Bonny Oaks Elementary School
Group Photo
School Year 1959-1960
Submitted by William (Bill) Fry |
The Bonny Oaks Boy Scouts
Strawberry Parade - 1960's
Submitted by Robert Charles Haven
Robert is carrying the American flag |
Because of the long downloading time
this page has been experiencing,
many of the sections were converted to "links" that you
must click on to view it's pictures.
The links below are highlighted in yellow for easier identification
No original pictures or contents were lost in the conversion.
"....IN THIS CORNER...."
...The Bonny
Oaks "Golden Gloves" Boxing Team...
Click
here to go to the Bonny Oaks Boxing Teams page
...Bonny
Oaks' Ann Lusk...
Ann
- Tyner Jr. High 
Ann's Tyner Sr. Picture
Tyner High School - Girls Basketball Team
When I looked on the back of one of the above boxing
newspapers, it listed the girls' basketball team
scores. Tyner High School's listing included
Bonny Oaks' own girl athlete, Ann Lusk. Ann was a
powerful basketball player and helped Tyner
win numerous games. I saw many of them.
Ann had a quiet demeanor but was a fierce
competitor on the basketball court.
We were so proud of Ann!
...The
Line-Up....
...The Bonny
Oaks "Softball" Teams...
Click
here to go to the Ball Teams
Our own, Jesse Presley, 60-something (we won't tell), is running in this
Chattanooga race that was held April 2006. Now he's training for the
Senior Olympics. Here's some pictures his wife, Pauline, sent to the
website.
...and they're off....Jesse is second row, second from left wearing the
sunglasses - GO JESSE!!!
...Jesse holding his 3rd place trophy...standing next to 2nd place and 1st place
winner on the right - WAY TO GO JESSE!!! Coming in 3rd after training only
a couple of months - SENIOR OLYMPICS get ready for Jesse!
WE'RE SO PROUD OF YOU, JESSE!!! YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN A WINNER WITH US!!!
BONNY OAKS IS REPRESENTED IN THE TENNESSEE STATE SENIOR OLYMPICS
Click on picture to enlarge
JIM EVETT
2005 STATE SENIOR OLYMPICS
Jim participated in the 2005 Senior Olympics and brought home the following
medals:
FIELD EVENTS:
Bronze - High Jump 4'2" (My best is 4'4")
Silver - Disc - 88' (Not my best!)
Bronze - Shot Put 30.3 (Best 16 lbs)
Gold - Javelin - 103' (Best is 115')
SWIMMING:
Gold - 50M Freestyle :32.00 (Not my best!)
Silver - 50M Breast-stroke :42.82 (Not my best!)
BASKETBALL:
Silver - Free-throw 10/10 9/10
Silver - 3 on 3
__________________________________________________
2004 STATE SENIOR OLYMPICS
Jim also participated in the 2004 Senior Olympics this year and brought home the
following seven medals:
in the 50M Freestyle
in the Javelin, Volleyball team event, 50M Breast Stroke and 100M Breast Stroke
in the 50M Backstroke and the Shot Put
Jim writes: "I played down in the
lower age group this year in basketball (50-54) and placed 4th place. The
good news is I will be going to the National Senior Games in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania in June with my age group (55-59) who in turn won a Silver Medal at
the Senior State Olympics last year.
I have a wonderful wife, Connie, of 36 years
and two sons. Chad which is married to Jennifer and lives in Cleveland,
TN, they have two boys (Chase 5 and Calib 3). They are truly a
blessing. Our youngest son, Jeff, is not married yet. I have worked
with Masterfoods USA (M&M Mars) in Cleveland, TN for the past 15 years and
hope to retire there in three more years.
I have fun memories of Bonny Oaks along with
others that are not so friendly. If all goes well, I hope to finish my
book when I retire about my experiences at the school along with God's love that
has touched us all. God has touched his hands on all of us and it was our
choosing how to use that touch.
