DAYTON — On Friday, April 26, a dedication ceremony will be held for the newly-renovated Pendergrass Park in Dayton. There will be lots of excitement with this grand opening, which will not only include the dedication ceremony, but also food trucks so that the public can get food and drinks while enjoying the event. Naturally, the park has been closed due to the work going on there; now everyone will be glad to have the park open again, and brand new!
From The Herald-News, July 2 and Dec. 31, 2023, we find that the City of Dayton and Blue Cross Blue Shield broke ground in July 2023 for a brand new Pendergrass Park. This modern playground will be completely renovated and transformed into an upgraded recreation site for children. Positioned on Main Street and across from the Rhea County Welcome Center, Pendergrass Park was chosen to be the recipient of a $4 million Blue Cross Healthy Place grant which will fund the total repair and improvement of the park. Then, in addition to the $4 million investment, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee Foundation will allocate an additional $800,000 more for park maintenance.
Included as part of these new features will be play areas for ages 2 through 5 and 5 through 12, a splash pad, fitness area, pavilions, benches, restrooms and a walking track; the two play areas are completely suitable for children of all abilities with ramp access on the 5 through 12 playground, ground-level play activities throughout and poured rubber surfacing. The splash pad will be a summer stopping place for cooling off and playing and will feature ground-level sprayers and an amazing “Massive Splash.” This area will also be accessible to visitors of all abilities.
Some of you may not know the history of this park. It was named for a teacher in the Rhea County School System, Juanita Pendergrass. According to Churches and Schools of Rhea County, she began her teaching career at Oak Hill during the 1942-43 school term and continued to teach English at Garrison, Frazier and Rhea Central High School. The last teaching assignment was the 1966-67 school year. However, Miss Juanita passed away during August 1967.
From the obituary (Dayton Herald, August 24, 1967) of Miss Juanita Violet Pendergrass, she was 59-years-old when she died on Sunday, Aug. 20, 1967. She was born May 4, 1908. Her parents, William and Stella Hickman Pendergrass, of Soddy, Tenn., preceded her in death. Miss Juanita was a member of First Baptist Church of Dayton; she was also a member of the Alpha Kappa Chapter of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society of teachers and had taught in the Rhea County Schools for the past 26 years. She was a graduate of Bryan College in Dayton and of the University of Tennessee. Interment was in Varner Cemetery of Soddy, Tenn. Survivors of Juanita Pendergrass included three sisters, one brother, her step-mother and several nieces and nephews.
Most people who remember Juanita Pendergrass will be mindful of her most famous quality, her gruff, blunt personality! She didn’t use this in a mean way, but in a matter-of-fact, truthful way. She would give students a bar of soap and tell them to go and wash, indicating that they were emitting an unpleasant aroma! Miss Juanita had a voice that could “interrupt” a student’s conversation, and that student would soon begin to respect her. I can remember when I was in Rhea Central High School, she was in charge of the study hall class period I had. Most of my classes, me included, were scared to death of her! However, after a time, we all began to like her when we realized she was there to help us learn. And the students who needed soap and water? They learned the necessity of those things and hopefully have retained that lesson throughout their lives. Everyone seems to have the same story about Juanita Pendergrass. She told students to use soap and water and even gave soap to a number of students to be sure they got the correct meaning!
Why was this park named for Miss Juanita? According to The Herald-News, Sept. 3, 2023, “Oh, Taste and See” column, she volunteered every afternoon to watch the young children at the park. Then after her death, the park was named for her. This newly-renovated area will be a fitting place to honor a former teacher who took care of young children and taught them the basic fundamentals of life.
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