Mrs. Peggy Whitt
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Mrs. Peggy Whitt held a bachelor’s degree in business from East Central University, Ada, OK; a master’s degree in journalism from Oklahoma state University, Stillwater, OK.
She taught business and journalism four years at Shidler High School and for five years taught journalism and served as public relations director of NOC, Tonkawa. She was past president of the Oklahoma College Public Relations Association and active in state and national journalism associations
Mrs. Whitt was an active worker in 4-H Clubs, Future Farmers of America, Scouts and Sunday school. She was a member of the Shidler-Webb City Homemakers Club and Honorary Chapter Farmer of the Future Farmers of America.
Author of “Peggy’s Penny Pinchers” which appeared in “Woman’s World Magazine and “The Good Idea How to Save Money Book.”
Mrs. Anita Himbury
Mrs. Anita Himbury spent 30 years of her life educating young men and woman to prepare them to become the future young men and woman of their day. She taught two years in Virgil, KS and 28 years in the Shidler School System. She received her B.S. degree in education from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, KS. Mrs. Himbury began her career teaching Home Economics and Chemistry. She taught Vocational Home Economics most of her career and later added Family Living and 8th Grade English to her classes. Mrs. Himbury continued furthering her education approximately every two years attending classes at Oklahoma State University and the University of Oklahoma. She was a member of the National Education Association and the Oklahoma Education Association. Mrs. Himbury could always be found at the home football games and basketball games heading up the concession stand. Mrs. Himbury was a member of the Webb City Methodist Church and the First United Methodist Church, a quilting club, Eastern Stars and the P.E.O. Sisterhood. Mrs. Himbury spent her entire life teaching children whether it was in the school system or in a Sunday School class or in Vacation Bible School. She loved all her students and were proud of each one. Anita gave countless hours of her time and talents to enhance the life of her students as they prepared for some of their most important times during their high school years. After retirement, she was known as the “card lady” as she sent out over 700 handwritten cards and postcards each year to area residents for their birthdays, anniversaries and graduations. She kept in touch with many of her former students through the years with cards and personal notes.
Mrs. Dorothy B. Harned
Hoping to teach 15 more years, Mrs. Harned has completed 21 years of teaching. One of the most pleasant things is to have former students come back and see her. She wants all former students to study hard!
Mrs. Irene Gullic
Mrs. Irene Gunter Gullic received her Life Certificate Teaching BA Degree in 1929 at Northeastern State College where her future husband Herb F. Gullic was football captain and Irene was homecoming queen in 1933.
She began teaching at Shidler in 1942 having taught three years in her hometown of Gans, Oklahoma. At that time the elementary was in the high-school building. Most years she taught 5th grade. Around 1957-1958 the elementary moved to Webb City while a new elementary was being built.
She taught a total of 35 dedicated years and had a positive influence on many.
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Mrs. Mary Baker
Mrs. Baker graduated from O.U. and began teaching this this school system 25 years ago. At that time there were ten different schools in this one district, which was a ten square mile area. That first year Mrs. Baker taught the primary grades, first and second, with a total of 65 students. Her sister, Evelyn started to school that same year. The child's family had a hard time trying to explain to Evelyn that she should call her sister "Miss Rice", as she was then known, and not "Mary". Also, that same year, Mrs. Baker received a very treasured gift, which was a lopsided scarf from a girl who had polio. Although Mrs. Baker has much to remember through the past years, she is still interested in what is going on in school currently. The school spirit this year and last is excellent in her opinion. She also suggests a possible improvement would be the addition of a class in charm and etiquette, in both buildings. Some of her pastimes are gardening and travels. One of the travels was a circle tour by air in the summer of 1968 through Mexico, Guatemala, and Jamaica, which she really enjoyed. A funny incident Mrs. Baker remembers from her childhood was a Halloween night. She was five years old and watching the trick-or-treaters, when she saw a mouse on the floor. Without thinking, she picked up the rodent. When she realized what she had done, her impulse of shock was to shake the mouse until she had some assistance. Mrs. Baker plans to live in Ponca City in the summer of 1970 and take up private tutoring. While in Ponca City, she will join a retired people's group and make trips with her fellow members. One of her ambitions is to visit Canada and Washington D.C.
