Inspire, Fall 2005

Inspire 19 Marge Lott Bodwell ’42 L iving near Cedarville College on a family farm, Marge attended Cedarville because it was convenient. Marge’s father, as a member of the Xenia School Board, often hired Cedarville teachers and encouraged Marge to attend. Marge studied chemistry at Cedarville before transferring to the University of Cincinnati to complete her degree. After graduating, she worked in her field and married. After she was widowed, she returned to live on her family farm. Marge’s favorite Cedarville memory is the Pajama Parade. Marge and others would go out in their pajamas late at night, try to avoid being seen, and run as fast as they could when spotted. Junia Creswell Laughman ’41 J unia went to Cedarville because it was the only place she could afford to attend. The school was a sort of family affair for the Creswells, with Junia’s parents (Howard C. ’10 and Mary Ellen Lownes Creswell ’13) and numerous extended family members having attended. Junia had seven sisters, four of whom also went to Cedarville (Alice Rachel Creswell Funderberg ’38, Mary Helen Creswell Grube ’37, Rebecca Creswell Straley ’54, and Dorothy Creswell Butts ’55). Her family lived on a farm just three miles south of the College. What Junia cherished most about Cedarville was “the smallness of it and the friendships that developed.” Junia was part of a group of six friends who attended Cedarville School together, starting in first grade and then graduating from the College. “That was very meaningful,” shared Junia. Three of the girls sang in a quartet during college. Junia went through the two-year teacher program and taught for one year after graduating. But she discovered she didn’t like teaching, and so she went to work as a payroll clerk at International Harvester. Junia now lives in Clifton, Ohio and still attends Cedarville chapels and drama productions. She says the most interesting change in Cedarville is the buildings. “We only had two buildings when I was a student — Founders and Collins,” she explained. “The library was in Founders.” Another difference she noted was that there was no dress code when she was in college. “We didn’t need one,” Junia remarked. “We knew how to dress sensibly!” Junia Creswell Laughman ’41 as pictured in the 1940 Cedrus , Cedarville’s yearbook at that time.