Parnell Class of 1940 Memoir

From the 1940 Parnell Yearbook, posted in the Facebook Group Parnell Remembered:

In the fall of 1936, we entered the Parnell High School. To some of us, the school house and its surroundings were familiar. We were June Kennedy, Helen Herndon, Dorothy Helen DeFreece, Ada Mae Logan, Kathleen Thomas, Lola Lyle, Francis Messbarger, Kenneth Breit, Junior Crenshaw, Elvin Echterling, and Francis Bennett, who left our class before the year was over. Raymond Messner, Carson Messner, Drexel Sparks, Francis Troxell, Mary and Marie Olmsted, and Harvey Porch were strangers in a strange land because they came from the rural schools. That year, Miss Zona Hoyt was our class sponsor. Kathleen Thomas was President, Elvin Echterling Vice President, and Ada Mae Logan Secretary and Treasurer.

At the beginning of our Sophomore year, Francis Messbarger and Kathleen Thomas were not present as they were attending school elsewhere. Before school was out, Francis Troxell and Raymond Messner also left and Cecil Mae Wilson joined our ranks during the Sophomore year. Miss Zona Hoyt was our class sponsor again this year and Elvin Echterling was President, Dorothy Helen DeFreece Vice-President, and Helen Herndon Secretary-Treasurer. Dorothy Helen and Elvin were representatives to the Student Council from our class.

In the fall of 1938, we had moved up a step and began a more strenuous course of studies as Juniors. During the summer, we lost a classmate, Ada Mae Logan. Metta Morton was a new member who joined our ranks, and we were glad to have Francis Messbarger with us again. Mr. Coffman was our sponsor. Elvin Echterling was President; Metta Morton Vice-President, and June Kennedy Secretary-Treasurer. Dorothy Helen and Kenneth Breit were representatives in the Student Council.

In the fall of 1939, we moved up another step to spend one more year at Parnell High School and which is also our last. This year, Francis Messbarger and Junior Crenshaw are attending school at other places. We had many different teachers this year, but that didn’t hinder us any. Mr. Beckwith was selected sponsor, but when he left, Mr. Burr took the job of sponsor of our class. Elvin Echterling is President; Metta Morton Vice-President; Helen Herndon Secretary-Treasurer. Dorothy Helen and June Kennedy are our representatives to the Student Council. We are proud of our class; four boys being on the basketball team; Queen of the “Vista,” King and Queen of the Carnival; President and Vice President of the Student Council all being from our class.

Only three of us have been together since the first day of school, September 1927. These are: Dorothy Helen DeFreece, Helen Herndon, and Elvin Echterling. Now that our twelve years of school are up, we hope that the rest of the classes have as much fun and enjoy school as much as we have and we wish to thank everyone who made our school life so enjoyable for us.

–Elvin Echterling