I've always considered Hazel Carver to be an honest woman. For the last 40 years of her life, however, I accused her of telling one fib. She
always denied any memory of such an occurence.
I'm convinced that she either told my mother or me that she was giving up teaching piano lessons. That was about 1956, after she had spent
a distressingly unsuccessful year trying to teach me how to play the piano. Oddly enough, the next two years her older two children, Keith and
Jean, also disavowed any interest in being keyboard instructors after toiling fruitlessly with me as a pupil. Yet they somehow found the resolve to
return to teaching once I had been sent to musical waste heap.
Just as my 4-H experiences taught me that I was not cut out to raise tobacco or be a tractor mechanic, the Carver clan convinced me that music was
neither in my genes nor in my future. I still remember the day when I was in sixth grade when Mrs. Carver sent word that she needed someone to play the
bass drum immediately, and I was the chosen one. I went dutifully across the street and reported to the high school band room. Hazel needed to hear
only about 30 seconds of my off-rhythm drum beats to dispatch me back across the street to Clare Louise Jones' classroom where I belonged.
In high school she allowed me to be in the chorus but somehow forgot to enter me in regional competition each year. My only association with music
outside the city limits came when she had Sherry Johnson (Wilkins) and me carry the band banner in Ned Breathitt's gubernatorial inauguration during
our senior year.
Instead I became the announcer for band shows. In those days, bands did a different show each week and were only interested in entertaining the
crowds at football games, not their own competition the following day. Hazel would put in a new show every time the Panthers were at Rhea Stadium,
complete with lots of props and the poetry she wrote. The poems were always filled with her sharp wit and an inborn sense of rhyme and rhythm. Even
though she was well aware of my inability to keep a beat or recognize a note, she trusted me to read those scripts until she gave up band directing in
1974. Her replacement as band director, David Corbin, ushered in the competitive shows system that remains in vogue, and an announcer was no longer
needed. At least that was what Corbin told me.
Hazel and I were colleagues on the Russellville High School faculty her last nine years as a classroom teacher. We found ourselves competing for
the time of the students who were interested in the arts. I was the speech coach and drama director while she had the band and the choruses during my
first six years. Even though RHS was much larger than it is now, it was still a relatively small school and there weren't enough members of the
theatrical/musical genre to go around.
In her last three years with the band no longer taking her time, she really stepped up our personal competition when she started directing
musicals. I found my stars on the deGraffenried Auditorium stage performing to the beat of a director I couldn't match. Her productions of South Pacific and Oklahoma were great, but the crowning touch came when she involved the entire community in a marvelous rendition of L'il Abner. The kids were in the background for this one. Not only did she have many faculty members in the cast (Corbin as L'il Abner, Ken
Barrett as Marryin' Sam, Joe Marcum as Earthquake McGoon, Larry Reeder as Evil Eye Fleagle, and coaches Howard Wren, Gene Heffington and Steve Merideth
in highly visible roles), but she also brought on the big brass, including Superintendent Jim Young as General Bullmoose, Assistant Superintendent
Buddy Linton as Pappy Yokum and board member Joe Hardy as Sen. Jack S. Phogbound. Two lovely and talented women, Emily Barrett and Patricia Webb,
portrayed Daisy Mae and Appasionata, respectively. She even enlisted the help of First Baptist pastor Jim Didlake as Romeo Scraggs.
I was beaten. Hazel had won, and we both knew it. Russellville High School was hers, just as it had always been. To her legion of faithful
followers, it always will be.
We both left RHS that summer, Hazel to retirement and me to newspaperdom. But our paths crossed happily many times after that. We remained friends
and allies until the end. She became a journalist as the award-winning editor of the Bluegrass Music News and I returned to teaching at Western
Kentucky University, where her image hangs on the Department of Music's Hall of Fame.
She remained a teacher, but left the public school classroom to teach private lessons. An entire generation-plus of Logan Countians came under her
influence after she retired as a teacher. She taught more than music. Our oldest son Clay has a degree in agriculture and a vegetable production
business. Hazel would ask him to do things for her, and like the rest of us, he found it virtually impossible to refuse her requests. Before he could
transplant a tree she wanted in her yard, however, she instructed him on how to dig a hole. Always the teacher!
