Memories from the Class of '44

Got this email from a Temple alum from the Class of '44.
Mr. Powell:


I'm glad this year's Temple reunion was a great success. I am 81, graduated at Temple High in 1944 and wish I'd made it to the reunion. Our Class of '44 had small reunions on even-numbered years until we dwindled down to a very few, at least of those near enough to this area to attend the get-togethers.

My husband (who was from Spavinaw in NE Oklahoma) was ill the last fourteen years of his life after several CVA's, so was unable to participate in sizeable groups or events of any length. I sort of lost contact with many.

Glad you had a good time and hope to make the next reunion. I visit my sister, Betty, in Temple Manor Nursing Home. She likes to go out for lunch and for rides in the car. I look forward to lunch at the new restaurant in Temple on Tuesday, weather permitting.

I enjoy your E-mail messages.

Thank you,
Billie (Frances Brown) Campbell

Temple Alumni Reunion – November 28, 2009

I am elated about last weeks Temple School Alumni Reunion. Maybe that is because of my 75 years. Maybe it is because I had few responsibilities for this one.

Tried to meet and visit with all 230 present.

The agenda for the day was the usual three hours of visitation in the old school rooms and halls, program in the auditorium, and dinner at the cafeteria. Then we had a reception for classmates of 1951, 1952, 1953 at our Carothers house across the oval from the school.

Present were Ted and Sharon Newsom, J. R. & Marie Glasgow, Mary Jane Parkey, Jean Lowery, Willie Richardson, Webb and Mary Lou Connelly, Alex Seward, Vernie and Sue Henderson, Joe Knox, Pat Satepeahtaw, Clovis Kindred, Virgil King and daughter Dianne Harrison, Coy Richardson, Vonden Richardson, Bill and Merlene Bean, Dean and Florene Henderson, Marilyn Jenkins, Katy Nowlin Green, J. W. and Sue Thompson, Doug Henderson, Bill Hooper, Norris and Vickie Nowlin, Lewis and Ann Burton, Nat Holman and Harold and Lois Powell.

Many reminiscent tales came up. Much comradery and some punch were served. Thanks to all there. Regrets for those not there.
About 8:30 we disbanded. Some went to the Alumni Dance at Walters.
We had the Temple Museum building open 9 to 12 the morning of Temple Alumni Reunion. The dozen alumni that dropped in seemed pleased with the prospects. We will need more support to insure operations.

You and your descendents will be proud of the Museum. Contribution to the Temple Museum Association is tax deductible per IRS Code 501 (c)(3). Note that if you donate appreciated property you will not have to pay tax on the appreciated value nor will the Association.

Harold Powell

Another Version of Fight Song

Hi, Gerald and other Fellow Tigers

Maybe we'll get that song all put together!
I keep remembering fragments--it seems one part was

Beer, beer, for old Temple High
Bring on the whiskey, bring on the rye
-------
Don't let a sober creature in

While our loyal sons are marching
Down to the bar for more

Isn't this fun?

Thanks
Billie Frances (Brown) Campbell

Karan Rae Johnson Lewis, 1938-2009

Karan Rae Johnson Lewis, Temple High Class of 1956, died early Friday morning, November 27, at her home near Hastings. A memorial service will be scheduled early next week at the Methodist Church in Temple. Karan is survived by her husband Tab and sons Kyle and Break Lewis. Karen was 71.

Another Version --Fight Song Lyrics

Frances Brown Campbell sent this comment a couple of weeks ago:

"We never stagger
We never fall
,,,,,,,,,,,,
While our Loyal Tigers
Are marching on to victory!"

Victory after victory!
Great going, Tigers.

(wish I could remember the rest of the words which we sang back in the '40s)
Billie -- Frances Brown Campbell (Temple Class of 1944)

We never stagger,
We never fall,
We sober up on Club 7
Home made alcohol.

--Gerald Jerry Bowles (Temple Class of 1952)

Here is what I remember:

We never stagger
We never fall
We sober up on wood alcohol
Send some freshman out for gin
Don’t let a sober teacher in

--Harold Powell (Class of 1952)

Never Stagger....

The song goes something like this.

We never stagger,
We never fall,
We sober up on Club 7
Home made alcohol.

Enjoy the updates on the football team.
The names of some of the players that make
great plays and some stats would be interesting.

Thanks,

Gerald Jerry Bowles

Cotton County Farm Boys

“Beef” magazine reported that the value of all cattle sold in Cotton County Oklahoma in 2007 was $46,411,000 on 338 farms.

For the information of all those former Cotton County farm boys who have wondered if they should have stayed on the farm: I returned to the farm and once figured that I annually raised wheat and beef sufficient to feed 4000 people for a year. I would be pleased to have $10 from each person fed. Over 30 years I never made that much. Did receive lots of exercise, fresh air, sunshine, wide open spaces and pleasant association with good people.

Harold Powell

From the Class of '52

Called Raymond Elis (Toddy) Nail last week. He is a 1952 classmate. Says he probably will not attend the Temple Alumni Reunion 28 November. Too much going on at home.

Seems Raymond has lived an interesting and productive life since Temple High. Served four years in the Marines. Retired a Los Angeles policeman. After LA he lived in Provo, Utah for ten years where he raised and trained Arabian horses before the move to Texas. He’s been married to the same woman for fifty years. He is active in a singing group that entertains all around. He sang, played guitar and entertained publicly for ten years. He keeps busy now.

I asked if George Neaderhiser getting us (Toddy, Joe Knox, Vonden Richardson and me) to sing as a quartet at Temple Hi influenced his later musical activities. He said maybe so.

I asked him if his being an Oklahoma State Champion high jumper influenced his life. He replied maybe so.

I suggested he write the interesting story of his life. He said he never considered writing. He, like the rest of us, should write our story. We each have a unique history.

Harold Powell

More thanks for Temple football notes

Thanks for doing this. It's been great keeping up with our Tigers! Thanks again! ;)
-Teresa Nunn

Thanks for the game coverage

Another thank you from t_emken:
I would like to say thank you for the scores of the game Though i don't live in Temple, I try to keep up with things.

We Never Stagger

Frances Brown Campbell sent this comment a couple of weeks ago:
"We never stagger
We never fall
,,,,,,,,,,,,
While our Loyal Tigers
Are marching on to victory!"

Victory after victory!
Great going, Tigers.

(wish I could remember the rest of the words which we sang back in the '40s)
Thanks Billie
-- Frances Brown Campbell

Waynoka 48, Temple 14

Friday 13th was a bad night for the Temple Tigers.
Temple played Waynoka at Temple in a First round playoff game.

End of 1st quarter Temple 8 - Waynoka 14.
End of 2nd quarter Temple 14 - Waynoka 28.
End of 3rd quarter Temple 14 - Waynoka 34.
End 0f 4th quarter Temple 14 - Waynoka 48.

Temple ended the season 9 and 2. Last year Temple ended the regular season 6 and 4 with 3 of the loses by the 45 point rule and ended the season with a loss in the semi-final playoff game. Strange year.

Bill

Temple 42, Corn Bible 0

Temple played conference foe Corn Bible Friday, Nov. 6, at Temple.

End of 1st quarter Temple 6 - Corn bible 0.
End of 2nd quarter Temple 12 - Corn bible 0.
End of 3rd quarter Temple 36 - Corn Bible 0.
End of 4th quarter Temple 42 - Corn Bible 0.

The regular season is over and Temple went undefeated in District C-2. The State playoffs start next week and Temple will play either Forgan or Waynoka of Distract C-1 in Temple.

Bill

Temple 56, Grandfield 0

Temple played conference foe Grandfield Oct 30, and it was BAD. Game time was 7:30 and the officials did not get there until 8:45, they went to the wrong town.

End of 1st quarter Temple 36 - Grandfield 0.
Game was called at end of 2nd quarter account MERCY rule.
Temple 56 - Grandfield 0.

Temple will play Corn Bible at Corn Bible next week.

Bill

Temple 48, Duke 0

Temple played conference foe Duke at Temple Friday, October 23.

End of 1st quarter Temple 12 - Duke 0
End of 2nd quarter Temple 20 - Duke 0
Game ended by mercy rule with 2:10 left in 3rd quarter Temple 48 - Duke 0 Next week

Temple will play Grandfield at Grandfield, should be easy game. Grandfield has not won a game this year.

Bill

Reunion: Temple Classes 1957, 1958

Here are pictures from Roger Norman:

Temple 50, Thackerville 30

Temple played conference foe Thackerville at Thackerville on Thursday, October 15, 2009.

