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MHS ALUMNI STORIES 2012 SERIES III
HIGHLIGHTING CLASS OF 1942
Celebrating 70th Reunion

According to classmates, this was an exciting time period in the Mangum Schools especially for the 55 seniors preparing to graduate from MHS. They had no Yearbook, therefore history is from newspapers and by word of mouth or pen from writers through the past seventy years. This group actually had classes in Hawthorne, Edison, also the old Original High School which was undergoing drastic re-construction and became the ‘new’ Junior High School, and the ‘new’ High school which opened in 1920 on Pennsylvania Avenue. Part of their ‘junior high’ years were spent in the Old Edison and some had classes in one end of the original high school which opened in 1905. Tenth grade was started in the 1920 high school located on Pennsylvania Avenue.

According to Minnie McGovern, “The Class of 1942 was the first class to graduate from the newly opened Junior High School, the building known today as ‘Middle School’. I attended Hawthorne elementary and the fourth through sixth grade at Edison Elementary.” Note: Hawthorne would become the Mangum Junior College by 1939.

Long time class historian, the late Jane Bevis Head, wrote excellent history in the Mangum Star, May 21, 1992:

“ The Class of 1942 was the first class to graduate from Mangum High School after Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Elmer Fraker was Superintendent of schools; principal was Miss Tom Johnson and teachers included: Emily Hoover, Mary Hall, Naomi Edminston and Jeanette Cravey. Miss Edminston and Miss Cravey were the class sponsors and Miss Cravey was also a member of the Mangum Junior College faculty. “

“Class officers were: President: J. B. “Jake”Smith ; Joe Silk was V-President; Darrell Baldwin was Secretary-Treasurer; Colleen Brown was the Valedictorian and Patricia Van Winkle was Salutatorian. Darrell Baldwin was selected as the best looking boy in the class!!!! Mr. and Mrs. Joe A. DeIorio were Class Parents and they managed the Temple Theater. They moved to Mangum from Wink, Texas, in 1941. Their home is still standing at 436 West Jefferson.”

Attorney Peyton Brown, (Class Of 1908), Blackwell, Oklahoma, gave the Commencement address. Mr. Brown was the organizer of the first Alumni Association in 1910. Alumni Officers for 1942 were: President: Mr. Lynn Norman, Class of 1916; Ovid Gates, V-President, Class of 1935; Secretary was Margaret Shields Boyd, Class of 1916, and Clarence ‘Boats’ Barnett, Class of 1933, was Treasurer.

Classmates attending their 50th reunion in 1992 were: Jake Smith, Sue Bryant Horn, Rhea Foraker, Elmo Penley, Jimmie Bowen Kelly, Betty Briggs Francisco, Minnie Tidmore McGovern, Frank Treadwell, Nora Jo Hobbs Shipley, Jean Morris Ellis, Dewey Penley, Nora Mothersead Schindler, Jane Bevis Head, Elmer Price, Jean Hall Robberson, Joe Silk, Jim Savage and Logan Johnson Jr.

This historian has tried reaching all surviving class members to learn some interesting stories for this celebration. Living classmates, according to records, who have not responded include: Charles C. Beam, Malcolm Collier, Flora June Morgan Kirkness, J.B. Morgan, Hugh Gilbert Taylor, Billye Jo Hager Wells.

Surveys were sent and here are parts of the responses:

Colleen Brown Gonser, Culver City, California, writes that her husband, Clarence, is deceased. She is a retired Secretary, Accountant and Data Processor. “My favorite teacher was Jeanette Cravey Snow. I participated in basketball in Junior High. We were the first class to graduate after the United States joined the Allies in WWII. Normally our first decisions would have been which college to attend or what employment to seek. Not so…….we were swept up by the need to do whatever necessary to win the war and I’m sure our contributions were many.”

Mary Gilliam Jantzen, of Dallas, corresponded by e-mail stated: “During World War II, after one year of college, Oklahoma was issuing War Emergency Certificates for teachers. My dad had sold our cow to pay my tuition for the year of college, so I was very happy to earn a bit of money. I taught two years with Jeanette Pattillo at Fairview, south of Mangum; salary was $75.00 a month. We lived in a teacherage on the grounds and built fires for the school in a large coal stove. Jeanette’s daughter, Melanie, was born during that time. Fairview then consolidated with Centralvue and I taught one year there, then decided to try to finish my degree. In the summer of 1946, I met Orland “Whip” Jantzen, a Southwestern baseball player who was just home from the war. After only eight weeks, we were married. No one thought that it would last, but we had 56 years together. We both graduated from Southwest ern and earned our Msters Degrees iin Gunnison, Colorado. We had two children, both of whom graduated from Elk City High School, Oklahoma: Carole in 1966 (she’s now an RN) and Ron (he’s now an educator) ’70. Whip and I taught 10 years in Elk City, then at Brinkman, Southside (south of Altus) and Northside (north of Vernon). We moved to Mineral Wells, Texas, in 1970 after Ron graduated from high school. We were able to make a better living in Texas. “Whip” died in 2002. In 2009, I moved to the C C Young Retirement Center in Dallas and it’s the smartest thing I’ve ever done. I’m closer to both Carole and Ron and get to see my grand kids and great grands more often. Just know that they are the greatest!!!!! I don’t think I’ll be able to attend our 70th gathering this year but I’m wishing all who are there a wonderful time of remembering.” Contact Mary at maryjantzen@att.net

