Reunion of Pupils of Prof. Aaron Frazier of Forty Years ago.

HELD AT NORTH BUILDING.
 
Decatur County Journal
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, June 24,1915


In response to an invitation published in the Leon papers a few weeks ago, about thirty former pupils of Prof. AARON FRAZIER, met at the north school building, Friday, June 18th, this being the 40th anniversary of the graduation of the class of 1875. The following report of the reunion was prepared by MRS. LAYTON, Secretary of the meeting.

A long table in one of the domestic science rooms, was filled with good things to eat. Our pupils today have many advantages not enjoyed by those of forty years ago. The beautiful high school building, the annex with its well equipped manual training and domestic science rooms with skilled teachers in both. But the "boys" declared the "girls" of long ago can compete successfully in culinary skill with those a generation younger. After dinner we adjourned to the assembly room where a feast of another nature awaited us. MRS. STEWART called the meeting to order. S.A. GATES was chosen Chairman for the afternoon. MRS. LAYTON, Secretary, MRS. LONG, Organist. The first was a song, "All Together," an old favorite from the Triumph, the song book used forty years ago. A letter from Professor FRAZIER was enjoyed by all. More old songs then letters and greetings from absent classmates, teachers and pupils were read. A letter from W.J. FIELDS, La Harpe, Kansas; a letter from I! DA JENREE WALKER, St. Joseph, Mo.; greetings from MARY READ BROWN, AMANDA MILLER, SALLIE WISE, ELLA BENNETT MCCULUMN and ALLIE PORTER GENAVILE, Los Angeles, California. A poem published in the Journal some years ago was read. A motion carried to have this published again.

Perhaps the most pleasant hour of all was that given to reminiscences, all of which contained some word of praise or gratitude for benefits received under Professor FRAZIER's instruction. C.W. HOFFMAN opened this part of the program by declaring he believed AARON FRAZIER was the best teacher that ever taught school in the State of Iowa, not wholly for his ability to impart knowledge but for the good influence he had over his pupils. MR. HOFFMAN was followed by the other pupils, some with jokes or story but all full of pleasant memories. After more singing, an organization to be known as the FRAZIER Association of the Leon High School was perfected with the following officers: S.A. GATES, President; MRS. LAYTON, Vice President; ALLIE GARDNER, Secretary; MRS. CURRY, Corresponding Secretary; MRS. STEWART, Treasurer; MISS CORA LUNBECK, Historian. All who attended school in the grades while Mr. FRAZIER was Superintendent are invited to become members. After a vote of thanks ! to the school board for the use of the high school building, we adjourned and spent a social hour together.

There were ten members in the class of 1875: WILL FIELDS, LEONARD PERDUE, FRANK LONG, AUDA GATES, IDA BAKER, ALLIE MILES, LINDA PERDEW, ESTHER SANGER, ANNA GARDNER, ALLIE GARDNER. Five were at this meeting. To the resident members of this class we owe the pleasure of this occasion.

Some interesting exhibits were enjoyed--an album with photographs and tintypes, some being of the first class graduating from the Leon High School; a pamphlet published in 1868, containing a picture of the old Court House, other buildings, a photo of Professor FRAZIER and others; a copy of the Decatur County Journal of 1869, P.O. JAMES, Editor. This contained the honor roll of the lower grades for the year. To those who did not know them in their younger school days it seemed incredible that the names of CAL HOFFMAN, HORRY LONG, BELLE BURNS, BELLE BOBBITT, ALICE DILSAVER and KATE FINLEY should have been on that list.

It is expected that the meetings of this Association will become a real home-coming time. We hope that some who have journeyed afar--even into California and the southland, as well as many who have pitched their tents nearer the garden spot of the fairest state, will return at this time to renew their friendships of long ago. The following were in attendance last Friday:
 
STUDENTS ROLL.
 
