MHS Homecoming

MINDEN HIGH SCHOOL
Homecoming Courts

(Note - Minden High School has their own web site. The address is www.mindenhighschool.com)

Without the help of Joy Garriss Connell,Rowland Ivy, Charles "Breezy" Roberts, LeVerne Langheld Kidd, Billy Kidd, and Peggy Cheshire Baldwin some pictures from the Grig would not have been made possible for your viewing.

PA2685 (262) Minden High School, Old Minden Female Academy Building, Minden, La. 1890s (F57)

Compliments of L. S. U. Archives & Special Collections

One University Place - Shreveport , La. 71115 - 2399

Minden Female Academy was built around 1850 on the site of Minden High School. It became a college around 1854. Young women came from across the South to receive an education here. After the college closed it became Minden High School around the early 1890's. The building was used until around 1909. They moved it across College Street to allow for the building of the 1910 Minden High School building where many of us attended Junior High School.

From the 1951 Tide Talk

YPA2802 MINDEN FEMALE COLLEGE "OLD BELL" f-168

Compliments of Archives and Special Collections - LSU University - Shreveport

One University Place - Shreveport, La. 71115-2399

1910 Building where the 6th. 7th and 8th grade attended Junior High School in 1952 and1953.The 6th - 7th - and 8th grade attended Junior High School here during 1952-53.

P2990 Webster Training School which was founded in 1920

In 1940 it was Webster High School. When Webster High School and MHS

consolidated Webster became the Junior High School around 1974.

Compliments of La. State University- Shreveport Archives & Special Collections

One University Place Shreveport, La. , 71115-2399

---

Submitted by Rowland Ivy

From the Tide Talk - April 14, 1953

Taken From The Minden High School Tide Talk October 11, 1954

From The Grig

MEMORIES OF MINDEN

HOMECOMING

The 1957 - 1958 Homecoming Court

Seated, L to R: Princess Ellen Baker, Queen Linda Atkins, Princess Kay Cunningham

Standing, L to R: Nancy Cox, Sherry Bice, Barbara Langheld, Jackie Davis, Ann Mays, Camille Ivy,

Nancy Craine, Sweetheart Wanda Miller, Sandra Richardson, Dawn Glass, Diane Green,

Norma McGuire, Linda White, Glenda Fields

Photo by Robert Grambling

Submitted by LeVerne Langheld Kidd

1956-57 Homecoming Court

Rose Rabb was the queen

Marcelee Robinson was Sweetheart

The 2 princess were Annette Van Peene & Yvonne Simmons

Yvonne Simmons was also the maid of Turner Almond

TOP OF THE PICTURE :

JUDY NADRCHAL

BELOW HER JUDY

L-R-- PEGGY WOODS; CAROLYN HALL; MOLLY FORD--

2ND ROW:

ELLEN BAKER; KATHY PERRITT; CAMILLE IVY;

3RD ROW DOWN FROM JUDY NADRCHAL:

LINDA ATKINS; JEANETTE WOODARD; BARBARA LYNN LANGHELD; BARBARA BATEN;

4TH ROW:

NANCY COX; ANNETTE VAN PEENE; ROSE RABB; YVONNE SIMMONS

5TH ROW:

DENA WHITE; CATHLEEN HARPER; LEVERNE LANGHELD; MARCELEE ROBINSON;

6TH ROW:

GINGER RUSHING; & AUDREY AARONS

Judy Nadrchal (Tommy Culpepper)

Peggy Woods (Jimmy White), Carolyn Hall (John Boyd), Molly Ford (Johnny Morgan)

Ellen Baker (Clarence Bourn), Kathy Perritt (Phillip Ford), Camille Ivy (Charles Berry),

Linda Atkins (Jerry Lynn Grigsby, Jeanette Woodard (V.D. Stonecipher,) Barbara Langheld (Mike Phillips), Barbara Baten (Max Rudd).

Nancy Cox (Jimmy Johnson), Annette Van Peene, Rose Rabb, Yvonne Simmons

Dena White (Paul Robinson), Cathleen Harper (Sam Smiddy), LeVerne Langheld (Jerry McCann), Marcelee Robinson

Ginger Rushing (Joe Ratcliff), Audrey Aarons (Ken McMichael)

1954 HOMECOMING COURT

Gracie Davidson, Homecoming Queen

How pretty they look in their long dresses!!!

Photo by Robert Grambling

HOMECOMING IS A BIG DEAL IN MINDEN

HOMECOMING 1933

According to Webster Parish historian, John Agan, festivities began with the naming of Frances McInnis as Homecoming Queen, and Helen Briethaupt, Helen Fulbright, Sally Hutton and Katherine Needham as Maids. These young ladies led the noon parade through downtown Minden to the football field.

Once there the focus shifted to the athletic contest. Minden won its second game of the season by defeating Mansfield 28 to 7. This would be the last football victory ever for the Minden Greenbacks. The next week the team closed the season with a loss to Fair Park, and in the fall of 1934, the team colors were changed to Red and White, and the nickname became the now familiar Minden Crimson Tide.

