As I read the Opelika Observer this week, one thing I read brought about a wonderful memory. Before Clyde and I moved to Opelika, the newspaper article about us told that we were graduates of the University of Alabama. While this was not of interest to many, one very important person was the first person to “come calling,” bringing along a pound cake. It was Ms. Inez Searcy. Whether or not the pound cake was the 100-year old recipe or not, this gesture stayed in my memory.
You see, Ms. Inez was the first woman to receive a law degree from the UA. She married into a prominent Tuscaloosa family, the Searcy’s.
I thank you for this memory. Over the years, I got to know her well and cherish that memory also.
I did not choose to leave Opelika. I chose to move here because my one sister lives in Tuscaloosa. I knew in time we would need each other. She is six years younger than I, and she has needed me at times. Now that I am 92 years old, I call on her a lot. Our times together are special. Our father died in 1935 of pneumonia, meaning that I helped take care of her as a child. I was 8 years old, she was under the age of 2. My family of my mother and sister became very, very close. Maybe you can see why I felt we should be together as we aged.
My friends in Opelika are still special, and I keep up, even with the football team at OHS.
Thanks for the memory.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Zeanah
