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Organized into two series:
Series 1: Personal Papers, ca. 1922-1978, 1.50 cubic feet (Boxes 1-2)
Series 2: School Lunch Supervisor Files, 1918-1970, 6.75 cubic feet (Boxes 2-9)
Alphabetical within series.
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Biographical/Historical:
Alma Curry was born to Lemuel Manual Curry (1874-1913) and Fannie Jones Curry (1879-1915) in 1903 near Fanning Springs, Levy County, Florida. The Curry homestead consisted of a small, frame cabin with a front porch and several rooms, built by her father. Alma had three siblings: J. L. (1905-1985), Lucile (1908-1989), and Raleigh (1910-1911). Lemuel died in 1913 from tuberculosis, and Fannie succumbed to the disease in 1915. After the death of both parents, Alma, J. L., and Lucile lived with their paternal grandfather, John L. Curry, in downtown Trenton, Florida. However, J. L. ran away to live with their great uncle, Samuel Wilburn Rogers. When John L. Curry died in 1919, guardianship of the children went to his brother, William Cole Curry (1858-1925). Alma and Lucile lived with William, his wife, Ida, and their children. With the help of Ida Curry, Alma found a job working for the family of Neal Trent in Avon Park, Florida.
Alma met Doyal Edgar Timmons (1900-1981) in Avon Park, Florida and they married in 1922 before moving to Gainesville so Doyal could work as a janitor at the University of Florida where he was attending the College of Agriculture. Alma received her high school diploma from Gainesville High School. At the time of the 1926 hurricane that devastated Southeast Florida, Doyal and Alma lived in LaBelle, Hendry County, where Alma taught at a small school. In 1927, Alma had their first child, Doyal Edgar Timmons, Jr. The family later returned to Gainesville for Doyal to work with the University of Florida Extension Service, building a home several blocks from the campus. In 1930, Doyal, Alma, and Edgar moved to Ithaca, New York, where Doyal pursued his doctoral degree in Marketing Economics at the Cornell University's College of Agriculture. Unable to fulfill his residency requirements for his doctoral degree, the family returned to Gainesville for Doyal to work as an agricultural marketing specialist with the University of Florida Extension Service.
Since the University of Florida did not admit women at the time, Alma attended the Florida State College for Women in Tallahassee, where she was elected to Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Nu honor societies. Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Science in home economics in 1934, Alma and Edgar returned to Gainesville. With the help of Dr. John Turlington, a professor at the University of Florida, Doyal and Alma bought thirteen acres of land outside of the city limits and built a house and established a farm there. Alma worked as a county home demonstration agent for Dixie County, but had to quit after wrecking her car. Alma and Doyal welcomed daughters Deloyce in 1937 and Elise in 1939. With the outbreak of World War II, Alma managed the property and the farm while Doyal worked in Washington, D.C. as a marketing expert in the Office of Price Administration (OPA). Edgar assisted Alma until he enlisted in the United States Navy at the age of seventeen.
Alma and Doyal divorced in 1948; after which, she rejoined the workforce. She worked in a furniture store before becoming an assistant dietician at the Alachua County General Hospital. To receive college credits to qualify for the American Dietetic Association, she took summer courses at Florida State University. In September 1952, Alma accepted the offer of Amos Godby, Leon County School Superintendent, to become the first school lunch supervisor for the county. She worked in Leon County until 1968 when she became the school lunch supervisor in Hendry County. Alma was active in various organizations, including the national, state, and regional chapters of the School Food Service Association and the Florida School Lunch Association. After retiring from Hendry County in 1970, Alma pursued her passion of dealing with antiques and collectibles. She continued that line of work until her death in Houston, Texas, in 1980.
Summary:
This collection documents Alma Curry Timmons's personal life and career as the school lunch supervisor for Leon and Hendry Counties, including her participation in various professional organizations. Her personal records consist of papers, coursework, report cards, and diplomas from Gainesville High School, Florida State College for Women, and Florida State University; a marriage certificate; mortgage deeds; correspondence; articles, correspondence, photographs, and research relating to her antique business; photographs; and genealogical research. Of interest is an interview with Mary Call Darby Collins about the Grove in Tallahassee and photographs of the house.
The records documenting Curry's career as a school lunch supervisor include correspondence; meeting agendas and notes; financial and personnel paperwork; school lunch criteria, policies, and guides; newsletters; product advertisements; and notes, agendas, and correspondence for conventions and conferences. The collection also includes newsletters, correspondence, and meeting notes and agendas for the national, state, and regional chapters of the School Food Service Association, the Florida School Lunch Association, and other professional organizations. There are also various publications and pamphlets from the Florida Department of Education, Florida Department of Agriculture, and the University of Florida's Agricultural Extension Program.
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Folder listing available. 0
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Subject Access Fields:
Florida School Food Service Association Florida School Lunch Association Florida State College for Women. Florida State University. University of Florida. Education, Dept. of.
Education Florida Public schools Florida School facilities Florida School food service directors Florida School management and organization Florida Schools Florida
Gainesville (Fla.) Hendry County (Fla.) Leon County (Fla.) Levy County (Fla.) Tallahassee (Fla.)
for detailed listing.