MRS. COCKBURN NORTH MALVERN PRIMARY SCHOOL Obituary Bernice Erwin Cockburn Bernice Erwin Cockburn, 87, of Mountain View, passed away Wednesday, Aug. 14 at Stone County Medical Center. She was born January 13, 1915, in Malvern, the daughter of the late Samuel Robert and Pearl Griggs Erwin. A retired elementary school teacher, she began teaching in Forrester, Arkansas, in 1940 and also taught at North Malvern Elementary (Fields Elementary) and Traskwood after which she retired, in 1972. She also taught schools in Oklahoma. Her parents, husband, Narvel Cockburn, five brothers, Louis, Billy, Edmond, Henry and Roy Erwin and two sisters, Mary Murry and Lorine Patrick, preceded her in death. Survivors are a daughter and husband, Sandra and Charles Wallace of Mountain View; a son and wife, Robert and Paula Cockburn of Mountain Home; seven grandsons, Charles, Randal, Mark, Eric and Blake Wallace, Mike and Chris Cockburn and one granddaugther, Valari Bristol; six great-grandsons and one great-granddaughter. Also many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She was a life long member of Keith Memorial Methodist Church in North Malvern. Visitation will be at Atkinson Funeral Home, Friday at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. with funeral services at 10 a.m. Saturday in the Atkinson Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Dale Diffee of Keith Memorial Church officiating. Burial will be at Cedar Creek Cemetery in western Arkansas. Pallbearers will be grandsons, Charles, Randal, Mark and Eric Wallace, Mike and Chris Cockburn, grandson-in-law Allen Bristol and great-grandson Derek Wallace. MALVERN DAILY RECORD (8/16/02) Posted at the Malvern 1960 Club Does anybody remember Mrs. Cockburn? She was a teacher at North Malvern Elementary. I think I had her in the 4th grade. Her daughter Sandra was a classmate of ours. The MDR had her obituary Aug. 16th. Bill Lamkins (8/24/02) Subject: Re: [Malvern1960] Does anybody remember Mrs. Cockburn? Have not seen the latest obits from the MDR. They are sometimes tardy in posting the web version. Mrs. Cockburn was my second grade teacher at the old elementary school on Fairview. Seems like her husband was a police officer. They also had a son, Buddy I think, who was a year or two younger than Sandra. I thought they moved away from Malvern in the '50's! Charlie Hargrove (8/25/02) Ed said that Mrs. Brewer was his 4th grade teacher. He doesn't remember Mrs. Cockburn, but said Sandra sounded familiar. Martha Chadwick Lindvall (8/25/02) I think you're right, Charlie, she taught at North Malvern Primary School. I must have had her in the 2nd grade too - if you did. There were only 4 classrooms in that building for grades 1-3. Didn't she live in the house across the street from the school. I'll get the obituary scanned and posted. It says she had a son named Robert - that may be Buddy. Bill (8/26/02) Charlie, it (obit) says she taught at the elementary school so my recollection of having her in the 4th grade may be correct. Bill (8/26/02) Professor Poot says Mrs. Cockburn was his 2nd grade school teacher when North Malvern had a primary school, grades 1-4. She lived diagonally across the street next to the pecan orchard...which was across the street from Keith Memorial Church. Mary Jo Avery Bailey (8/27/02) I believe he's right, Mrs. Cockburn did teach 2nd grade. Mrs. C.C. Williams taught first and Mrs. Rouse, I believe, taught 3rd. Don't remember who taught 4th. Between second and third grades is when I contracted polio and was gone for almost two years. The new elementary school was in operation when I got back to attending classes. My 5th grade teacher was Robbie Ragland. In the sixth it was Mrs. Hughs, who wore her graying hair in a bun most of the time and drove an old green Studebaker pickup. Strange, the things you remember sometimes. Anyone remember who taught 4th grade at the old school? Charlie Hargrove (8/28/02) Grace Hughes was the fourth grade teacher at Fields. (She was my great aunt - MJ) The Professor says she also taught third grade there too. Here's who he had for teachers (of course, he is year older than the Class of 1960 and teachers may have changed): 1st - Helen Williams 2nd - Mrs. Cockburn 3rd - Grace Hughes 4th - Grace Hughes 5th - Mrs. Carver 6th - Eva Hughes Mary Jo (8/28/02) Well, this is really interesting trying to pin down those long ago teachers. I recall that there being only three grades at Primary School. When one went in the front door there was a long hall straight to the back where I believe the restrooms were. There was a rope to ring the school bell that hung down in the hall. It was a rare privilege to get to ring the bell by pulling down on the rope. There were two rooms on each side of the hall. The rooms on the right were separated by a sliding wall so it could be opened up and used for plays, meetings, etc. My teachers were 1. Mrs. Williams 2. Mrs. Cockburn 3. Mrs. Rouse Mrs. Rouse was one of my most memorable teachers. Boys got one whack with her paddle for each word missed on spelling tests. Girls didn't and I choked at the injustice of it. However, I became an excellent speller after getting my one and only whack for misspelling "indian". I spelled it "indain" on the test. She also made us sing "Old Black Joe" many days. We had a little graduation service at the end of the 3rd grade because we were going to the elementary school (4th) the following year. But it was shortly after that that the Primary School was closed and grads 1-6 went to the Elementary School. Is the old primary building still a church? That was BIG TIME going to the Elementary School. There was a baseball field there with stands and everything. Seems some local team used it. Anybody recall? I remember Mrs. Hughes for 4th and Mrs. Carter for 5th grade teachers but don't recall a 2nd teacher named Hughes for the 6th. Was there anyone else teaching 6th grade. Of course, Mrs. Fields was the principal then and I don't remember her teaching a class unless it was as substitute. Bill (8/29/02)