On a recent visit with Susie DeMent we found the ninety-year-old as vivacious as ever.

She was seated in her favorite chair with her walking stick nearby. For those who do not know Susie, she taught at Montevallo High School for more than 40 years. Upon mandatory retirement she was rehired as a special office assistant. She worked in that capacity another ten years.

Miss DeMent was and is a richly deserving multi-award winning teacher. In addition to her competence in teaching office subjects, she supervised the publication of the acclaimed high school newspaper, The Spotlight, and she was local history&8217;s greatest &8220;working fan&8221; of all of the high school sports. The sound of her heels clicking down the halls may not be heard today, but she certainly has not abandoned her role.

When the sports season changes, she designs and decorates the large bulletin boards for the front entrance of MHS. This is no small task. The announcers at games pull their information from &8220;spot cards&8221; made up by Miss DeMent. There&8217;s a lot of evidence that she has not lost her enthusiasm for or her loyalty to MHS sports.

When asked what she misses most about teaching, she said, &8220;The association with the kids.

I never sent a child to the office because they knew I respected them and they respected me.&8221;

To the questions concerning the best things in her life as a nonagenarian, she responded, &8220;I thank the Lord that I still have my brain and my hands to work with and I thank him that I have &8216;Bette&8217; to take care of me.&8221;

Miss DeMent lives with her sister, Betty Miles, who sees that she eats the right foods and takes a daily walk. She enjoys company and loves to reminisce about her MHS days. One of her favorite coaches, Eddie Williams, goes by frequently and they have wonderful visits. He commented, &8220;Susie is one of those individuals you never wanted to disappoint in what you said or how you acted. That affected so many students, and coaches too.&8221;

A visit with this feisty lady is inspirational and fun. She has enjoyed a long and successful life of service and she plans to continue for many years making contributions of her time and talents to the school she loves.

Catherine Legg may be reached via e-mail at mailto:clegg2@bellsouth.net