End of first quarter Temple 14 - Thackerville 0.
End of 2nd quarter Temple 34 - Thackerville 8.
End of 3rd quarter Temple 36 - Thackerville 22.
End of 4th quarter Temple 50 - Thackerville 30.

Early in 4th quarter Temple 36 - Thackerville 30 but then Temple got untracked and put them away.

Next Friday is homecoming and Temple will play Duke and it should be an easy win.

Bill

Temple Alumni Reunion- 2009

The biennial Tiger reunion happens Saturday November 28, 2009. Alumni President, Richard Glenn says the day’s activities will be much like past reunions. The school will open at 1:00 p.m. Visiting and walking the hall will continue until about 4:00 p.m.

During the visitation the Class of 1949 will meet in a room at the school to celebrate their 60th reunion. Hosts for that class will be Bobby Atchavit and Merlene Rylant Bean. They are looking for addresses for classmates Duane Brown and Connie Goodwin.

The assembly will begin at 4 p.m. in the Auditorium. Richard says that according to Roger Norman the fifty year classes of 1958 and 1959 will entertain during the program. This could be a revelation well worth the trip. After the program dinner will be served at the School Cafeteria.

After the dinner 1951, 1952, 1953 classes and their relatives and friends are invited to a reception at the Carothers–Lemoine–Powell house located across the oval East of the Temple School. Hosts 1951 – Lois Powell, Nadine McClung Gibson, Clovis Crow Kindred, Buddy Jo Hooper; 1952 – Harold Powell, Mary Jane Reece Parkey, Vernie Henderson J. W. Thompson, Willie Henson Richardson, Alex Seward, Charles “Hoot” Gibson; l953 – Mary Lou Powell Connelly, Bobby Waller.

Also meeting after the dinner will be the Classes of 1975, 1976 and 1977 which will meet at the Walters Golf Club House. Hosts for this will be Lana Driskill Spake, Leta Ginn Coates, Melody Bowers Robinson, Pam Long Hooper.

At 8:00-12:00 p.m. the Alumni dance will take place at the Cotton County Expo Center behind the Rodeo Grounds in Walters. Music will be provided by Penni Lawrence Band which plays country and “newer stuff”. Word is that this is a seasoned band recently playing at Lubbock, Texas. Penni is a Comanche, OK native.

Only alumni who paid dues in 2005 or 2007 will receive the Alumni Association reunion letter. If you do not receive a letter but want to attend or receive letter in 2011 you may send dues of $5.00 to P. O. Box 298, Temple, OK 73568. Dinner tickets are $14.00 each and dance tickets $10.00 each.

--Harold Powell

Temple 16, Tipton 8

Temple played conference foe Tipton at Temple Friday, Oct 9.
Both teams had 4-1 records and both teams had 3-0 conference records.
End of 1st quarter Temple 0 - Tipton 8.
End of 2nd quarter Temple 8 - Tipton 8.
End of 3rd quarter Temple 8 - Tipton 8.
End of 4th quarter Temple 16 - Tipton 8.
Temple will play Thackerville next Thursday at Thackerville and it will be another tough game.
--Bill

Temple 54, Cement 6

Temple played Cement at Cement October 2.

End of first quarter Temple 26 Cement 0.
End of second quarter Temple 48 Cement 6.

Gamed ended with about 9:00 minutes left in 3rd quarter by mercy rule Temple 54 Cement 6.

Temple had too much speed for Cement. Next week Temple will play Tipton at Temple and it should be a tough game.

For anyone that may not know, Temple plays 8 man football. 8 man football has a rule called MERCY rule. That means after 2 quarters have been played if a team gets 45 points ahead the game is over.

Bill Ille

Temple 58, Victory Life 8

Temple played conference foe Victory Life Academy, a Christian school at Durant, tonight at Temple.

End of 1st quarter Temple 22 Victory Life 0.
End of 2nd quarter Temple 52 Victory Life 8.
Game ended by mercy rule with 9:21 left in 3rd quarter Temple 58 Victory Life 8.

If you are not familiar with 8 man football there are 5 players on the line and 3 in the backfield. Temple has in the back field 2 sophmores and 1 freshman. They do a good job being so young.

Next week Temple will play at Cement and it should be another easy game.

Bill Ille provided this report from Friday's game. Thanks!

Temple Football versus Mountain View/Gotebo

Bill Ille, Class of 1950 reports on Temple’s home game Friday Sept. 18th.

Temple played conference foe Mountain View/Gotebo at Temple. End of 1st quarter Temple 14 Mountain View 0. End of half Temple 38 Mountain View 12 Game ended by mercy rule 4:14 left in 3rd quarter Temple 60 Mountain View 12.

Temple Football Reporter Wanted

This from Jerry Bowles, Class of 1952, from Alabama:

I have found a web sight that gives the scores of Okla.
High Schools football games. It looks like Temple has good
team this year. Is there any chance that someone could report
on the games and put a brief summary of the games and results
on Harold's Temple web site?

Class C
1. Shattuck (1)#2-0
2. Timberlake (2)#2-0
3. Seiling (3)#2-0
4. Temple (4)#1-1
5. Thackerville (7)#1-1 Beat Duke, lost to Fox
6. Covington-Douglas (6)#0-2 Lost to Seiling (12),lost to Garber
7. Deer Creek-Lamont (8)#2-0 Beat Braman, beat Waukomis
8. Corn Bible (9)#2-0 Beat Victory Life, Beat Merritt
9. Waynoka (10)#2-0 Beat Sharon-Mutual, Beat Braman
10. Forgan (NR)#1-1

The top four spots all remain the same as they all win, including Temple, who beat Class B ranked Alex after losing to Ryan last week.

Temple Tour: B&O Cash Store

Penni Lawrence Band to Entertain Temple Alumni

I received this notice from Richard Glenn, president of the Temple Alumni. He asked us to share this information about special entertainment planned for the 2009 Temple Alumni gathering with with as many alums as we could reach. Please pass it on! -- Harold Powell


The Penni Lawrence Band will perform for the Temple Alumni at Cotton County Expo Center, Walters, Oklahoma (behind the rodeo grounds) from 8 to 12 p.m. on November 28, 2009.

Penni Lawrence has been performing for live audiences all over the U.S. since she was 3 years old. She started performing on her father's country music show, The Union Mill Opry, based in northwest Missouri. In 1986, the show turned into a weekly televised program in their regional area. Penni has performed at various state fairs and festivals, conventions, private parties, and competitions throughout the U.S.

Penni is a 3-time state finalist in the national talent competition, the Colgate Country Showdown, and also was the 2006 winner of the West Texas Relay Idol competition. Penni formed her own band in 2006. Her band members include some of the best musicians you will find anywhere. This band has a refined level of talent that will simply exceed an audience's expectations - this added to the fact that 4 of the 5 band members sing lead vocals, making their versatility reflect a rare ability to showcase a broad range of classic & traditional country hits - along with performing your favorite classic rock tunes. Penni's standout vocals as the lead singer are only exceeded by the exceptional musicianship in each of her band members.

Penni has recently opened shows for artists such as Tim McGraw, Lee Greenwood, Bryan White, Charlie Robison, Rick Trevino and Gene Watson.

In June 2009, Penni independently released her highly-anticipated debut CD, appropriately titled "It's About Time". Penni is currently involved in establishing her presence in the southwest Oklahoma area while performing with her band in the Texas/Oklahoma region to promote her new CD.

The Snake and The Rat

Daughter, Beth, and three grandchildren from Falls Church, Virginia, visited the Powell farm last week. Both planned and not planned farm experiences happened during their visit. Eleven-year-old Cole told of one of them in a note left on grandmother’s typewriter.

“Good morning everybody. Today is Thursday, August 27, 2009. I am typing this in Temple, Oklahoma. A few days ago my Granddad caught a rat in a trap. He was going to show me the rat today, but when we got to the trap we saw a snake with a bulge in its belly where the rat was. The snake was able to slide into the trap and eat the rat, but when he ate the rat he was too big to get back out of the trap. My granddaddy then told a story about a wolf who got into an orchard through a hole and ate all of the apples but was then too big to get back out.”

The postscript to the story is in the photo above. The next time we visited the snake, he had spit out the dead and stretched rat and escaped through the holes in the trap on an empty stomach.

Harold

Temple News

Temple will soon have a fancy western style restaurant courtesy of Bobby Hale and son, Robert. The restaurant will occupy the downtown open space created by the Town’s demolition of the Lodge building. The restaurant to be named “Rocking H” will occupy about 6000 square feet. Opening date has not been set. However construction has been going at a fast pace.

Fritz Burrow with son Travis James has set up a Machinist Shop next door south of Rocking H. Fritz is renovating and improving the building and has installed machinery. He is aiming for government contracts.