Sue Bryant Horn resides in her home in Chickasha, Oklahoma. Her sister-in-law, Marian Bryant-Silk, Mangum, stays in touch with her. This Historian, in reading old newspapers, learned that Ms. Horn was quite a musician both vocally and instrumentally in performance and also teaching.

Roy F. Heatly resides in Bayfield, Colorado. Jake Smith had some contact with him summer of 2011.

LaTheil Penley Davidson e-mailed a response: She resides in Tucson, Arizona, and her spouse is deceased. She can be reached at tootie1925@cox.net. After graduation, she trained in Mangum for bookkeeping a had one year of college before working in Colorado; she has been retired for years. She has no relatives living in Mangum. During her class graduation event, she was paired according to height and she had the same partner, Ed Weber, as she had in the 9th grade graduation. “ He was a good friend of my brother, Dewey Penley.” LeTheil’s favorite teacher was Miss Ura Foster in Edison grade school. She was a good art teacher and encouraged me as I liked to draw. Later, in Pennsylvania, “I took water color and calligraphy and again in Arizona.” LeTheil liked basketball and tennis; she learned those sports during gym classes. “I have kept in touch with Jean Hall and Mary Gilliam since graduation seventy years ago.”

Dewey Penley, according to LaTheil, his sister, lives with his daughter in Denver, Colorado. He turned 90 in June 2011. Old news paper articles state that Mr. Penley was a pilot for Frontier Airlines thirty six years before he retired.

Minnie Tidmore McGovern, Roseburg, Oregon, writes that she was the fifth child in her family to graduate from MHS, making her parents, Francis M. and Minnie Grace Tidmore, were Honorary Members. The other siblings who graduated from MHS were: Nievelton Tidmore, 1934, Lois Tidmore Braswell, 1934, Milford Tidmore 1938, Lydia Tidmore Silk 1940, and Minnie in 1942. “I was in the pep club and both my sister, Lydia, a senior, and myself, a sophomore, were Yell Leaders. I worked in Miss Tom Johnson’s Principal’s office. In Journalism, I worked on the school paper. “Picking favorite teachers is hard decision but I guess I would say Miss Tom Johnson and Miss Jeanette Cravey. I didn’t attend college, however, I worked at Oregon State College in Carvallis for four years before I married in 1952.” Her mother died when she was 3 years old and her older brother raised her. Sherman Silk is also her nephew. Minnie says the 1942 and 1943 classes went on a joint Senior Trip to Little Rock, Arkansas, during the war years. Minnie Grace retired from Douglas County Library in 1986. When her husband retired from his school district, where he had been for 34 years, the Board changed the name of the school to “McGovern Elementary” from “Civil Bend”. It was a surprise and quite an honor. My husband said to the Superintendent, “I thought you had to be dead before they named anything after you and the superintendent replied, “Don’t you know you have been dead 5 years?” Minnie Grace called this writer on July 8, 2011, upon returning from an Alaskan cruise. vmcgovern@charter.net

Jean Hall Robberson resides in Pasadena, California, near her daughter, Normarie Fernandez and son-in-law Bill; she has one grandson. Jean is this Historian’s cousin so I know a little more about her than she wants me to know. Jean says, “ We were the only sixth grade class to graduate from the ‘new Junior High School. I had penmanship under Mrs. Lilly Cross and never could do the ‘ovals and push pulls” very well. We lived on 640 acres and Dad leased the old Reedy 320 acres; he later bought and built a new house and barn when I was 16. (Note: This house is still standing today on the west end of the Loop off of Robinson Street …..Bex Family was living in it a few years ago). In the spring after milking, I had to drive cows about two miles to the leased place to graze on alfalfa. Went back after school to get them. Two Wetsel boys had paint horses and sometimes they rode with me. I was about 12 then. After I graduated, Dad sold Jersey cows and bought the first herd of Aberdeen Angus in the county. He had a prize, expensive bull with that herd. I was in California by then. My sister Sybil, MHS 1949 Grad, is deceased and Norma (was with the 1944 Class) is also deceased. My husband, Whitey, is deceased. I’m hoping to make it back for my 70th reunion this year. I stay in contact with LaThiel, Minnie Grace, Mary Jantzen and Jake Smith by phone or e-mail. And my cousin contacts me every week with too many questions.”

