Schley County GaArchives Photo Person.....Williams, Leo September 30, 1938
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Harris Hill http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002514 March 30, 2006, 1:38 pm

Source:             The Ellaville Sun  Friday, September 30, 1938
Name:               Leo Williams

Date Of Photograph: September 30, 1938
Photo can be seen at:
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/schley/photos/williams963nph.jpg
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BUS DRIVER CAN BE CHARACTER BUILDER
Driver Has Advantage Over Teacher--Williams

A conscientious school bus driver has an even greater opportunity for molding 
a student's character than a teacher, rotund Leo Williams, veteran Schley 
county bus operator contends.

The jovial, 260-pound Williams, now serving his 11th year as driver of the 
LaCross bus to Ellaville consolidated school, explains that familiarity with a 
child's background, an understanding of his personality and close friendship 
with him gives the bus driver an intimate knowledge of his real problems.  
This knowledge places the driver at an advantage over the teacher in many 
instances and allows him to be of definite assistance in guiding the students, 
Williams says.

The father of three children, two of whom are passengers on his bus, the 39 
year-old operator declares, "I feel no one should drive a bus unless he is a 
father himself for no matter how sincere he may be, no one but a parent fully 
realizes the love of children."

Williams acts as a general purchasing agent for all small children who ride 
his bus.  He buys their school supplies and the many incidental things desired 
by their parents in order to safeguard them against the chances of having an 
accident.  "Children just don't look where they are going and they are liable 
to get run over any time," Leo points out.  Before the state furnished free 
text-books, he bought the books for practically all of the students who rode 
his bus.  And many times he had to wait until later for reimbursement.

Leo is proud of his perfect record for safety.  Driving more than 90,000 miles 
in 10 complete terms, he has never had any form of accident and no child under 
his care has had one.

"I never stop telling them to be careful." he says.

Friendship is the solution to all problems of relationship with children, 
Williams feels.  "If you make friends with a child at the first, you won't 
have any trouble, " he explains.  "I always try to do that.  And I can 
truthfully say that insofar as I know I have never had the ill will of any 
child who attended school here."

Looking back over a decade of service, the veteran operator suggests that 
school bus driving is not a piecemeal job, but a career.  "I wouldn't change 
it for anything else.  I love children and my work allows me to be with them 
and to have the opportunity to help them.  And it keeps me young, too."

"Graduation time always makes me feel sad.  I like to know the boys and girls 
are going to get out into life, but I hate to part with them.  And in the 
summer time I'm always dissatisfied---I don't like to be away from my 
children."

Williams drives the bus which takes the school's boys' and girls' basketball 
teams, and their supporters, to all the basketball games and always is the 
principal rooter.

A native of Screven county, Georgia, he was educated at Bethesda Orphans Home 
at Savannah and came to Schley County in 1919.  Later he married Miss Willie 
Autry.  

Additional Comments:
(transcriber's note:  Leo Williams is buried at Ellaville cemetery.  Williams, 
Leo D. 12-09-1899 9-22-1969)

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/schley/photos/williams963nph.txt

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