The hallway which runs from the RHS lobby past deGraffenried Auditorium and to the bandroom was officially named the Hazel Carver Wing in 2006.
When it happened, only Superintendent Roger Cook, public relations specialist Becky Coursey, Hazel and I were there, as I recall. There should have
been a trio of buglers trumpeting the occasion. I probably would have chosen Raymond Davis (Class of '62), Jim Dodson ('69) and Danny Williams ('72).
Maybe her version of the 4-H Club (Hazel's Happy, Harmonious He-Men) could have sung her praises.
Now the angelic trumpeters are probably playing one of her favorites, "Buglers' Holiday." The time has come for a long, well-deserved vacation for
Hazel Carver.
The following are reflections on the life and influence of Hazel Carver by some of her fans, most of whom are her former student::
James and Clarkie Milam:
Russellville Alma Mater paraphrased
Up on Heaven's southern border, Looking down upon the sky, There God finds His newest angel, Telling the others how to fly.
"Forward" also is their watchword, For mankind cannot fail. Hail to thee our blessed mentor, Mrs. Carver, all haill.
Ann Piper Pember: "
Well done, James and Clarkie. That goes along with marching into heaven in perfect formation and in perfect four-part harmony."
Lon Sosh: "
If it were not for Mrs. Carver, I would not have the musical talent that I have today. Mrs. Carver started teaching me to play the clarinet when I was
in the 7th grade, and it led me to the opportunity to be the "first chair clarinet player" for the Kentucky State High School Band. I'll never forget
practicing in the "dungeon room" in the basement of the old Russellville High School. Mrs. Carver would bring a chair and sit right there with us,
giving professional instruction to make us all better.
"Mrs. Carver led the Russellville High School Band to be champions on many occasions when we competed against Bowling Green, Glasgow, Franklin and
other larger schools, and I will never forget the year Russellville defeated the Bowling Green Band at Van Meter Auditorium at Western Kentucky
University. I have never seen such a celebration in my life and I will never forget the smile on her face. We had great years with Jean and Keith in
the band, and for our size band, we sounded pretty good, because Mrs. Carver taught us all how to play..We would practive for three or four hours each
day after school, sometimes in the mud, and Mrs. Carver got her shoes muddy with us. She was very strict and you had plenty of discipline, but you had
a lady who loved her band students and showed us in many ways how much she loved us.
"This community and county will miss a lady who received many honors for her musical accomplishments, and a lady who was very faithful to God for many
years, sharing her talent for Him at First Baptist Church. She, indeed, was a wonderful Christian lady who remained faithful to her church till the
end. Heaven will have some more beautiful music since Mrs. Hazel Carver has arrived for her eternal home, and I will always love her with all of my
heart and be grateful for all she did for me."
Vanessa Clark Priddy:
"To those of us who grew up in Logan County and had the honor of having her in high school, her name said it all. The band students today and those
who moved to Logan County it was our honor to "teach" everyone about her.
"As an alumni of Russellville I can remember as a grade school student and living 'downtown' hearing the early morning band practice at Rhea Stadium. I
knew then that I wanted to be part of the band or chorus, and 40 years later I am still part of the program as a parent.
"The one thing we would all agree about Mrs. Carver she always expected you to give you best. It did not matter to her the color of your skin, where
you lived or your financial background. She wanted you to give your all so that you would grow as a person....and we did.
"As band boosters we will carry on her legacy. We will make sure our band students give their best and believe in their abilities. In her memory, I say
"thank you". Thank you for teaching us to believe in ourselves no matter the circumstances and obstacles. It is a lesson will will carry for a
lifetime.
"Mrs. Hazel Carver, a lady who put music in our hearts."
Amy Arnold:
"Ms Hazel lived with us at BHI; she had such a great sense humor and we all loved her. We already miss her."