Mrs. Helen Head
Mrs. Helen Reese Head, English teacher and head librarian of Shidler High School, has been in the school system for 23 years. She attended grades one through twelve at Webb City schools. Mrs. Head received her B.S. degree in education from Phillips University. She was a double major in English and history with a minor in speech. Mrs. Head has done graduate work at Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma University, Northwestern State College, and Manhattan State College. She has completed seventeen hours of library science. Mrs. Head is a member of the First Christian Church, has served two years as president of the Women's Federated Club, is a member of the Oklahoma Education Association, National Education Association, National Council of Teachers of English, and is presently vice-president of the Osage County Classroom Teachers.
Mrs. Gladys Snyder
Mrs. Snyder graduated from Grainola High School. She furthered her education at various schools including Shidler Junior College, Tonkawa Junior College, Central State University, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma University, Western Illinois University, Southwestern College, and East Central University. Mrs. Snyder began her teaching career in 1942. Besides Shidler, she taught in Bray, Healdton and Grainola. Biology, science, practical math, general math, seventh math, Algebra and Trig are the subjects Mrs. Snyder taught. She came to Shidler when Grainola lost its school. When asked if Mrs. Snyder remembered some of her outstanding students. She replied, "Some are better than others, of course, but they all did some work. If they wanted an "A", they did more work." I asked her about the humorous things that happened to her in her years at Shidler and she said, "There are so many funny things that have happened, I can't remember them." She had a strong desire to become a math teacher. She said, "I had a math teacher in high school whom I thought was the greatest thing ever." When asked if she'd rather do anything other than teach, she said, "No, I teach because I like kids." Shidler is very lucky and proud to have a teacher like Mrs. Snyder.
Miss Nellie Stebler
A memorable experience for all students at SHS is the seventh grade. Besides being the first year in the high school building, they also have Miss Stebler for teacher. Being a member of the faculty at SHS for a number of years, she has been able to observe the community around Shidler, She has seen seven schools become on consolidated school. From this she ahs observed displeasure gradually turn in to thinking it for the good. Miss Stebler has received credit hours from various colleges in Oklahoma. These are OSU, OU, Alva, Edmond and Weatherford. Weatherford also is her high school graduating place. Miss Stebler began traveling before it was recognized as educational accreditation. She has spent ten consecutive summers on foreign soil. She has attended six world conferences, two of them were in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, and Ethiopia, Africa. These conferences were for the World Conference of Teaching Profession. The other four were International Conferences for Women. They were in Australia, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico. At these meetings abroad, Miss Stebler would meet many familiar faces of people she had made the aquaintances of at earlier conferences. The topics discussed by all were education, social habits, and general ways of life. On her excursions she has been around the world three times. Miss Stebler has shared within schools and neighboring states her experiences abroad always feeling honored when asked to speak. Among her travels she has encountered such transportation as the three wheeler, Alaskan hydro-plane, a train on a ferry, a hydrofoil, and the bullet train in Japan. A statement made when asked about teaching her seventh grade was, "It is a fourfold challenge to develop social, physical, moral, and study habits." Another thing that makes Miss Stebler feel proud is when senior high and college students return to say that good habits learned while under her teaching are still remembered and put to use. Among her many hobbies are mending, carpentry work, and her favorite is gardening. "Dirty hands feel good," Miss Stebler says. In view to the Generation Gap, Miss Stebler feels that students are the same today as when she first began teaching. She feels that the gap is too highly publicized and that the good is hardly ever printed. All on ever reads about is the bad and that increases the idea of the gap. Her closing comment is "My association in the Shidler School system, community, and neighboring areas has been indeed pleasant. During these years I have lived 8 to 10 hours each school day in opposite corners, southeast and northwest corners of the Senior High building. The balance has seemingly been maintained. Just beware, when I do leave that this balance is maintained." The following things Miss Stebler feels helped maintain balance, she calls these "The Fingerprints of Time": Earbob magpie, Yale lock, concentration camp in study hall, observe different earbobs, one queen, success, failure, get stuck in town, buses not used for basketball games (own cars had to be used) at Honor Society meetings each brought own refreshments and babysat. 44 in a class (now around 25), an oil well in school yard before state capital.
