My mother would love this photo of the Flint Hills. I see the blog also includes paintings of cottonwood trees and little creeks meandering through the hills.
Click on the artist below to see more of his work.
Month: March 2015
The Acrobatics Team
My mother spoke a number of times about learning acrobatics when she was in school. Their teacher Brownie Dillman taught the students. Recently I scanned some stamp-sized photos that showed this teacher and some of the students.
I’m enlarging them here for more detail. To see them even larger, click on each photo.
Gail McGhee’s school friends
It seems that the acrobatic team had the opportunity to perform at the Kansas State Fair. It lists the names of the students, but not Gail McGhee. I don’t know if at age 13, she had already moved on to another school or if some other reason kept her from attending.
The Hutchinson News (page 13, Sept. 16, 1937) wrote about the free day for school children that expected 7,000 children and teens to attend. Here’s the schedule for the entertainment in the grandstand at 10:30 am on the free day.
- Short speeches by some school officials
- A clown from the state fire marshal’s office
- Rover the mathematical dog
- A troupe of juvenile acrobats – The acrobatic team originated from the Seeley Grade School of Madison, Kansas. Members of the troupe are Dixie Jean Falk age 7, Edna Mae Laird age 7, Marilyn Ruth Dettcr (spelling?) age 7, and Dorothy Rose Laird age 12.
- Dancers from local schools and Clyde S. Miller’s Wild West Show
- Music by the Hutchinson High School band directed by S. Allen Watrous.
- Also music by Turkey Creek, Wakeeney and Pawnee Rock bands.
Gail McGhee’s school chums showing their acrobatic moves.
Browning Dillman, the school teacher who taught Gail and her friends to perform acrobatics.
Discovering Mom 