Take care, Jimmy Evett"
Jimmy's email address is moecurly67@aol.com
__________________________________________________
2001 SENIOR OLYMPICS
Jim Evett
Jim, 50-something, is an outstanding athlete
He participated in the 2001 Senior Olympics this year and brought home the
following medals:
in the 50M Butterfly, 50M Breast Stroke, 100M Breast Stroke, and his
Basketball Team's Gold
in the 50M Freestyle, 100M Freestyle, 50M Backstroke, Shot Putt, Free Throw and
his Volleyball Team's Silver
in Horseshoes
Plus,
Connie Evett, Jim's wife, started in the Senior Olympics this year. The Ladies had a
basketball team and volleyball team and even though they didn't place, they met
some great people and had a great time at the Games. Jim said, "Of
course, I have to keep an eye on her with all the older guys and as young as she
is, it's hard keeping the older ones away"
The Five
Kidwell Brothers
Late 1930'S
until 1953
Click
here to go to The Kidwell Brothers' page
Mrs. Artman and her husband, Harold Artman, were houseparents in
the 1950's and also in the 1970's/1980's. Mrs. Artman celebrated her
80th birthday on June 18, 2002 and still
works for the children of Hamilton County.
Click on Mrs. Artman
(above) to see her 1950-1953 Picture Index.
Click on Mrs. Artman
(above) to see her 1974-1984 Picture Index.
Mrs. Artman passed away, please read about her on the "In Memory
of..." page
Gerry (Pritchard) White's son, Richard, sent the following:
This
is a picture of Lucy Brock serving breakfast at Bonny Oaks in the Little Girls
building. The picture is damaged, however, the photo is quite
priceless...Gerry
This
picture was taken in 1938 or 1939 at Tyner High School.
Bonny Oaks Alumni,
Billie Prichard and Johnnie Holloway, are in the front row.
This picture was taken in 1938.
Lucy Brock (left) and Gerry Pritchard
(right), best friends to this day!
Lucy Brock, Cadet Nurse 1942
Taken from Bonny Oaks' 50th Anniversary Booklet
(Booklet in it's entirety on the "Reunions" page)
Billie Pritchard
Johnnie Ruth Holloway sent us the following plus additional pictures of Mrs.
Keese on the Staff page. Also, the same newspaper clipping as above with
Johnnie and Billie in it from Richard, they must have hit the mailbox at the
same time!
Johnnie Ruth and Lucy Brock in a Tyner High School
newspaper clipping of the
school play.
Click
here to see pictures from Maymie DeLong-Jones' 1934-1938 Bonny Oaks days
Click
here to see pictures from Lester Bailey's Personal Bonny Oaks scrapbook
Click
here to see pictures that Mickey Walker sent to the website.
Barbara
Allen Pierce Burhan's Personal Bonny Oaks Scrapbook II
Barbara Allen
Pierce-Burhan's 1950's Personal Bonny Oaks Scrapbook (91 pictures)
Barbara
Allen Pierce-Burhan's 1981 Reunion
pictures and others that Barbara sent to the website.
Pvt. Franklin Pierce (alumnus) visits his sisters, Barbara and
Shirley, and brother, Robert, during WWII.
George
Hatch sent this newspaper clipping of Condon D. Sheets,
home on leave from the
Fleet Marines, WWII.
Designer Showhouse '88 - In 1988, The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera Guild
chose the Superintendent's House (The Dent House) to be their "1988
Chattanooga Designer Showhouse". Various designers and landscapers
participated in transforming the rooms of the Dent House with their individual
ideas for display and sale during the showhouse days. The excerpts below
were taken from their published Designer Showhouse '88 booklet of sketches
combining historical facts and an actual picture of the backside of the Dent
House.
Someone wrote the question "Where did the name for Bonny Oaks Drive
originate?". George Hatch sent us the newspaper clipping answer.
