Richland High School - Richlander Yearbook (Richland, MO)

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Twelve-Year Students Class History In September 1943, a large contingent of young boys and girls ascended the front steps of the Richland Public Schools and were officially enrolled as members of the first grade. We were, in a certain sense, setting on top of the world! We were herded into our individual seats by our teacher, Mrs. Fern Mulanax, and noses were counted and promptly recorded in the ledger. Of these noses’, ten are still with us today. They are, Dwight Barnes, Warren Scott Forman, Nettie Pearl Bray, Cecil Keith Osborne, Mary Ethel Scott, Helen Sue Thomas, Dale Watson, Lois Williams, and Louren Wood. After a nerve wrecking year of tutoring had been spent on us Mrs. Mulanax pronounced us fit for the second grade and promptly left town. Eddie Aulbach arrived a little late, approximately two months, but who ever heard of Eddie getting to school on time! Mrs. Clarice Bahr ushered us into the second grade, but unfortunately, for us that is, had to leave in midyear. Mrs. Catherin Newcombe consented to do the honors the last half of the year. After a trying year for both teachers and students, we proceeded to the third grade. Our classroom in the basement was the scene of much frolic, horseplay and occasionally a little school work. Miss Velma Robinson, our teacher that year, got married and left town that summer. (Hmm) We added another notch on our belts and moved across the hall to the fourth grade and Miss Nathlie Clark. Several additions bolstered our ranks and a busy and productive year was spent. Our efforts did not go unrewarded, because the following year we were per- mitted to return to the main floor. We endeavored not to let this justification go unnoticed and “bore” dovn with all the earnestness for erudition that could be expected of fifth grade pupils. Of the students joining us that year only one, Velda Ghramm, is still a member of our clan today. On we moved to the sixth grade and Mrs. Mercedes Anderson. She held us to a true 4

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MRS. D1PPERT English MR. VERNON Coach and Health MR. FULBRIGHT Vocational Agriculture MISS Mac FAR LAND Social Study High School Faculty MRS. CRAWFORD Music MRS. VERNON Home Economics

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course and introduced us to a thing to which we were supposedly immune, discipline. But, like all good scholars, we settled down for a year of hard work. Mrs. Anderson, capable person that she was, nevertheless endured us for less than half a year and the Methodist preacher’s wife, Mrs. Holland, was called upon to plug the gap. Shirley Rogers and Lyle Weeks joined us that year. In our seventh year we achieved the heights of the third floor, and if the tales we had heard about life on the top floor were anywhere near to the truth, paradise had been reached. On hand to quell some of our more formidable ambitions were Miss Pauline Thorsberry and Miss Rosemary Starmer. The former is noteworthy of mention here in respect to the fact that she is the only person who taught us during one of our elementary school years and is still in the Richland School System. Our excursion that year was to Bennet Springs for a picnic and then on to Lebanon for roller skating. In the eighth grade “lo and behold” there stood Miss Thornsberry flashing a loving (?) smile at us. Here in- deed was a person out of the ordinary. One in a million, this woman. But if she was willing to put up with us another year, more power to her. After the initial shock had worn off, we strove to justify her undying faith in us. We were determined to amend our ways. Raymond Pruitt, Marvel Roberson, and John Vance joined. Dwight Barnes left us in favor of a year of country school. Our eighth grade commencement was the climax of an eventful year in our young lives. Two days after our graduation we made an excursion to Starks Caverns and the lake of the Ozarks. And then high school! Miss Anna McFarland and Mr. Dale Hicks tucked us under their wings and tried to steer us clear of the perils confronting each new crop of “green” Freshmen. We adjusted to jumping up at the sound of each period bell and joining the rat race down the hallway to a different class. Dwight Barnes rejoined us. Our new additions consisted of Lavonne Hendrix, Robert Drennan, Jack Maxey and Nina Berry. Our School Picnic was spent with a pleasant day of swimming, fishing, eating, and loafing on the Gasconade River. Charles Moffett was our Sophomore sponsor. Evelyn Pippen joined us that year. We were saddened by the news of the death of our Freshman English instructor, Miss Leta Rae Locke. We visited Meramac and Onandaga Caves for our end of school outing. We then attained the rank of “Love Sick” Juniors. We were the acknowledged superiors of the Freshmen and Sophomores, but somehow we could not penetrate the barrier that existed between us and the Seniors. We embarked upon the stage of dramatics with the production of three one-act plays, given under the capable supervision of Mrs. Maxine Dippert; “The Blue Teapot”, “The Trysting Place”, and “Spreading The News”. The profits obtained from the production of these plays enabled us to spend a day at the Lake of the Ozarks. Three of our lifelong schoolmates, Martha Ann Simpson, Mary Ann Bowling, and Evelyn Ogle, earned sufficient credit to enable them to graduate that year. And finally we had reached the topmost rung of the ladder. The Senior year prom- ised bright happenings for us. Irene Holcomb and Shirley Wilson joined us. Our class rings arrived at the first of the year, commencement invitations were ordered, and our Senior pictures were taken. In part, at least, we owe our success in our achievements throughout this year to our co-operative sponsors, Mr. and Mrs. Vernon. We wish to take this oppor- tunity to thank them. 5