---

 

 

          BEE BRANCH SCHOOL

        Omega Township, Marion County, Illinois

 

 

 

 

                 Remember that you can use CTRL-F to find a particular surname within these pictures.

                                                                                  There is also a Grade School Index available on the "Photo Catalog" page.

 

                                                                                       Click to return to   

 

 

---

 

        We are looking for photos of people and/or places from around Kinmundy & Alma.  Can you help?

Or maybe you have stories or memories from the "Good Old Days"?  What do YOU remember?

        The Kinmundy Historical Society would be honored to preserve your memories and stories.  We also have the

equipment to scan (or copy) your photos so that they may be enjoyed now as well as for generations yet to come!

        We would love to hear from you!  For more information, please contact: 

       

   Dolores (Ford) Mobley – Dolores@ford-mobley.com

                       208 Joan Dr.; Divernon, IL  62530; (217) 625-7527

            or

 

            Gladys (Corrie) See – gsee49@yahoo.com

                                         408 S. Washington St.; Kinmundy, IL 62854; (618) 547-7731

 

---

 

Teachers from BEE BRANCH SCHOOL – District  #88 (Omega twp.)

 

(1898-99)   Minnie Siple

 

(1903-04)   Paul Rogers ($35)

 

(1910-11)   Agnes Millican

 

(1912-13)  Maude Bass

(1914)        Nolan Howe

(1915-16)   Byron Millican

 

(1918-19) Lucinda Hadden (age 19, later name was Cantrell)

                 Lady teachers were not hired at this time if married.  Minnie Siple

                 completed that school year. 

 

(1920-21)   J.A. Kagy

(1921-22)

(1922-23)   Mrs. Maude B. Barksdale

(1923-24)   Clara Beals (later married Forrest Mulvaney)

(1924-25)

(1925-26)

(1926-27)   Jessie J. Long  (later became Jessie J. (Long) Weyhrich)

(1927)        Jessie Long (later became Jessie (Long) Weyhrich)      

(1928-29)   Ben Millican

(1929)        Merle Baker

(1930-31)  Mr. Joy Dow Vandeveer

(1931-32)  Mr. Joy D. Vandeveer

(1932-33)  Edmond B. Catching

(1933)        Jessie (Long) Wehrich  (listed in another source)

(1933-34)  E.B. Catching

(1934-35)  Jessie Long (later became Jessie (Long) Weyhrich)      

(1935-36)  Jessie J. Long (later became Jessie (Long) Weyhrich)      

(1936-37)  Mrs. Maude B. Barksdale

(1937-38)  Mrs. Maude Barksdale

(1938-39)  Jessie J. Long (later became Jessie J. (Long) Weyhrich)

(1939-40)  Mabel Foster

(1940-41)  W. Herschel Nichols

(1941-42)  Hurschel Nichols

(1942-43)  Jessie J. (Long) Weyhrich

(1943-44)  Mabel Foster

(1944-45)  Ben Millican

(1945-46)  Marjorie Walkington

(1946-47)  Miss Mabel Foster 

(1947-48)  Harold Henne

(1948-49)  Mrs. Clara (Beals) Mulvaney

(1949-50)  Mrs. Clara (Beals) Mulvaney

(1950-51)  Miss Vera M. Jackson

(1951-52)  Mira Simmons, Forrest Mulvaney, and Vera Sheffield  (Forrest Mulvaney listed in directory)

(1952-53)  No school

 

(The above information was gathered from "The Kinmundy Express" articles, school photos, Marion County School Directories, and information from those who had attended school there.)

 

---

          

Bee Branch School - District 88 – Omega twp.

(One Room School Memorial – Archives - Salem, IL)

 

It has been difficult to get the information on Bee Branch School, as only two of the school registers were in the County Superintendent’s Office.

The earliest information was received from Forrest Mulvaney whose father attended Bee Branch when the schoolhouse sat west of the former Mancil Cantrell place on a hill across Dum’s Creek.  Ruby Cantrell Shaffer also remembers her father referring to the hill as “The School House Hill.”

Ruby also gave some interesting incidents that she remembers when she and her brother, Melbourne Cantrell, attended Bee Branch.  One of the funniest incidents she recalls is when an older eighth grade boy would bring his gun to school with him.  He would hide the gun in an old barn north of the school.  During the day he would hold up his hand and ask to go to the toilet.  He would leave the outside toilet, walking north to the old barn, pick up his gun and go hunting the rest of the day.  He usually stayed out of school for a week or two after such incidents.

            The high lights of the school year with Joy Vandeveer teacher was winning the Basketball tournament at Iuka Grade School.

            The country schools only had an outdoor basketball court on which to practice.  They practiced during the noon hour, and at recess time.  The boys and girls both took part in their practice.

            During the winter they went to the games, late in the evening, in the wagon, pulled by horses.  The wagon was filled with straw.  They snuggled down in the straw using blankets to help keep them warm.  A stone jug was filled with boiling water also helped keep them warm.  Mancil, Ruby’s dad was the driver.  He had to sit on the spring seat of the wagon, facing the cold wind.  After the game it was a contest running to be first in the wagon, to get the place behind the driver so you would be protected from the cold winter wind.