"It took a bit of time to find this dog eared newspaper
clipping which is nearly 60 years old",
Charles Suggs
Chattanooga News-Free Press dated Wednesday, April 22, 1942
Fran Holden sent us the following along with pictures of her and her sisters by
their names on the Alumni page:
This was taken in front of the Big Girl's building in the 1940's.
On the
back of the picture are the names Peggy Marshall and (I think) Ruby Hensley.
Girls playing in the "Big Tree" - 1930's / 1940's
Maxine Holden and her mother on Christmas Day 2001, Chattanooga TN.
Mother
Holden was 90 years old in May 2002.
George L. Holden, Jr. (1943-1948) submitted the following photo,
thank you George.
Back row from left to right: Teacher, Mr. D. Standifer, Eugene Ellis, Joe
Ellis, Gordon Driggins and I think the girls name is Doris. I don't
remember her last name but I believe she was a twin. The next was Edna
Dunn, I can't remember the name of the next girl, then Peggy Holland, I think
Bobby Gaines, Ed Holden and George Holden. The only name I remember of the
girls on the first row 4th to the right is Betty Burns. I believe you
folks can name the other people.
Raymond Prater
Bonny Oaks boy was killed in plane crash with
Audie Murphy,
World War II's most decorated soldier.
This 5-31-71 newspaper article states "Prater, 48, spent much of his boyhood at Bonny Oaks School after
the separation of his parents.....he ran twice for Congress....was Chattanooga
attorney...". We know that Raymond stayed close to Bonny
Oaks and visited often. He visited with Mr. Adamson a few days before his
death. We hope to have additional pictures and information from Raymond's
children soon. Our thank you to Larry Hamby, a Tyner High School friend of
Raymond's, for mentioning Raymond in his email and leading us to the story and
thank you to Harry Jackson for obtaining the newspaper article from the
Chattanooga Library.
Mrs. Prater, mother, pictured with her five sons who lived at Bonny Oaks.
This page was taken from the booklet commemorating Bonny Oaks' 50th Anniversary
which fell during World War II. All five sons are pictured here in their
World War II uniforms.
The 50th Anniversary booklet is in full detail on the "Reunions" page,
submitted by Clara Woody - Bonny Oaks 1920's.
Roy Prater, alumnus, writes to Bonny Oaks during World War II.
Barton Brooks Smith Family - 1952
From daughter, Carol: "This is a picture of my parents, Bart and
Betty Smith, holding Connie.
Dave and I are standing in front of them. This was taken in South Dakota
at my grandparents house. My dad would have been 25, mom 24, Connie
16 months, Dave 4, and I was 5 1/2. Hope you all enjoy this picture.
Just thought I would let you know what he looked like when he was younger.
Washington D.C. Tour
Tyner High School graduating class of 1925.
Maybe someone can let us know
which students were from Bonny Oaks in this 1925 photo.
An aerial view of Tyner High School in the 1930's/1940's.
Click here to see pictures that
Dianne Williams submitted to the website.
Click
here to see pictures that Shirley Walker submitted to the website.
Click
here to see pictures that Christine Haven submitted to the website.
Thursday, April 26, 2001 Newspaper article on the trees at Bonny
Oaks:
Saturday, May 12, 2001 Newspaper article on the trees at Bonny Oaks:
Click on Jesse
and Pauline's picture to see the pictures
they've submitted to the website.
Click
here to see the pictures Wanda Tankersley's sent to the website.
Click
here to see the pictures Mrs. Costello's daughter, Virginia Richie, sent to the
website.
Thanks to Jimmy Evett, and Jerry and Martha Harris, for sending the following
pictures for the website:
Big Boys Building (Little girls' building in background)
Barn
Chapel
Scouts and Brownie's House
Clinic
Little Boys Building
Elementary School - Grades 1 through 6, Later became the Gym
Superintendent's Home
The following were sent to the
website by Clarence Sumner. Thanks Clarence!
