1945-46 School photos, etc.

ODONNELL, THURSTENSON, THEILEN

Posted By: Joe Thurstenson (email)
Date: 5/26/2008 at 08:48:21

My family lived on the Jake Theilen farm as hired help about 1942-43 and I started Kindergarten classes in the Exira school and we attended the Christian Church in town. My Uncle, Ernest O'Donnell taught Band, math and office skills in High School (he was principal 1943-1947). I have a number of photos from the mid 1940's from Uncle Ernest's photo album I inherited. I am willing to share these photos via e-mail at no cost. In return, I would be interested in stories about my Uncle and about the Theilen family, but that is not required. Here is a list of what I have:

1 - O'Donnell home
2 - School
3 - Ben Jensen's congressional business card
4 - Exira Faculty 1945-56
5 - Unlabeled photo of what I would guess to be Senior class (same teacher with this group as appears in the Girls Basketball photo).
6 - Ernest O'Donnell's Band Director photo
7 - Girls Basketball photo "State Tournament 1945-46 (names = R. H. Chisholm, Pat Greene, Arline Jacobsen, Janet Payne, Janice Payne, Mardell Martin and Bernice Kommes)
8 - Joe Meuren home
9 - group of well dressed teenage boys changing tire 1946

My family moved from the community on Valentine's Day the year "Boy Pepper's" house burned across the street from the school. Hope my memory is correct on that event - it was a terrifying event for me - it seems he was in my class. Another tragedy was the teenage boy who hanged himself in his closet - they lived north of town on the West side of the road before you get to Jake Thealins.

Joe Thurstenson