Please tell us a little about yourself/family and you/their history with Batavia.
My Mom and Dad moved to this area during the great migration. (movement of the blacks from the south to the north) My dad, Robert Buckner, moved from Kentucky to Batavia in 1928 and my mother, Julia Smith, moved to this area from South Carolina in the 1920’s as well. They met and married in 1937. My brother, Robert Buckner Jr. (Bobby or Bob) was born first and, I Ruth Ann Buckner, was born in December of 1939. I started school at Louise White School. I had both William Wood and Alice Gustafson as teachers. I went through grade school, jr. high and high school as the only black girl in my class.

What high school and year did you graduate?
I went to BHS for jr. high and high school. The 7th and 8th grades were in the basement (first floor) of the high school. I graduated from BHS in 1957.

What can you say about your time at Batavia? How did it help prepare you for success later in life?
My life in Batavia was wonderful as far as I was concerned because I had nothing else to compare those years to. During the 40’s and 50’s there were many places we weren’t allowed to go because of the color of our skin. People were nice as individuals, but I didn’t get invited to many birthday parties or overnights. As I entered high school, I remember going to one sleep-over.  Most of my close friends lived in Aurora. Our parents made sure we had a social life with the blacks in other communities. I did get to go to one Homecoming dance, but I had to get permission to invite a young black fellow from another community. (there was no inter-racial dating in those years). Whenever the class went on a field trip, I was always afraid I might be pointed out and asked to stay on the bus because blacks were not allowed to enter certain places, but it never happened as long as I was with my class.

I think I received an excellent education. I can remember when I used to visit my cousins and go on vacations, I was told that I talked white. So, I suppose that might have been an advantage in the work world.

What did you do after high school? Did you go to college, enter the workforce, or join the military?
After high school, I went to Northern Illinois University for a year, then dropped out to get married and start a family. I worked at various jobs in between having children. I lived and worked in Chicago. I went to specialized schools and studied key punch which was punching cards that would go into a machine that read the cards.  The computer, which was as large as a room, would read the punches in the card and perform different functions. 

After my second child, we bought a house and moved back to Batavia. My children went to Louise White School. I was busy being secretary of the PTA, a Den Mother and a classroom helper. During that time, my middle child had to go to J. B. Nelson School because of overcrowding at Louise White School. I was a helper in Mrs. Cynthia Koloran’s kindergarten class. She told me I should go back to school and become a teacher. In the meantime, she said that there was an opening for a teacher’s aide at Gustafson School, so she arranged for an interview with Wally Lamberton, the principal.  I got the job as a teacher’s aide. I worked as an aide for six years.  I went back to school at Waubonsie and then back to Northern Illinois University. After graduating from Northern Illinois in 1976 I was hired at Gustafson school as a second-grade teacher. 

What is your greatest professional/personal accomplishment?
I think my greatest achievement during my teaching profession was when I was chosen elementary school teacher of the year for Kane County.

Were there any teachers or other staff members who you can think of who had an impact on you during your time in Batavia?
Of course, Mrs. Kalorin had the biggest influence on my teaching career, but all the teachers at Gustafson school were a great help to me during my years as an aide.

Do you have any interesting or fun stories or memories to share about your time in high school?
I always had fun during homecoming week working on the floats and painting the windows of the businesses downtown. I remember when we used to have the snake dance all through town during the homecoming activities. I also remember after I got my driver's license many of the students in Batavia would go to the town that we were playing for homecoming and have a parade honking our horns and sort of taunting the team we would be playing at homecoming. I wasn't paying attention to my driving and our little parade stopped but I didn't stop and ran into the back of Ron Kramer’s car. We had just got a brand new car and I was afraid to tell my dad that I had wrecked the car!  Of course, I had to tell him but I took one of my classmates with me when I told my dad what had happened. My dad was a very quiet laid-back man so he took the news pretty well. I was trying to be on my best behavior at home when the check came to pay for repairs on the car, I was cleaning the house and accidentally threw the check away and burned it up. Of course, I had to tell my dad again what I had done but he took it well!

If you are retired, are there any ways you have stayed connected or involved with Batavia? 
I have been retired for 22 years. In those years I volunteered at the food pantry and worked there until COVID came along. 

Is there anything else about yourself or your time in Batavia that you would like to share with us?
Just before COVID the Batavia Historical Society had an exhibit that explored the African American legacy in Batavia. At that time Amber Foster was the curator at the museum and asked me if I could supply information about the African American legacy in Batavia. We worked together for a few weeks gathering pictures and information about the African Americans in Batavia. The exhibit opened at the depot museum in March just before COVID started. The opening of the exhibit was one of the most successful and well attended exhibit at the museum.

I want to thank the Batavia Alumni Association for asking me to be a part of their “Alumni Spotlight.”

Check out this amazing podcast episode: Logan Street Missionary Baptist Church: A Historic Haven for Black Batavians, EPISODE 17 to hear more from Ruth!