Rix alumni hold reunion

An estimated 100 former students of Rix Elementary School and their guests will gather this weekend in Hot Springs for a group reunion.

Organizer Floy Bailey said she and many of her fellow Rix alumni felt closer to each other in elementary school than they did with their high school classmates. Hopes for a Rix reunion began more than 15 years ago.

"A lot of our students kind of long for that feeling of unity again of Rix School days," Bailey said. "I have that inside of me and so did Shirley Davis Benton. Because of that, we thought, well, we need to have a reunion. We have never had a grade school reunion before with Rix School. This will be the first one."

Registration for attendees will be held from 3-5 p.m. today at the Hot Springs National Park Kampgrounds of America clubhouse, 838 McClendon Road. The KOA offered a 25 percent discount for attendees to stay in the campground's cabins or campsites.

The KOA will cater multiple events for the reunion throughout the weekend. Any attendees who have not already registered will be charged $15 per meal.

The reunion will move to the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2278, located at 2231 E. Grand Ave., from 5-8 p.m. Entertainment will be provided by the Hot Springs Carousel Theater Readers.

Records show the Hot Springs School District purchased the property at 1401 Malvern Ave. for $16,000 in 1929. The $87,000 project was completed in 1930 to accommodate as many as 400 students and was named in honor of Hot Springs businessman and banker Charles Rix.

Many former Rix students passed away in the last 15 years and organizers renewed efforts to hold a reunion. About $2,600 has been raised during various events in the past 16 months.

"It will be closed out when this is over, because I do not see myself continuing on," Bailey said. "If somebody wants to, that would be great, but I probably will not do it again."

Bailey began first grade at Rix in 1955, but her sister began in 1953 and Benton began in 1956. She said she did not want to be too restrictive with the time frame.

The reunion grew to include all former Rix students between 1953 and 1963. Bailey said organizers found several hundred former students alive and eight former teachers.

"It is amazing to me how many of the teachers are alive," Bailey said. "You get this feeling like hurry up and get this done."

Expansion projects were added to the school in 1932 and 1949. Bailey said she contacted the school district to learn if any materials were saved after Rix closed in 1978, but no items were found.

"I was kind of sad, but I didn't have to be sad because there were students that brought things up," Bailey said.

Bailey said former students saved items like blackboards and handbooks. The items, along with albums with information of other former students, will be presented during the reunion.

"This is a one-of-a-kind thing," Bailey said. "I do not know of any of the other grade schools going to this extent on their reunions."

Karolyn Fankhouser with Gehrki Commercial Real Estate will lead alumni on a tour of the former school, which is now the Rix Professional Building, at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The group also plans to gather for a group picture in front of the school. Lunch will be provided by the KOA at noon at the VFW.

Former teachers expected to attend include Claudette Smith Ford, third grade; Bobbye Bunn Henry, sixth grade; Mary Elizabeth Hickey Loye, second grade; and Lois Tucker, second grade. A drawing will be held for a quilt of the Rix School sewn by seamstress Barbara Vaughn Vann. Tickets are $6 each or $10 for two tickets.

Other volunteers for the reunion include Chris Bailey, Robyn Beams, Rick Davis, Eden Endrulet, Mary Ruth Evans, Carolyn Hannah, Maxine Hughes, Dosha Laughlin, Daryl Montgomery, Pam Richards, Martha Shaw, Ardy Tackett, Mattie Tackett and Jerri Teddar. Attendees are expected to travel from Arkansas, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, Washington and other locations throughout the country.

"Lynn Barrett, the owner of KOA, has just been absolutely fabulous," Bailey said. "She has worked with me in every way. The VFW has worked with me. Everybody that I have come in contact with, they seem to understand the excitement of it. I really appreciated that."

The closing event of the reunion is a brunch at the KOA clubhouse on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Bailey said she plans to donate items to the Garland County Historical Society and make copies available to Rix alumni.

Local on 10/06/2017

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