1936 HOMECOMING DAY

THE HOMECOMING COURT IS UNIDENTIFIED IN THE GRIG

1937 HOMECOMING COURT

UNIDENTIFIED IN THE GRIG

1938 HOMECOMING QUEEN

The Queen - Nan Elizabeth Banks

1938 Football Sweetheart - Freddie Louise Walker

Cameo's of Minden Written byJuanita Agan, From the Minden Press-Herald

January, 2005

Three Times A Lady

This photo, or photos, of Freddie Haynes shows how she looked in her younger years. In Agan’s article, Haynes was very involved and still is very involved in her community.

Special to the Press-Herald.

In a small town, Ashland, in Natchitoches Parish in 1924, Fred and Lesca Walker became parents to their fourth child, a baby daughter. Their firstborn was a daughter, Hazel, followed by Thomas, who died when he was about eight. Later, another son was born, Ted, and finally our Cameo personality of today.

Her father was a railroad man, working all his life for the L & A Railway Company. He was a section foreman for many years, and finally became roadmaster.

Who was she?

When our Cameo personality was about 11 or 12, the family moved to Minden. She had started school in Ashland, and later attended Readhimer before moving to Minden. She was a freshman in high school when she came to Minden.

She was a real beauty, with a smile that won the hearts of all that knew her. Before long, she had been singled out by one of the football players as his special date. This handsome young man was a prominent member of the l938 State Championship team at Minden High School. That autumn of 1938 she was selected as the Football Sweetheart for the homecoming court.

Her secret

What no one knew was that she and her football sweetheart had been married on October 12, 1938, when she was 14 years old. They kept their wedding a secret until she graduated in May of 1940. That graduation night she announced that she had been married for almost two years. By then, she had reached the age of 16.

First the young husband started college at La. Tech, but later transferred to Northwestern, which we called "Normal" back then. He had tried to enlist in the military but a heart murmur prevented him from being accepted.

The husband enrolled in a school in Shreveport that taught welding. He went to work in the shipyards in Texas following his schooling. And then, in 1943 while living in Texas, their first son was born, five years after their marriage.

They moved back to Minden and he had gone to work for his dad at a salary of $50 a month, with a house furnished. The second son came along in 1946, and in 1952 there was a third son. After a period of 10 years, the fourth son was born in 1962. And now that husband had four football players to follow in his footsteps and play for Minden High School.

Her life

These were busy years for the young mother. She was active in First Baptist Church, where she was president of the WMU for five years. For 47 years, she worked in the pre-school Sunday School departments as coordinator of activities. She served on the Building Committee that built the first Educational Building, and then as later buildings were planned she served on those Building Committees. She also served on the Heritage Committee. In fact, there are few committees in the church that she has not served on. Also, she was always active in the PTA at the children's schools.
Years went by, and she continued to serve wherever she was needed. She took care of her mother after her father's death, and then she assumed the care of her husband's parents, moving the mother-in-law into the home with them.

By then her husband was in politics himself, and she worked along side him, winning votes for him with that sweet smile and winning personality. After leaving politics and public office, they became the Exxon Distributors for this area and operated a service station on the corner of Pine and Main Street for many years.

She cared faithfully for her husband during his long illness. Theirs was a love story that weathered the years and illness, but their love at the close of his life was as strong as the love they shared when she was 14.

Goodwill Ambassador

In the last few years she has been a friend and a helper to many older ladies in our church and community. She always has time to take one to the doctor, to stay with someone who has had surgery, or cataract surgery. Never does she complain even though she has had 10 or more surgeries herself, including one for cancer of the kidney. She is faithful to visit the bereaved and attends most all the funerals. She is truly one of Minden's goodwill ambassadors.

Each Sunday her entire family gathers at her home for lunch, all the grandchildren and their families are welcome, too, often bringing guests. This is the highlight of her week as once again they all gather around the table in her home. Sometimes there are 25 or more. Still, she is able to go to Sunday School and the worship services. During the week she attends Son Risers each weekday morning, for a time of Bible Study and prayer, and once a month brings the devotional for the group.

She tries to go to the ball games the grandchildren take part in, and is always ready to baby-sit with the little ones, and now it is great-grandchildren.

Blessed

There is a passage in the Bible, Proverbs 31:28 that says "Her children arise up and call her blessed." and that could be said of our Cameo personality today. She is Freddie Louise Walker Haynes, widow of O. H. Haynes, Jr., and she is better known as "Sug." Her love encompasses not only her family, and extended family, but also her friends who are many. I am so proud to be called a friend, and her sweet voice as she calls to check on my health is a balm to my soul. To know her is to love her.

Tomorrow, Jan. 20, will be her 81st birthday. Won't you take the time to call and wish her a "Happy Birthday?"

1939 HOMECOMING

Submitted by Quade Studio

513 Main Street, Minden, Louisiana

                                                    Queen Regal Ross - Sweetheart Gwenieve Newberry



1941 Homecoming Court - Submitted by Morris Busby

1942 - Mary Louise Adkins Adams was Homecoming Queen in the fall of 1942. This was taken , in part, from one of Juanita Agan's Cameo's of Minden which was published in the Minden Press Herald.

