OLIVE BRANCH GRADE SCHOOL

Alexander County/Illinois Genealogy Trails

Photo and some information contributed by Anna Story Davis

The school at Olive Branch had two floors and a basement. There was a large auditorium on the second floor.
The lunch room was in the basement. It was always kept spotless. At one time it was a high school and elementary school. The high school closed in 1947 and the students went to Thebes or Tamms according where they lived. After that the building housed first through eighth grades. There was no kindergarten in those days. The boys had shop out in the gym, at one end there was a small room for the shop. The school closed permanently in 1968.

TEACHERS during the 1950s

Mrs. Aldridge taught first grade
Mrs. Doyle Masterson taught second grade
Mrs. Fay Vick taught third grade and in her classroom on one full wall she had a grocery store set up.
The Vicks owned a grocery store in Olive Branch. She used this to teach math, etc.
Mrs. Campbell taught fourth grade
Mrs. Ryal taught fifth.
Mrs. Jones-sixth grade.
Mr. Lowell Hale taught seventh grade
Mr. Lawrence Duff
Mr. Herman Campbell was eighth grade teacher and Principal.
Mr. Ben Cauble, 1958-1960

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