 AMELIA KELLEY PRYOR, Leon. AMANDA SIMS BRACEWELL, Allerton. MARIA GILREATH QUIETT, Leon.
 S.A. GATES, Leon LINDA PERDEW BOYCE, Lamoni. FRANK LONG, Leon.
 ELLA EATON HAMILTON, Leon. HILA FISHBURN PENNIWELL, Leon. BELLE BURNS HARVEY, Leon.
 MARTHA POST LAYTON, Leon. CORA MAY LUNBECK, Leon. HATTIE LINDSEY SULLIVAN, Leon.
 DELL LUNBECK KETCHAM, Leon. JESSIE FORREY STOOKEY, Leon. STEPHEN VARGA, Leon.
 H.L. LONG, Leon. C.W. HOFFMAN, Leon. SALLIE STINGLEY BOBBITT, Leon.
 BELLE BOBBITT PORTER, Van Wert. J.S. GARDNER, Leon. LIZZIE DARR HARRIS, Leon.
 ESTHER SANGER STEWART, Leon. ANNIE GARDNER CURRY, Leon.
      
VISITORS ROLL.
 
 MRS. ANNA D. LONG, Leon. MRS. JOHN W. HARVEY, Leon. DR. H.R. LAYTON, Leon.
 J.W. SULLIVAN, Leon. MRS. SALLIE VARGA, Leon. MRS. LENNA GATES, Leon.
 C.M. KETCHAM, Leon. MILLARD F. STOOKEY, Leon. J.L. HARVEY, Leon.
 JOHN GATES, Leon. MRS. KATE FINLEY ARNOLD, Leon. CAPT. J.D. BROWN, Leon.
 MRS. J.D. BROWN, Leon. MRS. ALICE FARQUHAR, Leon. MRS. FANNY ARNOLD SIGLER, Leon.
 
BOARD OF DIRECTORS, Forty Years Ago.
 
 NATHAN PERDEW, President. C.B. JORDAN, Secretary J.R. BASHAW, Treasurer.
 A.S. UPDEGRAPH. J.W. HARVEY. JOHN KIRKPATRICK.
 S.N. HOWARD. J.N. CLARK.
Letter From Prof. AARON FRAZIER.
Dufur, Oregon
June 1, 1915.

To the graduating class of 1875 of the Leon High School, in particular, and other graduates and friends of Leon and Vicinity-- Greeting:

I was made glad by the notice of this meeting sent me and should be very much pleased to have been with you today. However, some thousands of miles intervening, and a lack of the eternally needful, to pave the way, makes it necessary for me to stay at home and forgo what would be a great pleasure to me.

I am now in my eighty-first year; In general good health; my wife still with me and all that journeyed with me from Leon in 1875, still about us. My work as teacher commenced in 1859, or 1860, and with vacations here and there has counted for more than 500 months. The places I taught longest; Dufur, ninety months; Leon, seventy months; Frankfort, sixty months; McMinville, thirty months. This with several places running up to twenty or more months, makes a rather ragged record. But I can say I feel sure I earned my money and did some good everywhere I taught. Your kind memory of me in the memory of your school life is in every sense pleasing to me and nothing could be in excess of the gladness I should have experienced had I been permitted to meet with you today.

-- AARON FRAZIER.
Good Words for Professor Frazier.
Dufur, Oregon
June 7, 1915

MRS. ESTHER STEWART, Leon, Iowa.

Dear MRS. STEWART: Yours of June 6, received. Yes, MR. FRAZIER is a much honored resident here and I attended his school here where he was teacher, for years, but his health has not been very good the past year and I am sure he is not able physically or financially to make the trip home to Iowa. He has a very tender spot in his memory for Leon and named his favorite grandson for the place. I am sure he intended answering your invitation as he certainly appreciated your letter as the enclosed clipping which he had printed in our Dufur paper will show.

-- Yours Very Truly,
Mrs. J.A. Stevens
Just Forty Years Ago.

