After making her mark in education in Cumming, Georgia, Paula King returned to her hometown of Glennville in 2014 for retirement after a 33-year teaching career.
"I liked living in Cumming for many years, but it began to grow so much, and the traffic worsened at the same time. We were glad to come back home to a slower pace of life," said Paula.
She and husband Ronnie King both call Glennville home and where they spent their formative years.
Paula's parents are the late Clinton and Eloise Dasher. Clinton served first as a council member and later as Mayor of Glennville and owned and operated Dasher's Texaco, which is where the new Domino's has been built. He retired as a CW4 in the Georgia National Guard and also served as a volunteer firefighter. Eloise worked for many years in the office of (Vernon) Dasher's Grocery and later worked at Ft. Stewart in the Supply Division.
Paula is one of six children: Clinton, Mariann, Marilyn, and Jon. One brother, Dale, is deceased. The oldest is Clinton, and he and his wife, Kay, are both retired. Their children included Clint (wife Brandy), whose daughter is Madison; Matt, whose children are Gabby and Danny; and Sarah (husband Joe Thigpen), whose blended family include Bailey, Emory, and twins Bella and Joesy.
Mariann is recently retired from a civil service career at Ft. Stewart, and her husband, Ken Rogers, is a pecan farmer and assists in a roofing business. Their children include Megan, married to Colby Blanchard, and they live in Statesboro with their children, Brooks and Banks; and Kendall, married to Blake Shuman, who recently welcomed a son, Beck, now two months old.
Marilyn Carter, who lives next to Paula, is a widow and continues to teach at Diamond Elementary, a DoDEA school on Ft. Stewart. Her son, Blake, is an Extension agent in Effingham County.
The youngest, Jon, lives in Statesboro, where he is General Manager of Operations and Sales at Howard Lumber Company. He and his wife, Missy, have two children, Hannah and Ben.
Ronnie King's parents are the late George and Jackie King. Ronnie has older brothers, Ricky and Mike, and a twin, Randy. Ricky and wife Brenda live in Tifton where he is semi-retired in an ag-related business. Mike and wife Maureen live in Louisiana now but resided in Macon for many years. Twin Randy lives in Powder Springs with his wife, Debbie.
Ronnie is employed by Howard Lumber in Eulonia and manages the hardware and locks department of the company.
"Ronnie and I married in 1980 and moved to Snellville and later to Cumming. I loved teaching there as a language arts teacher in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. It was a wonderful school system, providing all the resources we needed. It was voted the number one school system in the state for several years," added Paula.
“Our principal in Cumming always strived to introduce the teachers to innovative teaching strategies, so she collaborated with Oxbridge Academic Programs to send teachers and students abroad for unique learning experiences. In 2000, three co-teachers and I traveled to Cambridge, England, for the Cambridge Teacher Seminars. There we attended lectures and cultural events, visited schools, toured museums, and enjoyed the beautiful city of Cambridge. One place we visited was Trinity College; the original English transcript of Winnie-the-Pooh is in the Wren Library there,” said Paula.
They made the move back to Glennville after their two children, Lauren and Hunter, were grown.
Lauren and her husband, Matt Ellard, live in Summerville, South Carolina, which is about 30 miles from Charleston. Summerville is known as the "Sweet Tea Capital," and Paula describes it as a gorgeous city. Lauren is the Senior Marketing Manager for Warner Bros. Discovery Channel and essentially markets TV programs. She loves her fun job and the travel that is part of it. Matt is a Group Sales Manager for the South Carolina Stingrays, a hockey team. They adore their dog, a Doodle named Finn.
Son Hunter lives in Newnan, Georgia, where he is Operations Supervisor at DHL Supply, a logistics company in Fairburn. Wife Mallory is the Field Quality Assurance Manager at DHL Supply. They have a busy household with Nolan, age two and a half years old; Bryson, age one; and McKenna Charlotte, expected in January 2025.
However, both Lauren and Hunter have fond memories of up to six weeks in the summers spent with their grandparents in Glennville, so their parents’ move back home for Lauren and Hunter feels like returning to their second home when they visit.
"Lauren went to the University of Georgia (UGA) and Matt went to Alabama, so when the two universities meet on the football field, Lauren enjoys coming back here to watch the game. Our four-year-old rescue Shih Tzu is named Kirby, and yes, after Kirby Smart," said Paula, which shows her allegiance to the Dawgs. They also have an older dog, 12-year-old Cooper.
Since retiring in Tattnall, Paula has become involved in the community, joining the Friends of Glennwanis and participating in their fundraising projects. She suggested the Golf Cart Parade for Glennville’s Celebration of the Season several years ago, and it is now an annual part of the Celebration festivities.
Paula also likes crafts and "thrifting." She especially enjoys finding retro Christmas ornaments from the 1960s and even has a silver Christmas tree with the colored wheel. She looks forward to the holiday season so that she can decorate her home with several trees.
Paula likes to work in her yards and plant flowers, but Helene recently took down six pecan trees on the five acres on which their home sits.
They attend Hopewell Global Methodist Church in the Tison area, which is pastored by Steve Posey.
"I enjoy cooking, too, and my mom was a fantastic cook. The pecan pie recipe is one that she had placed in The Glennville Sentinelon September 7, 2006, and it is a family favorite," said Paula.
Paula and Ronnie live in the home of her late parents. Paula has a flair for decorating and remodeling. The house is airy, welcoming, and comfortable. Her décor changes with the seasons, and the fall theme is evident in the home now.
Paula King’s Recipes
CORN CASSEROLE
- 1 (15-1/4-oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1 (14-3/4-oz.) can cream style corn
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
- 1 (8-oz.) pkg. Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
- 1 (8-oz.) pkg. medium shredded cheddar cheese
PECAN PIE
(Eloise Dasher)
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup light Karo syrup
- 1 cup butter
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 thin unbaked pie shells
PARTY PINEAPPLE
- 1 (20-oz.) can pineapple chunks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 stick butter
- 1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 1 cup crushed Ritz cracker crumbs
CHEESY SAUSAGE SOUP
- 1 (1-lb.) pkg. mild ground sausage
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 (32-oz.) cartons chicken broth
- 1/2 (32-oz.) pkg. frozen cubed hash browns
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 (16-oz.) pkg. processed cheese product, cubed (Velveeta)
- 1 cup sour cream
In a large Dutch oven, cook sausage, green and red peppers, and chopped onion over medium heat for 10 minutes or until sausage is browned and crumbly; drain.
Add flour, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in broth, hash browns, and corn, and bring to a boil Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in cheese until melted; stir in sour cream (do not boil).
