I've got some pictures of places in Howard that I'd like to know more about. Anyone who knows some history, please reply...
This is where Grandma went to church. I remember her telling me that they weren't always able to have services on Sunday because a pastor had to come in from out of town. I also remember that it was SSSOOOO HOT in there in the summer. Last summer I'm pretty sure Aunt Wretha said it wasn't being used anymore.
This is the Church of Christ building on south Wabash (Main Street). They no longer have church there, and Indygal on the forum has purchased the building and plans to make it into a home. She and her husband were married there earlier this year. Check back on the forum for details.
Your Grandmother, Mae Riggs was the head cook at the Howard School Cafeteria and she done a great job with the food and budget she had to work with plus she liked young people and they liked her. I remember when they were building the Church of Christ which was 2 Blocks from where my parents lived. While I went to the Methodist Church as a small boy I later lived with a family for several years and they attended the Church of Christ and I often went there with them. The Minister's name was Nimrod and I think he came from Independence Kansas to Preach. As I recall there was no organ or Piano but there was lots of singing. Your Grandmother was always there as were the Murphy's, Lukes, Andersons and I think Pauline Smith. I rented the little Pasture, for 2 or 3 years, that your Grandmaother had and kept mares and colts in there. She always enjoyed the baby colts and would come out and pet them when I was there working with them. She was a really nice person.
Frank Winn
Changing the subject here for a minute.
Who bought Paul Boquinns house? I saw lights on in there a few nights ago.
Grandma Loretta kept the books for the church as well. Everyone said she did a really good job with the budget.
When did she work for the school??? I think I remember her mentioning it before, but it was such a long time ago.
I was in High School from 1954 thru 1958 so it would have been during that time and after.
Frank Winn
When we were in Howard last week - we were wondering what would become of the Boquinn home...That was a grand home in its day. I never saw a "For Sale" sign along there any time we passed by. It will be interesting to know who will be the new owners.
Dandymamma,
The cook at the Howard Schools would have been your great-grandmother, Mae Riggs. The first school cafeteria was a new structure built in the 1950s, and she probably was one of the first cooks there. She was still there when I graduated from high school in 1967.
Thank you for posting the great picture of the former church building, dandymomma. The sign in front was gone when Terrell and I bought it last November, so it's neat to see what it looked like. I too would love to know more the history of the building, which we've named Harmony. We are making slow but steady progress toward it becoming our home and art studio, and we're enjoying every minute of the process. It's apparent the building was well-loved from its beginnings, and rest assured it will continue to be.
Saturday afternoon we had a surprise guest, a woman whose maiden name was Melba Christmas (sorry to admit I can't recall her married name). She lives in Wichita now and was in Howard to attend a funeral. She stopped by to visit, saying she'd attended the church in the 1950s (it was built in 1944) and had many fond memories of it. Dandymomma, she -- and we -- can confirm it still gets very hot inside there in the summer, though we now have a wonderful air conditioner that makes it very comfortable. Melva was surprised how the upstairs looked without the pews in it, and we explained how we intend to keep the wood floors as they are, with the "shadows" of the pews, which we find delightfully charming. She also showed me where she had Sunday school class in the basement. There was a doorbell upstairs that the minister would ring to let folks downstairs know class time was over --- we've left that bell and are now pleased to know what its purpose was.
We were told that the church members hand-dug the basement themselves, and we know whoever did the actual construction did fine work. The building is as solid and level as the day the final brick was installed. The only real sign of age are a few cracks around the basement windows and the poured concrete basement floor, which is wearing away in some places. There has been a small amount of water damage to the plaster walls downstairs, which we will repair as money allows. Amazingly, even after the 20-plus inches of rain that deluged Howard this past July, there was minimal water infiltration in that basement.
I wish I could answer your questions, but truth is, I have just as many and maybe more that I'd like the answers to!