T.H. Rogers Lumber Yard has set stakes for start of office building to replace one that burned a few months ago.

--Harold Powell

Bring A Dime

This from J. R. Glasgow, class of 1952:

I have sent this poem out which was written by one of my internet friends. I can relate to this. Growing up in Temple during the 30’s and 40’s and coming from a low income and big family. A dime was hard to come by then. Eight of us children and my grandmother lived with us. While growing up I thought I was worse off than others but talking with people at the Temple alumni reunions I have found that a lot felt the same way. Most remember the wife going with husband to pick out feed and flour to get the right sack to make dresses and shirts out of.

Bring a Dime
The tattery girl with hungry brown eyes,
Sits on the edge but she never cries,,
Watching and wanting and always alone,,
Wondering what life will be like when she's grown.

Bring a dime and pay your own way,
One whole dime to brighten your day,,
Candy or soda, a book or a toy,
One big dime buys so much joy.

Bring a dime, Oh! So much money,
If only she had one, life would be sunny,,
Bubble gum, jawbreakers, strawberry pop,
All for herself to the very last drop.

"Bring a dime and be part of the group,"
The leader said to the girl scout troop,,
The little girls smiled and stepped up to pay,
A whole big dime! Her dream fell away.

The tattery girl crept out thru the door,
She knew she would not come back anymore,,
So much money to be a girl scout,
One more thing she would live without.

Now she is old and has many dollars,
Nice clothes to wear and fur on her collars,,
But never quite able to find that dime,
She needed so much in that long ago time.
Mary June Christensen
I have not made the many dollar yet but am not too bad off. I started with nothing and still have most of it. My internet is paid up and that is where lots of my friends live.

John (J.R.) Glasgow, Class of 1952

J. R.
About your memory and Mary June Christensen’s poem of growing up poor. I remember a Christmas day when I was about five. We lived in a two room house with path in north Temple. I was walking across town to my grandmother’s house. At a house where I thought rich people lived I saw a boy my age riding a new shiny tricycle. I thought that I wanted to someday have a tricycle like that.

Another incident about then but on a hot summer day I was walking to town when at the back yard of the Mooney house I heard laughter and splashing in the back yard. I peeked through the picket fence and saw a bunch of kids in a swimming pool. I thought how wonderful it would be to swim in a real swimming pool.

You and I had one big thing in common. Our dads always had a job. They were workers. They were good examples for us.

Harold

Jerry Bowles was my pal and classmate during our days growing up in Temple. His mom was Lulu Maxwell Bowles. She raised six good kids. Jerry has written other poetry. I think the “Ode to Mom” is one of his best. Thanks Jerry! --Harold Powell.

I was out in the yard this afternoon watering my flowers and this poem came to mind. I thought you might enjoy reading it. I wrote it in 1992.

--Jerry, July 22, 2009 Eclectic, Alabama on Lake Martin.

GO WATER THE FLOWERS

One of my most fond memories of growing up was listening to Mama sing. Mama always had a yard full of flowers. She seemed to be happiest when she was watering her plants and singing. It wasn’t really singing because there were no words. Maybe humming, but more. The notes came clear and beautiful as if from some unknown musical instrument.

Many times I would go outside to find Mama quiet and working in the flower beds. She would be down on her hands and knees talking, digging, and throwing weeds every which way. I never bothered her or asked her who she was talking to. After a good digging, she would water the flowers and make her joyful melody.

After I grew up, left home, and started a family of my own, the problems of living became a reality.Then I understood what Mama was doing. She was down on her knees in the dirt, talking to God and casting her burdens aside.

I’m older now and the years have passed me by. I’ve had many burdens along the way, but God never promised that life would be easy. I know that God’s and Mama’s love are always there to see me through. Sometimes I get down on my knees in my flower beds. I dig in the dirt, throw out weeds in my life, and talk things out because I know that’s what Mama would do.

Mr. Hand

I remember a Mr. Hand who was the grade school principal when I was in first grade ('46-'47). I don't remember if he remained principal after my first year though. I do remember him coming around to classrooms to make announcements. He seemed to be an intimidating figure to us little guys.
-- Bill Dobbs

In Memory of Dad

Here is something I wrote about my dad, Dewey Keck. Since it is Father's Day Weekend, I wanted to share it in his memory.

My dad, Dewey (no middle name) Keck was born Jan. 12th, 1912. We all know the biggest news of that year was the sinking of the Titantic in April, but I am sure that my grandparents' lives were far and away different from those who traveled on that fateful voyage. Dad was born in a dugout house during a bad ice and snow storm to Mollie (Mary Francine) Grove and Olloway Wm. Keck. They had just moved their 2 other sons (Bonnie and Tinker) up to Carter County, Okla., from Nocona, Texas. They traveled in wagons pulled by Mr. Keck's team of mules. A cowboy who, in his youth, rode the Chisolm Trail, my grandfather took his family up to the Oklahoma oil boom area of Wirt (Ragtown), Okla., to find work. He used his teams of mules to move dirt for roads and dikes in those oil fields where slush pits were dug and foundations for the large tanks that held the crude were being built. Mollie was expecting my dad when they crossed the Red River and made their way to their new life.

Mules and Jennys (half mule-half horse) played a large role in my dad and his brothers childhood. Bonnie and Tinker hauled water with their Jennys and sold it to the neighbors in the community. As Dad grew up, he played all over the country and along a creek that ran near the place that the family moved to from the temporary home in the dugout. His Jenny was named, Ole Blue. As was the custom, these Jennys ran free all over the countryside and kids from the area would round them up and ride them and set them loose and then another group of kids would catch them and ride them for a time. After Dad grew older, he ultimately lost track of Ole Blue, until one day a wagon pulled up belonging to an old man that sold odds and ends to the country folk. They called him the old junker.

Suddenly, Dad recognized Old Blue in the team of Jennys pulling the old junker's wagon. He rushed out to see him and found that Ole Blue was not the healthy Jenny he had played with for so many years. He had been beaten and only had one eye and held numerous scars around his head and neck. Dad lost his temper and started yelling at the old junker and all the while started unharnessing Ole Blue. He could not bear to see his old childhood friend in that condition. But my grandfather (The Old Man) stopped him and told him that Ole Blue belonged to the junker now and that Dad had to let him go. Dad told me that watching the junker ride off with Ole Blue was the hardest thing he had ever had to do.

This is a poem I wrote about Dad and Ole Blue.

OLE BLUE

The Old Man lead the Jennys across the path towards the orchard.

The two were jumpy and wild-eyed
New to the place,
A mare and her colt.

The mare became by brother's and the colt was given to me.

I named him, "Ole Blue".

I suppose we were well matched,
Leggy and sprite,
Running wild in the country,

Loners in a crowd.

Together, we played out the old cowboy stories

Told by the Old Man
Leaned back in his chair
On winter nights in the front room.

No one really ever owned Ole Blue
True to his spirit,
Me lying the the dust at his feet.

But we had that understanding.

Time made that understanding binding, as we grew sleek and tall.

Kindly remembering the races,
Running madly through the thickets
To drink finally the cold spring water.

Each of us had our own paths to trod
Inroads to wander,
Pains to endure.

Only to meet once again and embrace for a moment.

Sweet touch of childhood melting,

And I watched you ride away.

By: Vickie Keck Nowlin

Dad died April 1st, 2001. I love you Dad....Happy Father's Day!!
Your "Sweetheart of the Hills", Vickie Sue

Vencil Not Hand

Vera Sue Wilson Golden wrote: Yes – I made a mistake. It was Mrs. Vencil. I had a senior moment. I knew a Mrs. Hand from some other place. Sorry folks!!! Forgive me?I have heard from others. That proves that some are reading and checking.

Temple School Reunion Planning

Temple School Alumni Association officers met Thursday to kick off planning for the biannual reunion coming Saturday November 28th. Attending the meeting: Richard Glenn, president of the Association, Joy Monroe Glenn. VP; Dana Allen McIlhaney, secretary; Sally Campbell Eckhardt, treasurer; Lois Lewis Powell, membership and Harold Powell, past president.

After discussion of various suggestions for changing the day of the reunion, decision was made to poll alumni to determine future reunion days.

Decided was that the reunion format will be similar to past years. Committees will be formed for the various tasks to be done. Decision was made to appoint younger management for the dance. The Temple Chamber of Commerce has volunteered to cater the dinner. A letter will be sent to the Alumni mailing list early in October.

