CLASS OF 1934 IN 2014

CELEBRATING 80 YEARS

The composite lists the 1934 seniors in this order under their picture: Top row, left to right:

June Wicker, David Northcutt, June Dodson, Clay Northcutt, Gladys Earl Fullen, Weaver Creed,

Mary Jo Crittenden, Charles Overbey, Sue Ellen Evans, Ted Johnson; Second row: Nivelton

Tidmore, Mildred Harris, Forrest Wright, Virgil Gilliam, Harris Albert Smith, Wanda Holland,

Floyd Sooy, Margaret Sooy, Earl Presley, LaVerne Johnson Third row: Margaret Singley,

Howard B. Pickard, Mary Louise James, Harper Orth, Geraldine and Maxine McCaleb (twins),

Leroy Akers, Charlene Fluty, Bernard Lowe, Mary Sue Lowe, Matilda Lou Short Fourth row:

Willa Jean Riley, Nola Pearl Sweet, Lois Tidmore Braswell, Gladys Atwood, Ola Smith, Cleo

Ledbetter, Capitola Conrad, Doris Reeves, Lola Pearl Willis, Juanita Barnes Since the year 1934 was in the middle of a drought/depression, there was no Yearbook for this

graduating class. In The Enterpriser, April 12, 2006, Jim Hays wrote about the beginning of

Willow's first real drought. People had little or no money to operate on. Bank closings, dust

storms and no rain left people in distress. Many people loaded up and moved. The first federal

project to help people was the W.P.W. (Works Projects Administration), which employed

workers to build bridges, libraries and many government buildings. The Civilian Conservation

Corps was implemented to help young boys and their families have jobs. Old age assistance

came into focus to help the elderly and disabled. Each state had a service designed to help the

communities get on their feet. Factories sprung up and businesses began to flourish. Hays went

on to say that Oklahoma can promise less and give more than any state, or "it" can promise more

and give less than any state. The Dust Bowl came in 1935 and farmers couldn't see the front of

their tractors; winds were recorded at 45 miles per hour with Zero visibility.

To sum up 1934, times were bleak, families were suffering and Greer County was hurting

economically. However, these pioneers had grit and stayed the race and many lived to tell the

story for years to come. There are many elderly in this area who can still tell the story as they

lived it.

Serving as officers of the MHS Alumni Association in 1934 were: President: Winston Yeager,

Class of 1924; V-President, Bradley Sue Pigg, Class of 1927; Secretary, Florene Lindley, Class

of 1930; Assistant Secretary, Laura Pearl Slaton, Class of 1930, and serving as Treasurer was

Henry "B" James, Class of 1927. Mrs. Charles Evans became an honorary member of the

Alumni Association with the graduation of her fifth child, Sue Ellen Evans.

In 2009, this writer still had contact with the McCaleb twins through a relative; Juanita Barnes

Pitts wrote her own letter, and Margaret Singley Moss was available in Hobart. With the loss of

the twins and Ms. Moss recently, contacts for this class have narrowed considerably.

MHS CLASS OF 1934

*Deceased

** Whereabouts unknown

Leroy Akers*

Gladys Atwood *

Juanita Barnes-Pitts

Bert L. Bratton*

Veda Casey Chandler*

Capitola Conrad Kimball**

Weaver Creed*

Mary Jo Crittenden*

June Dodson*

Sue Ellen Evans Plass*

Charlene Fluty McBride*

Gladys Earl Fullen*

Margaret A. Garrett*

Virgil Gilliam Estes**

Mildred Harris Wright*

Wanda Holland Dorrill**

Mary Louise James*

LaVerne Johnson Garrett**

Julian Ted Johnson*

Cleo Ledbetter Savage*

Bernard Lowe*

Mary Sue Lowe Roark*

Geraldine McCaleb Shultz*

Maxine McCaleb Hill*

Clay Northcutt *

David Northcutt*

Harper Orth*

Charles Overbey, Jr.*

Howard B. Pickard*

Earl Presley*

Doris Reeves Tillery**

Willa Jean Riley**

Matilda Lou Short*

Margaret Singley Moss*

Harris Albert Smith*

Ola Smith-Farmer*

Floyd A. Sooy*

Margaret Sooy Mayfield*

Nola Pearl Sweet Ashmore*

Lois Tidmore-Braswell*

Nivelton Tidmore*

June Wicker*

Lola Pearl Willis Ashmore**

Forrest Wright*

Forrest Wright, long time civic leader in Mangum who died in 2008, wrote at length about his

class; his wife, the late Mildred Harris Wright, was also a graduate of 1934 and a beauty queen at

college. Forrest reminisced about many topics covering nine single-spaced typed pages. What a

wonderful coverage for a class with no yearbook. His writings have been published in the

Mangum Star. Thanks to his daughter, Hayden Wright Harris, I have an original copy. Wish that

all classes would leave their piece of history with this writer.

Some class statistics were: Bert Bratton, president; Margaret Anne Garrett, valedictorian;

Veda Casey, salutatorian; Class sponsors: Mary Hall and Theo Powell; Class parents: Mr. and

Mrs. John Nelson. Football Queen(s) were the McCaleb Twins………….yes, two queens.

Note: We received confirmation January 2014, from Landon Shultz, son of Maxine McCaleb

Shultz (deceased 2010) that his Aunt Geraldine died in 2011. The twins both lived in Abilene,

Texas, at the time of their deaths. Their younger sister passed away also in 2011, in Abilene.

School Board Members: Carl Armstrong, Ray Babb, Darrell Ewing, Victor Wickersham, L. J.

Minor and Revis Ponder. Marion J. Northcutt, referee of the State Supreme Court, was selected

to give the commencement address; he was Class of 1912 and an uncle of two seniors, David and

Clay Northcutt. Rev. C. E. Wilbanks, pastor of the First Baptist Church, gave the baccalaureate

sermon on May 13.

Juanita Barnes Pitts, Sanger, CA., is the only confirmed classmate that is still living through

contact with her daughter, a novelist. They both live in California.

Alumni Officers of the MHS Alumni Association in 1934 were: Winston Yeager, 1924 Grad,

President; Bradley Sue Pigg, V-President; Secretary, Florene Lindley, ’30; Laura Pearl

Slaton, Assistant Secretary and Treasurer was Henry “Bo” James ’27. Mrs. Charles Evans

became an honorary member of the Alumni Association with the graduation of her fifth child,

Sue Ellen Evans.

We appreciate any information or update on members of this class. joy.grant@att.net

Researched and written by Alumni Historian, Joy Hall Grant, Class of 1957.