Indygal, you almost got your vistor's name correct it was Melba (Crismas) George. Her family and mine lived around Severy but attended the Church of Christ in Howard as did a lot of other family members. But the only time I remember being in the Chruch was for our grandmother's funeral in 1960. Melba is a interesting person to visit with.
I think Harmony is the perfect name. I wish you many blessed years in your new home. That church was honestly, the "happiest" church I've ever been in. Some places just "feel" good, you know??? I can remember holding Grandma's hand and singing. We mostly sat in the third pew on the "passenger side". I liked to be up close, probably because I didn't wear my glasses as much as I was supposed to. Grandma would fan herself with paper and mop her forehead with her hankie, but no matter how hot she was, she always held my hand when we sang.
Indygal, my guess is that if you contact Juanita Anderson who still lives in Howard she can tell you all you might want to know about the church. Her parents were Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Anderson and they also attended that church. Juanita was my school teacher from 5th through 8th grade, and she is a WONDERFUL person. Juanita's mother was also a good cook and also cooked for the school lunch system there in Howard.
Juanita used to make the best brownies and would sometimes bring them to school for a treat. I can't say enough about what a great person and school teacher she was!
Melba Crismas George is a sister to Shirley Wunderlich. The Crismas' ran a grocery store in Severy when she was growing up. There were 2 boys and 2 girls. They left Severy when Melba was probably 7th or 8th grade.
Myrna
I knew the Shirley Wunderlich had been a Crismas. Her folks moved back to Howard for their last years. Her dad was a very large man. He went to the nursing home. Her mother passed away before dad did and we all thought that he would pass first. Anyway, Shirley's family was related to the Crismas' that still had a grocery store in Severy when I was young. My grandmother was friends with Mrs. Crismas who was a large woman. This grocery store was where the city hall, fire department and ambulance barn are now.
However; these Crismas' were not Shirley's parents. Must have been an uncle.
Janet, the ambulance "barn?'' Your poor ambulance is relegated to a barn?... with the chickens....and the cows... Well, I do declare! No wonder your first ambulance was an old hearse! Such disrespect! ;D ;D ;D
Ambulance barn is what the building that houses the ambulances has been called as long as I can remember. Don't know where it started but sounds right around here. Actually the building in Severy is a new metal building that has no resemblance to a barn. The chickens and cows should be so lucky as to have a barn like that one. One of the pecularities of the area. Sure would like to know how ambulance barn got started.
Alva and Wilma Crismas (DeeGee's parents) ran the grocery store at Severy where the City Hall is now located. They purchased the store from Mr. & Mrs. Leonard Markel in May 1962 and ran the business at least until 1973 before selling it to the Lunsfords.
Leonard Markel was an uncle of Pat Allen's. The Markel's were lovely people. They were in the grocery store across from Peyton's when I was in high school. Spent some lunch breaks just visiting with Leonard and Edna.
Alva and Wilma Crismas were DeeGee's parents. They lived 1/2 mile east of us at one time and oh my, we had some good times visiting. The adults played pitch, we popped popcorn. They were really nice people. I went to school with all 4 of their children.
Myrna
Shirley and Melba's parents were Everett and Lucille Crismas, who owned and operated a grocery store on the west side of the street in Severy in the early 1950's prior to moveing to Erie and running a store there until retirement when they moved back to Howard for the rest of their lives. Everett was an older brother to Alva Crismas.
Everett and Lucille bought Richard and Reola Reid's home on Washington street after the Reid's moved into their new home. Lucille and my Mother went to school together in Severy.
I attended a church service at the Church of Christ one time when I was a child with my great uncle, Clark Foster of Elk Falls, KS. I don't remember how old I was but I am guessing it would have been somewhere around 1960 when I was 8 or 9 years old. I don't remember the pastor, but I did know Earl Nimrod from Independence who did paster there at one point. He was a very kind person who also did duty as a school guard crossing out at the grade school across the street south of the Independence High School.