            Our school day started with the Pledge to the Flag, followed by the Lord’s Prayer.  Games played besides basketball were baseball, Andy-over the schoolhouse, black man, and dare base.

            Other highlights were ciphering and spelling bees, which were usually held on Friday afternoon after recess about once a month.  Other special times were pie suppers, Christmas programs and the “Last Day of School” in the spring with parents sometimes arriving at noon time with well-filled baskets for a picnic.

            These incidents were written by Ruby Shaffer and were really true to life in the good old days of school in the one-room country school.

            The earliest list of teachers were: Jane Bradley Hadden (Ruby’s grandmother), Minnie Siple, Paul Rogers, Noah Swain, Albert Millican and Stanford Hill.  Some of these teachers boarded with the Byron Siple and Charlie Hadden families.  Clarence Alderson and Nolan Howe were among the earlier teachers.  Nolan Howe taught in 1914 and Lucinda Hadden Cantrell, Ruby’s mother, taught Bee Branch in 1919.  These are the first dates we have of the earlier teachers.

            From 1926 to 1932 the following list of teachers was found in the school register.  There was not much other information. 

1926 – Jessie Long Weyhrich

1927 – Jessie Long Weyhrich

1928 – Ben Millican

1929 – Merle Baker

1930 – Merle Baker

1931 – Joy D. Vandeveer

1932 – Edmond Catching

 

            More information was gathered from school schedules which Lorne Middleton preserved when he was Township Treasurer of Omega township.

1935-1936 – Jessie Long.  B.E. Siple, twp. Treasurer; 23-24 pupils enrolled.  Salary $50 per month. 

Families living in the district at this time: Githens, Hite, Stevenson, Arnold, Smith, Tate, Rogers, Presgrove, Bass,

Crundwell, Nauert, Mulvaney, and Bradley.

1937-1938 – Maude Barksdale.  19 pupils.  C.E. Barksdale and W.H. Laughman – directors.

1939           - Jessie Long.  Aumiller family new.

1940          - Mabel Foster.  Branch family new.  Direcoters – Lyal Aumiller, Percy Crundwell.

1941          - Hurchel Nichols.  Directors – Avery Branch, Lou Presgrove, H.C. Michael.

1942          -                            - 27 pupils. Michael, Chapman, and Green new families.

1943          - Jessie (Long) Weyhrich – 18 pupils.

1944          - Mabel Foster.  Finished thru March and April after Ben Millican had taught first part of year.

1945          - Jessie Weyhrich.   Salary raised to $100 per month.  Rita Crundwell and Louise Branch graduated from 8^th grade.

                        In 1944 Floyd Chapman, Lester Branch, and Billie Michael graduated from 8^th grade. 

                        In 1945, Rita Crundwell won the township spelling contest.

1946-1946 – Marjorie Walkington.

1948-1949 – Clara Mulvaney.  Salary raised to $175 per month. 

                        Teacher’s pensions up to this time had only been $5 - $10 per year.

                        At this time they were raised to around $25 per month.  But this was a good thing for it brought good results

 to the older teachers who had taught for such little salaries.

1950          - Vera Jackson.  The county one-room schools were consolidating.

 

(Mrs. Vera Barksdale Middleton says, “I dropped out that year as I knew there would have to be a change to the consolidated school somewhere if I kept on teaching, and mid-year I went into the then Shanafelt Consolidated School System.”)

1951-1952 – Mira Simmons began in September.  She was ill two times in Sept., and only taught three months

                        Forrest Mulvaney taught until it was time for him to farm.

                        Vera Sheffield in turn finished the last term or the last month or two that Bee Branch School was in sesson.

 

            The year following, Bee Branch School was consolidated with the Iuka Consolidated Grade School in Iuka, Illinois.

 

Information given on the history of Bee Branch School was Mrs. Vera (Barksdale) Middleton assisted by Ruby (Cantrell) Shaffer and Loren V. Middleton.   – 1981.  (One Room School Memorial – Archives - Salem, IL)

 

 

Bee Branch – District 88 – Omega township

 

Bee Branch teachers since 1943:       Mable Foster

                                                            Ben Millican

                                                            Marjorie Walkington

                                                            Harold ?Henne

                                                            Clara Mulvaney

 

---

 

