An Early Education
If the census record is correct, Andrew McCracken was was attending school and could read/write at age 4. Andrew went on to the be director for Johnson School in Crawford County, where his children went to school.
Rocky Vale
Andrew passed his passion for education on to his son Joe, who became the director of Rocky Vale from 1922 until all his kids finished grade school. Joe expected his kids to do well in school. Anything else was not an option. As a result, most of kids in the family were good students.
More Education
After graduating grade school, not all the family was able to attend high school. When the oldest children were ready for more education, there was no bus service to the area. O’Ella lived with a family in Ft. Scott and went to high school; however, Ester, Dewey, and Howard never had that opportunity. Ruby also lived with a family so that she could attend high school. The rest of the children were able to attend high school at Ft. Scott and Girard, although Dad’s education was disrupted for a few years due to WWII.
Teachers
Joe’s influence continued after his kids completed school. O’Ella, Dee, and Don all taught school at Rocky Vale. Dee only taught for a short time because she didn’t want to be an old schoolmarm and because she was allergic to chalk dust. O’Ella taught at Rocky Vale, Schofield, Pleasant Valley, and Pawnee. Don was the only one that made education a lifetime career. He went on to receive his Phd and taught school at the elementary, high school, and college levels, spending many years at the University of Tennessee at Martin.
Did the influence end there?
The focus on education didn’t end with Joe’s children completing there education. If you look at his kids, despite many obstacles (money, transportation, a war) 70% completed high school with one completing college and an advanced degree. Now, if you look at the next generation, 100% completed high school with over 50% getting a college degree with several getting a masters or Phd. And, yes, there were teachers among them.
Bottom Line
A little influence can go a long way.