--Harold Powell

Mrs. Hand

Annette Waller Keeter, class of 1956, had a coment about teachers in Temple School:

Sue Golden Wilson said Mrs. Hand read us stories in the sixth grade. I thought it was Mrs. Vencil. I can't imagine Mrs. Vencil turning over her class to someone else.. I looked in the 1950 year book and there is no Mrs. Hand that is in there under the faculty. Any other classmates remember Mrs. Hand?
--Harold Powell

Lewises Host Brick Swap

Tab and Karan Lewis were hosts for an International Brick Collectors Swap Meet at their farm home June 6th. About 100 brick collectors from as far as Florida, California and New York showed up and enjoyed camaraderie and brick trading. The weather and the turnout were perfect. Brick Association members meet a few times annually to trade named bricks. Tab is a past president of the Association and has a large alphabetized collection.

It is a heavy hobby.

--Harold Powell

Business Update: Fire Destroys T.H. Rogers; Dairyland Re-Opens; NewGreenhouse

T.H. Rogers, a long term Temple lumber business suffered a major fire about 2:00 am Tuesday morning, June 9. The business and sales building was totally burned. Quick action by the Temple Fire Department kept the flames off other structures. Manager Micah Lipscomb said that fire inspectors believe the fire was caused by electrical short somewhere in the attic. Micah also said that T.H. Rogers will rebuild.
Other community building losses the past two years are the Lodge building and the Sands Motel. The Lodge building was demolished leaving an open space downtown. The Sands remains a burned out ruin.
The Dairyland restaurant recently reopened. Hopefully it will make a go. The town needs it for food service, tax revenue and jobs.
A new business in town is Wayne Daniels watermelon and cantaloupe producer. Wayne has set out thousands of watermelons and cantaloupe plants on Red River and Cache Creek property. He has purchased the Auto Dealership property northeast of town and set up a green house where he sprouts his plants. The building will be warehouse and distribution center for the produce. Wife Tonya sells plants out of the facility.
--Harold POwell

Memorial Day Ceremony

Thanks to Jack Jackson and Larry Taylor, a Memorial Day ceremony took place at the Temple Cemetery on May 25th. Among the thirty attending were Odessa Grant and sister, Betty Roland. They came from California and were delighted to see the old hometown. Debria Schuler says they and others were in town to attend a reunion of descendants of Howard Turner. Lisa Metcalfe sang the National Anthem beautifully. Guest speaker for the event was LTC (Ret) Paul Metcalfe. A roll call was done of the living WWII veterans in the community: Tuffy Casteel, Jack McGee, Glen McCluskey, Carl Fletcher, Louie Riddles, Grady Cosden, Wesley Bowles, Louis McGee and James Harden.

--Harold Powell

Indian Tale

This story from Frances Jean Nowlin Brubaker, Class of 1952:

My grandparents bought land in what was known as “Big Pasture” down on Red River and moved to Cotton County about 1906.

Mary Catherine Gann Nowlin was born in Brown County, Texas on April 3, 1860. She departed this life July 8, 1959 in Cotton County, Oklahoma. She married James Calvin Nowlin in 1876. He was born in Alabama on October 15, 1850, and died October 14, 1922 in Cotton County, Oklahoma. Our Dad, Rufus Eugene Nowlin, was next to the youngest in this family of five children who lived to be grown. He had three older sisters: Margaret, Ruth and Nancy and a younger sister was Audrey.

MY grandmother opened my imagination with stories of her life and childhood. The following is an event that took place during my grandmother’s first year of school.

The setting was rural Texas in 1866. Buffalo herds roamed the plains of Texas and wild Indians raided and killed settlers coming to the area. These would have been Comanche and Apache Indian tribes. Men from this part of Texas did not have to serve in the Civil War for they were needed at home to protect their families.

This was a one room school situated near a stream. Probably located in as central an area as they could manage for the children who were to attend. My grandmother and her older brother walked several miles to school. This particular day my grandmother’s brother was sick and her mother wouldn’t let her walk this distance alone to school.

Some child in the classroom spotted two horse back riders in the distance. Soon the entire classroom was aware of the approaching riders. It was apparent these riders were headed for the school. The classroom was a stir! The children were restless and pointing. In vain, the teacher was trying to maintain order until she saw these two horsemen were Indians. Quickly she went to the little window at the back of the room and frantically began helping the children out with instructions for them to hide in the brush down by the stream. When these two Indian men came through the door the teacher and two children, a boy and a girl, stood petrified with fear at the back of the room. The young teacher put her hand to her chest and begged them not to kill her. As soon as the first arrow pierced her body she became enraged, and began be meaning these two Indians. She would not flinch nor fall, but continued to rage verbally at them until they killed her. Possibly she may have wanted to divert their attention from those children who had escaped hoping to give them time to hide.

This brutal scene took place in the presence of the children who did not have time to escape. The Indians motioned for these two children to go outside with them. They then patted their horses for them to get on their horses. –A TEACHER KILLED AND A BOY AND A GIRL STOLEN BY THE INDIANS--.

When they found the teacher lying on the floor of the little school room she was full of arrows. They did not try to remove them, but cut the arrows off to bury her.

The children who escaped stayed hid out until late evening. News as to what had happened began to trickle through the area. The tragic event ended school for that year.

Several years later some settlers traveling through the country bought this white boy from the Indians for a sack of flour. The Indians said he was a bad boy. The boy would show people scars on his lets below his knees where the Indians stuck feathers beneath the skin and set the feathers on fire. The Indians did this because he tried to run away.

Evidently, this account is recorded. In the summer of 1966, while visiting my parents in southern Oklahoma I came across an article in the Wichita Falls, Texas newspaper written by Jack Kemp. The title was “Just a Hundred Years Ago”. The article told how children collected pennies to buy a headstone for their teacher who had been killed by the Indians.

I tried to tell the story as near as I could to the way my grandmother told us.

Frances Jean Nowlin Brubaker, Class of 1952.

A "Book" for Graduates

Mrs. Blackburn was class sponsor for my senior year at Temple High (1951). She and her husband, John, went on the senior trip with us. Later she taught speech at Walters.

Harold mentioned she introduced him to poetry. She published a book of poetry, “PONDER…ings” in 1974. Below is a poem from the book which is aimed at new graduates.

“Seniors"
School is like a book!
It has a hard durable cover.
There is much reading matter involved.
Inside there are many characters, main and minor,
Good and bad?
There are many events from beginning to end.
There are crises---
And a climax!
Sometimes
The characters laugh;
Sometimes
The characters cry.
We mustn’t forget the introduction
And we CAN’T forget the END.
The twelve years are like twelve chapters.
Memories of those
Will be part of us
Forever!
Yes,
School is like a book,
And now
YOU have finished it!

By – Ella Mae Blackburn”

Copied by Lois Lewis Powell. Class of 1951

Billie (Frances Brown) Campbell, a 1944 graduate of Temple High, responded to the posts about Temple teachers:

I only attended THS from 9th through 12th grades, as we lived north of town near Pioneer school, which provided grades from Primary through 8th grade. The teachers I remember most vividly are Miss Christine Simpson (English) and Mr. Jarrett, who taught one semester of Psychology (his main duties were those of either Principal or Superintendent). Miss Simpson never scolded or even raised her voice, but there was complete quiet and order in her class. I came away from those two teachers with a love for words and for language, and with a fascination for human behavior, the latter of which became the basis for my career as a psychotherapist after some years of work at OU.

Two other teachers I remember were Mr. Robert Mastin
(coach, who made no secret of the fact that he hated being required to teach girls' physical ed) and Ms. Burright (sp?) who taught vocal music and who once embarrassed Mr. Mastin by composing and having us sing a response to his favorite song, "Bicycle Built for Two". It went something like this: "Bobby, Bobby, here is my answer true: I'm half crazy, all for the love of you; But we'd better postpone the marriage, since we can't afford a carriage, For I'll be hanged, if I'll be banged on a bicycle built for two."

Ah! Weren't those the days?!!

Bill Dobbs remembers

After reading the posts about teachers, Bill Dobbs wrote me about his memories of teachers over 60 years:

Memories of a first grader

It was the fall of 1946 when I started school. I was 6 years old and fresh off the farm. On my first day of school, I remember being assigned to Mrs. Wanda Johnson’s room where we all took our seats. I was seated toward the back and I was astounded to see a little white haired girl sitting several seats in front of me. Mrs. Johnson called our names and we each approached her desk where she gave us a page from a tablet. I think that the exercise was to put names and faces together. I then learned that the little white haired girl was Jeannie Cooper who would be a friend through 12 years in Temple and through college and beyond. Jeannie was not white haired at all but just about as blond as one could get. But once again, it was my first day of school, what did I know?

Mrs. Johnson’s class was too large, so an overflow (first and second grade) class taught by Mrs. Wilkins was created and that is where I was assigned. Our classroom was the one just to the south of the back of the auditorium, just up the hall from the girl’s restroom. In Mrs. Wilkins class, I met many friends for life.

