Friday, February 27, 2015

Sepia Saturday: A Banner Year

Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family history through old photographs.



This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt might suggest street parades (done that already), revolution (not smart enough to think outside the sepia box), Russia (not applicable), and banners.  By default, “banners” it is. 

In 1973, my grandmother Lucille Rucker Davis attended her 50th high school reunion. 

Shenandoah High School Class of 1922-23  http://jollettetc.blogspot.com
Lucille Rucker Davis is on the left - caught with her eyes closed.


Of course, the class was larger than that in 1923. 

Shenandoah High School Class of 1922-23  http://jollettetc.blogspot.com
Lucille Rucker is second from the left on the back row.
(Man standing in the back was the class sponsor
or principal, not sure.)

That was the graduating class of Shenandoah High School in Shenandoah, Virginia.  Three boys – they must have been busy taking turns dating all those girls. 

After graduation, Lucille was scheduled to enter nursing school.  Her uncle George Eppard, a prominent doctor in Washington D.C., had secured a spot for her.  However, fate took a turn. 

That September, instead of driving into Washington, Lucille Rucker and Orvin Davis crossed the state line into Maryland.  Hagerstown, Maryland, to be exact.  Why?  To get married.  I wonder what her parents said about that.

Orvin and Lucille Davis 1925  http://jollettetc.blogspot.com
Orvin and Lucille 1925


Here’s a revolutionary thought:  raise your banner and join the parade with others who are "Russian" over to Sepia Saturday.



© 2015, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

12 comments:

  1. Oh what fun it is to travel back in our own school days, but of your grandmother's as well, double win. That 50th reunion they all look wonderful and so young!

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  2. A fine banner it is too! High school friendships seemed to make stronger bonds in those days than in more recent times.

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  3. I can never look at such group photographs of young people about to embark on life without wondering what happened to them - thanks for sharing the story of at least a couple of the participants in that early photograph

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  4. You have such fascinating stories in your family history and I enjoyed your "banner" take on this week's theme.

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  5. Yeah, I bet that Nursing School/Hagerstown story wasn't popular at the Rucker household! But then again, that is what women were expected to do, marry.

    Thanks for all the fun pictures of Grandma and Granddaddy.

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  6. Wendy, Great images! I especially love the graduation photograph, with all those bright young faces looking toward the future. Orvin looks quite pleased with himself in the photo with your grandmother.

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  7. Love the boys in the graduation photo, with their legs crossed exactly the same way -- kinda like the Rockettes!

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  8. Love knows no bounds! Don't suppose she went on to nursing school after she was married. Back in those days, they probably wouldn't have taken her after marriage anyway - would they?

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  9. The photographer must have told those boys to cross their legs all the same way, surely! I just attended my 45th class reunion - maybe I'll take along a banner next time, which will be the 50th.

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  10. Love the photos! Three lucky boys! How big was the entire high school?
    Eloping!! WoW! That must have gotten everyone buzzing!

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  11. Good pun!

    Even though my graduating class was several hundred I doubt they'll even get as many as in your grandmother's graduating class to attend. We were known as the most apathetic class to ever pass through the school.

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  12. I use to live by a Shenandoah, Iowa which your blog made me take a second look. Virginia is a far way from Iowa. It is interesting to see the class reunion shots. My mom lived in a town where they got together every year. The size of the group has really shrunk because of death.

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