Posted: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 10:06 am

EDITOR’S NOTE—Mrs. Catherine LeDuke, “Miss” LeDuke to her students, is one of Lake County High School’s most beloved teachers. She retired in 1983 and still resides in Tiptonville in her white frame home on—what else?—LeDuke Street. Her son, James “Jimmy” LeDuke is requesting stories, anecdotes, photos and recollections from students and others who had their lives touched by Miss LeDuke and/or her husband, James Neville LeDuke, who taught chemistry, among other courses at LCHS.­—ESJ

By James “Jimmy” LeDuke

In truth she has already begun to leave. Oh, her physical health is surprisingly strong for a person of 93 years. But regrettably her memory is fading. She doesn’t always know which of her two sons she is talking to. Sometimes she doesn’t remember that she has two sons. This is not a real problem for either Richard or me because for all of our lives she has called me Richard and Richard, Jimmy. At least she has never called either of us Cathie. She does surprise us sometimes, however, when she comes out with a detailed story about something or someone; a story none of us had previously heard. It could be related to her childhood, her early life with James Neville, or fond memories about a former student.

A few years ago, I found a box of letters written by James Neville to his fiance, Catherine Patty. The letters were written in 1936 and mailed mostly from Spencer, Tennessee where Daddy had taken his first teaching assignment. The 99 letters were a daily account of his life teaching at Burritt College. More accurately, these letters were a daily account of his love for his fiance and the agony of the loneliness he was experiencing being so far away from Memphis and Catherine. My daughter Amanda and I spent six months putting these letters into book form as a Christmas present for Mother this past year. Several people outside the family have seen the book, enjoyed the glimpse into the intimate past of two of Lake County’s beloved teachers and have encouraged us to share it with others. The book is entitled, James Neville and Catherine—A Love Story. Shortly, if there is interest, we will make the book available through the Tiptonville Library.

This past January I uncovered more letters and memorabilia. For those of you who don’t know, Pack Ratting is a genetic disease. My house in Cumming, Georgia now has an entire room full of boxes and a very large, old World War II-era trunk containing 1,500 letters written between 1944 and 1946 by both Mother and Daddy. As I have begun to examine the contents of these boxes it has become apparent to me that my daughter and I have at least two more books to write: James Neville and Catherine—The War Years, and Catherine Patty LeDuke—The Biography of a Saint. It is on the subject of this latter book that I am asking the help of anyone whose life Catherine LeDuke has touched.
I found boxes of term papers written by the class of ‘55, senior play notes for “You Can’t Take It With You” from a ‘63 performance, and grade cards for students at Alcoa Middle School, Mother’s first teaching job in the fall of 1936. Several of the boxes contained cards and letters from former students and friends congratulating Mother on her inaugural induction into the Tennessee Teacher’s Hall of Fame in 1994. Some of these notes I had previously read during the period immediately following that event. Frankly, I had forgotten the tremendous sense of pride that I had felt at the comments so obviously made from the hearts of so many people. Another box contained information about the scholarship fund that was set up in 1996: The James Neville and Catherine LeDuke Scholarship Fund. As people made contributions to this fund, accompanying notes were passed to Mother, creating another burst of pride at their reading. Still other boxes contained pictures, school papers, letters from students, teaching planning notes, student files, scrap books of current events at the time; a lifetime recorded on paper and in photos.

I could buy a case of Elmer’s glue and a box of blank scrap books and begin pasting away, but somehow that seems too ordinary for such an extraordinary life. I am so very aware that in only a few short years the memory of this saintly woman will fade beyond what even the most extravagant book could immortalize. However, I feel that I must make a true effort to put this life into book form so that it can honorably gather dust on any library shelf along side the hosts of biographies of other equally important people.

This coming September a first annual “All-class Reunion” has been planned and Mother and Daddy will be honored as co-recipients of the Virginia Hayes Outstanding Faculty Award. Richard, Cathie and I plan to accompany Mother to accept the award on the evening of September 26, 2009. It would make that evening even more spacial if I could hear from as many of her former students as possible prior to that evening. I want to put together a special piece to show her once again the impact her teaching career and her life in general has had on so many people.

To this end I am asking that the word be spread to all who were touched by Catherine Patty LeDuke or James Neville LeDuke to share with me your thoughts, stories, letters, pictures and/or memories.

Please include any ripple effect that you are aware of such as stories of people she touched who then touched others. Please send to: Jim LeDuke, 3769 Mars Hill Road, Cumming, Ga., 30040, or email me directly at: jimmyleduke@gmail.com, or feel free to call my cell at 404-427-0338. Also, please communicate this request at your next individual class reunion.

God Bless,
James “Jimmy” LeDuke