In the fall of 1948, following the final spring graduation ceremonies at Hindsboro High School and the July 1st formation of the new Arcola-Hindsboro Community Unit School District #306, siblings Myra Joy Strader and James Duane Strader became the first of their family to attend Arcola High School. They were the fourth and fifth of nine children born in a thirteen-year span to Hindsboro farming parents Clifford Anthony and Thelma Easter (Allen) Strader.

Their older siblings Allen Clifford (born 1928), Laura June (1929) and Keith Nelson (1930) were Hindsboro High School graduates with the classes of 1946, 1947 and 1948 respectively. Myra later graduated with the Arcola High School Class of 1950 and Duane with the class of 1952. Younger siblings Thelma Dolores (born 1935), Michael Lee (1937), Norman Lealand (1940) and Daniel Ray (1941) were graduates with the Arcola High School Classes of 1953, 1955, 1958 and 1959 respectively.

Myra and Duane’s transition to Arcola High School led the way for generations of Strader family athletes, cheerleaders, beauty queens and honored military personnel at Arcola. Arcola High School Alumni Association recognizes the Strader siblings, who have now joined an elite group of Arcola High School graduates who have reached the age of 90 and beyond.

Myra Joy Strader was born at home August 8, 1932, on the “Messick Place”, 1 mile south and ½ mile west of Hindsboro in Bowdre Township. She has experienced the Great Depression, World War II and presidents beginning with the Herbert Hoover administration. Despite the challenging times of the 1930s and 1940s, Myra remembers fun times with lots of kids and cousins coming to visit, as well as gardening, gathering eggs and other chores on the farm. She recalls her entire family enjoyed reading.

Myra attended grade school in Hindsboro, sometimes walking the 1½ mile distance to town, sometimes riding with her parents and later riding the bus. Her friends at Hindsboro Grade School included Marjorie (Weller) Harrington, Madelyn (Breedlove) Mofield, Helen (Seaman) Stenger Byers, Joyce (Douglas) Seitz and Merle (Tuttle) McGregor. Myra’s family, including her parents, eight siblings and older generations were members of the Hindsboro Christian Church, where she sang with the choir and taught Sunday School.

In the fall of 1946, Myra was elected freshman class president at Hindsboro High School. She was a two-year Student Council representative and also participated in Future Homemakers of America, Glee Club and played the snare drum two years in the HHS Band. The new Arcola-Hindsboro Community Unit District #306 became operative July 1, 1948, and Myra boarded Slim Manning’s school bus that fall as she headed west to Arcola to begin her junior year. She relates she had the advantage of meeting some of the Arcola students prior to starting school in Arcola while visiting her Aunt Minnie (Allen) and Uncle Frank Clark. She adjusted to a larger school building and many new teachers at Arcola High School.

Myra soon adapted to her new life at Arcola High School. Her Hindsboro friends Marjorie, Madelyn, Joyce and Merle also joined Myra at AHS and she began new friendships with Phyllis (Spanhook) Bergfield, Pat (McLane) Morris and Alice Miller. She was voted cheerleader soon after the school year began and also joined Girls Athletic Association, FHA and the Arco-Lite staff. During her senior year, Myra participated in GAA and her class play and was also an officer in both Glee Club and FHA.

When asked about her classes at AHS, Myra relates History and English were her favorites, with special fond memories of Lois Moore, her English teacher. Because she lived near Hindsboro, but attended school in Arcola, Myra was unable to participate in as many activities outside school as her Arcola friends, but she did enjoy ballgames at Arcola and dancing at Arcola Sweet Shop, owned by Frank and Minnie (Allen) Clark.

Arcola football and basketball coach Andy Sullivan added to Myra’s favorite AHS memories at the 1948 football banquet when he announced he wished cheerleader Myra Strader was a boy so she could play basketball for his team.

The commencement ceremony for the 43 graduates of the AHS Class of 1950 was held in the high school auditorium Wednesday, May 31st. That summer, Myra enjoyed dancing at Arcola Sweet Shop, especially with a young man named Allan Kent Coy, who had graduated one year earlier with the AHS Class of 1949. Allan offered Myra a ride home one night after dancing, leading to their first date on July 4, 1950. They were soon going steady. Myra began classes that fall at Eastern Illinois State College with the goal of becoming a teacher. She completed her first year at Eastern and then began work at Arcola Record-Herald newspaper office in August 1951.

Myra Strader and Allan Kent Coy were married in the Hindsboro Christian Church November 4, 1951. Allan’s military service took them to New Jersey and North Carolina while he was in training at Army’s Officer Candidate School. In February 1953, Allan was sent to Korea and Myra returned to Hindsboro to live with her parents on the family farm just prior to the birth of their first son, David, in March 1953. Upon Allan’s discharge in December 1953, the young family resided in Charleston until 1957, when Allan completed his teaching degree at EIU. Allan’s teaching, coaching and later administrative responsibilities took them to schools in Marseilles in 1957 and Wheeler in 1959 before their move to Decatur in 1963, when Allan was employed by Federal Kemper Insurance Company. He retired in 1989 as Collection Department Supervisor.

Five Coy children followed David’s birth in 1953, Diana (1954), Kevin (1957), Karen (1959), Ellen (1965) and Erika (1969). Myra provided child care for numerous families as she raised her own children before beginning work at Federal Kemper Insurance Company in 1976. She retired in 1991 as Records Center Supervisor.

Myra’s talents and leadership skills have served her well over the years. She is a life member of Illinois PTA after serving as president of PTA in three Decatur schools. She coached Federal Kemper Insurance softball teams, young bowlers at Eldorado Bowl and was inducted into the Decatur Bowling Hall of Fame. She honed her public speaking skills as a member of the FKI Toastmaster Club and was honored as Decatur’s American Business Women Association Woman of the Year in 1980.

Perhaps Myra’s greatest talents were shared with her husband. The couple enjoyed sports and were well known as very talented dancers, demonstrating the skills they first enjoyed together at Arcola Sweet Shop.

Allan and Myra shared fifty years together before his passing in 2002. Their daughter, Erika, lost her battle with cancer in 2014. Myra is still spunky, assertive and sharp at age 92, and doing well at home in Decatur with the support of her children, 15 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren. Although her busy life took her away from Hindsboro and Arcola more than 73 years ago, Myra still considers Hindsboro-Arcola her hometown.