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By Jerry Guernsey Norman

Sixty-five years? No way!!! Yet, the current calendar reveals: Oh, yes, it is!! Our class now has thirty-one members receiving alumni invitations, and sadly, thirty-five members are known deceased.

From day one, starting first grade until high school graduation, our class had a kaleidoscopic ride. Our country was just coming out of the Great Depression, and the economy was still pretty tight. Schools weren’t as enriched as they were much later. We bought our own textbooks!! These, and other school supplies were purchased at Shearer’s Hardware Store. Alas!! Crayola boxes didn’t contain as many wonderful colors as they do now.

In about our fifth year, the students from Hawthorne Elementary were transferred to Edison. These students resided south of Lincoln Street. Hawthorne was located about five blocks south of the square and between Pennsylvania and South Carolina (now Louis Tittle). This building then became a Junior College for a short time.

Our “Old Edison” teachers were Pearl Durham, Kathleen Moore, Mayvourlene Frederick, Margerye Wilson, Mabel Doolen, Dorothy Alley, Jewel Atkinson, Nina Davis, Ethel Brunson, Effie Lassiter, Roberta Graham, Mary Helper, Francis Phipps, Leta Mae Smith, Renolee Smith, Lillie Cross, Bernice Gaylord, Ima and Ura Foster (twins), and Principal Bess McCrummin.

Things were rocking along pretty well as we entered Junior High in 1941. But we were about to gain knowledge that had nothing to do with the curriculum. The bombing of Pearl Harbor plunged the United States into World War II. Everything was quickly rationed and scarce. Nothing was the same in daily living. Many of Mangum’s men were drafted, or volunteered immediately. (Some students quit school to join the forces and after victory, returned to finish high school and graduated with us or other classes).

On the home front, our three Junior High classes contested in scrap-metal collection. Each class had a designated area to pile their “treasures” for the war effort. (This became a ‘small war’……………keeping your class collection intact because sometimes items seemed to slip into a different pile over night. But, it was all in good fun and causes).

Besides our scavenging, we made bandages for the Red Cross. And, when farmers needed help with cotton harvest, we bought sacks and headed to the fields. (A lesson learned here ---- I was more helpful in other endeavors).

Our Junior High years were taken in stride, and our great teachers gave us a dose of “business as usual” even in these unusual times. They gave us good memories that helped ease the unpleasant ones. Lee McMahan guided us along with teachers including Louella Moore, Ruth Mosby, Jeanne Carmiecal, Pearl Rude, Virginia Fesler, Francis Smith, Emily Hoover and Weldon Spivey.

Then we moved up to ‘big time’ high school. Many things were still rationed, but our excellent instruction never lessened. The music department was first class. Rev. Dodge led a great M.H.S. band, even with a shortage of metal instruments. Virginia Fesler took one Glee Club to state contests, winning superior awards. Our girls’ octet sang at the State Capitol spurring our Senators and Representatives to pass a bill for teacher raises. Miss Fesler composed MHS’s Alma Mater theme song and dedicated it to the Class of 1943.

The athletic wins were also many with Coaches Weldon Spivey and Earl Presley. Our big rivals in football were Altus, Hollis, Sayre, Hobart and Duncan. They were tough and so were our Tigers. Later, in college, our classmates Dick Heatly and Gale McArthur were outstanding. Dick was star goal kicker for Bud Wilkinson on Owen Field at the University of Oklahoma, Norman. Gale was a star on the Galagar Court at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater.

By our senior year, the war was over, but nothing back to normal. We regretted not having a class yearbook or photos of class plays and events like classes now have. I would love to have a film of our last production, “Sentimental Journey”. This was written and scored by Virginia Fesler, for the 1947 Alumni Banquet, in which our class “Pop”, Roy Doyle, sang “Old Man River” in a scene of the old South; also it would be nice to view old films of the programs presented on Friday morning assemblies when different class departments took turns entertaining the student body throughout the year………………bringing comradery to all. Cheer songs were sung loud and clear ……….. carrying an “aire of win” to the game that evening.

A favorite cheer song of students and game crowds was “OnWard, Tigers”.
“Onward, Tigers” (To the tune “On Wisconsin” fight song)

Onward Tigers!! Onward Tigers!!
We’ll stand up for you.
Give to you the orange and black
For colors, they are true.
Rah!! Rah!! Rah!!

Always cheer, boys,
Never fear, boys…..
Dear old M.H.S.
Hail!! Hail!! The gang’s all here
For M.H. S.