I remember first seeing Roger Norman in class and was very intrigued to see that he was wearing short pants. This was quite novel to me since my fashion world was centered on blue roundhouse farmer overalls.

In the first grade, one not only learns academically but also learns the rules and customs of school. One of the terms used, if a restroom trip was necessary, was to ask the teacher, “May I go to the basement?” Where did such a term come from? Years later, I learned that the old school building that had not been around for about ten years had the restrooms in the basement. It’s funny how such a term can take on a life of its own. I think the phrase did go away after two or three years though.

In 1946, the cafeteria had not yet been built. For those who brought lunch, we would have it in the large sixth grade room at the south end of the building. I can still remember the great diversity of smells that came from the room as lunch boxes were opened. To a first grader, the sixth grade desks seemed enormous. Usually, two first graders could sit at one desk eating lunch with feet not touching the floor.

During my first year of school, I rode the bus driven by Harry Bizzell. One morning my mother fixed my lunch and packed it in a brown paper bag. She also filled a pint fruit jar with milk and placed it in the bag as well. On that particular day, I was riding on the front seat of the bus by the door. As we proceeded to school, the bus made a sudden stop and the lunch jumped from my lap and onto the floor. The jar of milk broke and ruined my lunch. Later that day at lunch time, Harry came to my classroom and took me downtown and bought me my lunch. Such a simple act of kindness and thoughtfulness can be remembered for a long time.

Being fresh off the farm, I had not attended kindergarten and of course learning to read was a big deal. Years later my Dad would tell how I would sit in his lap learning to read and at times would cry from frustration. The reading program used was “The Friendly Village” series and it was used through the fourth or fifth grade. The characters in the series were Alice and Jerry and their dog Jip. Mr. Carl was their mentor. I think that he was a cobbler. I have had phrases burned in my memory such as, “See Jerry run. Run Jerry run. Run, run, run!”

Mrs. Wilkins set up a little woodworking shop at the back of our classroom. It had a workbench and some simple hand tools. There she taught us how to do some woodworking. I remember making an elephant pull toy. Little diversions from the everyday drudgery of writing in penmanship books were a pleasure. Even passing the wastebasket, sharpening a pencil or dusting erasers helped to break the monotony.

Temple HS Reunion

John (J.R.) Glasgow is the keeper of e-mail list for Temple Alumni. If you are not on his list send us an email with your name, including maiden if applicable, and class year, and I'll pass it on.

Some alumni have proposed changing reunion from Saturday after Thanksgiving to Friday.
WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOUR COMMENTS! Post them by commenting on this blog or write to me, and we will submit them to current alumni president, Richard Glenn, for consideration.

Renee Gower, class of 1967, was the latest alum to weigh in on changing the reunion date:
I know that Glenda Canary wrote to you about changing the date for the Alumni get together to a time when it's not a holiday. I actually wrote that to Glenda and she copied it and sent it on to you. I've felt for a long time that we should change the date. When this tradition was started many had family in Temple but that is not the case now. They've moved out of the area and they spend Thanksgiving with their families and will never come to Temple on Thanksgiving. I strongly believe that if this reunion was held at another time of the year the attendance would improve.


-- Harold & Lois Powell

Teacher Tribute

As a student in Temple School in the 1940s, I never dreamed that sixty years later I would pay tribute to my teachers.

In first grade Miss Bowles was stern and no student would dare cross her. She taught respect for teachers. Miss Woods read to my second grade class daily after lunch. She taught that reading was fun. Ester Powell promoted me to fourth grade even though I didn’t know arithmetic (a result of California schooling most of that year). She spared me the humility of failing. Elizabeth Hooper’s geography lessons opened my mind to other cultures. Mrs. Vencill’s 6th grade class was a no nonsense experience. Erma Dawson demonstrated patience and caring from which I learned some of the same. Miss McClarty got us singing, and I’ve never stopped. Mrs. Blackburn led us into poetry, some of which I often remember. Pa Price taught Math and inadvertently storytelling. Mrs. Kennedy made us diagram sentences day after day. From that I gained knowledge of sentence structure which helped me through college and an Army career. Mrs. Hickerson taught speech and helped get me out of my shyness. Lewis Knight taught Agriculture. Looking back I can see that he was amazingly tolerant of the pranks of the boys in his classes. I know for a fact that most of those boys have turned out to be good men. Some have apologized to him for their behavior and others would like to apologize. Lewis a 1939 Temple grad attended the Tiger reunion and seems unscathed by our indiscreet behavior. I think he is a fine man and I know past students love him for his patience and kindness.

Athletic coaches were a big influence too. James Taylor was a great teacher. His example gave me the idea to go to college to become a football coach. (I was sidetracked from coaching by a military obligation that turned out OK.) It is a truth: Teachers make a difference in our lives.

(This is reprinted from my Kernels from Temple column in the Walters Herold in January 2006.) --Harold Powell

You smell . . .

If you only read this blog in email, you may have missed this comment on the blog from Ed Deutschendorf:

I really enjoyed reading Kathy's recollections of Mrs. Mae Blair. I was extremely afraid of her. Being in the 7th grade, new to junior high, I was pretty insecure anyway, and then to have Mrs. Blair as a teacher really got me going.

My sister, Kerry, loves to tell this story about Mrs. Blair, but I have to give a little background that she leaves out.

In 1970 I was in the 5th grade. I was firmly entrenched in the Temple school system having moved to Temple half way through my 3rd grade year. During that 5th grade year a new kid moved in; his name was Eric Claunch. I hope I am spelling his last name correctly. Eric was a very outgoing kid and a tremendous athlete. We played football together in the 6th and 7th grades. He reminded me a lot of Brett Gunn. He would have been a tremendous asset to our football team, but he moved away shortly after we entered junior high.

Eric would do or say anything. He even had the nerve to flirt with the older 6th grade girls, and he was the new kid. Wow! He always had that look that made you wonder what was coming next, and something was always coming. I am not sure if split classes (mixed grades in the same class) were unique to Temple, but I was in several. Mrs. Blair's class was one of them. Some of my 7th grade classmates shared her classroom with some of the 8th graders. Eric Claunch was in that class. We probably didn't get into any more trouble than any other class, but Eric seemed to push the envelope in any class.

I believe Mrs. Blair knew she had to stay ahead of Eric to keep him in line, and I think she did for the most part. You didn't get much past her. That is the background.On one particular day, we had a memorization assignment of some sort in Mrs. Blair's class.

The way I remember it, prior to class beginning on that day, it seemed we were all intent on the final prep for the assignment. In other words, there wasn't the normal chatter before class. Mrs. Blair was at her desk, completely in control as always, and Eric walked into class. Eric had his hands behind his back, and he gave the whole class this look that said, "Watch this!" The beauty of the whole thing was that we had no idea what he had planned.

Eric walked up to Mrs. Blair and the coversation went something like this:

Eric : "Mrs. Blair."

Mrs. Blair : "Yes, Eric."

Eric : "You smell....(long pause)"

When he said that, the entire class gasped audibly; we thought the world was going to end right then and there. You could physically sense the fear in that room. We all knew Eric was toast, but we feared that Mrs. Blair would find a way to implicate the whole class. After the pause, a long pause mind you, he said, "...like a rose.", and he gave her a rose that he had been hiding behind his back.

The class came unglued. I am not sure her class was ever the same after that. I would love to have known what she thought that day. She never mentioned it. Being the astute 7th grader that I was, I do believe she saw Eric in a different light after that. You would actually catch her smiling at something he said or did from time to time after that. Maybe she did appreciate a good joke.

Teachers Remembered

Pat Lyford Wrote:
I began thinking of the teacher's in my four years at Temple High. Mrs. Washington in the Library with blue hair, sometimes purple. Mrs Lowe, who taught us more than college kids get now in the English and public speaking world. Mrs. Kerr, who taught us typing and bookkeeping (can never remember how to spell that); James Dean, the band director who followed Alfred Montain. Mr Miller was an extremely good math teacher. Did Mrs. Miller teach home economics? Didn't we have a Mrs Blackburn, a tiny little woman with jet black hair. Of course, how could we leave out J.D. Lynch. I also remember a young male teacher who taught physics I think, Mr Risen(sp?) who blushed every time the girls would go to his desk to ask a question. What about Herb Hickerson and Mr. Groenwald (sp?) And the strange science teacher, who kicked me out of physics for misbehaving. I guess Mr. Risen taught Geometry. I'm sure there were many more, but those seem to have stuck in my mind.

