WELCOME

HISTORY

ALMA MATER

Pictures

INFORMATION

MAIL

FRIENDS

CLASSES

1911 to 1920

1921 to 1930

1931 to 1940

1941 to 1950

1951 to 1960

1961 to 1970

1971 to 1980

1981 to 1990

1991 to 2000

2001 to 2010

Site design by

Custom Graphics

MHS ALUMNI STORIES 2011
Series 1

MHS 1936 CLASS CELEBRATING 75th REUNION

By Joy Hall Grant
Class of 1957, Alumni Historian
Assisted by Nell Wickersham

Historical events relevant to the year 1936 are numerous. In the midst of the Big Depression for the United States, the New York Herald Tribune became the first newspaper to microfilm its current issues. Billboard magazine published its first music hit parade. Tennis champs were Helen Moody and Howard Kinsley. Semi-automatic rifles were adopted by the United States Army. The first players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame were Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson. Adolf Hitler announced the building of Volkswagens. Sonja Henie, Norway, won her third consecutive Olympic Figure Skating gold. The Hoover Dam was completed and began transmitting electrical power to Los Angeles. Queen Mary completed its maiden voyage, arriving in New York. The first parking meters were invented. The first bicycle traffic court in America was established in Wisconsin. “Gone With The Wind” by Margaret Mead, was first published. A 40-hour work week law was approved by the government. At the Berlin Olympics, Jesse Owens won his fourth Olympic medal. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (won election by a landslide) gave FBI the authority to pursue fascists and communists. Radio was used for the first time for a presidential campaign. Rodeo Cowboy’s Association was founded. First commercial flights began between the mainland and Hawaii. Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy became an overnight success on radio. Main span of the Golden Gate Bridge was joined. The first issue of Life magazine was created/published.

The MHS 1936 graduation year was celebrated seventy five years ago during the midst of the Great Depression. This class had no yearbook, therefore history is compiled from old newspapers and word of mouth from classmates. A large class of fifty-one students, assembled in the new 1929 High School Gym for graduation and baccalaureate exercises. That gym still is used today by the Mangum Public Schools for storage and practice sessions.

Nell J. Wickersham, of Channelview, Texas, has become this writer’s main contact for the Class of 1936. She says that the Superintendent of schools was Mr. Homer S. Reese, who had a son, Harry Bryan Reese. The Principal was Floyd M. Hayes and Class Sponsors were Miss Mary Hall and Mr. Lawrence DeVore. Ms. Wickersham believes there were 26 boys and 25 girls in her class. Wilma Hayes was Valedictorian and Maurine Brasher, Salutatorian. Sammie Sullivan was the Class Historian and Nell was the Class Poet; she was also known as “Tootle” most of her school life.

Ms. Wickersham said she remembers a quote from her teacher, Miss Tom Johnson: “Hard work gives bacon a flavor any pig would be proud of.” While going through the names with Ms. Wickersham, I learned that “Texy” was a girl and that “Thim” is the correct spelling for Mr. Finley.

Ms. Wickersham commented on the Jay Buckle Springs area where her classmates loved to gather. She said the Springs were the result of a community affair complete with Dinner-on-the-Ground………….literally. The men in the community built a dam on the west side of the Springs, running pipe from the Springs into the “well-like” dam. This made it easier for the families to have water for their stock. It produced good drinking water also. The good swimming hole was west of the Springs. That’s were we all learned to swim.

Further comments from Ms. Wickersham were: “Tyler Crittenden Jr., would have been in our graduation class but the Crittenden Family went on vacation and Tyler Jr. became ill with spinal meningitis and passed away. His service was held in the Methodist Church where many of his classmates attended the service.” “Our class got together and chose Mr. and Mrs. Crittenden as our Class Parents. They were so good to us and I will always have fond memories of them.”

In a fairly recent Mangum Star, another classmate, the late Oma Jeanne Hager-Berg, daughter of J. T. “Skid” Hager, wrote: “I remember the bears at Harmon Park Zoo and the sunken gardens. Theda Tillman got too close to their cage and was injured by one. During the long drought days, the amphitheater in the park was used in a way that would not be tolerated under certain laws today. County wide prayer meetings were held there and farmers from Brinkman, Willow and Granite filled the benches in the sunken garden praying for rain.”

Nell Wickersham gives her memory of the “Andy the Bear” incident: “A family in South Mangum had ‘Andy’ as a bear cub pet. They donated it to the zoo as it grew older. Sometime during the summer of 1936, Theda Tillman, Hazel Jones and I met at the park to go swimming. I had to leave early and so did Hazel. Theda decided to stay awhile longer and swim. When she got out of the pool and went downstairs to the basement to dress, the bear was at the foot of the stairs. He had gotten out of his cage and attacked Theda. She screamed for help. She said the radio was going full blast upstairs, but Jasper Bradshaw heard her. He ran downstairs and managed to rescue Theda. She was taken to the doctor. She had several deep wounds on one of her legs and years later many scars. Hazel and I went to see her that night and her leg was bandaged from her knee down to her ankle. Her leg was badly scarred. I don’t know what happened to Andy the Bear.”

Further memories of Ms. Wickersham: “I remember our class trip to Carlsbad Caverns sponsored by our Class Parents. There were two bus loads………..one for the boys and one for the girls. We camped out all the way there and back.”

“The day prior to the Junior-Senior Banquet, we had an Oklahoma sandstorm. That evening we all walked to the Banquet. Hazel Jones had on a beautiful white evening gown. It started to rain and Hazel’s white ankle length formal had red spots all over it due to the sandstorm and rain.”

