Aged 10 years, 8 months, 27 days.
February 15, 1953.
The Place in town before we moved in. This house was moved from Whiteland to this location. It had been the home of the Santa Fe Railroad section chief at that location before it was abandonded.
Aged 10 years, 10 months.
March 19, 1953.
Sheep is Tillie. Very important sheep, Tillie. Her lambs and the money from their sale and wool were part of the start of the fund that enabled me to go to college. I owe a great debt to this humble sheep. She contributed greatly to my life. Tillie is very pregnant here.
Aged 10 years, 11 months.
April 19, 1953.
Tillie and her new lamb with me and dad. Tillie is the ewe in the very back. Picture is taken at the Walston Place.
Aged 10 years, 11 months, 2 days
May 15, 1953.
Fifth grade class - Miss Louise Alexander teacher.
Front row - Allan Amos, George Bean, Carlton Pearl, Donna Jean Smith, Nellie Wright, Sandra Sue Smith, unknown little boy in front, Sally Gainer(with glasses), Jouce Davis??l, Melinda Mears, Sunda Callan, Patrick Higgins, William "Duck" Menzies.
Back row - Unknown, unknown, unknown, Joy Speck, Karen Brace, Mike Wheeler, Curtis Leggett, George Tomlinson, Sie Rhea Ellis, Pierson Brummett, Ralph Kidd, Donald Kothmann.
We had obviously put on some kind of play and were still in costume.
Aged 11 years.
May 19, 1953.
This is at the Walston Place.
Aged 11 years, 1 month, 2 days.
June 21, 1953.
At the Walston Place.
Aged 11 years, 2 months, 18 days.
August 6, 1953.
It was mom's 45 birthday. Happy birthday Mom. We are at the Walston Place.
Aged 11 years, 3 months, 13 days.
September 1, 1953
First day of school in sixth grade.
Aged 11 years, 3 months, 13 days.
September 1, 1953
First day of school in sixth grade.
Aged 11 years, 3 months, 17 days.
September 5, 1953.
Fifth day of school I think. In the orange and black band uniforms. This is my first marching band uniform and the first day I had it. The illusion crested here is that the child is playing the trombone. Nothing could possible be further from the truth. No note associated with Western or any other musical tradition ever escaped that instrument when I was in its immediate vacinity. The music in the lyre helped reinforce the illusion. Picture taken at the Walston Place.
Aged 11 years, 3 months, 17 days.
September 5, 1953.
In my new band uniform. It is orange and black.
Aged 11 years, 5 months.
October 19, 1953.
In the evening after I got home from school. Rode the bus to the gate at the Walston Place and walked the half mile to the house.
Aged 11 years, 4 months.
September 19, 1953.
Irrigating my garden at the Walston Place. At the time we lived there it was owned by A.B. "Red" Williams. We got our water from the Menard irrigation ditch which ran at the bottom of the hill behind the house. A pump filled a water tank behind the house. The garden did quite well. Got a lot out of it.
November 11, 1953.
Menard School Band at parade. Closest twirler is Colleen Lagow, next is Carloyn Bradford then Raydell Andrews. Drum Major is Wayne Bradford.
November 11, 1953.
Menard School Band at Parade.
Twirler is Carolyn Bradford.
February 28, 1954.
Tillie and her twins and an older ewe and her lamb. This picture was taken the the place Murph Compton had east of town. The house in the background belonged to Mr. Lacy. He was a nice man and there was a lake on his place that extended back into the Compton place. Caught a lot of fish in that lake. A lot of very small fish.
Age 11 years, 10 months.
March 19, 1954.
Picture is taken at the Walston Place on the hill overlooking the San Saba river valley. The trees in the distant background are in the Johnson Place.
Age 11 years, 10 months, 4 days.
March 23, 1954.
Calf's name is Martha. The calf was one month and 1 day old. It was born on Washington's birthday so we named her Martha. The picture is taken at the Walston Place(owned by Red Williams at the time)
Age 11 years, 10 months, 4 days.
March 23, 1954.
Calf's name is Martha. The calf was one month and 1 day old. It was born on Washington's birthday so we named her Martha. The picture is taken at the Walston Place(owned by Red Williams at the time)
6th grade class. Mrs. Loretta McDonald teacher.
April 1954 is my guess.
Front Row - Joe Speck, Mike Wheeler, Donald Roberts.
Second Row - Joyce Davis, Sally Gainer, Nelly Webb, Carolyn Williamson, Sunda Callan.
Third Row - Jetty Sutton, Ben Ray Lovelace, William Menzies, Scott Waddell, Olivia Sifuentes, Pierson Brummett, Donald Kothmann, Patrick Higgins, Melinda Mears.
Back Row - Unknown girl, Mary Ellen Chapman, Pedro Vargas, Eugene Fraizer, Unknown boy, Curtis Leggett, Allan Amos, Joy Speck, Sandra Beth Jackson.
Aged 11 years, 11 months, 1 day.
April 20, 1954.
Sixth grade class - Mrs. McDonald teacher.
Front row - Donald Roberts, Joe Speck, Mike Wheeler, Sally Gainer, Melinda Mears, Sunda Callan, Carolyn Williamson.
Second row - Patrick HIggins, Scott Waddell, William "Duck" Menzies, Ben Ray Lovelace, Donald Kothmann, Nelly Wright, Jetty Sutton.
Third row - Allan Amos, Sandra Beth Jackson, Joy Speck, Mary Ellen Chapman, Olivia Sifuentes, Erline Saiz, unknown girl.