Missing Emails

This was misdirected to a spam folder a couple of weeks ago and I just found it:
"HI HAROLD--THIS IS DALE MOORE--ENJOYED THE POEM FROM DORTHY BRIDGES--HER HUSBAND RAYMOND ILLE WAS MY BEST FRIEND IN HIGH SCHOOL--LOST CONTACT WITH THEM."
Dale is anticipating the 60th reunion of the class of 1949. He's living in Costa Rica. He wants to know if the class is planning anything special.

And another missing email, commenting on the movie poster: Yes, Roger, I do remember that movie. I rarely missed a Sunday afternoon "technicolor" film. If you want to read about it and the plot...just type in your browser "The Greatest Show on Earth" by Cecil B. DeMille. The movie came out in l952. This reply is from your wife's first cousin, Martha "Jean" Wall Griffith.

Plane Crash Remembered

From Jerry Bowles: I remember the plane crash. Like Harold, I walked out to the site and saw the indentation of the body in the ground. The plane was on fire and was a Air Force twin engine B26 light/medium bomber. I wouldn't swear that this is true, but that's how I remember it.

Plane Crash and Sixth Grade Teachers

Roger, I think it was a US Air Force plane.  Not sure where it was based.

Sue, I didn’t have Mrs. Hand in sixth grade.  I had Mrs. Vencil.  She was stern, all business, didn’t read to us.  But I did read “The Secret Garden” and remember bits of it yet.  It was my reading year: Bobbsey Twins, Girl of the Limber Lost, two or three books about the great snowy north and several about a boy inventor and mystery solver.

 

 

Temple Teachers; B & O Santa

Lucy Jarrett Davis wrote:
I grew up in Temple town in the thirties and forties, a thriving small town where everybody knew everybody else. A wonderful place to call home. My granddad was Santa Claus for several years in the old B & O Department store, upstairs, right next to where Dr. McKinney had his office. My Uncle “Dude” was teacher, Principal, Superintendant of Temple High School, I’m sure many of you remember him fondly , some not so fondly. I am very proud to say that my favorite teacher was the dearly loved Miss Ermal Dawson. What a lovely, caring person she was. I didn’t get to graduate in Temple, but had I been able to it would have been with class of ’49. My parents moved us to the Panhandle of Texas at the start of my Junior year.

'40s Plane Crash Near Temple

Harold, do we know any more about it. Was it a military plane from Sheppard or from Ft. Sill? Was it reported in the Tribune?

Roger

Reunion Change

Roger Norman says he agree's with Vickie's proposal to change the Reunion date to Friday.

Mrs. Hand and The Secret Garden

Sue Wilson Golden wrote:
I have lots of memories of being in school in Temple from the first grade on. One of my favorite times was in the sixth grade when Mrs. Hand would read to us after lunch. It was always a continued story and I looked forward to each day. She read “The Secret Garden” and it was my favorite. I loved it. Do any of you (those that graduated in 1956) remember that?

Temple Teachers ...

I am sure many Temple graduates have fond memories of the teachers they had over the years. I saw Suzy Blair's name mentioned on your blog. I just had to add, Mrs. Mae Blair was probably the most disciplined, effective teacher I ever had. I was actually rather scared of her. I never wanted her to have to correct me; I could hardly stand it when she did. When she looked at you with a disapproving eye, it was the same sick feeling I had when my mother did the same.

Mrs. Blair had a routine for each day and she drilled us on skills that I use to this day. I remember her daughter, Suzy, was named Teacher of the Year--I think, in Oklahoma--but I can not imagine she was any better teacher than her mother. As far as teachers and administrators go, the years I was in Temple schools, most of them were grade A. Would others want to contribute their special memories of the staff at dear ole Temple?

--Kathy Frusher

Reunion Date

I am sure many Temple graduates have fond memories of the teachers they had over the years. I saw Suzy Blair's name mentioned on your blog. I just had to add, Mrs. Mae Blair was probably the most disciplined, effective teacher I ever had. I was actually rather scared of her. I never wanted her to have to correct me; I could hardly stand it when she did. When she looked at you with a disapproving eye, it was the same sick feeling I had when my mother did the same.

Mrs. Blair had a routine for each day and she drilled us on skills that I use to this day. I remember her daughter, Suzy, was named Teacher of the Year--I think, in Oklahoma--but I can not imagine she was any better teacher than her mother. As far as teachers and administrators go, the years I was in Temple schools, most of them were grade A. Would others want to contribute their special memories of the staff at dear ole Temple?--Kathy Frusher

1948 Plane Crash Remembered

I remember the plane crash southeast of Temple. I believe it happened in early August 1948. The day was hot. I was a high school freshman. Mike Richardson and I were riding our bikes to football practice when someone told us a plane had crashed southeast of town. We rode to the site, about two hundred yards past the railroad tracks. The bodies had been removed. We saw the impact where one of the airmen had landed in the ditch beside the railroad track. Coach George Woodruff made us run extra laps for being late for football practice. -- Harold

Small Town Changes

Some readers had comments on my posting about economics of the nation and a small town:

Ray Ille said:
My brother, Bill and I grew up on a farm north of Grandfield. It was part of the Big Pasture. In the fall of 1942 our family moved to Temple when our Dad purchased his first farm south of town. Part of the land was connected to the Temple Cemetery. Temple was a thriving little town and filled with cars and shoppers each Saturday until late in the evening.

Last June, Dorothy and I had the opportunity to return to Grandfield for a short visit with my cousin, Theresa Anderson and her husband Clarence. It was the first time we had stayed overnight in the town in over 60 years. Grandfield, like Temple, had been an active small town. It had an oil refinery for many years that provided employment for a great number of families. Both the Katy and Rock Island railroads served the town. The surrounding area produced high yielding fields of wheat and cotton. On Saturdays the town was full of shoppers.

The refinery has been gone for many years. The main street is now almost a ghost town. Like Temple, there is no main grocery store and it looks as though no new homes have been built in several years. My cousin drove us through rural communities that once had numerous farm families. Now the farmsteads are long gone, with only open fields remaining. Several large grain elevators still overlook the town but trains seldom pass through these days.

It is sad but the young must look elsewhere to find their future in today's world.

Jerry Bowles wrote:

Harold did an excellent job writing the article about Temple's past and future. As he wrote, the past seems better than the future. Maybe everything will change in 2012?

More Poetry Appreciation

From Roger Norman: Dottie, I sure enjoyed your poem – a great job.

Reunion Proposal

Vicki Stogner Elliott has this suggestion about the Temple High School Reunion:
Since I no longer live near Temple, I always look forward to the Temple Reunion that occurs every other year around Thanksgiving and treasure the opportunity to see so many old friends in such a concentrated span of time. A few years ago this event was moved to the Saturday after Thanksgiving. For the last 2 times, it is happening on the same day as the big OU/OSU state rivalry football game in Norman. This means that several friends who would normally be at the THS School Reunion are torn and sometimes do not attend because they want to either watch or go to the game. I too would like to go to the game if I had the opportunity (and a ticket). I understand why people wanted to move the Reunion away from Thanksgiving Day, but can't we schedule it to be on the Friday after Thanksgiving instead of Saturday to avoid the conflict with the big game? Hope this suggestion can be directed to the Alumni Board for their serious consideration this year.

1940s plane crash southeast of Temple

There was a plane crash during the 1940s a few miles southeast of Temple. I believe it was a military plane and approximately three crew members were killed when they parachuted out too close to the ground. Did it make the Tribune? Does anyone have more information or memory about it?

Roger M. Norman

Harold Parkey Burial Friday

Harold Parkey died at a Wichita Falls hospital Tuesday morning, April 28. He was hospitalized Saturday for care of diabetic and leg problems. Hazel arrived at the hospital early Tuesday morning to take him home and found him uncomfortable. Minutes later he died from heart failure. Funeral services will be graveside at Temple Cemetery, Friday.

Small Town Economics

Looking for an understanding of our country’s economic fix? Maybe a look at my home town will help.

Temple, a quaint country town in Southern Oklahoma, is surrounded by wheat fields and cattle pastures. It was first settled in 1902 and quickly became a thriving merchandising center for the smart, poor, ambitious land hungry young farmers who drew their 160 acres in a government lottery. Smart, young entrepreneurs also came to this frontier. Two of them were Bob and Otho Mooney who came from North Carolina. They started with a borrowed $3500 and established the B & O Cash Store, which grew to become a merchandising center for a large area of north Texas and southern Oklahoma. They employed more then 200 and claimed to be the biggest small town merchandiser in America. They operated a lumberyard and would build you a house, sell you groceries, service your automobile, serve you ice cream, provide you medical care and fill your prescriptions. The brothers advertised and operated under the slogan “We sell everything a person needs from birth to death”. They bought local farmers’ products: chickens, turkeys, pecans, milk, cream, cattle and pigs. Cream became butter. Turkeys were processed and sent to New York by the train car loads.