It still brings memories of crisp Friday nights in Liberty Bowl. After the games, we danced at the community building (top floor of today’s Margaret Carder Mangum Public Library). The nickelodeon always had the latest hits of Big Band music.

Leading us in M.H.S. were Superintendent, Mr. B. F. Johnson and Principal, Gerald Nichols. Our teachers were Mrs. Jeanette Snow, Mrs. Helen Deaver, Commerce; Miss Minnie Sumrow, English; Mrs. Odie Jones, Vocational Home Making; Mrs. Thelma McAlexander, History; Miss Lucille Rice, Science; Miss Emily Hoover, Mathematics; Ben Sorrells Sr., Vocational Agriculture; Henry White, Diversified Occupations; E. A. Presley, Athletic Director; C. E. Dodge, Band Director; Miss Virginia Fesler, Vocal Music, Miss Francis Ruth Smith, Speech, and Miss Tom Johnson, who was also Dean of the Mangum Junior College.

This Historian, reading through a wonderful piece of history published in 2007, learned that Miss Fesler and her ‘Girls’ Octet’ changed state legislation in 1942 when they “took the House of Representatives by storm” with their musical performance. Miss Fesler and her girls wrote a parody to “The Little Red School House” with lyrics designed to persuade legislators to vote for the additional funds for education. Due to the ‘fine vocal presentation’ a Senator jumped to his feet and proposed a bill for school funds to be amended. His action was seconded and the bill passed both houses giving $18,000 to aid Education!!!!!!!!!! ( see pic attachment I sent)

With support from Jerry, Barbara and Marjorie, we found some active members who added to our dialogue:

Clois Bentley: I remember when the class got busy and planned the senior trip to New Orleans. We all raised the money to rent the cattle trailer and installed seats in the trailer. We even had curtains on the side to keep the weather out. D-Day arrived and we were off singing and having lots of fun. We rented rooms in a small motel in New Orleans and at night time we had the limo pick us up to go visit all the night spots………good times were with us. Then we were off to Galveston to play on the beach. And adventure I will never forget…………we were the No. 2 Class of MHS!!

I did not know at the time, but we passed through the small town of Cheneyville, Louisiana, where my future bride worked on Main Street and was probably watching as we motored through. I went back in 1950 with the 45th Oklahoma Division to Camp Polk and then we met. We have now been married 60 years and still happy with each other. Memories of yesterdays………….good times.

Dwain Howard: “My Memories”
“ I am the son of Alfred and Thelma Howard, grandson of H. P. and Lucy Morgan and Dave and Maud Howard. Of course, most of my memories revolve around sports as that’s what I was most involved with. I remember when Don Meredith and I were in a tennis match to see who would go to the state tournament. It was a game of all games. We were to play one game to determine the winner. We started at 3:00 P.M. and four hours later after many many ADD outs and ins, we finished. He won!!! Coach Weldon Spivey said he never saw a better match. The last time I saw Don, he still remembered that match. And, the memory is Junior Tyler riding his motorcycle around the square when a car backed out, Junior hit him and over the vehicle he went. Of course, with his hard head, there were no severe injuries……smile.”

“Of course, all of us boys would sit near the fountain (on the square) and whistle and wave at the girls. Now you talk about the town studs which only a 15, 16, and 17 year old would know, we had the world by the tail …………..at least we thought so. Smile They were great days in a lively Mangum. A world to our own…………….”

“I have many good memories of Mangum and the Mangum schools. They were “Best Days”. I recall the R. C. Cola sodas David Willard and I had each day after basketball practice at the little building on the corner across from the First Baptist Church. Never forgot the taste. Also, during school going for lunch at Mrs. Pittman’s Café, the hot beef sandwich was the best ever. The gravy was outstanding…………..have never had that taste again. The many times driving around the “square” and the many evenings sitting in cars around the court house square shooting the ball with my friends. Also, the many basketball games played in Junior High and High School. Mr. McMahan and Mr. Spivey will always be in my memory. Basketball was my life during the school years. My only regret……………we never made it to state. I could ramble on and on about the “good times” in Mangum; a great place to have lived and grown up, to love and appreciate.”

Janice Landess Summers: My favorite memory, with the exception of my husband, Jerry, was as a member of the girls’ basketball team. My idol (which I know I’m not supposed to have, was Martha Greer). The other favorite memory was a trip I took with Thelma Alexander, MHS World History teacher. She took some of her students (including me) to Weatherford for what I don’t remember. It was probably to visit to their history department. But it was the first time I had ever set foot on a college campus and I was impressed.