Judy Wilson:
"Hazel has given Emily, my daughter, piano lessons since she was in the second grade. Even as she was moved into assistive living at the BHI, she
continued to listen to Emily and not let her get away with incorrect playing. She helped prepare Emily for her college auditions, where Emily proceeded
to receive very nice piano scholarships from three different colleges. Hazel went and was recognized at KMEA this past fall for being the member who
had attended the most years and for bringing Emily, the student who had attended the most years. Hazel would attend all practice sessions with her
students. She stayed up with Emily this last fall, as Emily practiced with the teacher group. It was way past midnight, so we teased Hazel about
staying up so late and being a party animal. She responded, "Well, you know, I could eat a cheeseburger." So, we proceeded to go past McDonald’s and
get her one. We have laughed about that for some time.
"I will always remember Hazel, up until last year, for the many times she would ask for things to be taken to the post office or get a box to send
items to the Red Cross, Disaster Relief or some needy family. Hazel’s love and sharing of flowers was never ending. Her house was always filled with
fresh flowers.
"Her humor never ending. One time, as she was getting into the car, I told her to watch her head. She, as serious as could be, stopped, and replied,
"Well, I can’t watch my head."
"She was truly a saint and will be greatly missed by this family as well as many others."
Susan McPhaill Brown:
"I came to know Hazel Carver as she was the piano teacher for my daughter Andrea. Andrea started taking lessons from Mrs. Carver when she was in the
third grade and continued through her senior year of high school. Due to the influence that she had on her life she has continued in the field of music
as Mrs Carver did. When Mrs Carver gave a piano lesson she would not stop when the thirty minute lesson was over if she thought the student was within
moments of grasping a new concept in music. She would continue on until the student felt comfortable with what they were doing. She is one to be
admired not only for her musical ability but also for her ability to instill the love of music in those she taught.
"When Andrea became of driving age she would go to piano lessons and not come home until late. I would call Mrs Carver to ask if Andrea was still
there. In Mrs Carver's mischevious voice she would say "No, I have not seen her". She would laugh and then reveal the truth that indeed she was there.
Mrs Carver had such a sense of humor that if she were reading this she would laugh and say, "Who is this person they are talking about? Do I know
them?". She was unselfish with her time that she devoted to music in her church and community. I thank the Lord for allowing Mrs Carver to live a long
life in order for her to keep on being a servant to others.Our lives have been richly blessed by her musical abilities. She has left a legacy of music
that she has passed down from one generation to another."
Jo Ellen Bentley Reece:
"Mrs. Carver was a classy lady with a wide smile that welcomed you into her life. There really aren't enough words to describe her, but the ones that
come to mind are kind, funny, caring, a listener, full of music and inviting each of us to be in love with it too, nurturing, laughter, supportive,
hopeful, hands-on teacher, a wonderful example to all who had the privilege to be her student in class, music groups, band, wherever she was. I truly
don't know how I would have turned out if she hadn't been in my life for such a long time at such an important time. I know that she was greeted on the
other side by a big group of RHS Panther supporters marching alongside her and
singing in four part harmony! Thanks for the gift of your love to all of us."
Brenda Harris Glover:
"Mrs. Carver was such an inspiration to so many of her students. Springtime recitals, contests, band shows, KMA competitions were her time to shine. I
remember the famous "Gold RHS Dresses" we wore to competitions. She got upset when she overheard us refer to them as our "Real Hot Stuff Uniforms"!
"After I started teaching and was inducted into Alpha Epsilon Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Educational Society, Mrs. Carver was the member who
presented my rose at installation. She said, "I'm passing the torch"!
"Her love for music transcended decades, genres, and instruments. She used her talent to "pass that torch to so many"! Her tremendous talent touched
lives of many RHS students whose hearts opened to the love of music because Mrs. Carver cared! Thank you, God, for allowing us to benefit from sharing
her life!"
Martha Varble Duttlinger:
"Mrs. Carver played such an important part in my life. All through high school, I enjoyed singing in all of her choirs. I was also in the high school
band for four years. I owe so much to Mrs. Carver. One week before college was to begin, she talked to me and knew that I had no plans about going to
college. She asked George Milam, a former student of hers who was a senior at Austin Peay State College, to take me to see the college. With five
dollars in my purse, I went with George to see Austin Peay. He showed me the college, introuduced me to the dean of students and I came home enrolled
in Austin Peay. That began four years of a wonderful time in my life and led to many years of teaching. I truly believe that I owe all of this to Mrs
Carver. She was a wonderful mentor and I am sure she helped many students."
