The Town of Cooleemee mourns the passing of former Mayor Lynn Rumley, who passed away on February 11, 2026.
Lynn served as Mayor of Cooleemee from 2010 to 2015, providing thoughtful leadership and steadfast dedication to the community she loved. Prior to her time as mayor, she served as a town commissioner, always working to strengthen and preserve the town’s heritage and future.
An advocate for local history, Lynn was responsible for the creation of the Cooleemee Historical Association. Alongside her late husband, Jim Rumley, she played a vital role in the creation of the Cooleemee Mill Museum and the Mill House Museum. These landmarks continue to serve as educational spaces, welcoming local elementary school students and community members to learn about Cooleemee’s rich history.
Lynn’s legacy is one of service, preservation, and community pride. Her contributions have left a lasting impact on the town and the generations who benefit from her dedication.
The Town of Cooleemee extends heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and all who were touched by her life and service.
Cooleemee’s Old-Time Christmas and Parade came back to town while many enjoyed the festivities. Christmas candy was flying all over the street as children scampered around to grab what they could. Entries in the parade were filled with smiles and joyfulness as they gifted handfuls of candy to the visitors.
The Cooleemee Historical Association organized the event which included a fudge contest with 13 entries this year. Kathy Cook was so surprised she won because she stated she had never made fudge before. The Bridge Church located on Main Street was present again at the event handing out hot cocoa, candy, and more. Their involvement in any events held in Cooleemee always makes a huge difference and is greatly appreciated.
Fudge contest winner Cathy Cook.
Pastor Justin Blue read the Christmas story from the Bible. The CHA made a lot of people happy by providing two fire pits to help warm up from the brisk cold air. Women of the community baked homemade cakes that were sliced up for each person in line. A fresh cedar tree was cut and placed next to Mr. and Mrs. Claus which added to the ole time feel of Christmas.
Mrs. Claus reading Twas the Night Before Christmas.
Cedar trees were commonly cut down in the woods to supply families with a Christmas tree. Cooleemee’s First Baptist Church choir sang carols and it was wonderful to have a group of people spreading the joy of Christmas.
(L to R) John Chandler, Teresa Bivins, Sandra Ferrell, Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, Candace Head, Heather Cline, and Daphne Beck
A big thank you to the CHA for bringing back a tradition that many have missed. Several people stated they didn’t know Cooleemee had anything like this gathering and they were sure to be back next year.
First Baptist Church participated in the Cooleemee Christmas Parade on November 30th. First Baptist Church groupCooleemee LibraryCooleemee Mayor Jeff Smith welcomes attendees No Christmas parade is complete without Santa and Mrs Claus. Leeanna enjoys some popcorn after the parade. The Bridge Church serves hot cocoa and candy.The Cooleemee Elementary School RedskinsThe O’Neal family joined the parade. Waiting for the parade to begin.
Feel free to contact me at cooleemeenews@gmail.com or call 336.250.1133; I would love to hear from you. Relive the magic with these fabulous photos by KC Smith.
Cooleemee Elementary School’s 5th grade class had their last lesson provided by the Cooleemee Historical Association. Every year since first grade they received specific lessons appropriate for their age group.
Don Cover had visual aids to help teach the students about the Revolutionary War in less than an hour. The students’ attention span held strong to the end thanks to Don’s enthusiasm, voice inflection, and talking as if he were there when it was happening, explaining who was who and how it all played out.
Thank you Don for taking the time to educate these students about important people who were successful in gaining our freedom.
Feel free to contact me at 336.250.1133 or at cooleemeenews@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.
Stepping back in time to 1934 to learn lessons about chores that the people of old Cooleemee performed daily was a fun morning for two first-grade classes at Cooleemee Elementary School.
Lynn Vogler helps children scrub, rinse, and wring out clothes.
Getting their hands wet while scrubbing kitchen hand towels, rinsing, and learning how to wring out the water seemed like a lot of work, but they had fun. Each had a washboard to scrub the towels, and Lynn Vogler reminded them to use soap. Tammy Lagle held a small cloth on the clothesline, then walked down to the end and back to remove any dirt. “You don’t want this dirt to get on your clean clothes,” she explained as she showed them the discolored cloth. After choosing wooden clothespins or the ones used today, which are made of metal and wood, they learned to dog-ear the ends and secure their cloths on the clothesline.
Johnathon Vizard teaches students how to use a hoe.John Chandler explains the importance of planting an onion with the tip at the top.
John Chandler and Johnathon Vizard taught the students how to hold a hoe, how to make rows in the dirt, plant seeds, and how to tamp down the dirt. Canning vegetables raised in the garden was essential for every household. Preserving some vegetables, like green beans strung on a string, called “leather britches,” made it easy to dehydrate them.
Cathy Marshbanks offering reassurance to a reluctant egg-gatherer.
All shared collecting eggs and putting them in a basket. Chickens can be skittish, which makes them cluck and move around quickly. Some children were unsure about being that close to collect the eggs, but Cathy Marshbanks’s gentle hand helped them complete the task.
Jeff Ferrell teaches the importance of each household owning a pig.
Not many grown-ups can say they have made “slop” for a pig, but the first graders can now say they have. Combining all the leftovers from the dinner table became food for the pigs. Having a chance to pet the pig was a brave moment for some but was very exciting for most. Jeff Ferrell displayed a side of pork, bacon, and sausage.
Learning they can’t get a hamburger from a pig was a fun fact for them to talk about. Visiting Madison the cow was an added bonus. Madison was gentle, so each student got to stroke her very soft fur on her nose. The students also learned why her eyes were on the sides of her head.
Teresa Bivins demonstrates how to churn whole milk to make butter.
Making butter out of whole milk sounds so simple because it is. Students have the knowledge to go home, pour whole milk into a jar with a lid, and start shaking to make their own. Tasting the homemade butter on a cracker put smiles on everyone’s faces. Susan and Teresa Bivins assisted with churning the butter.
Before returning to class, each student received a coloring book that reiterated all the things they had learned that morning. The Cooleemee Historical Association has more events planned throughout the entire school calendar, including for kindergarten through fifth-grade students.
Thank you, CHA, for providing students with hands-on experiences that give them a full picture and understanding of their heritage. Feel free to contact me at 336.250.1133 or at cooleemeenews@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.
