Red Oak High School - Oak Leaves Yearbook (Red Oak, NC)

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Cladd frophecy Everything was confused, people were mumbling, I could hear them, but nothing was clear. My eyes were open, though my vision was blurred. I could hear someone calling my name. The voice sounded familiar, and when things became clear I recognized Patsy Trusselle bending over me. With her same teasing smile shelasked me when I would start taking driving lessons. She could always make a joke of anything. As we were talking, another nurse came through on her round of checking patients. Here I was met with another surprise, for it was another classmate, Edna Lewis. I was beginning to wonder if it were safe to stay there and upon voicing this opinion, added that the next thing would probably be Charles Sutton walking in as a doctor. Whereupon Patsy laughingly informed me that this seemed impossible as Charles was finishing dealings on a large group of chain stores scheduled for opening very soon. The following day I received a statement from the Highway Patrol concerning the wreck. They had found--to my relief--the driver of the other car at fault. This other driver, it said, was an expert mechanic and would attend to all repairs. Just imagine though, to my surprise who he was--that big guy of my high school class, Walter Pittman. People do meet in the strangest places. Then, at last, with myself and my car in such good hands, I dropped off into the first restful sleep since the accident. The next day Mary .To came in to see me. She's librarian at the University of North Carolina library now and has made a very good record there. As usual we started the regular gossip, and when Edna and Patsy came in we all began tracing the whereabouts of the rest of our classmates. Mary Jo told us Edna Joyce Griffin had become a Commercial teacher at a large business school in Florida, Betty Violet Keen is Educational Director at Mars Hill College, and Roslyn House is working as an assistant at a large interior decorating firm in Richmond. She then in turn, inquired about the classmates of my community, Mary Ellen Avent, Edwin Shearin, and Mattie Boseman Shearin. They always go home for Christmas and so we manage to keep in touch with one another. After several years Mary Ellen and Mattie are finally teaching in the same city. Mattie is teaching third grade at Wiley Elementary School in Raleigh and Mary Ellen is teaching history and math at Hugh Morson High. Edwin has become one of the most prominent electrical engineers in the state, and has just been accepted to take the position as head of the Electrical Division at State College. L. A. Green also has become prominent in his field of work with Diesel engines. The engineers of the upper brackets are keeping a close watch on his latest accomplish- ments. It would really be just like him to find something new, as he always did look for a new way of doing things. Of course mentioning L. A. made us think of Donald Teachey and Billy Vick. Mary Jo told us Donald stopped by to see her when he passed through the city last week. He always wanted to travel, so at last he has a job as a traveling salesman, and that's not all, he has finally gotten that car he always wanted, a big Buick convertible. I guess he is finally enjoying life.

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Our junior year kept us quite busy. We were glad to have as our sponsor Mrs. W. B. Ennis, Jr. and Mr. J. A. Martin as our principal. That year we were glad to have Marilyn Strum to join our class but we were sorry to lose Edward Garner who joined the Navy. Our officers were: President, Roslyn House, Vice-President, Mar- garet Armstrongg Secretary, Marilyn Strum, and Treasurers, Mary Jo Griffin and Edna Joyce Griffin. Our popularity queen and king were Marilyn Strum and L. A. Green. Two more members of our class joined the Beta Club. They were Margaret Armstrong and Marilyn Strum. In order to make money for various need such as the Junior- Senior Banquet, we presented a play, Hot Water , directed by Mrs. W. B. Ennis, Jr. We also sold magazines and sponsored a square dance. The highlight of the year was the banquet we gave.the Seniors in April. The supper was held in the Red Oak Club House and the dance at the High School Gymnasium. Both were beautifully decorated. The gym was decorated in blue and white. The music was furnished by Tom Hearne and his band. For the graduation class of '49 Mary Ellen Avent was Chief Marshall and Marilyn Strum, Mattie B. Shearin, Mary Jo Griffin, and Theresa Ward were also Marshalls. The basketball team was represented by our class. L. A. Green and Edwin Shearin made the boys basketball team and L. A. Green, Curtis Rose, and Edwin Shearin made the boys baseball team with Bobby Proctor as manager. Mary Ellen Avent was elected to act as class editor for the '49 annual. At last the time has come when we are dignified seniors. There are twenty-three of us. We were sorry that Ruth Dickens, a former member of our class was not with us. She completed her grade during the summer. We were very glad to have Mies. V. G. Collins, the former Miss Bernice Horton, as our sponsor. She has guided shown us our mistakes, and donated much of her time helping us in any way she could during our senior year. Our officers were: President, L. A. Green, Vice-President, Edna Joyce Griffing Secretary, Jackie Skinnerg and Treasurers, Sylvia Proctor and Edwin Shearin. Several of our class members are officers of the Beta Club. Mary Ellen Avent is President, Edwin Shearin, Vice-President, Mattie B. Shearin, Secretaryg Edna Joyce Griffin, Treasurer, and Margaret Armstrong, Reporter. Again the Glee Club was well represented by our class. Roslyn House, Mary .To Griffin, and Barbara Flowers were members of the girls basketball team and Roslyn House was elected Captain. Edwin Shearin and L. A. Green made the boys team. Margaret Armstrong and Billy Vick were our popularity Queen and King for the year. In these memories of the good Old School Days we have given you some of the reflections of what happened yesterday. Edna Lewis

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Billy, on the other hand, stayed at home to keep up the farm and has been taking some outside jobs of painting and carpentry work, too. However, it seems with all the farming competition of his classmates, he doesn't have very much extra time. Along with Billy, Curtis Rose, Bobby Proctor and Milton .Tones have become the leading farmers around the Red Oak district. The results of their prosperous crops is evident to everyone by their large farms and vast improvements. The conversation drifted back to the girls of the class, and the first question asked was how Jackie Skinner was enjoying married life. I saw her last Christmas and she seemed happier and more satisfied than I had ever seen her. She has a beautiful home and told me to tell any of you I see to come and visit her. Jackie said she heard from Sylvia Proctor occasionally and from her letters she seemed to have landed in the boat of happiness, too. There's really no reason why she shouldn't be. That husband of hers is practically a millionaire, but I've never met a nicer or friendlier man. Sylvia has everything to satisfy her and knowing her it will take just that to make her content. Some of the class are hard to keep up with, but not Barbara Flowers. We all remember when she used to make sketches in the sand and then brush them away with her foot. Now those sketches are really paying off, and it would take a lot of brushing to destroy all the drawings strewn over the country with her signature. We had all the class now except two, Margaret Armstrong and Marilyn Strum, the two bosom pals. The last we heard from Margaret she had completed her journalism course and had advanced to the position of assistant editor of the Chicago Times. Margaret really took a step from home and Marilyn took it with her. She took a job on the Chicago Times staff as a secretary, so they are still together. Well, they say I can leave tomorrow, and with mel can take this little journal of thought about my classmates of 1950. Here it is 1958, and even though we're separated, all going our chosen ways, we find the same hearts and voices to greet us whenever we meet. Tomorrow is another day just like all the rest, yet in reality it is one step forward. We will all return to our various occupations, they to theirs and as for me, back again I go to await the return of another school year. This time maybe to teach history, maybe math, or maybe by then to find a different occupation in some other field. Who knows? Who can tell? For all of us, only will tell. 'I' 1 Y . Xl!-1 QI ' 'lf M MOTTO: Forget the past, grasp the present, and look to the future. CLASS COLORS: Green and pink CLASS FLOWER: The White Rose