Oxford High School - Oxonian Yearbook (Oxford, NC)

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CLASS POEM by Eloise Gill Now that twelve long years of work is done And the parting time has finally come, We bid farewell to high school days To our old and familiar ways: To the teachers so good and kind To the school events we're leaving behindg All these memories in our hearts will dwell Long after the toll of the parting bell. We leave you now with a smile on our face, Knowing that others will soon take our place. The road of life is open before us: We're ready to travel that road at last And are ready to meet with each new taskg It is you, Oxford High, who have made us strong So farewell, seniors cannot linger long. 15

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SENIOR PROPHECY By I 0b1z Dean The date on the newspaper was june 12, 1961. As I looked through it, my attention was drawn to a familiar name-Margaret Morris- who was editor of the Daily Owl. Marga- ret, I recalled, was in my graduating class back in 1951 at Oxford High School. Then a little further over, on the society page, I noticed that Margaret Seabolt and Sam Finch were to be married. A blanket invitation was extended, so I decided to go and see Sam who had just returned from overseas after being called into the Army immediately fol- lowing his graduation from high school. I wanted to see most of my old classmates who I knew would be at the wedding, so I started immediately. After a few hours of preparation I caught a ride to Oxford with one of my old class- mates, Thomas Parrott, who was going out to Texas to bring back a load of cattle for Averette-Currin Beef Farm which was owned and operated by Gilbert Averette and VVeldon Currin. On arrival, I went to the new ultramodern Hotel Oxford. As I went in, I was greeted by the manager, Lionel Burnette. Lionel was going to attend the wedding, but first he had to go by 'LHarold's Men's Shopl' to pick up his new suit that was being altered. As we went out of the hotel, I was amazed at the considerable speed that an ambulance was making down the street. When I found out that Ralph Matthews was the driver, all my doubts as to its speed vanished. It seemed that Ralph was working for Daniel Funeral Home of which Frank Daniel was the owner. YVhen we entered Harold's Men's Shop, I saw the owner, Harold Currin, and Wilbur Clayton, who was a clerk. We all decided to go to the wedding together, so we got into Harold's new Plymouth. Harold pushed the starter, but the Plymouth wouldn't start, so he called up 'LHughes' Garage which was operated by julian Hughes. In a little while julian had the motor running, so we piled in again and went down to Colonial Stores Super Market to get some rice to throw at the bride. I dashed into the store and saw Wiley Oakley who was now manager. He gave me the rice and again we were on our way to the wed- ding. On the way, I was informed that Audrey Humphries was still trying to land a man and that Naomi johnson was an actress in Hollywood, while Ann Daniel was working in New York teaching models how to model. As we stopped at the church, I just had time to speak to Geoffrey Knott, pastor of the First Baptist Church, before going in. The service was just beginning with Shirley Harris playing an organ prelude. Looking around, I saw some more late arrivals-Barbara Mc- Ghinnis and her five little boys. Bobby Daniel sang a song, I Love You Truly, and Sam came in accompanied by his best man, john Parham, who, they told me, was football coach at Oxford High. It was a nice service, but I was getting pretty hungry so I was look- ing forward to the reception at the new Woman's Club. When the service was over and rice had been thrown, we went to the reception. Between cups of punch, I saw many of my old class- mates. There was Brodie Newton who was a bus driver for Greyhound, Pete Strother who was basketball coach at Carolina, and Frances Clayborne who was a Physical Education teacher at Oxford High. I also spoke to Frissy Parham who was a French instructor at Harvard and Edith Ashley who had taken Miss Boydls place as Eng- lish teacher at our alma mater. Edith told me that Ruth Burwell, Shields Parham, and Margaret Dean had joined the ranks of the happily married. There was also Ruth Hedge- peth who told me she was stenographer for Blackwell Tobacco Company in Tennessee. Then I saw Lillian Lemmons and jean Hester who had settled down to married life. As I went back to the punch bowl, I found Marion Cash who told me that Eloise Gill was secre- tary for a candy company up north. She also said that Mary Ann Floyd was married and living in Raleigh where Nelson was State Highway Commissioner, and that Ruth Wil- son and Elizabeth Blalock had gone to Paris to study the latest fashions. It was time to leave so I started out the door only to meet Nat Burwell who told me he was the owner of a fruit produce company in Florida. He asked me where I had been the last ten years, so I told him I was still in Wake Forest College so deeply intent upon getting my diploma that I had not been getting around much for the past ten years.

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SENIOR SUPERLATIVES 7 2 -fy if 'Z eg , ,Q if V fir' fa A41 Al ,Ms Www O 40 BEST LOOKING . MOST ORIGINAL MOST TALENTED. .Ann Daniel, john Dean Margaret Seabolt john Parham WITTIEST . S Mary Ann Floyd john Dean NEATEST. Elizabeth Blalock, Ralph Blalock . O . , . Eloise Gill, Oliver Cash MOST STUDIOUS .V.. . . Shirley Harris Geoffrey Knott I6