The hazy, lazy days are here that
sets the wits to musing
Of olden days now long gone by, so
bright tho' self-accusing;
Methinks I see the old school house
and hear the bell a ringing,
And as I climb creaky stairs I hear
the scholars singing;
What were the songs they used to
sing, can anyone remember?
There was one about "Sweet Hallie"
and one about "December;"
But where are all the boys and girls,
please tell me, if you know,
Who went to school to FRAZIER just
forty years ago?
I'd like to see the LINTON boys whose
names were THORNT and BILL,
and FRANK and MARY MUDGETT whose
father kept the mill,
also ORLANDO HINDS and his studious
brother, OBE,
I wonder if they're lingering yet up-
on this earthly globe,
I wonder where EM SCHAFER is and
gentle HELEN WORTH,
And where is CLARA PATTERSON so full
of song and mirth,
And where is ELLA BENNETT--the
scholars loved her so,
Who went to school to FRAZIER just
forty years ago?
I'd like to see the MILES girls, both
JOSEPHINE and ALLIE,
And pretty HELEN DAWSON and WAL-
LER's little SALLIE.
Where can DAN PORTER be that pick-
ed an old guitar,
JOHN OCKERMAN and SARAH, I wonder
where you are.
The SAMSON boys have long been
gone, and also LIZZIE ZION.
But where is big WILLIAM SHY and
little IRA RYAN,
Where are the SALES boys--'twas
CASS that chopped his toe,
They went to school to FRAZIER just
forty years ago?
There was HATT and MILTON LINDSEY
who lived just west of town,
And ELLA EATON who spelled the
whole school down,
There was NANNIE DETRICK, LIBBIE
GOEN and BELLE MCGREW,
CLARENCE and IDA BAKER, LEONARD and
JIM PERDEW.
Now what's become of LAURA and (?)RIP
and HOMER DYE,
Hope they will answer if this should
catch their eye.
And where is EPH and MATTIE POST
and younger brother, JOE,
Who went to school to FRAZIER just
forty years ago?
And there was CALVIN HOFFMAN who
talked a little jerky,
and SAMUEL PENNIWELL who played
in our first band,
And bashful STEPHEN VARGA with his
booksack in his hand,
But where is LIZZIE BONNETT who al-
ways kept the peace,
And FRANK and JOHN LONG and FRED
and MARY NIECE,
Oh! where is E.Y. FREEMAN that
gay and dashing beau,
Who went to school to FRAZIER just
forty years ago?
Where are all the GARDNERS--there
used to be so many,
I wonder where JIM LITTLE is and
where is IDA JENREE,
I'd like to see EM DAWSON who
taught the "infant" school,
SARAH and MAGGIE EVANS who never
broke the rule,
And where did CHARLE MURRY go who
had the golden curls,
And where is TILDA JORDAN and all
the AVERY girls,
And WOODRUFF, the Missourian--we
didn't have to show,
Who went to school to FRAZIER just
forty years ago?
Where is good AMANDA SIMS whose
father was a preacher,
And where is SIDNEY DAILY our clever
writing teacher,
Where is HARRY SANFORD and KIT
and MIN and HECK,
Where are all the WARNER boys, now
why don't they come back?
Oh! POSSUM and MCGRUDER now cease
your endless song,
And take a message on your breast
and bear it swiftly along
To AARON FRAZIER, teacher, the man
we tortured so,
Tell him we're sorry for all mis-
deeds of forty years ago.
I remember EVA THOMPSON who had
a sister, BELLE,
CORA, DELL and HENRY LUNBECK, EM
VAUGHN and WILEY SELL,
Who could forget BELLE BOBBITT--we
often called her "POLLY,"
Or handsome EMMA GILLHAM and her
little sister, OLLIE,
What became of WESLEY SILVERS and
his cousin, WILLIAM CARR,
LEOLA HAYWOOD, ETTA MCCLELLAND,
they too, have wandered far,
And where is SADIE HILDRETH who
made our organ go,
They went to school to FRAZIER just
forty years ago?
There was ESTHER SANGER best scho-
lar in her class,
Also LAURA BISHOP a bright and
comely lass,
SAM GATES and sister, ADDIE, FRANK
TEW and brother, DAN,
DELL and METTIE PITMAN and FISH-
BURN's HILA ANN,
And there was JESSIE FORREY, WILL
FIELDS who wouldn't shirk,
And witty ELSIE ELLIS, likewise one
ADA KIRK,
I'd like to see RAIFF PORTER, say,
where did ALLIE go,
All went to school to FRAZIER just
forty years ago?
 
Copied by Nancee (McMurtrey) Seifert, March 26, 2002
 
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