Roger Mills County

Oklahoma

 

Coordinator: Judy Tracy

 

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ROLL School District No. 27

Located NW1/4NE1/4 of Section 11-15-24

 

The school was built in 1903 by fathers of the community under the direction of Mr. Bill Hanawalt. Mr. Hanawalt built the teacher’s desk, which sits in the Roll One Room School today as it was moved in 1990 from Roll to the Cheyenne City Park and is a living museum. The school had consolidated with Crawford in 1943. The School Board members from 1943 until 1947 were: L.M. Ator, Art McFarland and W.C. Stauber. On April 15, 1947 an election was held to attach Roll (District 27) to Crawford. Ten votes were for the attachment and none against. On the 25th of April, 1947 District 27 was legally attached to C11 Crawford.

 

Mr. Lavon Pankey wrote of his memories in the Roll School as follows: “I must have been a problem child from the word go. After being dressed for Sunday School and church, I might be found in the pig pen mimicking the pigs by rubbing my side on the board fence. On one occasion I was punished after I had pulled the heads off about fifty baby chickens and put them in a neat pile. I soon forgot the punishment and slipped behind my mother, while she was shelling peanuts and calmly hit her in the head with a hatchet.
Then came the time I must start to school. I remember the hot day in September, the goodbye kiss and the “slat sunbonnet” securely tied under my chin for the mile and a half west walk I had to take to gain my first introduction to knowledge. I had not anticipated the snickers, giggles and laughter when the rest of the children saw me. I tolerated this for about two more days then my rain began to click. All I had to do was throw the sunbonnet in the weeds beside the road and calmly walk the last quarter mile bare-headed.

 

With the motherly love of my first teacher, Miss Rula Woodruff, I decided the world was not as cruel as I had thought. Lunch time was a great event like sharing my sausage and biscuit sandwich with someone who had fresh baked light bread and roast beef. On one occasion a small kitten helped itself to my chicken leg before we were dismissed for lunch. Pity broke me down and I took the poor underfed critter home with me.

 

My dad bought a quarter section west of where Roll now stands. That made it a little tough in the winter facing the north wind all the way to school. My mother would insert a piece of newspaper between my coat and shirt to keep out the cold. Many times the snow would drift over the top of the fences so I could easily walk over the top of them.

 

Very few times did Dad take the time to take me to school as he was busy threshing some kind of grain from June to December. What joy it was to see the giant engine and separator pull in at the end of the threshing season.  Sometimes school would be dismissed for a funeral and we would all go to the cemetery in a lumber wagon. I remember the casket would rest on two cane bottomed chairs then be lowered in the grave with the lines from someone’s harness.

 

I never had a teacher I didn’t like. Following my first teacher, Miss Woodruff, was Earl Whit, Lula Wilmouth(who roomed and boarded at the Pankey’s home) and Martha McDougal(who also stayed in our home). Thus I was drilled on the three R’s both day and night.
Very few knew the story I refer to above about my behavior when I was a few years old. Those who do know it, ask if I might be a little worried about what I might do when I grow old?

 

   School Year             Teacher                     Census           School Board
1913 J.E. White
1914 Mr. Curtis
1916-17 J.E. White 35 J.L. Ivy, J.M. Parker, F.E. Hillman
1917-18 J.E. White 36 J.L. Ivy, J.M. Parker, F.E. Hillman
1918-19 Lola Tracy 36 J.L. Ivy, F.E. Hillman, W.H. Pankey
1919-20 Ellen Bynum 35 F.E.Hillman, John Wise, W.H. Pankey
1920-21 Lula Wilmoth 32 F.E.Hillman, J.P Johnson, W.H. Pankey
1921-22 Emma Stauber 31 F.E.Hillman,J.P.Johnson,W.H.Pankey
1922-23 Emma Stauber 31 J.M.Parker,A McFarland,W.H.Pankey
1923-24 Toyah Sprowls 19 J.M.Parker, Art McFarland,J.HMerritt
1924-25 Toyah Sprowls 23 J.M.Parker, A McFarland, J.H. Merritt
1925-26 Florence Hillman 20 J.M.Parker, R.J.Stauber, J.H.Merritt
1926-27 Mrs Willie Jefcoat 29 J.M.Parker,R.J.Stauber,J.H.Merritt
1927-28 Lorene Aderhold 29 J.M.Parker, R.J.Stauber,J.H.Merritt
1928-29 Lula Mae Miller 35 J.M.Parker, R.J.Stauber,J.H.Merritt
1929-30 Theta Hunt 23 R.J.Stauber,Art McFarland, J.H.Merritt
1930-31 Theta Hunt 52 R.J.Stauber,A.McFarland, J.H.Merritt
1931-32 Pauline Bell 52 R.J.Stauber,Art McFarland, J.H.Merritt
1932-33 Pauline Bell 50 L.M.Ator,Art McFarland, J.H. Merritt
1933-34 Pauline Bell 48 L.M.Ator, Art McFarland, J.H. Merritt
1934-35 Wilbur Spaugh 47 L.M.Ator,Art McFarland, J.H. Merritt
1935-36 Mrs. Jewell Fox 48 L.M.Ator, Art McFarland, J.H. Merritt
1936-37 Mrs. Jewell Fox 49 L.M.Ator, Art McFarland, J.H. Merritt
1937-38 Mrs. Jewell Fox 50 L.M.Ator, Art McFarland, J.H.Merritt
1938-39 Floy Phelps 43 L.M.Ator, Art McFarland, J.H. Merritt
1939-40 Floy Phelps Purvis L.M. Ator, Art McFarland, J.H. Merritt
1940-41 Mrs. Floy Purvis 35 L.M.Ator, Art McFarland, J.H. Merritt
1941-42 Opal Heriford 30 L.M. Ator, Art McFarland, J.H. Merritt
1942-43 Mrs. Helen Nesgis 3 mos
Lillie Manhart 5 mos L.M.Ator, Art McFarland, J.H.Merritt