Wallace Herndon Jr.:
"Hazel Carver was a role model for many students through her tireless teaching efforts as band and choral director at RHS for 35 years. During music
contest time, I recall many long days of practice preparing for competition. Through her perseverance, discipline, enthusiasm, and inspiration, she was
preparing each of us not only for contest, but also for life's journey. I am forever grateful for having such a mentor. There is no other individual
affiliated with the arts in Russellville and Logan County who has touched so many lives through her teaching, professional associations, church, and
community."
Ann Gordon Brown Kemp:
"Mrs. Carver (I can't call her Hazel) was a very dear part of my life. I really loved her. She used to tell me that I was her adopted daughter. A major
part of my early life revolved around the Carver family. Always had such fund memories of being at their house. They were all such loving people."
Jerry White:
"One of the joys in returning to Russellville after college was the adult relationships you develop with former educators. Especially do I think of
Hazel Carver in this manner. Our store must have had one of the first fax machines in town, and Hazel would come by daily to fax newsletters to her
fellow music educators across the state. In almost daily conversations with Hazel I would find a great wit and personality that I never knew as a
student.
"Mrs. Carver's contributions to our community include the hundreds of piano students who have become music teachers. Not only did Hazel play the organ
for years and years and years at our church, she also played for at least half of the weddings held in Logan County in the past 50 or 60 years. The
many musicals she directed were always a highlight of the year. Hazel's founding the deGraffenried Chorale has brought many a great concert for our
enjoyment. Hazel will be missed but fondly remembered by us all."
James Henry Duncan:
"Her band members and individual music students (must be in the thousands) have been inspired, benefitted and grown personally from her teaching and
her love of music. Panther football players and coaches would have to wait for after-school practices when Mrs. Carver's band was practicing on the
field. It was understood that her band had precedence on that Rhea Stadium field."
Donna Gholson:
"The Hazel Carver Table at the RHS graduation (the same day of her death) looked very nice, considering the shirt amount of time (Board Chairman) James
Milam had to put it together. And the moment of silence at the beginning of the ceremony was touching and very fitting. It was a very nice graduation,
with the high point being Taylor Gilliam's rendition of 'You Raise Me Up'-- WOW! There wasn't a dry eye in the audience. Mary Hope Henry would be
proud! Such legacies we have here in Russellville."
Ronnie Blackwell:
"I have special memories of her, especially how she took a senior boy who couldn't read a lick of music, but loved to sing, and included him in the
group who went to All State Choir in 1960. She knew what it meant to love music for the music. This first-class lady taught me how to treat people."
Jane Broyles:
"I had a good visit with her Wednesday morning at The Beehive, and she was reflecting on her days at RHS and telling stories of students and various
teaching experiences. She was not feeling too well, but her sense of humor was still quite evident.
"Those of us who were fortunate to be under Mrs. Carver's teaching and influence were truly blessed. She was a classy, one-of-a-kind lady. No one will
ever be able to fill her shoes. I will always be grateful for her gifts of willingness, encouragement, and patience in exposing us to both choral and
instrumental music. What a difference her giving us a chance and her belief in us made in our lives.! So many wonderful, life-long memories!"
Bill Milam:
"Hazel was a truly remarkable person. We enjoyed our time with her when we were in town for the Tobacco Festival and class reunion last October. Her
passing marks the end of an era-- an incredibly good era."
Jack Lyne:
"Hazel was quite a lady. It is terribly sad that she has gone on. But oh how fortunate we all are to have a lady like that to touch our lives. She will
be sorely missed. But she lived so well and so fully."
George Milam:
"While saddened by this news, our hearts are filled with gratitude and love as we experience the passing of this unbelievably great lady. There are
teachers that we remember for the rest of our lives, but few, if any, as memorable as Hazel Carver. There is no doubt that Mrs. Carver (still not Hazel
to me) was the loving teacher who helped me set my signts on the career path I pursued. Manifested in the lives of all she touched, her legacy and
influence will continue through the ages, only to be understood when time is no more.
"To members of the family, though saddened, rejoice for the life that really did make a difference in the lives of so many. So many good memories! Rest
easy, my friend. Well done!