Tarleton Summer Band School

Every summer there would be a Summer Band School at Tarleton College in Stephenville.  The leader would be a wonderful musician and teacher from UCLA named Clarence E. Sawhill.  He is seated on the right at the center of the picture.
The little shrimp at the end of the first row...on the right....is me.  I was either 11 years old or 12 years old when this picture was made.  I went to this summer band school every year until I graduated high school.  On the last summer Mr. Sawhill asked me to play a solo with band accompaniment at the final concert.  

Comanche High School Band

In 1952 our family moved back to Comanche, where my dad was born.  He became the Comanche High School Band director. Of course I continued in the band playing flute.

But in the marching band I wore a uniform with a short pleated skirt and carried a white fake rifle, in what was called the "Color Guard."

The three girls in the picture below are showing off their band letter jackets.  Left to right:  Patsy Atwood, Quay Williams, and Becky Baxter.

Cousins of my Mother and her sister

These two darling little girls are Ona Mae and Marian Ricketts. They were the daughters of Sam and Ruby Ricketts, cousins to my mother, Anna Louise Ricketts.  They were very close in age to Mother (Anna Louise Ricketts) and to Elna, Mother's sister.

According to Mother, the four cousins were almost inseparable growing up.  Often one cousin would "choose up" and so Anna and Marian might spend the weekend at Sam and Ruby's house in Howe and Elna (mother's sister) and Ona Mae would stay at Donald and Ruth's (my grandparents.)

 In 1951 WBAP TV invited the Eastland Band to appear on a
Saturday Sept. 29 half hour performance.  I was seated in center just next to Daddy's right hand. On my left in the same row is Don Smith.

Eastland was very proud of its band.  We played for Christmas parades, rodeos, and football games of course.  We had great uniforms that the good people of Eastland paid for with bake sales, bingo games, and other kinds of fund-raising events.

more Eastland band

 This goes with an earlier post showing the Eastland Band at the State Fair. It was 1950.  On the left is the invitation Daddy received to participate in the Music festival day.  Below is the marching band half time show at the Cotton Bowl the same day.

The message is "Howdy Folks, (Texas) Greets You."  Eastland band is the second letter E in the word "Greets."

1934 letter from Thurston

Thurston (my dad) had been working all summer with his brother Watt selling washers and refrigerators for Texas Power & Light.  On their stationery he wrote his mother and enclosed a $5 bill to help with her expenses.

Daddy wanted very much to go to music school after high school but he was told in no uncertain terms by his brother that he had to go to work and help support their mother.  Widowed in 1929, she had tried selling Avon cosmetics, selling books door to door, and taking in sewing. 

But in those days there was no such thing as Social Security, and Mama could not have survived without money from her children.

I think it is legible, but the letter starts

 :"Hello, Mom Ol' Sweet...Here is five smackers..."

Eastland High School Band

This picture was made at the State Fair of Texas about 1950. After an invitation that Daddy received,  the band went to Dallas for the day.  We marched in a half time show at the Cotton Bowl that evening.

If you look to the right in the first row seated you will see Don Smith with his oboe.  My place was in the center of the same row, behind the music stands.  I played flute from the age of 10.

This music festival was an annual event at the fair in those days.  We took everybody on school buses, and a good time was had by all concerned.