Homecoming Grand Marshal

Dorothy King Courtright, Grand Marshal for the 2011 Homecoming Parade in Temple.  Wagon Driver Kenny Bachand.

Barber Shop 1929

A photo from the Temple History Museum shows the Barber Shop in Temple in 1929. Chair 1 barber Charlie McBride, customer Wendell Sparks; chair 2 barber ?, customer Lew Wit; chair 3 barber William L. Burton; chair 4 barber Osa Wilson.

The museum features artifacts, historical photographs, stories from its 1902 origins to boomtown days. It is open 1:30-5pm Saturdays, 205 S Commercial, Temple, Oklahoma, or by appointment. "Like" this on Facebook:

Temple's Majestic Theatre 1947/1948 Sinbad

Here's a photo from the Temple Museum, which is open on weekends or by appointment. The Majestic Theatre in Temple about 1948: Norman Jean Reece puts down her dime to see "Sinbad the Sailor." L.D. Burns, the last owner of the Majestic, takes the dime from inside the ticket booth. J.R. Glasgow may be the other person in the booth.

Murals Flank Entrance to Temple Museum

Bob Palmer of University of Central Oklahoma and his assistant Lisa outline figures in one of two murals commissioned for the Temple Museum.

Lisa ads details a mural depicting the construction of the First State Bank building in 1905.

Harold Powell and artist Bob Palmer pose in front of one of the finished murals depicting cotton pickers in 1916 with the cotton gin, which would later become the Bone Gin, in the background. Mary Lou Powell Connelly, Bob Waller and The Ken Haleys donated the funds for the murals, which are a bright spot on Temple’s Commercial Street.

The next steps for completion of the museum are attic insulation and displays.

Harold Powell

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 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 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.

Greetings from Mildred Kerr

Louise Vordell shared a letter she received recently from Mildred Kerr, a longtime Temple resident who moved to Jones, Okla., in October. Mrs. Kerr's new home is an apartment near her granddaughter and great grandchildren. Mrs. Kerr never missed a week getting her hair fixed at Louise's Beauty Shop. She told Louise the small beauty shops in Jones aren't as well-equipped or efficient as Louise's shop. Mrs. Kerr taught Business Education in Temple from 1953 to 1981.

Temple Cemetery Maintenance

Jerry Fetters requested information about the status of care of Temple Cemetery.

The Temple Cemetery Association was formed in 1944 by Kenneth Beasley, Dan McCoy and Alton Moore for the purpose of improving the care and assuring future care of the cemetery.

Current Association Directors are Jack Jackson (President), Buddy Hooper, Dian Smith (Secy-Treas), Chris Lipscomb and Lori Hedges. George Kindred, President for several years now serves as manager of the Veterans Memorial which was promoted by Clyde McClenny and erected in 1998 to highlight veterans buried in the cemetery. No charge for adding names to the memorial.

A caretaker is employed to maintain the cemetery at a monthly salary of $1200. The past year total expense was $15,535. Total income for the year was $18,883. The association has $222,000 maintenance fund in certificates of deposits ($200,000 of this was recently donated by the estate of Audrey Wilkinson). Plus $3506 in a checking account and $22,951 in interest bearing HIFI account. The association also has $117,400 perpetual care fund in certificates of deposit (donor restrictions allow that only the interest may be spent). Declining interest rates and a recent decline in contributions will necessitate taking from the maintenance fund principal.

Jack Jackson says that new chat was recently added to the streets and plans are to install street signs. The cemetery is well groomed. Current funds may allow for several years of continued high care. However contributions are needed to guarantee perpetual care.
--Harold Powell

Temple High School Band Memories

Carroll Newberry responded to my last entry (see the comments) with memories of Temple High School band director James Dean in the late 1950s. Carroll was just a few years behind me. I graduated in 1952.

It sounds like Mr. Dean made a great impression as did a handful of my teachers over the years. George Neaderhiser was “music man” during my time at THS. Students who came to the high school in later years enjoyed the improvements in the band room and the uniforms that Mr. Dean and your class brought to Temple High School.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I would enjoy hearing about other experiences and memories of former and current Temple students.

Temple Board Split on Dissolving Police Dept.

The Temple Board of Trustees was evenly split on a motion by Joe Keaton to dissolve the Temple Police Department. Joe Keaton and Bob Mason voted yes, Troy Sellers and Debria Schuler voted no. The vote came in a special meeting on April 3. This means the police department lives on in Temple.

The board also approved selling bricks from demolished lodge-electric building and depositing receipts into the Financial Assurance account.