Scott County, Tennessee
FNB Chronicles

This page was created 06 Sep 2008

Lenna Marr Smith

LENNA grew up in Hayesville, North Carolina and while attending Western Carolina University at Cullowee she became acquainted with Scott County, Tennessee through her uncle, A. M. COOK. Mr. COOK was the contractor for the construction of the Tennessee Railroad, the K&T Railroad and the O&W Railroad. Also he and A. J. ELLIOT contracted the building of the Huntsville High School.

Shortly before graduation from college, LENNA received a contract to teach from the Oneida Independent School System and subsequently moved to Oneida. The principal of the Oneida Elementary School when LENNA arrived was CLARENCE H. SMITH. Three years later, she and CLARENCE married and to their union was born a son, BRUCE, who also was an educator by profession. BRUCE and his wife, MARY ETTA, reared a daughter, ELEANOR ANN SMITH PHILLIPS, and a son, RANSON, a freshman at Oneida High School. MARY ETTA and ELEANOR ANN are both school teachers.

LENNA taught school for 40 years and is an active member of the Scott County Retired Teachers Association.

At the request of her Uncle A. M., LENNA opened a checking account with her first paycheck in September, 1929 with the First National Bank of Oneida. Mr. COOK and Mr. B. L. SADLER were good friends, despite the fact that they were employed by different banks. Mr. COOK was a director of First Trust & Savings Bank of Oneida. Mr. SADLER was a director of First National Bank. For more than 63 years, LENNA has continually had an active checking account with First National Bank.

LENNA has endured the hardships of the years of the Great Depression, of having to walk five miles (one way) to teach in a one-room county school, of losing her husband and son to lingering illnesses, and of recovering from a severely broken leg. At 86 years of age she still raises a garden, cans relishes and preserves, and walks daily for her health with regular trips to the bank and post office. She’s a strong-willed lady and truly and inspiration to us all.

FNB Chronicle, Vol. 4, No. 1 – Fall 1992
First National Bank
P.O. Box 4699
Oneida, TN 37841
(p1, 4-7)

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