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CREEDS CLASS OF 1932
The Class Prophecy
from
Knots Island Diary
by Sue Fentress Austin
I had spent the day in study wondering from whence I was to gain
that all-important information – the future of the Class of 1932.
Finally I seized a book and retreated to the swing on the porch. The
day was ideal, warm breezes gently swayed the branches to and fro. With
the exception of a chirp now and then from some bird everything was
calm and quiet, so quiet that I soon felt myself getting drowsy. I fell
asleep and began to dream. I dreamed that I saw standing before me a
messenger who bade me follow him to the mansion of Osiris. Eagerly, I
trailed him to find myself before a beautiful carved door, which sprang
open at my touch. Sitting in a far corner of the room lined with huge
volumes was the prophet Osiris who wished to know if he could help me.
Quickly I told him that I wanted to know the future of my classmates.
He took from the shelf nearest him a large blue book with "The Future
of the Class of 1932 " engraved on it in golden letters. He told me to
read.
With great anxiety I opened the book and turned the leaves. The
first
name to catch my eye was the president of our class ALVAH WATERFIELD.
Wondering what the future held for him, who had so nobly served our
class during the Senior year, I read the page. I remembered that Alvah
in High School desired to be a railway mail clerk. Now he had been
chosen President of the Great United Railway.
The next page was a picture of a beautful home with rose bushes,
vines
and shrubs on the lawn. I wondered who could be the owner. Of course,
my curiosity got the best of me. I scanned the pages to find the answer
which gave me a terrific shock for it said that the owner was Mr. &
Mrs. RODNEY LANE. And let me add that Mrs. Was Miss FRANCES NOSAY.
On the next pages I read how ALVAH JONES as promoter and sole
owner
of
a chain of gasoline filling stations had become one of the greatest
financiers in the Oil Industry. Every station along the Atlantic was
owned and controlled by Alvah. The name Alvah L. Jones in large
lighted-letters was everywhere evident.
Eagerly I turned the leaves to read that an attractive young lady
had
won first prize with her painting in an art exhibit in Chicago. Surely
you can guess who this was MARY RUTH WHITE, the talented member of our
class.
As I turned the next pages I was amazed for lo and behold Miss
LILLIAN
ETHERIDGE’S name stood out more than all the rest. My eyes ran over
the page as quick as lightening but it was a surprise I just couldn’t
take it all in at one glance. After reading it several times I found
out that she had been teaching in one of the largest high schools in
the State of Virginia and at last had become princpal.
I read farther and found that an-up-to-date beauty culture school
had
been opened in Norfolk. Many pupils were enrolling for a special course
in The Art of Applying Make-up, which would be taught by the
experienced and capable Culturists, Misses MILDRED DOXEY and BESSIE
EVERTON.
As I turned the next leaf, I read of this rich lady of New York
winning
a most unusual lawsuit. The facts of the case were quite entertaining
but the exciting and thrilling part was that the capable lawyer she had
employed was none other than my old classmate MELFORD GRIMSTEAD. The
article summarized the various successes that Attorney Grimstead had
made in his law career. It also hinted that his name was being
seriously considered for filling a vacancy on the Supreme Court of N.
Y. State.
On the next page I found a most attractive picture of a modern,
up
to
date library. The reading material related how this had been
transformed from a rundown, dilapidated library to the present one, and
that change had been due to the efficient capable librarian, Miss
RHETTA NEWMAN. The article stated that all interested in becoming a
Librarian should refer to Miss Newman, as she was authority on the
subject of library work.
I was anxious to know what NITA BRUMLEY was doing so I turned the
pages
until I discovered her name. There I found that she entered the noble
vocation of house keeping in a lonely secluded spot on Knotts Island.
Nita believes that everyone should have an avocation as well as a
vocation so she willingly and happily became the partner with a
prominent specialist in duck raising. She is extremely happy in
business partnership as well as social partnership.
The next page gave me the future of one who was the teacher of
home
economics - who could be - ah! Yes, GRACE WILLIAMS She was making quite
a success of her chosen profession in a large city high school. Gossip
rumored that she was soon to have the chance of putting into practice
that which she had been teaching.
As I read the next page I was quite astonished to find that
WALTER
MUNDEN after crossing the sea of matrimony, had become quite settled
and had lost all of his former desires to flirt and wink at girls.
Instead I find him sedately riding the roads of Princess Anne County
telling the people how to raise pigs and chickens.
My eyes roamed the various pages until I sighted the name MILDRED
LANE
and what do you suppose I found her doing? She is teaching typing at
the Norfolk Business College, and is making quite a success. I was not
surprised to discover this, as I remembered that in High School days,
Mildred was eager to do clerical work.
Being anxious to discover what our friend Miss VERA MUNDEN was
doing
I
thumbed the pages until I found artistic sketches of a sun parlor,
breakfast nook and a living room. Beneath each sketch was painted the
following: These designs submitted to the “Home Beautiful" by the noted
Interior Decorator “Mrs. W. B. Munden". In fine print was written Mrs.
Munden the former Miss Vera Munden
has not allowed domestic duties to interfere with her great artistic
ability.
The next page was about music. As I don’t know much about music I
didn’t know whether to read it or not, but after debating several
minutes I
decided I would. And it told about Mrs. Jones, or Miss RUBY HALSTEAD
teaching music to HAROLD JR. and Peggy Anne.
It is noted that ADELL BRUMLEY is not mentioned in the Class
Prophecy
as she was the authoress. Note too it is presented complete, with its
numerous grammatical errors.
