Roxobel-Kelford High School -1932
Contributed by Julius E. Shoulars jshoulars@cox.net
Each year a reunion is held for all former students, and about 100 people attend. In 1999 there was an attendee who was in the first graduating class in the 1920's. The school is no longer standing.
Contributed by Pete Austin
In 1926 the two villages of Roxobel and Kelford became united when the county formed a new consolidated school system. This continued until 1952 when the school closed and the students transferred to the new West Elementary School and Bertie Central High.
It was with regret that Roxobel-Kelford High School was discontinued in 1952. The building now became part of the West Bertie School system with classes 1st-4th and 6th-8th being held in that facility. Classes 1st-5th and 9th-12th were conducted five miles away at the Lewiston-Woodville Building. None of these school buildings still stand. They were demolished and removed some years later.The county consolidated the smaller schools and built several elementary schools plus in 1964 a Central Bertie High School.
History and Memories
The 250-plus-page "History and Memories of Roxobel-Kelford High
School, Roxobel, NC, 1926-1952--Remembrances of People and Events" begins
with a brief look at the early communities and schools of Roxobel and
Kelford, then turns to construction of the consolidated R-K High School in
1926, and proceeds on through the last graduating class there in 1952. (Even
though all 11 and then 12 grades attended the school, it was generally
referred to as RKHS until the h.s. students were tranferred to the former
Lewiston-Woodville HS in the fall of 1952.) The intervening years
encompassed the Great Depression, World War II, and the Korean War; and the
book tells the stories of the students, teachers, and the school itself
during that period.
The story is interwoven with statistics from the High School
Principals' Annual Reports, including an appendix listing names of graduates
and teachers, subjects studied, and general information about the high school
each year from 1930-1952. The official proceedings of the Bertie County
Board of Education through those years contained a wealth of pertinent facts
and figures as well. Most interesting, though, are the remembrances of the
students themselves, both about their school days and their military
experiences afterward. Sources have been carefully documented with endnotes.
There are class and individual pictures, as we were then and as we've
been photographed at recent reunions.
Another appendix pays tribute to many now-deceased schoolmates, giving
a brief summary of their life since schooldays. The last appendix contains
reproductions of the deeds on the school property from 1926 until the present
time.
Copies of the book are $20 (payable to me by check or money order) and
can be ordered by mail addressed to:
Edith Vick Farris
8527 Minerva Court
Vienna, VA 22182-5046
The price includes mailing. Please be sure to include the full address to
which the book(s) should be sent.
Feel free to contact me by e-mail (farris46@aol.com) or call me at (703) 573-4051 if you
have questions.
Edie Farris
Roxobel-Kelford 1st Grade-1933
1st row (L to R) Lorraine Bowers, ___, ___, ___ Buck Bishop, Marjorie Cullifer, Edward Carter
2nd row (none identified)
3rd row ___, ___, ___, ___, Ethel Roane, ___
Can anyone help identify the others?
Contributed by Buck Bishop willibuck@coastalnet.com
Roxobel-Kelford 1st Grade 1932
3rd row: J.Q. Acree*, Pete Austin*,William Thomas Parker, ______,
Fred Curley, Lloyd Peele, Jr., G.T. Doughtie, Curtis Earl Butler*
2nd row: Raymond Barnes*, Julius Earl Shoulars, Joe Bazemore, Cohen Davidson, Donald Norfleet (twin), Carlton Parker, J.T. Hardy, J.C. Parker
1st row: Eleanor Bishop,Yvonne Vick, ? , Doris Parker, Ruth Mason Tyler, Mary Lassiter, Ethel Cullifer*, Flora Lea Peele, Betty Vashtie Parker, Ruth Norfleet (twin to Donald)
* Finished together in 11th grade
Teacher: Miss Arnold (far right of screen)
Contributed by Julius E. Shoulars jshoulars@cox.net
Roxobel-Kelford 2nd Grade 1932
Top Row: Left to Right
Edward Lee Parker, Billy Lane, ---?---, ---?---, Alan Johnston, Allen Raye Vick
2nd row:
Wilbur Hall, Gerald Cook, Margaret Hardy, Trolley Conner, A.V. Hall, Julia Hardy,
Peggy Norfleet
Bottom row:
Frances Harrell, mable Ayscue, Marie Jilcott, Marian Quinn, Cloree Vick, Laura Bracy,
Erma Harrell, Vira Esther Hall, Margaret Harrell
Teacher (not shown) Mammie Jenkins
Contributed by Julius E. Shoulars jshoulars@cox.net
Roxobel-Kelford 6th Grade 1932
Front Row: Miss Jessie Flythe (teacher), Irma Harrell, Catherine Walston, Anne Tynes, Laura Bracy, ____,____, Josephine Hall and Faye Byrd.
Second Row: "Shorty" Jilcott, Worth Jilcott, ____, ____, Helen Vick, Lena Cooke, ____ and Edward ?.
Back Row: ? Dixon, Haywood Bland, ? Cullifer, Milton Lassiter, Sally Vick and Floyd Hall.