“My first grade teacher was Tressie Rife. Then Mrs. Frederick, Miss Nina Davis, Miss Effie Lassiter, Mrs. Ruth Ann Mosby, 6th grade, moved to the new Junior High building and stayed four years there; also Mrs. Lilly Cross, Miss Pearl Rude (Lilly’s twin sister), Bill Tillman, and can’t remember my science teacher.”

“I started driving at age twelve. A month before I turned sixteen, Oklahoma made having a driver’s license compulsory.” Note: 1942 is another piece of history for getting driver’s licenses in Oklahoma. jeanrobberson@hotmail.com

Nora Mae Mothersead Schindler, Oklahoma City, wrote this Historian in March 2010. I answered all her questions. Not hearing from her since then, I asked my classmate, James Long, to contact her. He reported that she’s still living in her home, has a pacemaker now and is going to have some cataract surgery soon. She will not be able to attend her 70th class reunion since she can’t drive herself to Mangum. She has two children: a son in Dallas and a daughter who is retired and has five Arabian horses that she shows. She sends her best to her classmates. This lady writes a very nice letter.

Jake Smith, President of the his class, has lived in Abilene, Texas, for many years. He was Vice President of the Alumni Association in 1946. His first wife was classmate, Jo Ann Shortt, who is now deceased. Secondly, he married classmate, Jimmie Bowen, who passed away in 2011. Jimmie was a long time school teacher. Jake was in Mangum at least twice in 2011, one trip with his daughter. He is helping with class history as he finds time. He visited with this Historian last fall on a trip through Mangum. He still looks very ‘presidential’ and has a charming personality.

Sam E. Smith, Sun City, California, we learn from local relatives, is taking care of his wife who has Alzheimers. His brother, Claude Smith, Class of 1941, lives in Mangum.

Jack Treadwell now resides in Homosassa, Florida. His first wife, Nina, passed away in 1978. Four years later, he married Zola, who had been his neighbor in Indiana at one time. Since Zola lived in Florida and he decided there were too many phone calls and not enough personal contact, he moved to Florida and they married in 1982. They have traveled all over the United States, Nova Scotia and parts of Canada in their motor home and attend the Mangum Rattlesnake Derby when possible. Zola e-mails regularly with this historian and has helped restore the 1942 composite picture identifying the class members where all their names could be read. fandz@earthlink.net

Surveys sent but no response: Charles Cameron Beam, Patricia Wilson Boyd, Flora Morgan Kirkness, J. B. Morgan and Billye Jo Hager Wells.

Unknown whereabouts: Patricia Van Winkle Clements, Edith Warwick Kasten, Jean Ann Smiley Rinkle

Deaths since 2007 include: Stella Heatley Ware, Arkansas, passed away in 2009. Jane Bevis Head passed away in 2011; her funeral was held at the First Baptist Church of Mangum. Jimmie Bowen Kelly Smith passed away in May 2011; funeral held in Edmond, OK; Betty Briggs Francisco, Las Cruces, N.M., also passed away in May 2011. Her husband contacted this Historian.

The class roster below denotes deceased members:

Graduation list:
* Deceased
1942

*Robert Atwood
*Darrell L. Baldwin
Charles C. Beam
*L. Jane Bevis
*Jimmie R. Bowen
*Iva Lee Burkhalter
*Betty Briggs
Coleen Brown
Sue Bryant
Malcolm Collier
*Christene Crossland
*Lloyd T. Crow
*Ada E. Davis
*Floyd Denton
*Rhea W. Foraker
Mary L. Gilliam
*Wayne D. Goad
*Jerry L. Greasby
Billye Jo Hager
Doris Jean Hall
*Gracie Lee Hawkins
*Stella Heatley
Roy F. Heatly
*Nora J. Hobbs
*Logan F. Johnson
*James Kennedy
Willa Marie Lovelace
*Ima Jean Morris
Flora J. Morgan
James B. Morgan
Nora M. Mothersead
*Arthur McCann
*E. Leon Neal
*Edward F. Norman
*Ila Lee Parker
LaTheil Penley
Dewey C. Penley
*W. Elmo Penley
*Ella Pearl Pierson
*Elmer Price
*Beatrice Powell
*Jim L. Savage
*Jo Ann Shortt
*Joe M. Silk
Jean Ann Smiley
*Wanda S. Smith
Jake C. Smith
Sam E. Smith
*Mary Stroup
*Hugh Taylor Jr.
Minnie G. Tidmore
F. Jack Treadwell
Patricia Van Winkle
Edith Warwick
*Ed Weber

Anyone who has information on any of these classmates is urged to contact this Historian at 580-782-5107 or joy.grant@sbcglobal.net This has not been an easy class to document.

Researched by Joy Hall Grant, Cass of 1957
Alumni Historian

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