Thelma Thompson, at age 92, isthe well loved and respected matriarchof a very large family. Born in 1919in Monticello, Illinois to Luther GordonThompson and Ida May HarvillThompson, she was brought backto Georgia when the marriage didntlast. Later, May met a handsome manin South Floridas orange groves whobecame Thelmas stepfather. RobertLee Bembry (Bob) was reared on afarm in Lee, Florida so eventually thefamily returned there and Bob becamea happy sharecropper. He and May were the perfect couple, workingtogether as a team.Thelma was a real bookworm and loved school, Lee Junior Highwas a wonderful school from which she graduated in 34. In 36she graduated from Madison High. Shortly thereafter her plan to bean old maid school teacher changed completely when she marriedWalter Miclar (Dice) Driggers, a handsome blond Greek God type,famous for both his brawn and brain and was known as Tarzan of theWithlacoochee. Results of the marriage were eight lovely children.Unfortunately though, the marriage ended after 20 years as did asecond one after nine.So, at age 51, with children now on their own, Thelma wentback to school. She entered North Florida Junior College and earnedher AA degree in a year and a half with honors, Magna Cum Laudeand a member of Phi Theta Kappa, also was a contributor to both theyearbook and the campus newspaper, thus proving to herself that shehad not lost her thirst for knowledge.At graduation, at which Dr. Thomas Carpenter, President of theUniversity of North Florida in Jacksonville, had been invited to speak,she was presented with a scholarship by him.During the next three years, though her grades were good,Thelma was no longer just a bookworm. She jumped into college life,with both feet, enjoying it fully. She worked in the office of the Deanof Arts and Sciences (he pronounced her indispensable!) until the Deanof Student Activities wanted her to be the editor of all publications