Patsy Powell Robertson: Believe it or not I can still remember a lot about my junior and senior years. I remember the teachers who helped shape my adult life. Mrs. Deaver’s bookkeeping class had a big impact on me. I was a bookkeeper-accountant for 40 years. Being a Senior Class Cheerleader, the Friday night slumber parties, the good looking boys and the initiation into the Alumni were the fun things I remember.

Marjorie Thompson Starr: She lives in Newcastle, OK., and works in Norman, OK, at the University of Oklahoma Document Production and Mail Services where she transcribes dictations or stuffs mail that the mechanical inserter can’t do. Marjorie sent this Historian a lot of her class history/pictures which has helped immensely. Marjorie says: “ My hours have been cut drastically, but I really enjoy the work and miss seeing the office staff and mailroom guys who are all a delight to work with. I visit Wesley, my former husband, once a week at the Norman Veterans’ Center. He’s been there with Alzheimer’s since 2007. I spend lots of time with my children, 8 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren who all live nearby. I plan to see my classmates in May for our 65th.”

Barbara Thompson Blake: Barbara lives in Burns Flat, OK., where her brother Joe Boyd, Class of 1959 lives. She is in Mangum more often now and has been helping the writers gather information for the 65th reunion of her class. Her sister, Beth, Class of 1953, lives in Mangum, and keeps Barbara on her toes. Barbara plans to attend her 65th reunion in May as she writes:

“I started to Mangum in the 9th grade and I enjoyed every (almost) minute of it. It was war time so lots of things were rationed but we made the best of it. I did not take part in sports because gas was rationed and I lived 8 miles out of town.“

“I was in several plays directed by Virginia Fessler one or two times a year; we had lots of practice. My Chemistry teacher was Lucille Rice. Syble Lockerd and I were the only girls in the class. Some of the boys locked Syble in the storage room one day. Shame!!! I also took Physical Geography from Ms. Rice and she made it come alive. She had actually taught in the Utah University; I have often wondered how/why she came to Mangum, Oklahoma. Then, there was Bernice Gaylord,. I think my mother roomed with her when she was in high school back in 1924/25. My mother also had Miss Emily Hoover and Miss Nina Davis for teachers.”

“Our Junior year, we did the program for the Alumni; will never forget that evening. I
had looked forward to the Alumni Banquet for many years. My Mother, Mayme Patterson Thompson, Class of 1925, had graduated from Mangum High School, but she did not attend the banquet since my father was not a member and it was during the depression years. However, for many years we would drive by where the people were gathering for the Banquet. Each year I could hardly wait to admire all the ladies in their long dresses and wearing corsages. I have not missed many banquets in the 65 years since graduation. It is so wonderful to come back and see all the people who graduated from MHS for all the years. We keep in touch many ways and when we travel the world we find MHS graduates almost anywhere we go.”

“At the end of our Senior year, our wonderful class parents fixed a cattle trailer that would accommodate our luggage and a large part of our Senior class. We took off to New Orleans. We spent a week down there and had a wonderful time. We came back through Texas City where there had been a large explosion a couple of months before. Then, we drove on to Galveston and then home.”

“ My grand daughter, Whitney, Class of 1993, was the first 4th generation graduate that had gone to Mangum schools her entire life. I have very fond memories of my years in Mangum schools and continue to make more ‘memories’.”

Pete and Wanda Nunn Stover: They still live in north Mangum. Their son, Ray, manages Pete’s Glass and Upholstery and also keeps track of his folks. Wanda stays busy helping care for Pete who is dealing with health issues.

Eddie Johnson and wife, Melba Powell Johnson Class of 1949, College Station, Texas, attended the Alumni activities in 2011 and probably will be here again this year. He enjoys seeing his brother, Ernie and wife, who come in from Kansas and his brother-in-law, P. A. Walker, who now lives in Mangum.

Jerry Guernsey Norman: Note: This Historian asked Ms. Norman to write for her class and during the process I found this in some old papers from Ms. Norman: “I taught 10 years in Martha and then joined the Mangum faculty. I was a Tiger returned home. My old high school had burned that spring (1962) and ‘my’ Edison was gone but some of ‘my’ teachers were still there including Helen Deaver, Jeanette Snow, Tom Johnson Odie Jones, Emily Hoover, Ben Sorrells, Margarye Wilson, Mabel Doolen, Ima and Ura Foster, Effie Lassiter, Renolee Smith and Roberta Graham. It was a pleasure to be on the teacher side of the desk with them.” Jerry is looking forward to seeing her classmates in May.

