Mary Ben Carpenter was the fifth child born to Thomas Nathaniel and Nellie Vann Carpenter. The first child had been a son, Robert, and then three girls had been born every two years after Robert's birth. Those three girls were Samantha Elizabeth, Virginia, and Dora.
The entire family was sure that the fifth baby would be a little boy and he was to be named for Nellie's brother, Benjamin Vann. When yet another little girl arrived on November 17, 1912, Uncle Ben came in to see her and suggested that she still could be named after him. He said,"Let's name her Mary Ben." A sixth child did arrive in 1915, and it was a boy named Wilburn Howard. He missed out on being named for Uncle Ben.
Mary Ben was an excellent student and would have been valedictorian for her high school class except for playing hooky with most of her classmates on April 1 during her senior year at New Hope High School. She, along with all who skipped school, got zeroes for the day, and she lost her valedictorian place because of that. She had to accept the title of salutatorian, and it was a lesson she never forgot.
She recovered from that disappointment though, and attended Alabama College from 1930-1934 and majored in home economics. She taught for seven years at Eva High School, then accepted a position with Farm Security Administration in Ozark, Alabama during the war years.
She had made up her mind that she would be a career girl when she met John Timothy Dunaway, a widower. He "swept her off her feet," so to speak, and he was so smitten from the first meeting that he started sending flowers, gifts, and candy every few days. Within 6 months of meeting, they married on June 1, 1946 in New Hope. They made their first home in Mobile until late 1952 when they moved to New Hope.
By then, one daughter had been born to them, and both John and Mary Ben loved that little girl so much. Mary Ben began teaching fifth grade in 1953 and ended her career as elementary school librarian at New Hope after 30 years in education. She was a remarkable woman with much energy and love for her family and friends.
(bio by: Ginny Dunaway Young)
The entire family was sure that the fifth baby would be a little boy and he was to be named for Nellie's brother, Benjamin Vann. When yet another little girl arrived on November 17, 1912, Uncle Ben came in to see her and suggested that she still could be named after him. He said,"Let's name her Mary Ben." A sixth child did arrive in 1915, and it was a boy named Wilburn Howard. He missed out on being named for Uncle Ben.
Mary Ben was an excellent student and would have been valedictorian for her high school class except for playing hooky with most of her classmates on April 1 during her senior year at New Hope High School. She, along with all who skipped school, got zeroes for the day, and she lost her valedictorian place because of that. She had to accept the title of salutatorian, and it was a lesson she never forgot.
She recovered from that disappointment though, and attended Alabama College from 1930-1934 and majored in home economics. She taught for seven years at Eva High School, then accepted a position with Farm Security Administration in Ozark, Alabama during the war years.
She had made up her mind that she would be a career girl when she met John Timothy Dunaway, a widower. He "swept her off her feet," so to speak, and he was so smitten from the first meeting that he started sending flowers, gifts, and candy every few days. Within 6 months of meeting, they married on June 1, 1946 in New Hope. They made their first home in Mobile until late 1952 when they moved to New Hope.
By then, one daughter had been born to them, and both John and Mary Ben loved that little girl so much. Mary Ben began teaching fifth grade in 1953 and ended her career as elementary school librarian at New Hope after 30 years in education. She was a remarkable woman with much energy and love for her family and friends.
(bio by: Ginny Dunaway Young)
Mary Ben Carpenter was the fifth child born to Thomas Nathaniel and Nellie Vann Carpenter. The first child had been a son, Robert, and then three girls had been born every two years after Robert's birth. Those three girls were Samantha Elizabeth, Virginia, and Dora.
The entire family was sure that the fifth baby would be a little boy and he was to be named for Nellie's brother, Benjamin Vann. When yet another little girl arrived on November 17, 1912, Uncle Ben came in to see her and suggested that she still could be named after him. He said,"Let's name her Mary Ben." A sixth child did arrive in 1915, and it was a boy named Wilburn Howard. He missed out on being named for Uncle Ben.
Mary Ben was an excellent student and would have been valedictorian for her high school class except for playing hooky with most of her classmates on April 1 during her senior year at New Hope High School. She, along with all who skipped school, got zeroes for the day, and she lost her valedictorian place because of that. She had to accept the title of salutatorian, and it was a lesson she never forgot.
She recovered from that disappointment though, and attended Alabama College from 1930-1934 and majored in home economics. She taught for seven years at Eva High School, then accepted a position with Farm Security Administration in Ozark, Alabama during the war years.
She had made up her mind that she would be a career girl when she met John Timothy Dunaway, a widower. He "swept her off her feet," so to speak, and he was so smitten from the first meeting that he started sending flowers, gifts, and candy every few days. Within 6 months of meeting, they married on June 1, 1946 in New Hope. They made their first home in Mobile until late 1952 when they moved to New Hope.
By then, one daughter had been born to them, and both John and Mary Ben loved that little girl so much. Mary Ben began teaching fifth grade in 1953 and ended her career as elementary school librarian at New Hope after 30 years in education. She was a remarkable woman with much energy and love for her family and friends.
(bio by: Ginny Dunaway Young)
The entire family was sure that the fifth baby would be a little boy and he was to be named for Nellie's brother, Benjamin Vann. When yet another little girl arrived on November 17, 1912, Uncle Ben came in to see her and suggested that she still could be named after him. He said,"Let's name her Mary Ben." A sixth child did arrive in 1915, and it was a boy named Wilburn Howard. He missed out on being named for Uncle Ben.
Mary Ben was an excellent student and would have been valedictorian for her high school class except for playing hooky with most of her classmates on April 1 during her senior year at New Hope High School. She, along with all who skipped school, got zeroes for the day, and she lost her valedictorian place because of that. She had to accept the title of salutatorian, and it was a lesson she never forgot.
She recovered from that disappointment though, and attended Alabama College from 1930-1934 and majored in home economics. She taught for seven years at Eva High School, then accepted a position with Farm Security Administration in Ozark, Alabama during the war years.
She had made up her mind that she would be a career girl when she met John Timothy Dunaway, a widower. He "swept her off her feet," so to speak, and he was so smitten from the first meeting that he started sending flowers, gifts, and candy every few days. Within 6 months of meeting, they married on June 1, 1946 in New Hope. They made their first home in Mobile until late 1952 when they moved to New Hope.
By then, one daughter had been born to them, and both John and Mary Ben loved that little girl so much. Mary Ben began teaching fifth grade in 1953 and ended her career as elementary school librarian at New Hope after 30 years in education. She was a remarkable woman with much energy and love for her family and friends.
(bio by: Ginny Dunaway Young)
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