Oral history with Orene E. Farese

              Oral history with Orene E. Farese
F341.5 . M57 vol. 700
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Biography
Orene ( Ellis) Farese was born May 20, 1916, in a farm home in Choctaw County between Reform and Mathiston, Mississippi, to William A. Ellis and Mamie Ethel ( Haimes) Ellis. She was the youngest of four girls: Eleanor ( Ellis) Hester, Orlene ( Ellis) McGlamery, and Jackie Lorene ( Ellis) Eudy. There were three younger brothers: Howard ( who died at two years of age), Herbert and Hugh Fred.
Orene started school at Reform, Mississippi, and after her third year, the family moved to Mathiston, Mississippi, to be near good schools. Her grammar school years were at the local public school, then the high school years were at Bennett Academy which later became Wood Junior College, a Methodist Missionary School.
Orene attended two years at Holmes Junior College at Goodman, Mississippi, from 1934- 1936. It was there she met John B. Farese of Lynn, Massachusetts, who was also a student.
From Holmes Junior College, Orene finished her last two years as an English and speech major at Blue Mountain College, Blue Mountain, Mississippi.
She began her professional career as a high school English teacher at Ashland, Mississippi, in Benton County in 1938. When John graduated from law school in 1939, they announced their marriage and became citizens of Benton County.
Orene became active in home demonstration club, the Ashland Baptist Church, P. T. A. and civic projects.
When World War II became imminent, Orene was appointed chief clerk of Benton County Draft Board by Gov. Paul Johnson where she served until John volunteered in the Air Corps. During the following four years, she did civil service clerical work at several stations where John was assigned. During this time John Booth and Kay were born into the family. mus- coh. fareseo. doc Page 1 of 37