March
1960 - Clarence (Boola) Sumner (glasses) sent this picture for the
website. It is Clarence, Harry Jackson, Bobby Skiles, Jimmy Tucker and
? in the vest. (Let us know
if you know who "?" is in the picture).
Clarence
Sumner conducting Chapel Service
Mr.
Adamson and Mr. Bozza - May, 1962 (Harry Jackson and Mickey Walker's pictures on the wall).
Roland
Rich, Andy Rich and Jerry Harris - July 1960
Christine
Haven and Roland Rich - 1960
Carolyn, Pat, and Wanda Tankersley, left to right - Yvonne Harris, far right
Jeanette Bolt 1960
Can you name her? Clarence can't recall her name but said "She
alway's gave me a hug, and waited to walk to chapel with me...but can't remember
her name, sorry!
Click
here to see the pictures that Charles Camp submitted to the website.
Tally-Ho
Click on the Yearbook to go to the
"Index" and choose which page you want to view.
Tyner High School 1953 Yearbook - Submitted by Charley Camp
In Loving Memory Of
Mrs. William S. Keese
1875 - 1959
She could well have been the model from which the late Mother Teresa evolved!
Mrs. Keese lived with, and ministered to, hundreds of "dependent" boys
and girls committed to
Bonny Oaks by the Hamilton County Juvenile Courts between the years 1925 and
1945.
The Bonny Oaks Chapel still stands as a monument to her Saintliness.
She alone dreamed the Dream!
Too, she committed unreservedly to raising funds for this beautiful addition to
the
then 300 acre farm designated for Chattanooga's "neglected and dependent
children".
To this day, Mrs. Keese is the only person I've ever known who forbid "her
children"
(that included everyone on campus!)
from singing the 2nd verse of
HE KEEPS ME SINGING
and the 1st verse of
AMAZING GRACE!
Offending lines were: "All my life was wrecked by sin and
strife" and
"That saved a wretch like me", respectively.
With an emotional voice and free flowing tears, she shared her deep conviction
about the worthiness of all God's children.
None had been "wrecked by sin and strife" and none were ever a
"wretch".
We "little ones" did not understand her theology.
However, we did know that both she and Jesus loved us unconditionally!
The POWER of her testimony was instant in its
CLEANSING, and REASSURANCE, and HOPEFULNESS.
Separated from family and confined to an institution,
God's "innocent children" required a steady assurance,
an ever present parental love, and a balanced structure.
In HIS holy name,
Mrs. Keese provided the right portions for each of
"God's magnificent creation"
A Tribute by Charley Camp, 2001
Pictures submitted by Harry
Jackson
(l-r) Fred Bramlett, Leon Merriman, Frank Skiles, Harry Jackson. Front:
Roy Tucker
(Back l-r) Harry Jackson and Leon Merriman. (Front l-r) Sammy Lusk, Danny
Lusk, (?)
Harry Jackson on Pedro. Clarence Sumner behind Pedro. July 1960
Frank Skiles (l) and Roy Tucker (r)
Mr. and Mrs. Adamson and Harry Jackson
As Adults: (l-r) Harry Jackson, Ronnie Yarbrough, Mary Ann Camp, Cassidy
Neighbors, and George Frazer
Eugene "Gene" Hill - 1957 Washington
Trip
In 1965 Pete Hale had the
opportunity to star in a film and booklet distributed by the Southern Baptist Convention?
When I asked Pete about it, he still had the booklet
after 36 years and sent it to me to scan.
The Pete Hale film has been received. I wanted to put it on the website
but the file size is so large that additional web space has to be worked out
with the web host provider - we may have to show it at our next reunion. Mr. Bill Sumners located the film for us. The title was actually
"Buck & I", whereas the "Upward" booklet's title for it
was "The Boy Who Went Wrong" (on the Photo Albums page). Many thanks to Bill
Sumners and Steve Gateley from the Bonny Oaks kids...
Do you have any of these
"finds/treasures" at your home???? Please look!
Click
here to read about Pete's barn duty as one of the Bonny Oaks "Barn
Boys".