Year	Names of Trustees (Town 3, Range 4)	Names of Directors at Bee Branch School (#88)
1915-1916	W.A. Kniseley, T.J. Middleton, W.E. Stevenson; B.E. Siple – Twp. Treas.	Harvey Baker, C.W. Hadden, Albert White
1918-1919	W.A. Knisely – President; W.E. Stevenson – Clerk; T.J. Middleton; B.E. Siple – Treas.	J.A. Marlow, C.W. Hadden, Clarence Brubaker
1920-1921	N.B. Potter – President; T.J. Middleton – Clerk; W.A. Kniseley; B.E. Siple – Treas.	James Mulvaney, W.H. Laughman, C.P. Brubaker
1922-1923	C.F. Hadden – President; S.J. Mulvaney – Clerk; N.B. Potter;  B.E. Siple – Treas.	H.C. Brubaker, J.S. Mulvaney, W.E. Stevenson
1923-1924	N.B. Potter – President; S.J. Mulvaney – Clerk; C.W. Hadden; B.E. Siple – Treas.	H.C. Brubaker, W.E. Stevenson, Joe Smith
1926-1927	C.W. Hadden – President; Chas. See – Clerk; L.V. Middleton; B.E. Siple – Treas.	M.E. Cantrell, W.H. Laughman, H.M. Presgrove
1928-1929	Chas. See – President; L.V. Middleton; W.E. Stevenson; B.E. Siple – Treasurer	Mancil Cantrell, W.H. Laughman, C.E. Barksdale
1930-1931	W.E. Stevenson – President; John Baker, Ray Schooley; B.E. Siple - Treasurer	C.E. Barksdale, W.H. Laughman, Elmer Stevenson
1931-1932	W.E. Stevenson, John Baker, Ray Schooley; B.E. Siple - Treasurer	H.B. Vandeveer, W.H. Laughman, Elmer Stevenson
1932-1933	W.E. Stevenson, Wm. Hadden, Ray Schooley; B.E. Siple - Treasurer	P. Crundwell, H.B. Vandeveer, W.H. Laughman
1933-1934	H.M. Long, L.A. Beard, W.E. Stevenson; B.E. Siple – Treas.	Clarence Barksdale, H.B. Vandeveer, Percy Crundwell
1934-1935	H.M. Long, Leslie A. Beard, W.E. Stevenson; B.E. Siple – Treas.	Clarence Barksdale, Percy Crundwell, Elmer Stevenson
1935-1936	H.M. Long, Leslie A. Beard, W.E. Stevenson; B.E. Siple – Treas.	C.E. Barksdale, Percy Crundwell, W.H. Laughman
1936-1937	H.M. Long – President; W.E. Stevenson, Leslie A. Beard; Originally H.E. Siple but changed to Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treasurer	C.E. Barksdale – President; W.H. Laughman – Clerk; Percy Crundwell
1937-1938	H.M. Long – President; W.E. Stevenson; Leslie A. Beard; Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treas.	C.E. Barksdale – President; W.H. Laughman – Clerk; Percy Crundwell
1938-1939	H.M. Long – President; Leslie A. Beard; S.E. Stevenson; Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treas.	C.E. Barksdale – President; W.H. Laughman – Clerk; Percy Crundwell
1939-1940	H.M. Long – President; Leslie A. Beard; W.E. Stevenson; Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treas.	Percy Crundwell – President; W.H. Laughman – Clerk; L. Presgrove
1940-1941	H.M. Long – President; Leslie A. Beard; W.E. Stevenson; Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treas.	Lyle Aumiller – President; Percy Crundwell – Clerk; L.C. Presgrove
1941-1942	H.M. Long – President; Leslie A. Beard; Mancil Cantrell; Loren V. Middleton – Treas.	Avery Branch – President; L.C. Presgrove – Clerk; Harry Michael
1942-1943	H.M. Long – President; Leslie A. Beard; Mancil Cantrell; Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treas.	Avery Branch – President; L.C. Presgrove – Clerk; Harry Michaels
1943-1944	H.M. Long – President; Leslie A. Beard; Mancil Cantrell; Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treas.	Avery Branch – President; L.C. Presgrove – Clerk; Harry Michael
1944-1945	Leslie A. Beard – President; Mancil E. Cantrell; Cloyd Bradley; Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treas.	Avery Branch – President; L.C. Presgrove – Clerk; Harry Michaels
1945-1946	Mancil E. Cantrell – President; Leslie A. Beard; Elmer J. Weyhrich; Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treas.	Avery Branch – President; L.C. Presgrove – Clerk; Harry Michael
1946-1947	Mancil E. Cantrell – President; Leslie A. Beard; Elmer J. Weyhrich; Loren V. Middleton – Twp. Treas.	Avery Branch – President; L.C. Presgrove – Clerk; Harry Michael
1947-1948	Elmer J. Weyhrich – President; Leslie A. Beard; Wayne Whitney	L.C. Presgrove – Clerk; Virgil C. Bradley
1948-1949	Elmer J. Weyhrich – President; Leslie A. Beard; Wayne Whitney; Loren V. Middleton – Treas.	Virgil Bradley – President; Avery Branch – Clerk; Herschel Rose
1949-1950	Elmer J. Weyhrich – President; Fred G. Mulvaney; Leslie A. Beard; Loren V. Middleton – Treas.	Herschel Rose – President; Sherrill Vandeveer – Clerk; Virgil Bradley
1950-1951	Elmer Weyhrich – President; Leslie A. Beard; Fred G. Mulvaney; Loren V. Middleton – Treas.	Hazel Chapman – President; Ben Aumiller – Clerk; Sherrill Vandeveer
1951-1952	Elmer Weyhrich – President; Leslie A. Beard; John R. Baker; Loren V. Middleton – Treas.	Virl See – President; Ben Aumiller – Clerk; Hazel Chapman

 

(The above information was gathered from Marion County School Directories.)                        

 

---