Twala Warlick Hunter: Ms. Hunter lives in Mangum and is a good friend to Jerry Norman. This writer met her at Jerry’s house by luck but had very little luck getting her to talk about herself. She is a widow, has four children, and was a Registered Nurse at the Mangum Hospital before she retired in the 1990’s. She has lived in Jal, New Mexico, Kermit and Andrew Texas before settling in Mangum. She was born in Granite and her husband was from Lake Creek. Getting a picture of these two classmates was like walking on nails. But it was worth it.

Steve Snider: We know he’s alive and well because he’s in Mangum visiting some and
talked to Jerry Norman by phone.

Dick Heatly: According to a Mangum Star news article and friends of his late wife, Joye Clabaugh Heatly, Dick is still struggling with Alzheimer’s. A quote from this article from his sons, David and Richard: “One thing we’ll say when he passes is that he’s Sooner-born, Sooner-bred and when he dies will be Sooner-dead. I know he can still say that fight song.”

According to the graduation bulletin sent to me by Marjorie Thompson Starr, this was a very large class consisting of 67 graduates. Some diplomas were given in absentia and three earned GED credits; military duty had called seven of these classmates. Leaders in the class were Mary Sue Greer, Valedictorian and Alyce Burcham was Salutatorian. Clois Bentley served as President; Andrew Olive was Vice-President, Leon Lowry was Secretary-Treasurer, and Charles Goad was the Yell Leader. G. F. Nichols was Principal of the High School and Dr. J. B. Hollis served as President of the Board of Education.

1947
* Deceased

Clois Bentley
Jerry Bob Bex
Louis Boyett
Lee Brady
*Hulen Bryan
*Alice J. Burcham
Meredith Burgess
*Claude Caldwell
*Joyce Clayton
Charles Cox
Bobby Craven
*Richard A. Crisp
*Edward Crow
*Joe A. DeIorio
*Jack Duffy
*John W. Gault
*Charles Goad
*Sony Godwin
Mary S. Greer
*Lowe Gregg
Jerri Guernsey
*Cecil D. Harris
R.C. ‘Dick’ Heatly
*Dell Herron
Dwain A. Howard
Eddie Johnson
John Johnson
*Charles F. Jones
Polly A. Jones
Janice Landess
*Thurman Langley
*Sybil Lockerd
*Leon Lowry
Durward McAlexander
Gale McArthur
*Donald Nichols
Wanda Nunn
*Andrew Olive
Ernestine Parker
*John Parker
Frank Parmer
*Norma Powell
Patsy Powell
Yvonne Pruett
Peggy Rawdon
Donald Renfro
Curtis Riddle
*Bill Roberts
Eunie F. Rush
*Border Shipman
*Lou Smith
*Sue Smith
Steve Snider
*Frank Spruce
Pete Stover
*Travis Stover
*Gene Sullivan
*Jerry Summers
*Robert Talley
Barbara Thompson
Marjorie Thompson
*Bill Tidmore
*Jack Waldrop
*Glen Walker
Twala Warlick
Mary Ellen Welch
Lavon Wheeler
*David Willard

Other members living from whom we are waiting to hear include: Mary Ellen Welch Abrams, Yvonne Pruett Godwin, Mary Sue Greer Lamie, Peggy Rawdon Marshall, Eunie Rush Plover, Jerry Bob Bex Rackley, Polly Jones Smith, Earnestine Parker Thompson, Louis Boyett, Meredith Burgess, Charles Cox, Bobby Craven, John Johnson, Durward McAlexander, Gale McArthur, Frank Parmer, Curtis Riddle and Lavon Wheeler.

Deceased members as of January 2012: Class Parents Roy Doyle and Mattie Doyle-Aday; Edward Crow, Joe Anthony DeIorio, Border Shipman, Lou Smith Duffy, Joyce Clayton McVey, Sybil Lockerd Richardson, Travis Stover, Cecil DeJuan Harris, Bill Tidmore, Jack Duffy, Bill Roberts, Glen Walker, Hulen Bryan, Charles Foster Jones, Thurmen ‘Sonny’ Langley, Don Nichols, Andrew Olive, John Gault, Sony Godwin, Norma Powell Yoder, Sue Smith Holt, Alyce Burcham Fite, Jerry Summers, Jack Waldroop, John Parker, Lowe Gregg, Gene Sullivan, Claude Caldwell, Richard Crisp, Leon Lowery, Charles Goad, Frank Spruce, Robert Talley, David Willard and Dell Herron

Researched and/or edited by Historian, Joy Hall Grant, Class of 1957

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