Commencement Class of 1934 part 1

[John]

This is my 5th try to get this on.  There are 4 pages so bear with me.  It is a Commencement for the Elk County Schools, Class of 1934, page 2 is the program, page 3 is the Common School Graduates of Rural Pupils, page 4 is the Grade Pupils from Elk Falls, Moline, Longton and Howard Grade Schools

[Dee Gee]

Keep trying John, I would interested in seeing them.

[W. Gray]

Okay, here is the program posted for John.

Lots of recognizable last names here.

[Janet Harrington]

Oh My Gosh.  That was so cool.

[patyrn]

This looks like the 8th grade graduation groups from all over Elk County.  I didn't ever know they all had their ceremonies combined.  That must have been a big occasion in those days, especially for the rural school students. 

[frawin]

Karen, when I graduated from the 8th grade in 1954, they were still bringing the Rural Grade School pupils into Howard to Graduate. That year the Pupils from  Pleasant Hill, Upola, Upper Paw Paw, Flint Hills and Union Center came in and graduated with us. There were only 10 total from that list of Rural schools. In fact that is the first time I met my wife who came in from Upper Paw Paw then went to Severy to High School.
Frank

[Dee Gee]

When I graduated from Farmington in 1956, all the rural students in Greenwood County gathered at the County Court house to Graduation. Which at that time it did seem like a big production.

[frawin]

Upper Paw Paw closed after the 1963 school year and Part of the district consolidated with Severy and part with Howard. The last teacher was Emalin Leonard, who incidentally was my 4th grade teacher at Howard in 1949-50. I think most if not all of the Rural schools were closed in the Howard area in 1963.