There was once a teacher in the Jenks Public Schools who harbored two profound and deeply desirous wishes that very soon became so momentous in her thoughts that she confessed the urgency of her thinking to her class.
Confessing this urgency, she found only increased its importance and so it became a habit to apprise every new class she looked upon her great, enfulfing wishes. The chances are, if you were ever a student in one of Mattie Chandler's classes, you've heard her voice these wishes any number of times.
"Class," she would say with a wistful sort of faith in the future, "There are two things I'd love so much for this town to have for the benefit of you and all the children who will follow you. A park, with trees and open spaces so that all of you could run and play as happy children should. And a library, with shelves to the ceiling and all lined with books to trail right along beside you all the way through school to help you learn the joys of reading good books while you are still young so that it will give you serenity and pleasure all of your life, no matter where you are."
And then, you'll remember, she would smile, still wistfully, and add, "Maybe someday, one of you will be rich and donate a park and a library to the town."
Well, even though it is apparent none of you have grown up to be that rich and philanthropic, many of you have no doubt become affluent and well-intentioned tax-payers and because of this, one of Mrs. Chandler's long-time wishes has come true.
A library for the Town of Jenks is scheduled to open on Saturday, September 15. And perhaps, because unselfishness guided her wishes, Fate manipulated a few loose ends of luck to make Mrs. Chandler the officially appointed librarian.
On the other hand, Fate was handed a well-turned assist in the matter by Mrs. Chandler's thoroughly competent background and her qualifications for the position.
Born in the South Union area west of Jenks, she and her parents moved in to the town when she was only 4 years old. Her parents were Mr. and Mrs. William B. Bland, and her father operated a busines in Jenks for many years. She grew up in the way of a normal, happy small-town child, attending Sunday School on Sunday and going to school and playing jacks with Linda George through the week.
By the time she was 14 years old life had begun to take on quietly serious aspects for her. She became a member of the Baptist Church and settled down to her books with such resolve and determination that she graduated from high school as valedictorian of her class.
After four years at Oklahoma Baptist University she graduated Magna Cum Laude as valedictorian of her class there. She followed this triumph with enrollment at Carver School of Missions and Social Work at Louisville, Kentucky, where, after 2 years, she earned her masters Degree in religious work.
With an impressive educational background behind her, she travelled to Porto Alegre (Port of Happiness), Brazil to teach at an American Mission School for 5 years.
Upon returning to Jenks, the former Mattie Bland married Charles Chandler and when he left for the war in 1943, she began her teaching career in the Jenks Public Schools. Then after the war ended, Mrs. Chandler gave up teaching her second grade classes for awhile to become a housewife, somewhat novel turn of events for her.
By 1949 Mrs. Chandler was back before her classes again, this time third and fourth graders. During 1957-58 she again returned to her role as housewife, along with teaching Sunday School at the First Baptist Church for 40 years and taking an active part in the Church's Women's Missionary Union.
On September 1, Mrs. Mattie Chandler, one of the best loved teachers Jenks has ever claimed, will once again return to a world she knows and loves and understands where at least a number of the inhabitants present will be children surrounded this time, by shelves to the ceiling and all of them lined with books.