The impact of the B & O was such that Sears and Roebuck bought out the Mooneys in 1929. Sears operated the block square business until 1956 when they opened a large new store 40 miles north in Lawton. Sears gave the 50,000 sq. ft. building to the town.

As B & O became established, W. A. Yeilding put in a clothing store. He too was very successful. When the Sears B & O closed Mr. Yeilding made a deal with Hagger to put in a clothing manufacturing facility in the building. Hagger employed up to 300 people. Workers came from Temple and surrounding farms and communities. After 30 years with highly productive employees Hagger closed the plant and moved it to Mexico for cheaper labor. Economic life of Temple deteriorated. It’s a big change from the 1920’s when the town had five grocery stores, a movie theater, several gas stations, a bakery, four cafes, two auto dealerships, two banks, three cotton gins and various other businesses. Now the town has no grocery store, one bank, a nursing home, pharmacy, auto supply store, a convenience store, lumberyard, livestock feed maker and a grain storage business. The town has several independent craftsmen. This is a small sales tax base from which to draw town operating funds.

Before the 1970’s a large farm family lived on each quarter (160 acres). At five people per farm family that is 8,000 farm folks. Narrow margins for farm products made larger farms necessary. Now the rural part of the community consists of about one small family per 8,000 acres. Many of these farmers live in town. Large equipment enables very few laborers to farm the land. The number of middle class families in the community declined. The number of retirees and welfare recipients increased. It is a quiet country town.

Fifty years ago, Economics 101 taught that all wealth comes from three sources; the earth, capitol and labor.

It seems that when a large amount of labor was done on the farm and in the clothing factory the Temple community thrived. Now the employers of labor are gone and the community does not thrive. Thousands of Great Plains agricultural communities have met the same fate as Temple,

A huge amount of goods we Americans use daily are now made in other countries. What happens to a country if the labor for the goods it purchases is paid in other countries? Temple, Oklahoma and thousands of Great Plains rural communities may be examples of the outcome for the USA as a whole. Is the lost labor factor accounted for in current appraisal of our countries economic downturn?

Will Rogers said during the great depression, “There is not an unemployed man in the country that hasn’t contributed to the wealth of every millionaire in America?” Also he said after the 1929 crash, “After all everybody just can’t live on gambling. Somebody has to do some work.” Maybe other countries are doing too much of our work. How much less welfare and poverty would exist if the overseas jobs were returned to America?

Industrialization of the 1800’s made the USA the wealthiest nation on earth. Will the loss of industry make us a second rate country?

A few years back advocates of globalization said manufacturing moved to other countries would be replaced by a need for services. Who will be the servants? Who will they serve?

Do some countries not tax goods exported to the USA so as to make their goods cheap? Do some of these same countries tax imports to make them less competitive? Does the USA sufficiently tax incoming goods? Could the USA tax imported goods and use the revenue to create jobs to support our unemployed workers?

Do our lawmakers understand that the USA actually is in competition for wealth with other countries?

Temple is a quaint country town in southern Oklahoma: no red lights; no traffic jams; good people — retirees, farmers and women who meet daily for coffee at the convenience store and at the Senior Citizen’s Center.

Housing is low cost. The town will sell you lots for $300. A good 50,000-square-foot building is available to lease or purchase at a give away price. Temple is 15 miles from access to Interstate 44. It is midway between Oklahoma City and Dallas-Fort Worth.

I am a fourth generation resident of Temple. I moved away for twenty-seven years to college and an Army career. Moved back to be near parents and in-laws and because it is home. I wanted to try my hand at being a farmer-rancher. It all has worked out except the farmer-rancher part. The lifestyle, hard work and living on the prairie have been more delightful than I could imagine. Farming we’ve handled a lot of money and did a lot of work with little or no net gain. Retirement income and land appreciation held together a decent lifestyle.

My peers who stayed with farming-ranching (those are the third, fourth and fifth generation locals) have had a tough row to hoe. One I know best says he has been totally broke three times since 1952 when he started farming. He and other progressive farmers have put together large efficient operations which seem to be doing well. A few have jobs in the cities and farm as a hobby.

I think that many of the third, fourth and fifth generation descendents of subsistence farmers were insightful and fed up with the difficulty of farming and made up their minds early to work at something besides farming-ranching. Many made exceptional careers in other professions.
They became successful engineers, entrepreneurs, educators, managers and craftsmen and parents. Most settled in Texas, Oklahoma and California. Many have fond memories of growing up in the Temple community. Maybe some will let us know their thoughts about their hometown.

Seems Temple has gone through the same sort of economic decline as our country may be going through now.

--Harold Powell

Majestic: Creature?

From Cecelia Norman: I don't remember this one. In that treasure box of Suzy's does she have Creature fromThe Black Lagoon?

Majestic Thetre: The Mississippi Gambler

More from Roger M. Norman and the Majestic:

And, now, … for your next movie, how many of you remember The Mississippi Gambler when it came to the Majestic Theater in Temple on June 11 and 12, 1953? The flier was saved by Suzy Jane Blair, then age 12, class of 1958, and daughter of Mae Blair, one of the Temple school teachers.

More Praise for Dorothy's Poem

Congratulations Dottie! Great poem

brings back good memories.

Cecelia Bentley Norman

Kudos

I don’t know who Dottie B. is but I do like her poem. Good work Dottie.

Sue Wilson Golden

This Old House

This from Jerry Bowles, Temple Class of 1952:

This picture of our old home place was taken from Google Map by my niece, Teresa Bowles Harrison. The place looks thrown away now and is decaying back to dirt from whence it came. Back then the house was painted white and there were more trees and a picket fence around the yard. My Mom loved flowers and she had the whole yard full of all kinds of plants and flowers. Dad always complained about all the watering that she did on the flowers. My Mom was always working in the yard, cooking, canning food, sewing, quilting, and a multitude of other things. She did like to read and that's about the only time she did something for herself.

Out in the back yard we always had a large garden and a chicken house with chickens. Sometimes it would be after 11:00 PM before it would cool off enough to go to sleep. One vivid memory I have of the hot summers is hosing our selves off with the garden hose to help cool.

There used to be a big shade tree near the back door. One of my favorite memories is when company came, especially Uncle Monk. All the men sat under the shade tree and told stories, each trying to get the biggest laugh. Sometimes Mom would make home made ice cream. Peggy and I would sit on the freezer while someone cranked it until frozen. The funny part was listening to everyone trying to boss the thing – put on more salt, no that’s enough, turn faster, turn slower, sit still kid, eat it now, no let it set awhile. I can remember all those things, but can’t remember what it tasted like.

I lived in this house from grade 7 until I graduated from high school in 1952. Lots of memories there, some good, some not so good. My best year was my senior year in school. I had a part time job at Yeildings Department Store and was able to buy some decent clothes. I had a little money and had my first steady girl friend. We would hang around together at school and go to the movie on Saturday night. Dad had an old Chevy car and sometimes he would let me have it for a special date.

Gerald R. (Jerry) Bowles, 1952 Temple Alumnus.

Award Winning Poem from 1951 Temple Alum

I received the message below from Dorothy Bridges Ille, 1951 Temple Alumni. Congratulations Dorothy and thanks for sharing this. --Harold Powell

Harold, in one of the last issues of the Temple Tribune, I saw an ad for a poetry contest, held by the 2008 Oklahoma Conference on Aging. A short autobiography, and as many as three poems could be submitted. The contest was called "Aging Out Loud."

While in Oklahoma City in June, 2008, I saw the same ad in the paper there, and decided once at home I would enter. I sent in 2 poems, and the required story of my life, as related to Oklahoma, such as place of birth, and schools attended. Then I waited.

In late November, the book of poetry arrived, heavy as lead, since so many citizens entered the contest. It is a beautiful paper-backed volume, with every single poem intact. but I noticed that the Women's Division had not been judged, which was a disappointment.

So I waited, feeling that a person would be notified, if a winner, by mail. No word came, so I was resigned to not winning. Two weeks ago, a large package came from Oklahoma City. Enclosed was my trophy, made of acrylics, and in the form of the state of Oklahoma....declaring that I was the third-place winner, for my poem entitled "Recollections" in the Women's Division of "Aging Out Loud."

I was, and am still thrilled. In the Women's Division, there are about 230 poems, and mine was judged 3rd. place. Below is my poem:

RECOLLECTIONS

Crickets, an orchestra, strumming in the dell,
The ringing, chiming of a distant bell,
The song of the yellow meadowlark,
Long evenings, strolling in a park.
The call of a mating mockingbird,
Prettiest song you've ever heard.