Pete and Betty Chambers, 1961
Washington DC trip and Pete in uniform (year ?)
Newspaper articles on the closing of Bonny Oaks,
submitted by Ken Clay, his private collection. More to come. Thank you, Ken.
Alumni,
I received the attached letter from the
Chattanooga Hamilton County Bicentennial Library today. Once you read
it, you will see that having the Bonny Oaks photo albums on the website is now
a reality within our reach. We all thank Clarence Sumner for his efforts in helping us.
Mrs. Swann received the following
estimates based on 389 pages of photographs. That number of photographs
is of phenomenal benefit to the alumni.
Original
Letter
November
9, 2000
Chattanooga
– Hamilton County Bicentennial Public Library
Ms. Clara Swann, Head of Local History and Genealogy
1001 Broad Street
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402
Re:
Bonny Oaks School
Dear
Ms. Swann:
I
am creating a website for the alumni of the former Bonny Oaks School. The
non-profit website is projected to be up and running the week of November
20, 2000. It’s internet url address is "bonnyoaks.com". In
contacting the director’s office, Ms. Jane McFarland, via telephone on
Wednesday, November 8, 2000, in re: scanning the photo albums, etc. of the
school located at your library, I was advised to submit the request to you,
in writing, as it is your area of responsibility.
Background
Ms. Jean Costello, my former houseparent who later became the Bonny Oaks
librarian, always wanted us to know while we watched her put the albums
together that she was doing the albums so we, the children, could see our
pictures any time we wanted. As a child there I made many trips up to the
office building to go into the library and pour over all the pictures. We
listened to Mr. Adamson and Ms. Costello tell us the stories behind the
pictures of kids who were there before us. Unfortunately, today, a former
student and his or her family would have to physically travel to the library
to view the albums and other items. Then too, if he or she lives in another
state, as I do, such trips at any given time may be unfeasible or too costly
an endeavor. Consequently, our children and grandchildren may never have the
opportunity of seeing childhood pictures of their parents. I feel that by
having the Bonny Oaks pictures and memorabilia on the website, they will
once again be viewed and enjoyed by all, thus honoring Ms. Costello and Mr.
Adamson’s wishes and dedication to beginning the process of putting names
to pictures and building the albums back in the late 50’s and early 60’s.
I am aware of the library’s policy which does not allow individuals to
bring their own scanners into the library. Additionally, I understand there
is a policy which, for a fee, permits an individual to point out which
picture(s) he or she wants reproduced by the library’s photographer.
Because of the undertaking I am proposing, coupled with the personal
connection to Bonny Oaks, I would like to request special permission
allowing me to personally begin the scanning/photographing of the Bonny Oaks
albums and memorabilia, without charge, for the purpose of incorporating
them into the alumni’s website.
I have spoken to Mr. Adamson and Mr. Clay, both former Superintendents of
the home, and they have given me their full support with offers of help if
needed. They are also in agreement that the website will be a wonderful, new
window for the former students to reconnect with old friends, to maybe
provide some with closure, and they acknowledge that the items in your
library would play a vital part in the website.
Ms. Swann, I hope you can appreciate my sincere request and that you will
help me obtain permission through the proper channels. Please feel free to
contact me at any time at the numbers/address below, as I look forward to
receiving your response.
Sincerely,
Christine G. Haven
(private address/phone numbers)
Email: texasbonny@yahoo.com
Cc: Ms. Jane McFarland, Director
Chattanooga – Hamilton County
Bicentennial
Public Library
1001
Broad Street
Chattanooga,
Tennessee 37402
Mr.
and Mrs. Malcolm M. Adamson, Retired
(private address)
Mr. Kenneth
Clay, Director
Family
and Children’s Services of Chattanooga, Inc.
Chattanooga,
Tennessee 37402
________________________________
Letter from Library dated 11-18-00
______________________________
Counter-Letter to Library dated
11-24-00
November
24, 2000
