Former students of McKey School will hold a reunion from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 7 at the McKey School Community Building.

Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. for all former students, families and friends, Jackie Snow Pop, event coordinator, said. "We are expecting people from California, Washington, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

"As friendships are renewed, the students will tour The Little McKey School Museum, which has been restored to it's original design of a one-room school," Pop said. "The old blackboards, desks, flags, bookcases, teachers desk, maps, books, tables, benches, and many school photos fill this room."

A covered dish lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m. The 12th McKey School Reunion group photo will be taken at 1:15 p.m. on the front steps of the old school house, Pop said.

A short program will be presented at 1:30 p.m. recognizing students, taking class photos, and sharing past school memories, Pop said.

McKey Grade School was built in 1907 on land donated by the Cloud Family. The two-room wooden frame school was destroyed by fire in January 1939. The McKey School building, now standing was built of native rock in 1940 by the Works Progress Administration. The school was closed in 1962 and students were sent to Sallisaw Schools, Pop said.

"Church services and elections continued until 1970, when the McKey Baptist Church built a new building, south of the McKey Community. Then, it was only elections that kept the old school building alive," Pop said.

The McKey School Building fell into disrepair and in 1983, a small group of McKey 4-H Club members saw a need to repair the old building's roof and began having bake sales and cake walks to raise repair funds, Pop said.

In October 1984, a new church group united as First Baptist of McKey and moved services into the McKey School Community Building.

"This group of people renovated the inside of the building with much cleaning, painting, plumbing, electrical, paneling, carpeting, and lighting fixtures. A piano, cook stove, refrigerator, heaters, and air-conditioners were donated. The old school lunch room was rebuilt," Pop said.

The McKey School and Community Reunion were started in 1985 and has continued the past 20 years with 11 reunions being held for students from 1919 to 1962, Pop said.

"To preserve and share the history of McKey a small group of people collected stories and photos of families, homes and the community. A 180 page McKey History Book I was sold to 85 families," Pop said.

"This year, 2006, McKey History Book II was finished, covering McKey School from 1950 to 1962 and all the stories and photos of our 20 years of reunions. These two books preserve 118 years of McKey history, which is now shared by friends and future generations of the former McKey School students," Pop said.

The profits from the book sales were used for building repairs to the school room ceiling, new light fixtures and the mowing of the property, Pop said.

"As a young person, I often wondered why older people talked about time gone by, visited museums, collect antiques, tour graveyards, but now, I get it," Pop said. "This is the way we hold on to our traditions, heritage, and families. By passing it down in conversation, deeds, and gathering for reunions of the past.

"So, as we struggle with aging bodies, take time to listen, remember and share memories at the 12th McKey School Community Reunion," Pop said.