What a great church to grow up in! We not only grew in spiritual exercises,
but our entertainment centered on the church. We had a wonderful group
of young people. My feelings are of gratitude as I reflect back on my
wonderful memories of Parkway. I still remember Mrs. Leachman telling us,
"If I have more than I need but have not love, I am nothing. If I have not love,
I am not living." My Sunday school and training union teachers at Parkway
gave us what we need in the head-on collisions of life. Rev. Leachman held
to the notions of reverence and was always there for the youth of Parkway.

The first wedding to be held in the sanctuary at parkway was on the 24th.
of August, 1951, when Rev. Hartsfield united Bennie Gresham and Ralph
Diffenderfer in marriage. She was the eldest daughter of Ressie &
Ben A. Gresham.

The first person to be baptized in the new church was Charles "Sonny" Watson.                         

 Watson. After he was grown he married Annette Luck, a daughter of Bill Luck,                                                                                 

director. Later, Charles directed the choir for Parkway. He was also one of the                                                                                      

church ordained deacons.                                                                                                                                                              

Our church provided our entertainment and our lives centered on our church.
We could hardly wait to go again. When we first moved to Minden in 1948
we were members of the First Baptist Church in Minden. President Johnson's
grandfather was once pastor of this church. It was a great thrill for the city
when President Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird came to Minden for the
church homecoming.

I still remember the girls in our church School School class. They were:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Annetta Baker
JoAnn Baggett
Pat Betts
Shirley Bowles
Carolyn Culpepper
Betty Fritz
Joy Faye Garriss
Patsy Gilbert
Sherry Gresham
Connie Horn                                                                                                                                             LeVerne Langheld      
Betty Lou Norwood, class of 1955 is now deceased. She married Donald Nation.
Gracie Pittman, Class of 1954 is now deceased. She married Dez Drummond.                                                 Marilyn Rudd, Class of 1953,  married George R. Angulus. She died January 2, 2008. 
Nellie Sapp
Sue Stanfield, class of 1954. is now deceased. She married Gene Jones.
Dimple Vice

Barbara Preston Valentine - Can someone send me her picture from the Grig? She married C E. Valentine.

Growing up on Police Street and attending Parkway Baptist church was fun.
I always seemed to seek out friends who had terrific mothers. One such friend
was Wanda Jean Wright who was a year or two younger than I was. The
Wright's lived down the street from us. Mrs. Nina Wright would often give me
a ride to school.

Wanda Wright, Class of 1957  married Drew Chreene. He still lives in Minden.

Sometimes I would just go to the Wright home to listen to Mr. Wright play
his guitar or hear his band pick and sing. Wanda could play the piano by
ear and had a lot of talent also.  She was playing the piano at church when she
died in 1999.

Mrs. Wright was in charge of the preschool Sunday School class. She asked
me to help out before I graduated from high school and I agreed. She gave me
an opportunity to play the piano and actually teach a class of four year olds
in 1954 and 1955. She was one of those adults that actually believed in me.

The children were divided into classes according to their ages. They seemed
to enjoy coming to church each week. They liked learning short bible verses
such as "Jesus Wept" or "Rejoice Evermore."

I liked being their Sunday School teacher. I liked it even more when they would
sometimes come and sit by me in church or see me on the street and recognize
me and point me out to their Mom or Dad. I thought that was really neat.

                   Annetta Baker                        JoAnn Baggett                   Pat Betts

Annetta Baker, Class of 1955 married Gerald Kirkland. They still live in Minden, Louisiana

           Shirley Bowles                              Carolyn Culpepper                    Joyce Dulaney

Shirley Bowles, class of 1954 married Bobby "Pot" Parker. They are residents of Minden, Louisiana.

Carolyn Culpepper, class of 1954 Ayres is a widow and registered nurse. The last I heard she was living in Doyline. She may be retired now.

Joyce Dulany class of 1952 married  Lee Anderston and is living in New Heaven, IN 

              Patsy Elkins                                 Joy Faye Garriss                  Patsy Gilbert

Patsy Elkins, Class of 1954 married a preacher - If you know where she is living e-mail us and tell us where she is living.

            Sherry Gresham                      Connie Horn                                 LeVerne Langheld

LeVerne Langheld, CLass of 1957 married Billy Kidd, class of 1954. They are residents of Minden, Louisiana.

                Velma Leachman                          Martha Miller                     Betty Lou Norwood

Does anyone know where Velma Leachman is living? Is so e-mail us and tell us @ MindenMemories@aol.com

Martha Miller first married Terry Joe McClung. He is deceased. Today, she is married to Bill Smith. They are residents of Bossier City, Louisiana.