The sweet smell of the May Day flower,
Sitting, sunning, in a secluded bower.
Running in the bottom of a dry creek bed,
Red knit stocking cap upon my head.
Gooseberries, watermelon, and hot apple pie,
Fresh green pastures of wheat, maize and rye.

On a Halloween night, a big harvest moon,
Sleeping in 'till half past noon.
Skipping, with a June bug on a string,
Catching tiny fireflies on the wing.
Crawdading in the mud and pouring rain.
A barefooted wanderer, feeling no pain.

Walking home from church with a trusted friend,
Scorching hot, or bitter cold wind.
Spin the bottle, awkward teen of gait, look,
Pasting US Savings Stamps in a book.
That last generation before the bomb and the box,
The slap-happy kid in white bobby sox.

That was me,
Dottie B.

Haley Drug New Look

Temple’s Haley Drug has a new look inside and out. Ken says it was Wanda’s idea.

The Haleys bought the business from Guy Hooper April 1, 1970. Says he wondered if starting April Fools Day was a good idea.

Hooper bought out Fred Warren about 1955 and removed the fountain. Ken was pleased to be without the fountain. He had worked in a drug store with fountain and found it a “head ache”.

Folks of my time remember Warren’s Rexal Drug for five cent ice cream cones, milk shakes, cherry and frosted cokes. I also remember the distinct smell of the pharmacy. The young guys working behind the fountain counter were celebrities. Puck Moorman, Russell Dilks, Loren Douglass. Stanley Baker and Claude Mullins were a few of them.

Temple Election Results

School bonds of $375,000 were approved this month by Temple voters with over 80 percent voting yes.

Results for town trustees:

• Council Ward 2 – Joe Keaton 166, Virginia Dupler 165;
  
• Council Ward 3 – Jerry Oliver 172, Valerie Hale 162;
  
• Council Ward 5 – Janice Cole 157, Joe Giles 91, Gloria Mooney 88;
  
• City Clerk – Londa Johnson 215, Tiffany Cochran 119.

Temple photo enhanced

Jerry Fetters borrowed one of Roger Norman's Polaroid photos of Temple (1961), and had it enhanced: Jerry says:

Since I did not have a picture of the front of my dad's store with the Fetters' sign on the front, I contacted Roger and borrowed the picture and then ran it through a photo lab here in Houston. The lab brought out the sign and made a the picture clearer. For instance the old Sales Barn sets out East of town by itself without a Bill's grocery in its place. Also there is no nursing home in the picture. Additionally I was able to read Temple Well Ser. on a building located on Main street east of Main. I think that was Jack Roddy's company. I was surprised to see the building there with the doors seemingly open implying that the well service company was still in business in early 1961. You may find it interesting that your B&B shows up in the picture.

Rembering the Greatest Show

Roger's poster from the movie The Greatest Show on Earth brought back fond memories of some readers.

Jeanie Graybill wrote: Well, my Mother worked next door to the theater in Duncan and I had to wait on her to get off so I saw this movie probably a dozen times and loved it so much I could have watched it a dozen more times!

Cecelia Norman wrote: I remember seeing it. My dad, Bill Bentley, ran the projector then. It was one of my favorite movies. Remember the Sat. morning serials? For a quarter you could buy a ticket, popcorn and a coke.

Pat Lyford said: Roger , I remember the movie, but it was before I moved to Temple.

The Greatest Show, part 2

Here's the rest of the Greatest Show Flier

Majestic: The Greatest Show ...

Does anyone remember seeing “The Greatest Show On Earth” when it came to the Majestic theater in Temple? It showed March 21-24, 1953. My Wife, Suzy Blair, then age 12, saved the flyer which is attached.

-- Roger Norman

Musical Mystery

After reading the results of Roger Norman's challenge about a Temple band director and the accompanying article from the Temple Tribune, Carroll Newberry wrote:

I did a cursory "google" search of these songs and Mr. Montin's name is not
mentioned as the writer of either of them. Perhaps a more extensive search would
turn up a connection with him. Interestingly, "Mademoiselle from Armentieres",
which is now sung mostly by children, had a number of versions. Some of the
verses were quite descriptive of her nefarious nightime activities with the
soldiers. As a result, these verses were promptly censored and not known among
the general public. Of course, they are now on the internet.

It seems quite a few composers claim credit for the music and lyrics of "Mademoiselle from Armentieres." But Mr. Montin's name is not among composers that scholars speculate wrote the once popular song. The World Book of Famous Music discusses the origin on pages 344-345. So many satirical verses were written, many may have felt justified in claiming authorship.

The Winner Is...

Hey, Pat Cooper Lyford, Class of '57 is the first in with the correct answer! (Alfred C. Montain. You know he played with John Phillip Sousa's band as well.)

Above is our proof – from the Temple Tribune itself. And, Pat wins a prize from Roger Norman - a kiss - that is, a chocolate Hershey kiss to be delivered to her at our reunion in Oklahoma City this September.
-Roger Norman

Name That Band Director

Roger M. Norman wrote:

Who can name for me the Temple Band director who, according to The Tribune, had a place in history in that he composed the music to “The Caissons Go Rolling Along”, and he also wrote the World War I song, “Mademoiselle From Armentieres”? Hint: He was a native of France.

Night Watchmen

Vickie Keck Nowlin, Class of 1970, wrote:

It is interesting reading about the police issue in Temple. I, too, don't remember having more than a night watchman around town when I grew up there in the 1950's and 1960's. I remember Dee Foster and others who sat all night in a car or in the laundromat watching the town overnight. And for a time there was an office for Woody Wilson when he was County Sheriff there on Commercial downtown.

As a teenager, I joined other kids downtown on Halloween riding around and having fun. One year, Pam Hayes Parrish and I rode around with Guerry Douglass and Glendell Cole for awhile. An older boy (who will remain anonymous) flashed his lights at us to stop and asked us to go with him to "egg" a house for a trick instead of a treat. We were scared, but we all got in his car with him and another older boy and went along for the ride. We drove by and he threw the eggs out the window at the targeted house. He drove us right back to our car...which was parked in the middle of the street just across from... you guessed it... the Sheriff's office. He was standing outside and motioned for us all to come in.

I remember being terrified as Pam and I sat down in ONE office chair... holding on to one another, shaking in our boots. (Oh, to be skinny enough to do that again.) Sheriff Wilson made us sit there as he asked the older boy what we was going on. He already knew that eggs had been thrown at the house we drove by! We didn't even drive around any with the older boys.... We drove to the house, watched one of them throw the eggs, and we drove straight back to our car, and the Sheriff already knew what had been done!! I don't remember saying a word. I just sat there with my eyes bugged out and held hands with Pam, terrified.

He knew we were just along for the ride without us saying anything at all. He just talked to the older boys and then turned to us younger ones and gave us a good lecture. I remember he tried to keep a straight face as he talked sternly to Pam and me about not getting involved with such shenanigans ever again. We just shook our heads and agreed to never do that again and started to cry. Then he started smiling and told us to go home. Man, did we ever move fast!

I don't even remember getting up out of the chair, but I do remember being glad to get back home in the safety of my own living room and telling my parents what happened. Of course, I didn't get much sympathy from them...all they could say was, "Good for Sheriff Wilson!" And that I had learned a good lesson, which I have to say, I certainly did! I learned that I had outgrown Halloween "treat or treating" for good!!

Changes in Law Enforcment

Pat Lyford wrote:
In the 50's, I don't remember a police department. We had the town constable and then everything else was covered by the Sherrif's office, even chasing bootleggers. There was a lot more going on then than now I'm guessing. We didn't lock our doors. Guess that time has passed.

What's Up at City Hall

Politics are active in Temple. Virginia Dupler, Jerry Oliver and Joe Giles filed to return as Town Trustees. Dupler hangs her hat on cleaning up the town, getting businesses back in town and working with the County Sheriff to improve town policing. All have previously resigned Trustee positions. Oliver resigned twice. They hope to replace current Trustees Valerie Hale, Janice Cole and Mayor Joe Keaton.

The incumbents hang their hat on their eliminating the police department which they say was a financial and public relations burden to the town. Also the incumbents say that they have managed to get the town’s accounting and spending under control. Mayor Keaton says that the County Sheriff has done a good job of policing the town without the petty and over-policing of previous inexperienced town police. Some businesses say that customers who quit driving to or through Temple because of the police have been coming back. Keaton points out that a recent burglary in the community was solved in 11 hours and that in the past burglaries were never solved.

The election is April 7.

-Harold Powell