---

Sageeyah School Students and Teachers of 1926

This Page is Under Construction

Teachers:

Jimmy Fezell and Mae Baltz - No. 12 & 13 in the Picture

 

Thanks to Edna [Montgomery] Beck [No. 25] and Phyllis [Hanes] Armstrong we have this rare old picture of the students of Sageeyah School in 1926.  Blanche [Green] Branham supplied many of the names but you can see we are still missing many.  Phyllis and I visited Blanche in (I think) 2005 and she couldn't be sure if she was in the picture or not but furnished many other names.  About a week or less later, I read in the local paper that Blanche had passed away. 

UPDATE:  In April of 2007 I received an e-mail from George W. Crouch who attended Sageeyah School a few years after this picture was taken.  His brother, Emerson Crouch is # 18 is in the picture. George supplied more information and corrected some spelling for me.  His e-mail is printed below for the valuable info it contains.

Hello,

I've been looking at the picture of Sageeyah School and think I can offer a little help. I am the younger brother of Emerson Crouch, #18 in the picture. He died in 1971 at age 59. 1926 was the year I was born, so that makes Emerson 13 years old in the picture. With our age difference, I did not know some of the families represented here but did know others. For example Lee Moree, #40, was in 8th grade when I was in first and second grade. I did Primary, First Grade and Second Grade all in my first year because I had whooping cough and didn't get to start the previous year. My Mom taught me at home and Miss Bernice Dunaway, the teacher at the time, skipped Primary and started me in First Grade. After a few days, she moved me to Second Grade. For that reason, I was always the youngest in my class, right on through high school.

The man teacher's last name is definitely spelled Fezell. We knew the family well and his mother attended the Methodist Church in Claremore where we attended. He is #12 in the pix.

I am almost certain that #2 is Blanche Green. I knew that family well and it certainly looks like her. Condie Green was at Sageeyah when I was, but younger than me. I think he is Blanche's nephew. By the way, I think her name is spelled Blanche.

If #20 is definitely a Mezel, he is Leroy because I went to school with Gene and he's just 2-3 years older than I. Notice it is spelled Mezel. Everyone pronounced it measle but I don't even think that is the correct pronunciation.

I don't clearly remember Trela Mezel for some reason but #31 is probably Trela, based on the fact she is standing next to Eva Lucas. They were good pals.

I notice a couple of boys, #47 & #49, with the last name of Cellars. I'd bet they are from one of the Sellers families. I never knew anyone around Sageeyah who spelled their name Cellars, but there were almost as many Sellers in those days as Hanes.

I see some Montgomery kids and believe they must be from the Boyd Montgomery family who lived across the road from our family in those days. They had moved away by the time I was big enough to remember neighbors. I remember my mom telling about Mrs. Montgomery's tragic death by burning while they lived there, from using a can of kerosene to start a fire in a stove. Our little farm was where the Stonehedge tract is now.

The neighbors in that house during my memory of growing up there, were Roy, Mamie and Eva Lucas, Millard and Eva (Lucas) Ward with sons Charles and Frank, and Cal and Madeline Steidley. I will always remember 1936 because it was hot and dry and what didn't burn up, the grasshoppers ate. The other thing that makes me remember it is that is the year the WW I vets were paid their long promised bonuses. Roy Lucas took his bonus to town and bought a new 1936 Plymouth coupe for the grand sum of about $500.

The teachers at Sageeyah during my years there were Chester Stroud and Bernice Dunaway, then later, Lloyd and Elsie Denny. The prettiest car I ever saw was the new 1938 light blue Chevrolet sedan the Dennys bought while teaching there.

I hope this is helpful and if I can think of anything else, I'll send more. . . . . .George

=============================================================================================================

SECOND E-MAIL FROM GEORGE CROUCH.

Re Alsie and Elsie Cain, I never knew this family but it seems evident to me that #8 is the twin of #2. They look almost exactly alike!

I remember Arlo Corley and that Emerson and his older brother, Raymond Corley, used to get together occasionally as young men and make music. Raymond on the guitar and Emerson with his harmonica.

I also remember now that Clarence Green was the father of the Condie Green I mentioned before, so Condie was Blanche's nephew, as I suggested. I don't recall hearing Clarence called "Jack". That must have been just the family and close friends of his. Frank Green was the father of Clarence and Blanche.

In those days, my brother, Emerson, rode a horse to school. there was a stable out by the back fence where the horses were kept for the day. Emerson rode old "Star", a big bay,so named because of the white star between his eyes. I call him old because by the time I knew him, he was quite old and his backbone stuck out so much it was no fun to ride him bareback. Get the saddle! The stable was still there in my school days there, but not used.

I believe you asked about the Franklin Hospital. All the medical attention our family received was received there. Doctor Benjamin Franklin Collins built it and he and his wife were the doctor and nurse in those days. It was interesting to us that he always called her "Sis." I remember when they built the matching brick home next door where they then lived. Emerson had his appendectomy and follow up surgery there, I had my neck lanced there after I almost broke it, and our oldest son was born there in 1946. At the latter time, both Doc Collins and his wife were dead.

During my first days at Sageeyah School, The 7th and 8th grade "big kids" were really nice to us little ones. I remember especially, Mabel Powers, Harry's sister; Anita Hanes, big sis to Joe, Dave & Dan, Phillip & Phyllis; and Lee Moree.

Lee Moree and I were responsible for my neck injury. Lee lifted me up to hold on a bar in the schoolyard and was pushing me so I could swing back and forth while holding by my hands. It was fun for a while, then I think he pushed me at exactly the same instant I lost my grip. The result was a pretty hard fall, going down mainly on my neck. Doc Collins said I came as close to breaking it as I could without actually breaking it. I clearly remember getting to my feet and wanting to cry but couldn't utter a sound for a while. I have a scar on the side of the neck where Doc lanced it and a knot on the back of the neck. Lee was a good guy. I was sorry to hear about his death by choking on a piece of meat as a young husband and father.

I think I have run down and probably told more than you wanted to know. One never knows what little gap might be filled in, though. Thanks for what you are doing and keep on keeping on. Let me know if I can be of help from a long distance. I don't think I have any school pix. I'm in CA, where we've lived for 53 years. Emerson also lived here from about 1950 to his death in 1971. . . . . . George

Thanks very much to George Crouch for the above information.  . . . . Jim

=============================================================================================================

If anyone can supply any more info, please contact Jim by e-mail. I'm sure there are many spelling errors so please correct me on that, also.  Please use the E-Mail address given at the top of the home page.

[Note:  because of excessive spam, it has been necessary to remove my E-Mail address from all but one location . . . hope this doesn't cause too much inconvenience.]

Back to Jim's Sageeyah Pages

Back to Home Page

---