                 Nellie Sapp                              Sue Stanfield                                   Dimple Vice

Nellie Sapp married James Burge. He is now deceased. She is now a widow; and is living in Doyline, Louisiana.

Sue Stanfield married Gene Jones. She and Gene are both deceased. They were are both buried in Heflin, Louisiana.

                                                                                                          
As program chairman of the YWA I was still invited to all the parties. Some of them were even at my home. I can hear Mrs. Leachman as if it were yesterday asking us to turn to page 399 in our Broadman Hymnal. Our YWA song was written by Jack P. Scholfield.. Close your eyes and listen with your heart to the young girls of Parkway as they sing.

Velma Leachman graduated from Doyline High School. Photo compliments of Joyce Dulany Anderson

Marilyn Rudd, Class of 1953

Marilyn Rudd Angelus, Class of 1953, d in Memphis, TN Jan. 2, 2008

Photo compliments of Joyce Dulany Anderson, Class of 1952
 

From Page 399 of the Broadman Hymnal 

               SAVED SAVED                      

I've found a friend, who is all to me,
His love is ever true;
I love to tell how he lifted me
And what His grace can do for you.

 Saved by His power divine,
Saved to new life sublime!
Life now is sweet and my joy is complete,
For I'm saved, saved, save

He saves me from ever sin and harm,
Secures my soul each day;
I'm leaning strong on His mighty arm;
I know He'll guide me all the way.

Refrain                                                      

When poor and needy and all alone,
In love He said to me,
"Come unto Me and I'll lead you home,
To live with me eternally

Ref

 It would surprise me if any of these girls needed a book to remember the words to this song.

                                        

                                                         Sherry Gresham, Class of 1955

Our church was our entertainment. One weekend the YWA leaders took the girls to Lake Bistineau for the weekend. JoAnn Baggett took some great pictures which she shared with us. Unfortunately, she is not in any of them as she took the pictures. As for me, I was with Clyde Chreene, who just happened to live near the lake at the time the picture's were being snapped. He was my steady back in those days. His brother Drew, was going steady with Dimple Vice.  While we were at the lake, Clyde gave me his graduation ring and carved our initials in a tree.  Memories of youth are long long thoughts. Sadly, Clyde is now deceased.  He was married but once to Emma George. They were residents of Shreveport, Louisiana.

At the top, Dimple Vice, Pat Betts and Betty Fritz

Connie Horn, Patsy Gilbert, Betty Lou Norwood and Joy Faye Garriss

This was the last time I ever saw Betty Fritz.

NEW PEPSQUAD SWEATERS

 Sherry Gresham, Class of 1955  

          We had just received our new pepsquad sweaters that day. We were so proud of them?  

                                                                               The Fiftie's  Version Of The Dixie Chick's

Joy Faye Garriss, Pat Betts  and Mattie Dimple Vice

The cabin at Lake Bistineau was nice. We had pillow fights until a storm came up. We were not afraid but it was eerie watching the wind and lightening on the lake.

SILLY HAT DAY

 I will list the classmates in this picture from left to right as they appear in the photo.                                

Joy Garriss,(1955) Patsy Gilbert, (1956) Connie Horn,(1954) Betty Norwood, 1955)Dimple Vice (1955)and Betty Fritz (1954) and Pat Betts (1954)  bought the funny hats for the girls to wear at a store she was working at in Minden. What a fun weekend we had that day.

Today, Joy Garriss  is married to Roy Connell and lives in Pasadena, Texas.

Patsy Gilbert married Fred Mills and lives Gladewater, Texas.

Connie Horn, (1954) married Jimmy Miller (1955) They

are residents of Minden, Louisiana.

 Betty Lou Norwood married Donald Nation. She is now deceased and is sleeping the Garden of Memories in Minden, Louisiana. She was born 8 July 1937 and died 2 Sept. 2002.

Dimple Vice married Cecil Hoggard . They live in Memphis, Tennessee

Dr. Pat Betts Roach is a resident of Morrilton, Arkansas. She was the one who bought all these silly hats we were wearing in these pictures.

Betty Fritz left the next day after this picture was taken to marry Albert Booth. We all missed her after they joined the navy and moved away.

Sherry Gresham,  wearing her silly hat and new pepsquad sweater

Sherry lives in Bellaire, Texas and is married to Jim Gritzbaugh.

             Photo by Jo Ann Baggett, class of 1955

 

Our photographer was Jo Ann Baggett, Class of 1955