Ron began to build their new school in 1940, during that year the students went to school at Dryden; Ron board members hired Dad, Buffalo Boone, as Janitor; he did the wiring and plumbing for the new the school, they built a house located northwest of the Gym for the Boone family to occupy. He was also hired to maintain the school buses. In 1941 Buffalo bought 3 acres from Mr. Burt, tore down an old house located on the family farm and used the lumber to build a structure known as "Boone's Garage", 50 to 75 feet north of the Ron (Upton) Store, both located across the road east from the school.
In April, 1946, Dad, with some help from me, began the construction of the rock house that Joe Crow occupied while he worked for Ron Gin, Joe still owns the house even though he now lives in Hollis.
Along with the maintenance of the Ron School buses, Buffalo also had many customers in the Ron community who would bring their tractors, cars, and equipment in for repairs. Many times a customer would comment "Well, if Buffalo can't fix it we'll just have to get rid of it".
And, then there was the janitorial work, when the school was first built there were only concrete floors, (except the Gym); the floors all had to be swept every day and this was with a broom and many times we did not even have the "floor sweep" to help keep the dust down. When there was a play or something in the Gym we had to set up the chairs and that night when it was over we had to fold them up, put them away and sweep the floor. I say "we" because he felt the "kids" needed to stay busy so Curtis, Lillie May, Douglas, and I were his helpers and then "Fay Mama" was around to see we did the job right.
Dad was janitor until 1949 or 1950; Perry Card worked as Janitor for a couple of years, then dad came back for another year or two. I believe there was another person who worked in this position until the school closed in 1963.
