Growing up in Louisa – The Cheek Family!
Weekly feature . . . by Mike Coburn
Back in my school days the most powerful person in our little community was the benevolent, if business-like, superintendent of schools. The Lawrence County Board of Education was the largest and most important employer in the county. There was no local industry that hired and provided income to more people than the Board of Education. Yes, eastern Kentucky is known for its mining, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad was large, but if we restrict the measure to only Lawrence County, then none would surpass the school system. Now consider, that teachers and support staff were hired on annual contracts and served at the pleasure of the superintendent. This put him into a position to either be loved or hated because of this almost total reach into the lives of so many. There’s really nothing new about this because the superintendent’s role is still extremely important, not only in Lawrence County, but in school systems throughout our nation. It takes a good, dedicated person to carry out those duties while maintaining the goal of providing the highest level of education with the limited resources afforded. I know I benefitted from the efforts of many good teachers and the leadership they all provided. It was certainly ‘teamwork’ that was coordinated by the man in charge.
Bill Cheek was to be superintendent during the whole of my schooling. Over my twelve years in the system he gave me the impression that he was a strong, knowledgeable, and motivated leader. He was known to travel to every little one-room schoolhouse regularly, and to stay in touch with every teacher, providing for the good of the students. He drove his little red jeep up and down the paved, the gravel and dirt roads of the county. He delivered messages disguised in poetry or tales that had a clear purpose that kids understood and lapped up in delight. When he came into a classroom one felt his presence. It was his time to do his part in molding the children into wise, moral, and patriotic citizens that would become the true strength and hope of America. In some ways he was the last of his type considering the restrictions, political correctness, and other theories of modern educational training.
Some saw Mr. Cheek as tough, and indeed in some ways he was. He was clearly in charge wherever he was, and he was known to insist on his way. He didn’t fight or argue, he was just simply in charge. Even a grunt from him was quickly interpreted and obeyed. But he wasn’t just tough on others, but equally on himself. I was once told a story that both he and his brother Jim, were known to be tobacco chewers of long standing. When Bill decided to quit in spite of his nicotine addiction, he put a pouch of his favorite chewing tobacco on the center of his desk to prove to himself that in spite of it being within easy reach, he was in charge. He had decided that he was finished with the habit. His ability to daily face the enemy and ‘overcome’ typified his strength of will, and maybe his lack of understanding that not everyone was as strong-willed. If he had a weakness, it may have been his disdain for quitters. This model served me years later when I gave up tobacco. I decided to quit and simply did.
He was not a ‘laissez faire’ superintendent. He was immersed in every walk of life that pertained to the student body. He constantly showed up at all major events including concerts, rallies, and even various camps that proceeded each new school year. I remember helping him make food deliveries to Cabwaylingo, riding in his jeep and making multiple trips to ensure the cooks had all they needed. He brought fruit to the classrooms of our grade school, and spent his summer getting everything ready for the upcoming new school year.
Mr. Cheek took charge of orientation at LHS, often restating the ‘rules’ of behavior so the whole student body had little excuse if caught in violation. Many will recall the day when he explained why we should not walk on the grass and then demonstrated what would happen by walking the entire student body across the front lawn, around the flagpole and back to the auditorium. The path was well-worn and remained bare as a reminder to us to be respectful and stay on the sidewalks provided. I’m not sure the grass ever grew back before the old brick ‘normal college’ building was demolished. He gave us advice and often presented informative and entertaining speakers. He would sometimes end assembly with a bit of poetry he had memorized. The wisdom it provided often ‘hit home.’ He did this casually from memory and with a dramatic effect. The student body was a quiet and attentive audience. This demonstrated that it was okay for a real man to know and enjoy poetry. It would enrich our lives. How many readers remember ‘The Master’s Hand?’
Mrs. Cheek ran the bookstore that was just behind the old building. She had a good sense of humor and I remember that she loved to tell jokes. I was mainly a patron of the candy she sold to anyone stopping in, but as I grew older I enjoyed the ‘off-duty’ comradery with teachers and students that gathered around. Mr. Cheek was rarely there himself, but when he was he cast a large shadow. He would sometimes join in to tell stories, but even those always seemed to have a hidden message. I think he was an educator through and through. To some I think he was fearsome, but I saw him as gentle, like a reclining lion who has no need to prove his power, but chooses to instead rest in the enjoyment of others.
The Cheek family lived on the corner of Lock Avenue, just across from the school. I’d see that red jeep there on the weekend, and know that he was home. I had known his children, too, from both church and school. I liked Vickie, (still do) who was a grade behind me and was one of four lovely majorettes the year I was drum major. I know she served longer in that position than others because she was elected earlier. She married a friend and classmate of mine. I see her on Facebook from time to time. The son, Billy, was still two or three years younger, but I knew him mostly from church and didn’t know him too well. I know he was involved in the band, but again, he was much younger than me.
In the days before the courts started on their mission to prevent children’s access to matters of faith or from moral teachings, to amoral, and finally anti-moral, Bill Cheek was known to invite every visiting evangelical speaker from the local churches, to give the message of the Gospel in open assemblies. He marched grade-school kids down Madison to see the Ten Commandments at the Garden Theater. As the men’s Sunday school teacher at Louisa Methodist Church, he was also insistent at camps and other events, including ballgames and other gatherings to have an invocation. We didn’t eat until the food was blessed, and we always prayed for an injury free game and good sportsmanship, win or lose. Throughout schooling we pledged allegiance and started the day with prayer. Once respect to the Almighty was declared illegal, America lost an important dimension. Now, thanks to liberal court decisions we went from Freedom of Religion, we now have Freedom from Religion. Mr. Cheek knew that the ‘fear of God is the beginning of wisdom,’ just as our forefathers that founded this nation had.
I believe this man, Mr. Bill Cheek, cared a great deal about the fate of his charges and that he worked diligently to give us what we needed to become wise leaders, too. Above all he wanted to be remembered, I think, as a teacher and a responsible Christian man. To me, he was clearly both. I know I benefited from being under his tutelage, in an organization that ran smoothly for all my years in the school system. Many of us have good reason to be grateful he was there, and I’m sure there are many stories that could be told by nearly every student of those days.