The Macks Creek Alumni Association hosted the 64th Annual Banquet this past Saturday. This year’s banquet featured special recognition and honor of the 1972 graduates. Additionally, the graduates of the Class of 2022 were recognized along with the classes of 2012 (10th year), 2002 (20th), 1997 (25th), 1992 (30th), 1982 (40th), 1962 (60th) and 1952 (70th). In addition to a variety of other traditional festivities, the Alumni honored Teachers of the Year and inducted a new member into the Hall of Fame. Mrs. Lisa Thompson was selected as Elementary Teacher of the Year and Mrs. Debbie Wommack was selected as the High School Teacher of the Year. Lastly, Mr. Joseph “Joe” Moulder was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
After recognition of first time attendees, those traveling the greatest distance, the oldest graduate, Macks Creek School teachers past and present, and past and present school board members, a moment of silence was held for deceased alumni and veterans. The Alumni are grateful for everyone who was able to attend this year’s banquet to make it a tremendous success! Alumni Association President, Mr. Darren Moulder wishes to invite all alumni to mark their calendars to plan to attend next year’s banquet which will be June 24, 2023.
Biographies for Lisa, Debbie and Joe are below:
Elementary Teacher-of-the-Year
Mr. Craig Parrack presents Mrs. Lisa Thompson with her award.
Lisa Thompson received her education degree from Columbia College. She has taught for 13 years here at Macks Creek. She teaches 5th and 6th grade science, manages the stem lab/maker space, and facilitates a robotics club. Lisa has 4 children, three of whom have graduated from Macks Creek High School, and one who still attends school here. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, cooking, reading and spending time with her family. MC Elementary Principal, Dr. Jori Phillips shared "Mrs. Thompson is a passionate teacher who works tirelessly to make science come alive for her students. Her students are enriched and she makes learning fun. We are privileged to have Mrs. Thompson teaching our students."
High School Teacher-of-the-Year
Mr. Craig Parrack presents Mrs. Lisa Thompson with her award.
Debbie Wommack grew up at Long Lane, with her family’s beef operation providing the backdrop for her childhood. In 7th grade, she and her younger siblings started their own swine operation. Grinding and mixing their own feed rations, they grew the business to 36 sows by time to start college. Participation in 4-H, FFA, and the Half Way Missionary Baptist Church provided the opportunities needed to thrive. She graduated from MSU with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business. After working 15 years managing a breeder turkey operation and raising three sons, she returned to MSU, training to be an Agriculture Education instructor. After serving 5 years as the Licking FFA Advisor and Ag Ed Instructor, she took the same position here at Macks Creek to be closer to home. Debbie and her husband Greg spend their home time in Buffalo managing the family cattle operation. Their children and grandchildren are all close by. The sons are an agronomist, welder/ammonia system technician, and a police officer. Most spare time is spent with one or more of the four grandchildren. High School Principal, Mr. Jason Trusty shared "Mrs. Wommack has a heart for agriculture and she shares that with her students. She has worked tirelessly to enrich the Vo-Ag program here at Macks Creek, as well as FFA and archery. We are grateful for her hard work and dedication!"
64th Annual Hall of Fame Inductee
Alumni Association President, Darren Moulder presents his Dad Joe Moulder with his award.
Joseph “Joe” Moulder was inducted into the Macks Creek School Hall of Fame at this year’s 64th annual Alumni Banquet. Joe was born in 1952 and was raised in Macks Creek, Missouri. He completed all 12 years of his education at Macks Creek School. There are two things Joe still remembers very well when he was in high school. One, for being paddled by Superintendent Jackie Howard for not wearing a belt. The other, for being one of the greatest basketball stars at Macks Creek School for keeping the bench warm. Coach Tommy Parrack kept Joe on the bench even if the team was winning by 50 points. Joe graduated from Macks Creek School in 1970. The very next week following graduation, Joe milked his last cow, packed his suitcase and moved to Kirkwood, Missouri.
He got a job with Western Electric in downtown St Louis, Missouri. Joe didn’t fit in because of his short hair and because he didn’t have a needle hanging out of his ear. So, Joe lengthened his hair but stayed away from the needles. One year later he met the love of his life, Kathy Cavender. She was only 15 years old. They dated up until the time she graduated from Kirkwood High and were married a few months later on July 6th, 1974. Afterwards, Western Electric transferred Joe to Springfield, Missouri. Joe and Kathy purchased a mobile home and parked it in nearby Republic, Missouri. Joe was laid off from Western Electric after two years and then went to work for SRC as a fork truck driver. Four years later, Western Electric called him back to work. However, one year after returning to Western Electric, the technology began to change, and Joe was told he would need to report to New Jersey for two years of training. At that time, he and Kathy were expecting their first child. So, Joe gave Western Electric his two weeks’ notice and went back to work for SRC, but this time as a manager. Six months passed when Joe got a call from a Southwestern Bell supervisor offering him a job. Joe accepted the position, but it required that he would have to move to Sedalia, Missouri. Joe and Kathy then sold their house and moved to Sedalia. Four years later, Southwestern Bell offered Joe the same job position that he had in Sedalia but located in Camdenton, Missouri. Joe accepted the job and he and Kathy moved to Camdenton in 1984.
One year later Joe and Kathy had Arly Cyrus and Orie Eldred to build them a home in Macks Creek on the adjoining farm next to his parents Jerry and Burlah Moulder near Bannister on the Little Niangua River. Joe resides in the same house still to this today. During this time Joe and Kathy raised three boys, all of which completed their education at Macks Creek School. In 2000, Joe’s parents moved to Lebanon, Missouri and Joe and Kathy decided to purchase the family farm.
Joe retired from what is now known as AT&T (formerly Southwestern Bell) in 2013 after 40 years of service. In 2016, Kathy was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She courageously gave it her all to fight the diagnosis but lost her battle to the disease two years later in 2018. Joe and Kathy had been married for 43 years. He had to learn how to cook, wash clothes, pay the bills and so much more. The last four years have been rough at times to say the least. Joe was told by an AT&T supervisor years ago that “only the tough survive.” And Joe has.
Joe is now a full-time farmer following his retirement. Joe also spends his time working as a volunteer for the Camden County Soil and Water Department as one of the board members. He helps with maintaining the Macks Creek Cemetery and with the upkeep at the Greenridge Cemetery in Climax Springs, Missouri. He additionally leads the choir at the Macks Creek First Baptist Church. He still enjoys spending time in the great outdoors gardening, fishing and hunting when he can. Moreover, Joe loves spending as much time with his three ornery grandsons. #MCPirates