The anticipated guest of honor couldn’t attend a celebration outside the historic J.J. Jones High School auditorium in person — but her spirit filled the summer air accompanied by even warmer memories of “Miss Sadie.”
Sadie Strickland George had died on Aug. 26 at age 100, shortly after organizers of a school reunion announced her possible appearance for the official unveiling of a plaque recognizing the auditorium’s addition to the National Register of Historic Places.
This was appropriate since Miss Sadie was the oldest-living graduate of the high school that opened in 1936 to serve African-American students in the area and saw its last graduates depart in 1966 with the advent of integration. She was in the Class of 1941, as war clouds gathered.
The plaque unveiling was held Friday night, when the grounds around the auditorium were filled with people attending Family Day there in conjunction with the J.J. Jones High School Reunion scheduled every other year.
This past weekend’s reunion was special since the one that normally would have been held in 2021 was cancelled because of the coronavirus.
And in the interim since the last reunion in 2019, both the auditorium — owned by the J.J. Jones Alumni Association — and the rest of the campus — owned by the African-American Historical and Genealogical Society of Surry County — achieved National Register status.
The latter group held a plaque observance in July and reunion organizers appropriately scheduled the auditorium portion of the recognition Friday night as part of the weekend gathering of former Jones students from near and far.
Being chosen for the National Register of Historic Places means a building or plot of land has been designated by the government as possessing significant historic, artistic or aesthetic value.
Remembering Miss Sadie
All that seemed to be missing Friday night was Sadie George, who still had a presence there all the same.
“I want to dedicate this ceremony to a young lady we were hoping would be with us today,” J.J. Jones Alumni Association President Nancy Bowman Williams (Class of 1965) told those assembled for the official unveiling of the plaque. It had been mounted on a wall of the auditorium earlier.
“She loved and was proud of her alma mater,” Williams said of Mrs. George.
Although Miss Sadie wasn’t there, she was amply represented by her daughters who carried on the family tradition embodied by the campus.
“She never missed a day (of school),” Sylvia Amaker said of her mother, who excelled in academics. “She was an honor student.”
Her mom also played basketball at the school, according to Sylvia, who has a twin sister, Goldie.
And as was the case with many students of yesteryear, she walked seven miles to school, related Amaker and another daughter present Friday night, Yvette Jones, who won the 1979 Miss Mount Airy Pageant.
Six of Miss Sadie’s eight children are still living and her life spanned five generations — numbering 14 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
In the years after graduating from J.J. Jones High, Miss Sadie would attend a cosmetology school in Roanoke, Virginia, and enrolled at Surry Community College, where she received certificates in office machines and child care.
The Jones grad was employed by Proctor Silex Inc. in Mount Airy, from which she retired, was active in her church and supported many community causes.
Honoring history
Along with acknowledging the role of Sadie George in the school’s heritage during the plaque unveiling, Williams, the alumni president, spoke about the auditorium at the center of Friday night’s event which was erected by school-based talent.
“In 1947, the students and staff that began the task of constructing this building were, I believe, inspired by one of the proven and basic beliefs: that if you want something, if you work hard and are determined, you will be successful,” she said.
“They were successful — this wonderful building is the product of their determination, hard work and belief that they could do it,” Williams remarked. “Here we are, seventy-five years later, looking at this building.”
Friday’s Family Day also included a car show, fish fry, a wrapping of the maypole that perpetuated a campus tradition, music and a time set aside for the former students to share memories from their class days.
And one couldn’t help but think Sadie George was surveying the scene with an appreciative eye.
“J.J. Jones will never forget you, Miss Sadie,” Williams said during the program.
“We thank and honor you.”
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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