Bob L. Cotham
Bob Cotham was a 1954 graduate of Shidler High School. Mr. Cotham attended Cameron State College in Lawton where he received an Associate's Degree in Education graduating in 1956. During his years at Cameron he played football and was named All-American linebacker and M.V.P. at the Junior Rose Bowl in 1955.
He served in the United States Army, Third Armor Division, from 1956 through 1958. During his service he played football, and was named M.V.P. of Combat Command C. in 1957.
In 1962 Mr. Cotham received a Bachelor's degree in Education at Central State University in Edmond. While Mr. Cotham was at Central State he was named All-American linebacker in 1960 and 1961. He later graduated from Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva with a Master's Degree in Education.
Mr. Cotham moved to Shidler in 1969 where he was head football coach for 10 years, Athletic Director 14 years, junior high and senior high principal 19 years, and science teacher 12 years.
In 1973 and 1974 Mr. Cotham was named Teacher of the Year. In 1973 he was named District and Conference Coach of the Year. In 1973 his Shidler football team had a 9-1 record, the best season ever for the 11-man football squad.
Richard Conrad
Richard Conrad attended Tahlequah High School where he graduated in 1960. He pursued his love for learning at Northeastern State University by earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education (1964) and later a Master’s Degree in Administration from Oklahoma State University. Mr. Conrad’s career in education spanned 27 years as a teacher, a coach, and a principal for Shidler Public Schools. He also was an elementary principal in Yale, Oklahoma for one year.
Richard was proud to be a Veteran of the Armed forces. He was stationed at Ft. Polk, Louisianan for basic training. He served in the United States Army from 1966-1968 in Vietnam with the 25th Infantry Division. He was a decorated officer with many awards: Vietnam Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal, National Defense Service Campaign Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, and Sharp Shooter Rifle M-14.
Mrs. Mildred Oglesby, Marquand, Crow
Teaching 22 years, Mrs. Crow comments that her years have been a pleasant, rewarding, and memorable time. It is a joy for her, as a teacher, to see the growth of the young people she has taught and the places they have made for themselves in this world. To teach until time for retirement, is Mrs. Crow's future plans, She will then enjoy what seems to be in the cards for her after that. Mrs. Crow's message to former students is to stay in school. Get an education and keep climbing for bigger and better things. Life has alot to offer if we only strive for bigger and better things.
Mrs. Henthorn
Mrs. Elmer Henthorne has taught school for 38 years. During those years what she remembers most is having taught all the children in a number of different families. "Cooperation from parents has highlighted all the years of my teaching experience--parents have been wonderful. "Letters and cards from one's former students together with visits by them when possible, make very delightful experiences. "If I could advise my former students, I'd say be honest and sincere in all you do. Be morally upright and, above all, acquire a religious education and trust in your Maker. Gain the habit of becoming involved in wholesome entertainment."
Mrs. Letha Wade
Mrs. Wade received her degree from Central State College, Edmond. She taught in Osage County for thirty years. She graduated from Grainola High School in 1931. Her most enjoyable experience in high school was playing basketball. Teaching is the only occupation Mrs.Wade has ever had and it is what she loved to do most, especially in the lower grades. One event Mrs. Wade remembers was teaching in the basement of the Baptist Church until the Ward Elementary Building was finished. Mr. Bias, Mrs. Ward, Mrs. Gullic and she marched their pupils down the dusty street every day to the cafeteria for lunch.