Back row - Pierson Brummett, Pedro Vargas, unknown boy, unknown boy, Curtis Leggett, unknown boy, Eugene Frazier.
Aged 12 years.
May 19, 1954.
Again with the animal candle holders.
Aged 12 years, 12 days.
June 1, 1954.
I assume that this is a new suit.
Aged 12 years, 12 days.
June 1, 1954.
Again I assume that this is a new suit. Picture is taken at the Walston Place
Aged 12 years, 1 month, 2 days.
June 21, 1954.
With Tillies twin lambs. They were 6 months, 4 days old. This picture was taken at the Murph Compton place east of Menard next to the Lacy place. We leased the place from Murph ( March Compton's dad ) at that time.
Aged 12 years, 1 month, 19 days.
July 8, 1954.
In the parking lot of Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
Aged 12 years, 2 months, 27 days.
August 15, 1954.
Taken at the Walston Place on the west side of the house. Had a large morning glory flower planting there.
Age 12 years, 3 months
August 19, 1954.
Cat is Bobby. Note the bobbed tail. It was actually a birth defect. His tail was just all wadded up rather than straight and flexible. Very friendly. Note that he is kneeding his claws on my leg. At this time we are living at the Walston Place.
8/19/1954
Bobby.
picture is taken at the west side of the house where we had many morning glories on a string trellis.
Aged 12 Years, 3 months, 11 days.
August 30, 1954.
First day of school in 7th grade. I have no explanation for the sheer shirt.
Age 12 years 3 months 12 days
August 31, 1954
Second day of school. We were at the Walston Place then. The barn can be seen in the background. Mr Walston had had a small dairy and had a nice barn with milking stalls and a second story for hay. The barn had electricity, note power pole at right. And there is a pig pen just to the right of the barn. This picture is taken in front of the house. I can not explain the sheer shirt. I suppose it was cool.
Age 12 years, 5 months, 11 days
October 30, 1954
In the garden at the Walston Place. I think this is an army kit I have displayed before me. Popular in those days with boys.
Aged 12 years, 5 months, 23 days
November 11, 1954
Band concert played in the park after the armistice day parade. The saxaphone player may be Sally Gainer. Don't know who the Pilgrim is.
December 27, 1954
Sheep at the right is Tilly, the mother ewe. The two to the left are her first set of twins and the small lamb to her right is her lamb for 1954. This is taken at the Walston Place. And before you get all huffy about a picture of some sheep, Tilly and her lambs were the start of the fund that sent me to college.
Age 12 years, 8 months, 8 days
January 27, 1955
Cat is Bobby.
We are at the Walston Place
April 22, 1955.
Seventh grade class - Mr. McInnis teacher.
Front row - William "Duck" Menzies, Patrick Higgins, George Tomlinson, Sandra Sue Smith, Carolyn Williamson.
Second row - Willie Tomlinson, Cecil Collier, Elizabeth Yates, Nellie Wright.
Third row - Unknown boy, unknown boy. Elaine Saiz, Joy Speck , Gretchen Nolke, Karen Brace, Marilyn Wheless.
Back row - Danny Baker, Pierson Brummett, Brian Davis, Billy Castleberry, Sie Rhea Ellis, Curtis Leggett.
I should point out that this teacher was one of the great influences in my life. He was the first to promote my interest in math and with him I discovered that I was just as smart as the 'smart' and more wealthy kids. Maybe more so. That realization was a turning point in my life.
Aged 13 years.
May 19, 1955.
Aged 13 years, 1 month.
June 19, 1955.
With three unnamed kittens.
Aged 13 years, 2 months, 12 days.
July 31, 1955.
Sunday morning ready to go to Sunday School.
Aged 13 years, 3 months, 3 days.
August 22, 1955.
In a canyon near Low Moras Creek. Lots of fossils in these formations.
Aged 13 years, 3 months, 18 days.
September 6, 1955.
First day of school in the eighth grade. Picture taken at the house in town.
Aged 13 years, 3 months, 29 days.
September 18, 1955.
In new black band uniforms.
And again it should be noted that the trombone was only an accessory. At no time in my career in the MHS band did I play a single coherent musical note.
September 18, 1955.
Mom. Picture taken on the east side of the house in town.
I must have taken the picture and I did very poorly.
Aged 13 years, 3 months, 29 days.
September 18, 1955.
In new black band uniforms.
And again it should be noted that the trombone was only an accessory. At no time in my career in the MHS band did I play a single coherent musical note. I look quite the dignified young fellow here.
Age 13 years, 5 months, 1 day.
October 20, 1955.
Taken at the back of the house in town. Mom always liked to grow a lot of plants, especially after we moved into town.
November 8 1955.
A snow and ice storm seen from the place in town.
Aged 13 years, 7 months.
December 19, 1955.
With Tillie's second pair of twin lambs. Both pair were born on December 17, two years apart.
Aged 13 years, 7 months, 9 days.
December 28, 1955.
On the cliff over the San Saba river in the Joe Haney place.
Aged 13 years, 7 months, 9 days.
December 28, 1955.
Taken from the cliff top overlooking the San Saba river in the Joe Haney place. I have swam in that water hole in the background.
Aged 13 years, 10 months.
March 19, 1956.
Tillie with second set of twins. They are 3 months and 2 days old here. Of interest, Tillie had two sets of twins and both were born on December 17, two years apart.
