By Vesta Baker
The Civic and Cemetery Club of Caddo met for its monthly meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 2, at the First Baptist Church of Caddo.
The ladies in the century-old club have the responsibility of overseeing the maintenance of Gethsemane cemetery and the old Caddo cemetery. Their duties involve setting and collecting fees for burials and lots purchases, providing equipment for the sexton, making decisions about improvements to the buildings and veterans memorial and communications with donors. The ladies are often involved in helping visitors locate graves of their ancestors and providing historical information. The Club also has a rich history of promoting civic improvements, cooperating with other cummings organizations and supporting all kinds of community events.
One of the Civic and Cemetery Club members, Linda Combrink, will be hosting Caddo’s February Sesquicentennial event. Linda was born in Durant, to Ethel and Quantrell Moran. Her grandparents were Angie and Lon Moran and Mary and Russell Wood. She started first grade a Manning Grade School in Cado, with many childhood friends, and graduated from Caddo High School. Linda married a classmate, Jerry Combrink, and had lived her entire live till age 21, six miles east of Caddo, near the Stuart Ranch. She is a proud member of the Choctaw Tribe, who as she says, “always puts education at the top of their list.”
After graduating from Southeastern Oklahoma State College, Linda began her long teaching career.
“Becoming an elementary teacher was my dream and I was blessed to et to begin my teaching career at Caddo, developing the first kindergarten program at Caddo schools,” Linda said.
“She taught kindergarten for 12 years, then moved up to teach third, fourth and sixth grades at Caddo, for a total of 19 years. She went back to SOSU for her Master’s Degree with many of her friends and classmates. Her husband, Jerry, had become a teacher of math and science, then a superintendent at Boswell. Linda continued her teaching career at Boswell, teaching second grade for 15 years until her retirement, with a total of 34 years.
“I loved both schools,” Linda said. “I loved the great students, seeing and helping them learn and grow in all areas, watching them begin their careers and become fantastic people in this world.”
In addition to her historical presentation on the History of Caddo Schools, Linda is inviting community members to honor children of the past by bringing vintage toys for display. Anything over 30 years old is welcome. Tags will be provided to label the owner’s name and any historical info. Very small and fragile toys will be displayed in a glass case. More than a dozen toys have already been contributed for the display and some were brought to the Club meeting to inspire others to search their attics and garages for items that would be of interest for the audience.
Caddo High School English and Drama students will also contribute to the program on Feb. 21 with entertaining presentations on the Caddo Corn Carnival. The free event will be held in the Rock Community Building from 6 to 8 p.m. Refreshments will be served and all are invited to register for a door prize.
Sesquicentennial is not just about remembering the year the town was established, but also to celebrate the lives of people who have lived in Caddo since that time. By gathering together to hear stories about people long ago, we will appreciate their contributions to the great little town we have. By chatting with neighbors and friends, looking at old objects which belonged to them or their parents, we may be involved in something more important than learning facts about someone.
It is the act of reminiscing.
According to Eric Barr, a teacher at the University of California, Riverside, “Reminiscing brings the past into the present and brings it back to life.” That enriches the combined goal of all Caddo community clubs and organizations to bring this town back to life.
