LIFESTYLES & W ELLNESS
Carol Cooks, Ann Talks
Carol Misner and Ann Huckstep
The stor y of Ann Huckstep and Carol Misner spans decades and, like all of the best tales, relies upon twists and turns and the enduring power of love.
A
love story more than 30 years in the making – it’s the glorious and open-hearted love story of Ann Huckstep and Carol Misner.
And it starts with a flashback – at a gymnasium at a high school in Sandy Springs, Georgia, when math teacher Carol Misner (then named Umphrey) first encountered the 11th grade student Ann Huckstep. When Ann tried to register for Algebra II and was told enrollment was full, Carol, one of the school’s most adored instructors, stepped in and, recognizing her as the sister of one of her brightest students, offered her a place in her class. The year was 1969, an era of turmoil, the Vietnam war, the Civil Rights conflict and, as Ann recalls, “It was a rough time. Mrs. Umphrey was someone who took interest in her students, she urged them on, she listened.” Carol vividly remembers her students from that period. They were as she said a “vibrant group.” She was particularly impressed with Ann and her intelligence, and they became close, talking through problems. It was the beginning of a relationship that was admiration at first sight. But three months later, Ann’s family moved to Clarksdale, Mississippi. The next spring, they saw each other when Ann returned to visit Sandy Springs. It would be 30 years before they spoke or saw 190 J U N E 202 2 | T H EL AU R EL M AG A ZI N E .CO M
each other again. In the years that followed, Ann went on to college at Ole Miss and then law school at Vanderbilt and started practicing law in Birmingham. She became a partner at a major law firm early on in her career and was a recognized civic leader in the community. When her mother was diagnosed with a terminal illness in 1981 (she died in 1987), Ann sought therapy to resolve her grief. During sessions, she told her therapist that she admired “women of authority” because in that era they were thought of as second-class citizens, and she spoke of the two teachers who had influenced and brought meaning to her life – each a woman Huckstep admired for possessing her own authority and being guided by it in life. The therapist urged her to seek them out and thank them. In due course she thanked her instructor at Ole Miss, but finding Carol was a dilemma. Since she had last seen her, Carol had given birth to a son and adopted a daughter, divorced, assumed her maiden name, and taught in colleges in Oklahoma, California, and Arizona. In the mid-90s she started using technology in the classroom and presenting at the League of Innovations. In 2001, while working in Colorado, she was invited to deliver a presentation to the US Department of Education in Washington. In preparation for the visit, she connected with one of her students from her days teaching in Sandy Springs. The student,
