Porter High School Teacherage
Six miles south of Altus, Jackson County, Oklahoma

A teacherage was where the teachers could live; today we would probably call it an apartment house. Picture taken around 1937. The five boys left to right are Billy Earl Butts, John Paul Lock, Henry Roberson (*1), ?, ?.

John Paul Lock: "My first friend in the 1st grade was Billy Earl Butts. He moved away in 1937 and I did not know what become of him. Looking on the Jackson County Forum, I saw that he had a posting to find the cementery south of Altus. I knew it had to be him, so I e-mailed him. He lived in Anchorage, Alaska, but in a few minutes he called me and we talked for at least 1/2 hour. About a month ago he came by and spent the night with me here in Tulsa - the 1st time we had seen each other in 65 yrs. He had driven from Alaska and was on his way to Florida."

John Paul Lock and Billy Earl Butts, 2001

Sixty-five years beyond first grade....