By Kathryn Schiliro
Managing Editor

Morgan County Board of Education member Minnie Peek said her final goodbye to her District 1 post Monday night as she took part in her last meeting as a BOE member.
Scores of friends, family, community members as well as former coworkers, board members and superintendents – many of them also former students of Peek’s – came to the hour-long reception prior to the meeting to help Peek celebrate her 52 years in education, 40 as a teacher and 12 on the school board.
Born and raised in Morgan County, Peek decided her life goal was to help people, she said. She taught in several nearby counties after college, including teaching in Oconee County during integration, before settling back in Morgan.
"I don't have anything but love for Morgan County," Peek said. "My resolution was to do as much as I could for the citizens of Morgan County."
Addressing those gathered, she asked her former students to stand; half the room, if not more, got up.
"As I look around I don't think my work has been in vain," she said. "I can almost remember something good about each of you!"
Peek was presented with tokens from each of the schools in honor of her service. The primary school presented her with a drawing by Samaya Grant and a song by four students; the elementary school, a poem; the middle school, a mixed media collage by Madison Bryant presented by MCMS Principal Lydia Norburg, a seventh grade science student of Peek's; the high school, collage of pictures of Peek through the years; and CrossRoads, a student-made mug.
Her advice to those gathered: "Whatever you do, do it because you love it."
Peek said she doesn't plan to leave Morgan County, "but I do plan to escape for a while."

Printed in the December 13, 2012 edition