Volume 8 , Issue 6

Green Valley School - December 22, 1896...

"I have salvaged the original photo, which is on a heavy cardboard back and is split down the center and is in two separate pieces - and the overall condition of the photo is quite poor. But for the time being, I'm happy with the end-result and am excited that I can now identify every person in the photo AND those students who were absent from school the day the photo was taken, December 22, 1896. The original photograph belongs to Alberta Bliss, who has loaned me a number of Riggs family photographs down through the years.

This is the ORIGINAL Green Valley School House (a 'soddie') and Dolly Riggs was the teacher. Dolly, known in our family as 'Aunt Doll', was a sister of Charles Clarence Riggs, who homesteaded the Riggs 'home place' near Green Valley where the Riggs family lived (Alberta Bliss lives there now). He and his wife, Sarah Catherine 'Sade' Riggs (nee Proffitt) came to Oklahoma from Kansas. Their children, all sons, included six who survived to adulthood - Dalton Wallace, Arles Percy, Vibert Ross, Bertsell Chester, Dennis Thomas, and Samual Sherman. Many of the folks in the Alva area will remember Sam Riggs - husband of Oneita - who owned the Sam Riggs Supply Company for many years. Charles and Sarah Riggs are my great-grandparents ~ their son Bertsell is my grandfather ~ their son Sam is my step-father (he married my grandmother a few years after his brother died).

Here are the names (left to right):
FRONT: Guy Irons (age 9), Vibert Riggs (age 8), Frank Irons (age 7), Lillie Bruce (age 9), Nellie Murrow (age 6), Mable Keffer (age 5), Seth Keffer (age 7), Roy Jeffries (age 9), Claude Jeffries (age 7), Dean Murrow (age 8);

MIDDLE: Joe Clement (age 13), Jim Irons (age 15), Fannie Bruce (age 14), Dolly Riggs (teacher), Curt Clement (age 15), Albert Bruce (age 18), Henry Bruce (age 7), Jesse Keffer (age 9), Tom Irons (age 11);

REAR: Julett Cook (age 9), Bertha Clement (age 11), Iantha Potts (age 11), Pearl Bruce (age 13), Mary Jeffries (age 12), Guy Jeffries (age 14), Ernest Veley (age 13), Emmit Veley (age 11), Arles Riggs (age 13);

NOT PICTURED: Frank Bruce (age 5), Richard Bruce (age 10), Fannie Cook (age 12), Earl Keffer (age 5), Dalton Riggs (age 15), Harry Irons (age 9), Wilbur Veley (age 17)." -- Rod Murrow   |  View or Add Comments (2 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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