Anderson, came to the Wesley Chapel breakfast each month and seemed to enjoy it so much. We certainly enjoyed having them. Charles died as the result of injuries that he received while he was operating a piece of machinery. Charles and Oleana lived in Clemmons, but she was raised just off of Puddling Ridge Road. She was the daughter of Clayton and Laura Ritchie Groce. We are all so sorry about Charles’ untimely death.
Charles (Bud) Baity of the Courtney community died some month ago. Charles had been one of Wesley Chapel breakfast most loyal attendees. Bud and his wife, Nell, came as long as she lived and then he came by himself. He even checked out and came to breakfast after he was in an assisted-living facility. He not only came to breakfast, but also gave generous donations. We appreciate so much all that Bud and his wife, Nell, did for Wesley Chapel. We will certainly miss him when we are able to have breakfast again because he always had some tall tale to tell.
Wilson Sparks, who came to breakfast each month even though he was in a wheelchair, was always so pleasant that we really enjoyed having him and his wife, Kathy. Wilson died some months ago and we are so sorry about his death. It was such a pleasure to have him eat with us each month. We want Kathy to know that she has our sympathy.
Betty Spillman, the wife of Troy Spillman, was another person who was often wheelchair bound but who still managed to get to breakfast, thanks to the effort of her husband. Betty was always so pleasant that it was a pleasure to serve her. Betty died some months ago. When we can serve breakfast again, we will certainly miss that sweet smile of Betty Spillman.
Cornelia Smith died recently and was buried at Courtney Baptist Church. For many years, Cornelia made her way each month to the Wesley Chapel breakfast. She had planned ahead to attend the breakfast because she always had her check ready when she came in the door. Cornelia had not been able to come to breakfast for some time, but we had not forgotten her. We appreciate her support through the years.
Major General George Johnson, the nephew of Miss Vada Johnson, the lady who taught all of Farmington’s children for more years that we can remember, lived in Florida but came to breakfast when he came to Farmington for a visit. He owned Miss Vada’s house and spent time there once or twice a year. It was always a pleasure to have him for breakfast because he seemed to enjoy it so much, and he expressed his appreciation so eloquently. General Johnson, a hero by any standard, died recently and was buried in Florida.
Our own dear Nora Cline Latham died during the epidemic and there are not enough words to express the appreciation that we had/have for her. Nora made the biscuits for breakfast as long as she could knead the dough. Not only did she help with breakfast, but she and her daughter, Kathy, made all the crust for those thousands of chicken pies that the church women sold for years. Nora was not just a good cook but also a wonderful warm person who we all loved having for a friend.
I may had left someone out of this long listing. If I did, please let me know so I can correct the mistake. I certainly did not mean to leave out a single loyal breakfast attendee.
This week a reader told me about a mistake that I made in a previous column. When I wrote about people who were in the Korean War, I omitted the names of two heroes – Carl Richie and Robert Richie of the Cana/Eaton’s Church community. Robert Richie not only served in Korea but was a career military man and may have served in other theaters of war. I am sorry about the mistake. Again, I ask you reader to let me know when I error.
The book, “First Ladies,” which is the result of the articles that I wrote for the Davie County Enterprise Record, has been published. I recently received the preview copy and am pleased with how it turned out. If interested in a copy, contact me.