“Mangum has always had wonderful educators. I fondly remember from grade school through high school Miss Tom Johnson, Miss Berniece Gaylord, Miss Louella Moore, Miss Mary Hall, Mr. DeVore, Mr. Hayes, Mr. Reese, Persephonie Marx, Miss Nina Davis, Faye Thrower, Miss Pearl Rude, Mrs. Mosby and Laura Clayton. I can’t leave out my sister, Zelma Wickersham. She was my 6th grade teacher and in the sixth grade I flunked penmanship!!!!”

Ms. Wickersham named a few of her former classmates from memory: Kate Knight Parker, Roma Lee Pressley, Naomi Pressley, Exa McAlexander, Mary Lucy Terry, Tom Tucker Terry, Jack Terry, Jeanette Prater (married her cousin, Devoe Cowdron); Jake Prater, Lucy Prater and Irene Jones, for a start.

“I remember picking cotton one Saturday to have enough money for tennis shoes so I could play basketball. They cost $1.00 and in looking back, it was the best dollar I ever spent.”

“We didn’t have cheer leaders back then; we called them ‘pep rallies’. Here’s a cheer I remember:

Razzle Jazzle
Not a Frazzle
Every thread is wool.
All together
All together
That’s the way we pull.”
Yea Tigers!!!!

President for the MHS Alumni Association in 1936 was Arthur “Bud” Lovett, Class of 1915. The
Vice-President was John Swoboda, Class of 1927. Kathleen Lowrance, 1935, served as Secretary; Frances Montgomery, Class of 1933, served as Assistant Secretary and Treasurer was Henry “Bo” James Jr., 1927.

According to the Greer County News, May 16, 1966, the Greasby family became deeply rooted in the MHS Alumni Association when Charles graduated in 1939. He was the younger brother of Helen Greasby, Class of 1936 and the first of the family to graduate. Other siblings were: Jack Greasy, Class of 1940, Jerry, Class of 1942 followed by Jimmy, Class of 1948.
From the Greer County News, May 16, 1966: Mrs. F. M. Wickersham became an honorary parent after six children were MHS Alumni Association graduates: Victor and Zelma Wickersham, both 1923; (she was Valedictorian and he was Salutatorian); Jeff Wickersham, 1933; Helen Wickersham, 1932; Nell Wickersham 1936 and Lowe Wickersham, 1938.

Ms. Wickersham recently reported that as of January 24, 2011, “Myrtle Copelin Carmon’s daughter, Janelda Reed, says her mother passed away on May 5, 2011.

March 5, 2011, the brother of Quinten Gates, Gerald Gates of Granite, called this writer to report that his brother died in September of 2002. Quinten was a retired Army Colonel and died at the age of 83. His widow, Ruth, lives in Wichita, Kansas. Gerald also gave us several pages of history on Quinton. Note: This writer spoke with the widow, Ruth Davis Gates, in April and learned she also has a good memory and was happy to hear about Mangum Alumni news.

Classmates are always sad to learn of the loss of a classmates, but they appreciate learning of the loss rather than never knowing. Melvena Wetsel, widow of Carroll Wetsel (1941 Grad) also called with information on Quinten Gates. We appreciate all the help we get from callers.

Joan Brewer Harris, Class of 1957, sister to Bessie Brewer Barker, told this writer her sister is deceased. Records were showing her as “unknown whereabouts”.

On April 7, 2011, this writer received a phone call from Frances Aderholt Regian-Smith’s daughter-in-law, Sue Regian. Ms. Regian said that both her father-in-law, Paschal Regian and her husband were deceased. She said her husband, Joe Regian, was Frances’ only child. Note: On April 17, this writer visited with Ms. Frances Smith in Richardson, Texas. Ms. Smith stated that her first husband, Paschal Regian, had also graduated from a country school in Greer County. They had one son, Joe W. Regian, born in Mangum. He died of an apparent heart attack in 2004 where he was a very active civic leader sitting as President of the Board for the Masonic Home and School of Texas. Frances said that her father, Mr. Aderholt, was a pharmacist when they lived in Mangum during her school years. Frances Smith is now living in the Lindan Park Nursing Care Center in Richardson, Texas, and is still quick witted and has good memories of her Mangum days. Her daughter-in-law, Sue, coordinated the visit and said she and Joe have three children and several grandchildren and great grands. Ms. Frances sent her alumni dues in February. She and Nell Wickersham are the only active contacts we have of this class.

Classmate’s addresses/information unknown in 2011 are: Lola Faye Bryan, Katherine Johnson (mail returned in 2009), Mary L. Hefner, Lela M. Penley, Graham Reeves, Texy Showalter and Louise
Turner. If anyone can give information on these classmates, please call 580-782-5107.

1936 Class composite picture:

Frances Aderholt
John Banister
Louella Bowman
Maurine Brasher
Bessie Brewer
Lola Faye Bryan
Buster Caffey
Myrtle Copelin
McGregor Crouch
Thim Finley
Rhonda Francis
Edward A. Fuller
Quinten Gates
Helen Greasby
Oma Jeanne Hager
Wilma Hayes
Mary L. Hefner
Wales Holford
Katherine Johnson
Hazel Jones
Willard Kemper
Miss Vestal Litton
Lee McBrayer
D.C. McGrady
Robert L. McReynolds
David H. Miller
Ellison Morris
Marion Lee Northcutt
Juanita S. Overton
Myrtle Payne
Lela M. Penley
Neil Penley
Sidney V. Post
Graham Reeves
Josephine Ricks
Darrell Roberts
Melvin Routen
Frank D. Sands
Woody Lee Shelby
Miss Texy Showalter
Weldon Smith
Sammie Sullivan
Leslie Thompson
Theda Tillman
Louise Turner
Norma Lee Tyler
Jack Veach
Harvey G. Wade
John D. Whittaker
Nell J. Wickersham
Helen Yarbrough

Back home