"Recently Mary Louise Adkins Adams and I remembered the way we elected our Homecoming Queens back in the thirties and early forties. She was Homecoming Queen in the fall of 1942. She remembered that you could buy a ticket for a penny, and the most tickets sold (the most pennies raised) determined the Homecoming Queen. We think this practice ended about the middle forties, since later it was just by vote.

I told her that I remembered how pretty she looked that night in a beautiful black velvet dress trimmed in white Irish Linen lace. With her coloring she truly looked like a queen. I was working at Andress by that time and her father, Leon Adkins, was my boss."

                          Del Messer

1945 - Del Messer was Homecoming Queen in 1945. She remembered the girls being escorted by the soldiers. Don Braswell was her escort.

She thought he looked so mature very handsome in his uniform.

1946 Grig - Submitted by Quade Photography - 513 Main St., Minden, La.

1947

From the 1948 Grig - Submitted by Rowland Ivy

1948 was the year they added the 12th grade

Submitted by Rowland Ivy

1948-1949

HOMECOMING COURT

1949 Queen was Rene Pugh

Flower girl was Marilyn Brown, Crown Bearer was Tommy Gibbs

The driver for Rene Pugh's car was John McGowan

1950-51 HOMECOMING QUEEN

Submitted by Rowland I

Submitted by Rowland Ivy

1950-51 HOMECOMING SWEETHEART

1950 - 51 Homecoming Court

1950-51 Submitted by Rowland Ivy

Shown on top is Barbara Heflin, Dana Davis; in the middle is Barbara Dene Byars and Mickey Watson.

The Two princesses are on the bottom row

Bess Hunter and Bobbie Womack

Submitted by Rowland Ivy

1950 -51 Homecoming

Shown at the top - Sally Powell and Jean Alice Flowers

Bottom Row - Jean Sentell and Peggy Shropshire

Submitted by Rowland Ivy from the 1952 Grig

1951-1952 HOMECOMING QUEEN

Submitted by Rowland Ivy from the 1952 Grig

Submitted by Rowland Ivy - From the 1952 Grig

Submitted by Rowland Ivy -From the 1952 Grig

1951-1952 Homecoming Court

Submitted by Rowland Ivy - From the 1952 Grig

1952-1953 HOMECOMING QUEEN

1952-1953 Sweetheart

1952-53 Homecoming Court

1953-1954 Homecoming Court

1953-54 Homecoming Sweetheart - Cortez David

1953-1954 Homecoming Court

1953-1954 HOMECOMING COURT

1954-1955 HOMECOMING QUEEN GRACIE DAVIDSON

1954-55 HOMECOMING SWEETHEART

1954-1955 Homecoming Court

1954-1955 HOMECOMING COURT

1955-1956 HOMECOMING COURT

Queen - Betty Claire Rhea

Princess - Mildred Aarons

Sweetheart - Mary Jo Skinner

1955 HOMECOMING MAIDS

Earlene Mendenhall, Camille Ivy, Carolyn Hall, Sandra Richardson,

ChiChi Hastings and Barbara Russell

Submitted by Ann Mays Harlan

Principal Williams crowns Queen Betty Claire Rhea in 1955

Sweetheart Mary Jo Skinner receives Mary Jo from Captain Douglas Skinner

1956 HOMECOMING

Marcelee Robinson Sweetheart receives flowers from Supt. Pritcher

Principal Williams Crowns Queen Rose Rabb

Queen - Rose Rabb

Princess: Annette Van Peene and Yvonne Simmons

Submitted by LeVerne Langheld Kidd

This is the only picture I have on the site taken below the Minden High School Terrace.

It was a wonderful view for the homecoming court to have their picture taken.

They look so pretty looking up at the sky.

Submitted by LeVerne Langheld Kidd from the 1957 Grig

Homecoming Maids with football team member each represented beside her name.

Front row, L to R: Sandra Richardson (Billy Jack Talton), Nancy Craine (Billy Joe Booth), Glenda Fields (Wayne Parker), Diane Green (Andy Harville), Nancy Cox (Dan Robinson), Camille Ivy (Joe Moreland), Sherry Bice (Bill Conkright), Ann Mays (Charles Cranford), Norma McGuire (Homer Woodard).

Back row, L to R: Jackie Davis (W. F. McLemore), Linda White (Johnny Spears), Dawn Glass (George Rhea), Barbara Langheld (Gary Major).

The Homecoming Court submitted by Quade studio

Seated, L to R: Princess Ellen Baker, Queen Linda Atkins, Princess Kay Cunningham

Standing, L to R: Nancy Cox, Sherry Bice, Barbara Langheld, Jackie Davis, Ann Mays, Camille Ivy,

LINDA ATKINS

1957 HOMECOMING QUEEN

Class of 1931 and 1937

They came to stand at homecoming 1957

FOOTBALL SWEETHEART & FAIR PRINCESS FOR 1958

Submitted by Linda Holt Mooreheaad

MEMORIES OF MINDEN

HOMECOMING 1929

1959-60 SCHOOL YEAR

1959-60 School Year

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THEN CAME

THE SIXTIES