Now for some "faded" glimpses back into the past about our 1932
graduates. These remembrances came from some of the surviving class
members.
MEDFORD GRIMSTEAD Drove Knotts Island bus to Creeds, paid to drive
and
kids respected him, only child, got what he needed, very serious.
WALTER MUNDEN All Vera’ s, flirt, jokey, funny, good boy, nice and
good
as he could be, jolly
RODNEY LANE Cuddy old bear, slow, got along with others, finished
everyone’s gum, find it lying on any desk
FRANCES NOSAY Nice, particular, neat work, caring, quiet, wanted to
be
good, serious, likeable
ALVAH JONES Alvah Jones Afllicted, pleasant, liked Nita, would bring
Nita candy bar to School, put it way in back of Nita’s seat, she would
find the piece of candy and didn’t know who was doing it, he kind of
watched her, went on for a long time, Nita began to expect the candy. A
next door neighbor, studied together, his little sister Mary Elizabeth
was a happy child
VERA MUNDEN Sweet, liked Walter, happy, cheerfull, friendly, loved
her,
attended college
NITA BRUMLEY Inseparable with sister, Adell, loved her, adored Miss
Bracey & Louise Luxford, both teachers at Creeds, detested English
Lit, attended college
ADELL BRUMLEY Most quiet, loved her, she loved gum, good with
English
Lit, attended college
MILDRED LANE Friends with Nita, one of the math whizzes, loved
competing with the boys in math, loved her, busy
GRACE WILLIAMS Pleasant, cheerful, had boyfriends, was adopted, got
what she wanted, straight forward, spoke her thoughts, smart, she was a
Waterfield, hard life at first, game warden shot through the marsh and
killed her father and brother, attended college, became teacher
RUBY HALSTEAD Played sax, at lunchtime kids would go to her father’s
store and purchase frozen Milky Way candy, really good friend, got what
she wanted, attractive, good worker, dated Alvah Wateriield, good
friend of Nita’s, fun, remembers getting an apple from Ruby’s father’s
store at Creeds and eating it on the way to Ruby’s house to spend the
night, smartest in class, nice clothes, attended college
ALVAH WATERFIELD Clown, fun, would imitate Amos & Andy and make
all
laugh, kidding, funny faces, thought the world of him
MARY RUTH WHITE Played piano in "band", guard in basketball, she was
her daddy’s special little girl, artistic, hung out with Rhetta, great
friend, graduated at 16, father on School Board in 20s
RHETTA NEWMAN Best friend, pretty, mother paralyzed, good friend
with
Mary Ruth
HAROLD JONES Called "Jonsie”, pleasant, good boy, cut-up some, caring
BESSIE EVERTON Nice, very poor, cordial, quiet, short, blonde
Lillian Etheridge was a classmate as mentioned in the Prophecy, but
for
some reason was not present Commencement Night.
The ’32 graduates attended a school that sported an orchestra.
Pupils
would line up at the door of the auditorium and march inside. There was
a violin, some type of guitar, piano, sax and maybe a few other musical
instruments. Lessons cost about 50 cents and were conducted during the
school day.
The pickup point for one Knotts Island girl was in the school yard.
The
dust at this stop was so terrible that it would flood the interior of
the bus, making breathing a chore.
Mary Ruth was the Giftorian at Graduation. She gave out little
gifts,
which cost l0 cents apiece, to all graduates. Mary Ruth made each
purchase herself.
Lunchtime was outside and usually the kids ate off car bumpers.
Mostly
there were home-made sandwiches such as scrambled egg with cheese or
just hard boiled eggs to eat. The luckier children had allowances and
could make purchases at nearby stores. Candy, Coca-Cola to drink and
ice cream were favorites!! Even loaf bread was available at both
stores.
The outside toilets were near the boy’s ball field. The girls’ was
first, a two-holer, and the boys’, a few feet further. All the girls
would go in a bunch because they didn’t want the boys to know who was
going.
There was a Literary Society but many students did not participate
because they were too shy or scared to stand up and talk about the most
recent book they had read.
School probably "called in” at 9 o’clock and “turned out" at 3.
Doctor Nicholson gave all the girl graduates a thimble. ln today’s
world, a 17 year old wouldn’t even know what a thimble was, let alone
how to use it!!
It might be noted that few young ladies left Knotts
Island to further their education beyond the 11th grade. It meant
living away from parents and siblings and often cost the parents
boarding costs. Many simply could not afford to send their children
away. Some girls over the years prior to the 1930s did however: Pauline
(White) Munden and Edith (White) Waterfield boarded in a home in Poplar
Branch. Mamie (Waterfield) Harris also left the Island. Belle (Simpson)
Cullipher stayed at Oceana with a relative.
Classmate Ruby Halstead liked Lester Waterfield from Knotts Island.
Lester was blind and unable to attend school as his friends did. He was
always part of the "crowd" and was very well-liked. He was very
intelligent and did not seek or even appreciate anyone’s help. Lester
and Alvah Waterfield, both, liked Ruby. Adell’s diary mentions this
event: Minnie didn’t want Adell to go out riding with her special
fellow, Bill Fentress, alone and made Nita go along. Bill was taking
Lester over to visit with Ruby. This irritated Bill to begin with that
Adell always had to have a companion ride along. But on one occasion,
when leaving Ruby’s house, Lester stumbled going down the steps. Bill
grabbed Lester’s arm and they both went down! Lester was furious and
cussed his old buddy out. All poor Bill could say was, "Lester, you
were about to fall and I was just trying to help." Nita and Adell acted
like the typical teens that they were .... nearly died laughing!
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