Perryville High School

The 1959 Perryville High School football team that played Rockport, Ind., for the eight-man national championship will have a 50-year reunion Thursday. Players from both teams will attend the event at noon in Perryville. Among those planning to attend will be former Perryville coach Tom Mills, who went on to become Kentucky High School Athletic Association commissioner. For more information, contact Dan Engler at dengler@almanacsports.com or 812-305-1338.

This photo of an eighth-grade class at Perryville High School probably was taken about 1934 when Elbert N. Carpenter was attending school there. He is the fourth from left on the front row. Carpenter, a retired Navy chaplain who lives in Lexington, attended Perryville school for six months while his family lived west of Perryville. Vivian Lankford is third from left in the fourth row. If anyone can identify other people in the photo, call Carpenter at (859) 223-1399 or Brenda S. Edwards at The Advocate-Messenger at (859)

A former Perryville resident will celebrate his 80th birthday Sunday doing something that most younger people would never think about - jumping 10,000 feet from an airplane over Frankfort. "I can't think of anything more exciting to do for my birthday," said Sam Stephens of Lexington, who plans to go skydiving. "I've been white-water rafting and have swum across the Ohio River," said Stephens. "I'm in good health and my doctor at the VA hospital has signed off on it. He says he'll be there in case I need him. " Stephens delayed the jump March 18 due to cold weather.

An item in the From our files column Nov. 26 brought back memories for a Mercer County resident of his days at the old Perryville High School and an uncle who died from a football injury. Clyde Norvell died in 1932 from a football injury at the age of 17, and was the uncle of Joe Rankin of Harrodsburg. The family talked about the incident many times and Rankin said he almost was forbidden to play football because of his uncle's injuries and death. "Needless to say, it took considerable discussion to convince my mother to allow me to play on the Perryville football team 31 years after Clyde's death," said Rankin.

Rev. Minerva Bell Godbey, 93, of St. Mildred's Court, Danville, died Sunday, Dec. 16 at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center in Danville. A native of Perryville, she was born Friday, Oct. 16, 1914 to the late William Hon Godbey and Minnie Pearl Hill Godbey. She was a graduate of Perryville High School, attended God's Bible school in Cincinnati in the early 1930's, was a member of the Church of the Nazarene in Danville and a retired Church of the Nazarene minister. She started her ministry in Pasadena, Calif.

Clayton Martin was born March 29, 1914, by lamplight in Brumfield where there was nothing except a railroad. Actually, it was the train whistle that prompted him to cry. "When I was born, I couldn't cry," said Martin. After the whistle blew five times, I cried and cried for three years," he said, jokingly. That's the story his folks told him. The 89-year-old Martin, who retired from state government when he was 80 years old, talked recently about his life growing up in Brumfield at a Boyle County Genealogical Association meeting.

Joseph Lee Coy thinks of his Perryville High School graduation class 60 years ago with fond memories.  The small class of 11 seniors scattered after graduation and never  assembled for a reunion. “I don't know why we never had a reunion,” said Coy. “I guess no one was interested.” Coy began his education at Perryville in 1948 when his family moved to Dry Branch Road, and graduated May 24, 1951, with the other 10 classmates. He recalls that Dr. L.G. Kennamer, professor of geography and geology at Eastern State College in Richmond, was speaker.

Three students in the 1929 Perryville High School class photo that ran on Looking Back Page May 19 have been identified. Joe Norvell is the seventh from right and wearing a white shirt. He is the uncle of Joe Rankin, who identified him. Frances Staton Coyle is the woman in a white dress in the middle of the front row, and Dr. Marcus Coyle is at the far left in the front row, according to Suzanne Randolph, daughter of Frances Coyle.

PERRYVILLE — One of Boyle County’s longest serving public officials died early today after a long battle with cancer. Michael “Mickey” Harmon, 77, was the county’s District 1 magistrate but had worked for the county both as an employee and in elected office since the 1960s. “He was a larger than life figure,” said former  judge-executive Tony Wilder. “He was one of those people who just had the call to serve Boyle County. It was in him, and he was raised in it. He did it well, and he did it with integrity.” Harmon was a deputy sheriff before eventually winning the election for sheriff in 1973, a job his father once held.

