On Thursday my Mother and I were coming home from the LaPlata Nursing Home 4th of July celebration knowing as soon as we got back to the house I would be heading home to Pacific, Missouri. We reminisced about the day trips with Aunt Shirley, shopping and spending money, and sharing stories. Sharing stories was the best. We laughed and giggled like little school girls to the point our tummys were aching. I am so thankful for the memories and stories I shared with Mom, Dad, and Aunt Shirley.
Ok enough of the sappy stuff.
Shirley Borron-Weber started 1st grade at Nickellton School in 1937-38 and graduated from 8th grade in 1944-45. Her teachers were J.M. Ross, Mildred Henry-Bragg and Edna Mitchell. I think somewhere within the 3 years J.M. Ross taught Aunt Shirley, she developed a crush on Mr.Ross, because she talks fondly of him. One night during a pie supper or school board meeting Shirley Borron and Betty Collins pretended to chew tobacco using crayons. Just imagine two little girls with a huge wad of crayon wax in their mouth making their lower lips and cheeks bulge. They even proceeded to use the floor as a spittoon and squirted the melted wax out their mouth onto the floor. These two must have been sitting in the back of the room thinking no one could see them or hear them. I am sure they were being sneaky. "It made quite a mess," Shirley recalled, "no one seemed to notice, at least not until the next day at school."
The next day Mr. Ross approached Shirley and Betty at their desks. I almost bet Shirley tilted her head and having a sheepish grin, looked up at Mr. Ross with innocent eyes as if she had done nothing to make the crayon mess on the floor. Problem was she still had crayon wax on her teeth. Mr. Ross didn't take to the inocent bit and instructed Betty and Shirley to clean-up the crayons off the floor.
Charlotte Borron-Wheeler, started 1st grade at Nickellton School in 1946. In 1952-53, Charlotte's 6th grade year, the school closed six weeks after school started. Charlotte's teachers were Nelly Harrison, Lola Bowen, Ida Perrine, Doris Lamers, and Betty Lou Ingraham. Doris Lamers was Charlotte's favorite teacher. She was young, always sweet and kind, and Charlotte was Miss Lamers' teacher's pet. Plus Miss Lamers lived with the Borrons. Charlotte would walk to school with Miss Lamers and stay late after school with Miss Lamers. After Charlotte finished her school work she would clean the chalkboards and sweep the floor while Miss Lamers graded papers and wrote lessons. The two seemed to be like two peas in a pod. It would be late by the time Miss Lamers finished getting ready for the next day so Charlotte headed for home alone.
To get the full effect of the story I must tell you a bit about my Grandma Jennie Borron. She was quite a character, jolly, hardworking, humorous, and liked to play pranks sometimes. She also had a unique way of disciplining. Mom said "Much of the time you didn't even know you were being disciplined, but you did change your ways."
Momma Jennie had been warning Charlotte about coming home late from school, but Charlotte didn't pay much attention to the warnings and continued to stay late after school. One evening as Charlotte was walking home on the dirt road, in the distance she saw a small dark figure crawling into the road and then back into the ditch. As she got closer she could see the small figure was actually an animal lumbering around on all fours. Charlotte remembered her momma warning her about the bears being seen in the woods. Charlotte walked a little further and the animal seemed to get bigger and bigger. It looked as if a bear was right in the middle of the dirt road where Charlotte would be walking. Charlotte thought about turning around and going back to the school, but she didn't want to have her back to the bear. Instead she walked out into the hay field as far away from the bear as possible, keeping her eyes on the bear. Then when she was within seeing distance of the house she ran as fast as she could to the porch and then straight into the front door slamming it behind her. Charlotte was winded and completely out of breathe leaning against the door. A few minutes later Jennie walked in dressed in a brown furry hat, a dark brown coat, dark brown gloves, brown trousers and boots. Charlotte still in a tizzy about her journey home from school about fainted. When she realized it was her Momma she said,"Oh Momma did you see that big brown bear!" Jennie replied, "Hmm... big brown bear ya say?...You gonna come home from school on time from now on?" Charlotte left school on time from that evening forward.
In the first picture Betty and Shirley are the two little girls in the front row, the boy is Junior McLin, the back row is Lelan Collins and Geraldine Collins. The second picture is Miss Doris Lamers. The third picture is Jennie Forsythe-Borron with one of her horses.
Ok enough of the sappy stuff.
Mrs. Weber was my 5th grade school teacher. I remember her telling of one of her antics as a child. But have forgotten all of the details. She dressed up an ironing board to look so real that is almost gave someone, (I believe her mother) a heartache. I think the fun turned very serious for a little while. She had so many funny stories! Mrs. Weber was and still is my favorite teacher of all of my school years.
ReplyDeleteContinue with the stories and updates of the restoration project. I'm really enjoying your blog.
Lora Gaines Pfanner