Thursday, July 31, 2008

BHS "Primer" Kids, 1946-47

-click to enlarge-

This is the primer and first grade children in the school year 1946-47. Quite a few of these stayed and completed high school at Baldwyn. How many do you know?

Photo courtesy of Cynthia Lindley Mink, and she adds that she "borrowed" it from Wallis Nelson about 33 years ago and now wants to make sure he gets it back. Well, Wallis, at least its safe and in good condition! Looks like it has had good care and storage...

Tell Cindy how to get to your home in Foley, Alabama to return it!
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16 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 31, 2008 at 8:50 AM

    Here is some of the kids I recognize..Top Row
    Phylis Herring,,Mary Elevyn, Nancy Carnes, Cynthia,Kay Norman
    Middle Row
    Aubrey Greene,Harold Williams,Tom Shellnut,Jerry Rowan
    Next to bottom row
    Billy Allen
    Bottome row
    Charles Oswalt and me with arm around him..
    Gail Duncan is on here somewhere but I don't see her..Also Stanley Hendrix

    Wallis

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  2. Carl HoustonJuly 31, 2008 at 11:31 AM

    Wallis,
    I have Rachel on top row with doll, Tom Shellnut below her, Jimmy Wallis below him and Herb peeping from behind you.
    Correct me if that is wrong.

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  3. CynthiaJuly 31, 2008 at 4:00 PM

    Wallis, didn't Gail start school in Wheeler?

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  4. AnonymousJuly 31, 2008 at 4:08 PM

    Is that Rachel Rinehart ? standing beside Kay Norman and Betty Smith on the right front row?

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  5. AnonymousJuly 31, 2008 at 5:29 PM

    I found one aspect of this picture very interesting, but puzzling. There are more kids, 31, in this class than the 1953 group, 30, (See Miss Hallie's class below.) I'm a babyboomer, born in 1946, and even my middle name is Dwight! All of the kids in this picture had to have been born just prior to or at the outbreak of WWII. According to the history books, the first of the "baby boom" classes should have been larger than this 1946 group!

    Philip "Dwight" Cooper (Phil)

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  6. AnonymousAugust 1, 2008 at 7:23 AM

    Phil, I think the mass exodus from MS right after WWII had a lot to do with that. I read once that 300,000 people moved from MS to Chicago area in the years following the war and lots came from our area. NE MS had a few people in the car business, store owners, very small farmers, government workers, Mid South Packers, Blue Bell and a couple more plants which paid about 1/3 what you could make up north. You could go to Chicago and immediately have a stable jobs and tons of people left, maybe accounting for the small class sizes. Just a theory.

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  7. AnonymousAugust 1, 2008 at 8:38 AM

    In the early to mid 50's jobs were hard to come by. There were a couple of people in town you could talk to and get a job. you needed a recommendation to get a job if you weren't known.

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  8. DukeAugust 1, 2008 at 9:16 AM

    Well I see me, behind Wallis and the kid he has his arm around

    John Melvin Duke

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  9. AnonymousAugust 1, 2008 at 9:28 AM

    Is that Juanita Heavener behind Wallis?

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  10. AnonymousAugust 1, 2008 at 10:52 AM

    I was there, but probably didn't show up for the picture (maybe, in the First Grade then). Guessing, I was the fellow on the bottom row, far left with his head down and wearing overalls? My birthday was 1/28/40 delaying official enterance until Sept., 1946. I unofficially participated in Primer at Southwest Prentiss. My first week at Baldwyn was spent in the Primer, then moved to the First Grade. Big mystery! Why were some moved up and others in the Primer longer? So many in this picture ended up together in the remaining years of elementary school. One of my neighborhood playmates told me how tough school was (I was 4 at the time); when I was assigned a seat in the First Grade, I sat next to him. Help me, do you remember the names of the teachers in First and Second Grades? Mrs. Shirley, Third, Miss Hortense, Fourth, and (I think) Mrs. Corbett in the Fifth. ...David Heflin

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  11. AnonymousAugust 1, 2008 at 11:11 AM

    Herb Spivey's mom was 1st grade teacher and Ms Bennett was second grade.

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  12. milton copelandAugust 1, 2008 at 5:59 PM

    David, I remember a Miss/Mrs Morgan who I believe taught 1st or 2nd grade at least in 1948/49.

    I had the same problem with my date of birth affecting the year I started. Born Jan 2, 1942 and starting school in Nurnberg, Germany, they made me wait until I was six before starting.

    Once we were back in Baldwyn Mrs. Vandiver allowed me to skip ahead to stay with my age group.

    My younger brother was one of those who didn't get to skip a grade and Mom was told it was due to his being too shy...

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  13. DukeAugust 3, 2008 at 4:59 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  14. MaryAnnAugust 8, 2008 at 8:18 PM

    I remember a Mrs. Vandiver primer-1st.,Mrs.Bryson 2nd, Mrs.Bloodworth 3rd and Mrs.Bates 4th. But I'm a little younger than you. I think this is one of the only times I can say that. David is getting older as we speak. His birthday is this Sunday. Be good and say happy what birthday?

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  15. AnonymousAugust 11, 2008 at 12:02 PM

    Who is Maryann?

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  16. Carl HoustonAugust 22, 2008 at 9:12 PM

    MaryAnn Gentry is David gentry's sister. She lives in the NorthWest. David lives in California.

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