Seven new members will be inducted into the Boyle County Football Hall of Fame on Friday when the Rebels entertain Taylor County. Bobby Leffew and Taylor Begley head the Hall of Fame Class. Other former players to be inducted are Bart Johnson, Chad Ellis, Donnie Coffman and Lee T. Mills. Eddie Caldwell enters as a major contributor to the program. A look at each inductee: Leffew: He played his college football at Louisville and was rated the seventh best prospect in the state by Superprep during his senior year.

Joseph Lee Coy thinks of his Perryville High School graduation class 60 years ago with fond memories.  The small class of 11 seniors scattered after graduation and never  assembled for a reunion. “I don't know why we never had a reunion,” said Coy. “I guess no one was interested.” Coy began his education at Perryville in 1948 when his family moved to Dry Branch Road, and graduated May 24, 1951, with the other 10 classmates. He recalls that Dr. L.G. Kennamer, professor of geography and geology at Eastern State College in Richmond, was speaker.

The 1959 Perryville High School football team that played Rockport, Ind., for the eight-man national championship will have a 50-year reunion Thursday. Players from both teams will attend the event at noon in Perryville. Among those planning to attend will be former Perryville coach Tom Mills, who went on to become Kentucky High School Athletic Association commissioner. For more information, contact Dan Engler at dengler@almanacsports.com or 812-305-1338.

Rev. Minerva Bell Godbey, 93, of St. Mildred's Court, Danville, died Sunday, Dec. 16 at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center in Danville. A native of Perryville, she was born Friday, Oct. 16, 1914 to the late William Hon Godbey and Minnie Pearl Hill Godbey. She was a graduate of Perryville High School, attended God's Bible school in Cincinnati in the early 1930's, was a member of the Church of the Nazarene in Danville and a retired Church of the Nazarene minister. She started her ministry in Pasadena, Calif.

A former Perryville resident will celebrate his 80th birthday Sunday doing something that most younger people would never think about - jumping 10,000 feet from an airplane over Frankfort. "I can't think of anything more exciting to do for my birthday," said Sam Stephens of Lexington, who plans to go skydiving. "I've been white-water rafting and have swum across the Ohio River," said Stephens. "I'm in good health and my doctor at the VA hospital has signed off on it. He says he'll be there in case I need him. " Stephens delayed the jump March 18 due to cold weather.

An item in the From our files column Nov. 26 brought back memories for a Mercer County resident of his days at the old Perryville High School and an uncle who died from a football injury. Clyde Norvell died in 1932 from a football injury at the age of 17, and was the uncle of Joe Rankin of Harrodsburg. The family talked about the incident many times and Rankin said he almost was forbidden to play football because of his uncle's injuries and death. "Needless to say, it took considerable discussion to convince my mother to allow me to play on the Perryville football team 31 years after Clyde's death," said Rankin.

This photo of an eighth-grade class at Perryville High School probably was taken about 1934 when Elbert N. Carpenter was attending school there. He is the fourth from left on the front row. Carpenter, a retired Navy chaplain who lives in Lexington, attended Perryville school for six months while his family lived west of Perryville. Vivian Lankford is third from left in the fourth row. If anyone can identify other people in the photo, call Carpenter at (859) 223-1399 or Brenda S. Edwards at The Advocate-Messenger at (859)

Clayton Martin was born March 29, 1914, by lamplight in Brumfield where there was nothing except a railroad. Actually, it was the train whistle that prompted him to cry. "When I was born, I couldn't cry," said Martin. After the whistle blew five times, I cried and cried for three years," he said, jokingly. That's the story his folks told him. The 89-year-old Martin, who retired from state government when he was 80 years old, talked recently about his life growing up in Brumfield at a Boyle County Genealogical Association meeting.