THINKING TODAY ABOUT DORA RUSSELL

Dora M. Russell

"THINKING  TODAY ABOUT DORA RUSSELL"

.......by Albin Covington

I got to thinking today about Dora Russell at old CHS. 

She was my homeroom teacher as well as Spanish 

teacher.

Years ago when I was in the Navy, I was aboard ship

with my brother Ross. We used to talk Spanish so guys

there didn't know what we were taking about. That was 

one thing that I was especially grateful for!

I have forgotten most of my Spanish now, but I do recall

once when I was glad to know it.

I was preaching at a church in Oklahoma, driving a school

bus, and also supplying as a substitute teacher. Hardly

anyone there knew any Spanish. There was a Mexican family 

that moved into this small farm community. Their kids spoke

perfect English but enjoyed using Spanish to sort of aggravate 

the other students.

One day I was asked to sub for a class. I went in at the time

the Mexican boys were giving the others a hard time---in

Spanish.

I set my books on the desk, after having overheard some of

the lingo...and in Spanish uttered loudly...one of Miss Dora 

Russell's favorite expressions--- "CALLATE Y SIENTATE!"

"BE QUIET AND SIT DOWN!" (A more literal translation could

be "SHUT UP!" Of course Miss Russell always said it with

a twinkle and much love in her heart for her students.)

**************************

When we all graduated from beloved old Clovis High School

in May if 1951, I went to work for the the ATand T; SFRY as a

"signalman apparent." I was on a gang which traveled from

place to place installing and maintaining railroad signals at

crossings and other places.

In the fall we went to Artesia, N.M. to install crossings signals

just south of town. We had a flatbed truck that we used to

haul our equipment.

One morning we loaded a large reel of cables on the truck,

along with our tools and three of us grunts. The reel should 

have been secured---but it wasn't.

As we headed south of town and turned off the highway, the

reel rolled toward the back of the truck. I grabbed a Pock

handle and stopped it---a dumb move since we were almost

to our work site!

When the driver turned the corner---a bit too fast---the reel

started over the side of the truck...taking me with it! When I 

hit the road, my left leg hit the pavement very hard.

My friends somehow summoned a doctor out of Artesia.

This elderly M.D.---a Dr. Russell, arrived and took me in 

his car to the hospital and then to a clinic. The clinic was 

in the doctor's house.He said my leg was not broken---just 

skinned-up and bruised.

I noticed a picture there on his desk. I was sure that there

couldn't be two people who looked like that! I asked him

if that was Miss Russell. "Yes," he said. I asked if she was

his sister. He replied: "No, she is my daughter."

We sat and chatted for a time and then he drove me out to

our railroad bunk car.  The next day he even drove out

to check on me and see how I was doing.

When I got back to Clovis, I went by and told Miss Russell

about my experience and she got a great kick out of hearing

all about it!

Many years later, I was on the staff at the college  in Artesia

and I was talking to the head of the nursing home there in 

town one day---and mentioned that I was from Clovis---he 

then asked me if I knew Dora Russell.

He then told me she had been in the home there for years.

and she had just passed away that week. I wish I had known.

(It'd be nice if I could remember Spanish as well as I do 

historic events.)

***************

FOR MIL'S PLACE

By Dr. Albin Covington, CHS '51

Guest Writer

October 17, 2015