Contributed by Julius E. Shoulars jshoulars@cox.net
Roxobel-Kelford Unknown Year and Grade
Front: Margaret Harrell, Peggy Norfleet, ____, Wilbur Hall, _____, _____, Mable Ayscue, _____
2nd row: _____, Laura Bracy, Troy Parker, Virginia Maude Joyner, Marie Jilcott, ______
3rd row: Alan Johnson, ____,_____, Alan Rae Vick, ____, _____, _____, _____
Back Row: ____, ____, ____, ____, ____, Trollie Conner, Frances Harrell, ______
Contributed by Julius E. Shoulars jshoulars@cox.net
Roxobel-Kelford Basketball Team -1942
1st row (L to R) Buck Bishop, Pete Austin
2nd row Gene Peele, George Shoulars, Wilbur Hall
3rd row Mr. Crawley Coach; Curtis Earl Butler, manager
Contributed by Buck Bishop willibuck@coastalnet.com
Roxobel-Kelford Graduates-1945
1st row (L to R) Jesse Joyner, Appie Walston, Buck Bishop, Minnie Lou Bryant, Eugene Lewis, Harvey Bracy
Contributed by Buck Bishop willibuck@coastalnet.com
Roxobel-Kelford Teachers 1942-43
1st row Left to right:
Jessie Flyth, Margaret Peele, Billy Raynor
2nd row
Iola Pritchard, Annie Sue Hunsucker, martha Aysque, Annie Ruth McMillian
Roxobel-Kelford High School - Class of 1943
Contributed by Julius E. Shoulars jshoulars@cox.net
Front row: Betty Parker, Essie Blowe, Marjorie Cullifer, Edward Carter
2nd row: Ruth Mason Tyler, Mabel Clair Jilcott, Gene Peele, Robert Earl Williford
Roxobel-Kelford High School - Class of 1939
Contributed by James Austin jaustin6@home.com"My memory is that there were 12 members in the 1939 graduating class, however, there are only 11 members in the picture. So, someone is missing if my memory is correct.I'm not certain who's who in the picture.
There were four boys and eight girls.
The four boys standing in the back row were (left to right) Rowland (Tib Bit) Knox, Edith Minton, James L. Austin, Mary Vies Stephenson, P.T.Roane,Jr, Hilda Bishop and Charles (Chee Chee) Tynes.
1st Row: Ann Tynes (Charles' sister), Mary Mitchell Tyler, Elizabeth (Jillcott) Stevenson Ruth Hall
Mascots: Bob Lassiter and Gene Reid Carter
Roxobel-Kelford High School - Basketball 1935
Front Row: Haywood Bland, Earl Tynes, Hartwell Jilcott
2nd row: Thomas Askew, Dick Spivey
Back row: Frank Peel, "Shorty" Jilcott, George Jilcott, Coach Braxton Davis
Photo from Earl Tynes
Roxobel-Kelford High School - 1925
Christmas Greetings were sent to all pupils in 1925 by Teacher, Miss Emma Corbett. Her photo is in the center of the card. At that time Kelford High School was located in Kelford and not a combined school. The Superintendent was: Herbert W. Early.
Pupils listed were:James Clark
Mary Della Dixon
Gwendolyn Hall
Lela Mae Hardy
Ruth Harris
Katherine Joyner
Jane Leicester
[note from: "Bob Lassiter"
Jane Leicester was the post master of Kelford in the late fifties and a good friend of my mothers. Her mother taught me in Sunday School. Jane is deceased and she also had a brother Lloyd who was killed in the death march in Batan in the second world war. Jane was married to David Humphrey and had one offspring named David.]
Elma Newsom
Lucille Parker
Luther Parker
Fannie Mae Smith
Junius Stephenson
[note from: "Bob Lassiter" Junius Stephenson was a cousin of mine and the son of my great uncle Herbert Stephenson who was my grandfather's brother (James Burgess Stephenson)
He died in Rocky Mount of a heat attack around 1960 at the age of 49. There were two girls also in the family (Mary V. and Grace) Their mother was Maude.
Mamie Francis Tynes
note from: "Bob Lassiter"
Mamie Francis Tynes also worked in the Kelford Post Office and married Perry Rhone the post master who had been married to Vivian before. She passed away and Perry married Mamie. Mamie is in a home in Greenville now. She also had a sister Ann who lives in Colerain and is married to Thomas ? Her fathers name was Ernest.
The old Kelford School House was purchased in April 1998 by Royal Lodge #471 F and AM of Kelford. The School House is located at 409 S. Main Street in Kelford.
They welcome donations to assist in this renovation.
Royal Lodge #471
Building Fund
P.O. Box 251
Kelford, NC 27847
A few of the teachers were Amaza Holloman, Mary P. Taylor and Daisy Peele Moore. These were just her favorites. All of the black families attended this school.
These are just a few of the names that she gave me.
This was the only school for them to attend in the area.
Entertainment -- they went fishing, attended basball games and met up town in kelford to meet the train and socialize every sunday.
there was a quartet back the and the members were Whaley Savage, Rev. Raymond Lassiter, Rev. James R. Wiggins, Eddie Lee, Big Boy Mitchell all are deceased now.
BLACK JACK ROAD---As you depart from downtown Kelford and travel south about
one-half mile on Blackjack Road, that runs parallel to the Atlantic Coast
Line Rail Road tracks, you will see the former colored (now correctly called
black) school. Today this building has been converted into a nightclub
called the Village Hideaway. Unfortunately in the late 1920's the county had
no Black High School in the southwestern part of Bertie Co. The Bertie
County Board of Education determined that due to the limited number of
students available for a Black High School it was more economical in the
1930-40 to bus children living in that area by send them to Rich Square
where they could have better teachers and greater facilities. Bertie Country
at that time operated under a segregated and separate school system. As a
result of this decision all the black students were bussed daily to Rich
Square, which was nine miles away and in Northampton County. Here the black
students could get their high school training. Bertie reimbursed Northampton
County for each of these students that attended school outside the county.
The Rich Square Black School had the reputation of being one of the best
schools in the area.
The Kelford colored (black) school building was situated on the left side on
Blackjack Road and a short distance back from the ACL railroad tracts
MARIE Johnston JONES--- Both Marie and her mother Addie had been like family
to us for many years. Marie and her husband Clifton later replaced the old
Flood house that was located on the property with a new structure. She and
her remaining son Clifton Jr "Pig" are still living there.
Photo taken in 1890's