Saturday, February 20, 2010

Deadwood Public School ~~ 1946-47 First Grade & 1949-50 Fourth Grade ~~ Contributor Jack Sears DHS58

Select on Images for large viewing

Photos from Jack Sear's collection

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DickD 2/23/2010 Note:

Jack Sears tells me that there were two first grade classes, but he cannot remember the other teacher's name. Amazing class sizes, but then not when you consider the 1940-1950's Deadwood were a peak of commerce, population, livelihood, and Homestake.

A drastic slump followed in the 1960's through the early 1980's. In 1987, as a National Register Historic City, Deadwood rediscovered itself as a Western Destination and high profile gambling. With gambling proceeds, the whole infrastructure of Deadwood has been rebuilt as brand new. However, I have said before, gambling is a facade use of old buildings. The old time family names are fading away.

The Deadwood Public School Building is 86 years old and the Deadwood School is 124 years old. Sadly, the Lead Deadwood School District is considering to surplus the Deadwood School Building. Due to the Deadwood building values, a gambling establishment is highly likely.

Comments are added to article at the end
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I finally located the picture of my first grade class and the list of names that I mentioned to you a while back. If there is any problem with this format, please let me know.
There are three sections: 1) the introduction and class list; 2) the class photo; and 3) the names (those I can recall) of the students in the photo.

I also have a picture of our 4th grade class I could send along, which of course includes some kids not in the first grade photo. Maybe that's too much of a good thing, though. I hope other people will be encouraged to send in information about their own classes.

I can't remember all the names with all the faces. Maybe others have better memories and can fill in the blanks and/or make necessary corrections.

Regards,
Jack DHS58


Deadwood Public School
Miss Smith’s First Grade Class
Christmas 1946

Front Row, Left to Right

Virginia Clauser, John Richard Cummings, Diane Clements, Calvin Michael Minard, -??-, Wayne DeSersa, Sharon Burrington, Gordon Albin, Darrell Baltzore, Judy Cleveland

Second Row

Carol Wibmer?, -??-, Dennis Artus, Muriel Roth, James Meverden, Barbara Rich, Stanley Giersdorf, -??-, Dale Hansen, Rozelle Stalder

Third Row

Sondra Snapp, Dean Morse, -??-, Marshall Howard, Virginia Gukeisen, Lyle Spaulding, Patricia Schunneman, Jack Sears, Darlene Lester, Merlyn Sperle

Unidentified, or
Not in Picture:

Barbara Baird, Carol Beck, Larry Burrington, Joyce K. Emery, Linda Lee McGriff
Larry Burtzlaff, Sharon?, Rose Gros

Miss Olive Smith’s First Grade Class of 1946-47


Possibly the longest serving teacher in history of the Deadwood school system was Miss Olive (Dottie) Smith.


Miss Smith surprised me on my first day in her class by saying she had taught my uncle when he was in the first grade -- and since he was born in 1898, that would have been back in 1904. (My grandparents first came to Deadwood in about 1902 and owned The Deadwood Creamery, which sold dairy products and eggs and was located where the Deadwood Armory now is on upperMain Street.)


Miss Smith graduated from Spearfish Normal School (aka Black Hills Teachers College and Black Hills State University) in 1891, and had already been teaching in for 55 years when the Class of 1958 was known as the First Grade Class of 1946-47. (She continued teaching for a few years longer.)


These were the students in Miss Smith’s class that year, according to the list of names she sent to parents to help them prepare valentines for February 14, 1947:


Gordon Albin
Dennis Artus
Barbara Baird
Darrell Baltzore
Carol Beck
Dorothy Burrington
Larry Burrington
Larry Burtzlaff
Virginia Clauser
Diane Clements
Judy Cleveland
John Richard Cummings
Wayne DeSersa
Joyce K. Emery
Stanley Giersdorf
Virginia Gukeisen
Dale Hansen
Marshall Howard
Dariene Lester
Linda Lee McGriff
James Meverden
Dean Morss
Calvin Michael Minard
Barbara Rich
Muriel Roth
Patricia Schunneman
Jack Sears
Sondra Fern Snapp
Merlyn Sperle
Lyie Spaulding
Rozelle Stalder
Carol Wibmer

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Dick, I decided to send you the photo of Miss Katharine Wardman's 4th grade class of 1949-50 for your blog, in addition to Miss Smith's first grade class photo.

I can't remember the names of four of my classmates, but maybe someone else can -- if you decide to add this to the first grade photo submission.

(I'm not 100 percent sure this is my 4th grade class, but that's my best guess. )

Regards,

Jack

Miss Katharine Wardman’s Fourth Grade Class
Deadwood Public School
1949-50

Front Row, Left to Right:

Judy Cleveland, Sondra Snapp, Rozelle Stalder, Herbert Clark, Gordon Albin, Diane Clements, Kay Sohn, Virginia Clauser, -??-, Thomas Wardell, Calvin Minard, Donald Johnson

Second Row:

Dale Hansen, Dennis Artus, Gloria Johnson, -??-, -??-, Jack Gray, Constance McCarroll, Merlyn Sperle, -??-, Darlene Lester, Larry Dungey

Back Row:

Albert McKeown, Ramona Shepard, Jean Pigney, Marvin (“Buzzy”) Lee, Virginia Gukeisen, Jack Sears, Larry Burtzlaff, Muriel Roth, Patricia Schunneman

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Comments:

Connie McCarroll Austin DHS58 2/26/2010: There was a combination 1st and 2nd class taught by Lorna Duran or something close to that. She married in the middle of the year and became Mrs. Nelson. Think I have a photo that I'll forward. I enjoy the blog and all the news.

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