Presenting the Birmingham School Class of 1906.
Left to Right: Mabel Cook, Elsie Nice [?], Mary Smith, Edith McCloskey, Sarah Chapin, Lucile McGee, Maude Budinger, Ruth Bressler, Norabel Tyson, Elsa Elder, Reba Carskaddon, Eleanor Franciscus, Margaret Klass, Kate Bressler.
I fear I have misread many names. Any corrections will be much appreciated.
“This certifies that Barbara Claycomb a pupil of the Public Schools of this county is especially commended for Punctual and Regular Attendance at School for a period of twenty days and is therefore entitled to receive this Award of Merit.”
In the year that Thelma Peterson was her teacher and Pearl E. Sewell was the county superintendent of schools in Wayne, Nebraska, Aunt Barb received this award September 1927 through April 1928.
The forms (N-200-H) were printed for Lincoln School Supply Company in Lincoln, Nebraska. Each featured a work of art. On the reverse the painting and the artist were described. Aunt Barb’s school was District #14 – a one-room school house with probably a dozen students.
This damaged photo is from a school in Sycamore, Illinois, about 1892. Some names can still be read. And I can see my grandfather, Amos Claycomb, in the second row, 4th from the right. Also on the photo, but not scanned: “Prof A. J. Blanchard” and “Anna Tepson” who might be the teachers.
This is how I see the names:
Third row from top left to right are
1. Ralph Horn
2. Ernest Husberg
3.
4. Eddie Peterson
5. Bert Stroberg
6. Earl Van Galder
7.
8. Mable Hix
9. Diana Harrington
10. Ruth Townsend
Bottom row left to right are
Roy Knights and Cecil Wyman…
Next to last row left to right are
___ Harmes; Max (Mary?) Librant; Bessie
… Hilda Anderson; ___; …Morris, Ethel Chatfield, Fran…
Fred Beckler, …Amos Claycomb [4th from right in 2nd row]
These would be Mom’s (Harriet Duncan’s) school days. From the book she kept: “Memories of My School Days.”
It covers 1927, 1928, and 1929 – the early years from her time at the Normal School and then from DeKalb High School.
There are autographs from friends and from teachers. The teachers at the Normal School were trainees and quite young.
Here are some autographs from teachers and from her younger sister, Barbara.
And then there are the fun verses of the time and mysterious references.
And then the photos. Mom is ‘me’ bottom center and her sister Helen next to her.
This is Jessie Tucker, a friend of my grandmother’s. Grandma kept the photo – she wrote on the back. It says “Jessie Tucker 1903” – this makes me think she was a friend at Birmingham School for Girls in Pennsylvania. The other option is that she was a friend from home, that is, Wayne Nebraska. But Jessie is not part of our family and I’d love to her relatives have this photo. Do you know Jessie?
Mom’s scrapbooks
My brother recently discovered some of Mom’s scrapbooks in his storage room. Neither one of us knew they existed and Mom perhaps thought they had been discarded – they’ve been boxed since at least 1984. She made one for every year, but only a couple survived.
She saved our school records and our artistic masterpieces. So now I have proof that I did get promoted from 7th to 8th grade. The certificate was mimeographed and filled in by hand. And signed by Mr. Whittinghill and Mr. Pruyne.
And I have a record from my beloved first grade teacher, Miss Giddings.
Thanks Mom for saving everything. Wish we had all the scrapbooks she made.
This postcard was sent by my great-grandmother, Mary Ann Sanderson Oakland, to Mrs. Andrew Richolson. They lived in the Lee / Stewart area of Illinois, so perhaps the school pictured is in that area, maybe even DeKalb. With luck, someone familiar with the area will let me know!
Lee 5-20-10 Dear Friend, If the weather is nice, we will go home with you from Sunday school next Sunday. With Love, Your Friend, Mrs. Oakland.
This I Leave 