Sunday, November 14, 2010

Homedale School: Past and Present

Homedale School on the East Side as it looked in its early days.


The school fell victim to arson in September. A post-fire photo by John Ehlke of The Flint Journal.


A series of shots taken on Sunday by Duane Gilles, who grew up nearby on Delaware Avenue.







8 comments:

  1. These photos make me cry. I loved this school. In the 50's, it was a sweet neighborhood school. Most of us would skip home for lunch, and go back again for afternoon classes. I can still remember my teachers:
    Grade 1: Mrs. Weatherhead
    Grade 2: Mrs. McDonald
    Grade 3: Mrs. King
    Grade 4 and 5 ( I went to Flint Christian School)
    Grade 6: Homeroom: Mrs. Cole
    Music and Science: Mrs. Miller
    Art: Mrs. Patton
    ( I had others, but these were the teachers that come to mind. I remember their faces, but their names elude me.
    These teachers have probably all passed away by now, but I will forever hold their memory. They were a part of who I am today.
    Do you folks remember the "bumpy hallways"? The wood was warped. I loved that. Do you remember the fun we had at the fairs? I loved the cherry tree. We would win prizes if the cherry had a winning number hanging on it. Remember the smell of the sawdust placed on the on the floor of the gym for protection? Oh, I could go on and on.
    Oh...do you remember the graduation song? Here are the words:
    Farewell to Homedale
    Farewell to you
    We played and studied
    The whole year through
    And when we leave you
    We'll sing this song,
    Fare thee well, fare thee well
    To Homedale School.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and pleasant memories of Homedale School. It's great to see the graduation song again.

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  2. Oh My, I went to this school in the 50's also. You mentioned the names of the teachers Mrs. Cole and Mrs. Miller which I had forgotten. Thank You, Thank You!

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  3. Mrs. Forehand, Mrs.Trainer, Mrs.Morris. Mrs.Ollette, Mrs.Clark,Mrs.Vincent,and the other Mrs.Ollette .Homeroom

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  4. I remember mrs o leary, mrs olette, mrs morris, mrs smith lived across the street from the school, mrs vezna ? 5 th grade, mrs carl? Library, I remember taking class pictures in front of the school facing davison rd. I lived across the road from the school. Teds cash market 1502 davison rd, I remember paper drives. I remember pom pom touch on the playground. Schrams? Cookies at the crosswalk to school.

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  5. I went there in the 1960's. Here are some more of the teachers I recall from that time: Mrs. Keedle ( kindergarten), Mrs. Helber ( kindergarten), Miss Wolcott (1st grade), Mrs. Dutch (1st grade), Mrs. Pagel (3rd grade), Mrs. Traver (4th grade), Mr. Fielder (5th grade), Mr. Grist (6th grade), Mr. Caswell (math), Mr. Nelms (science), Mrs. Patton (art), and various gym teachers were: Mr. Weber, Mr. Clothier, and Mrs. Miller. Many good teachers and a lot of good memories at Homedale School. Remember the "dine-out" in 6th grade when we graduated? Mr. Grist took us all to Bill Knapp's! (after he first took the time to prepare us with stellar table manners) ��

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  6. I went to Homedale in the late 50's and early 60's. We lived at 1325 Jane Ave. I remember Mrs Smith, I think she taught first grade. It's been so long. We left in 1962 and I have never been back. My brother visited years ago and told me our house had been torn down to make room for the highway. We had a lot of good times on that street and at school. I remember my first day at kindergarten. We were on the first floor to the left as you went in the school. Great memories.

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  7. Went to Homedale from.1960 to 1962..remember Mrs patten, art teacher.had fond memories..lived off Lewis st and maryland..a drug store on corner of Broadway and Lewis had ice cream for only a nickel..stopped there on my way home with my friend

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Thanks for commenting. I moderate comments, so it may take a while for your comment to appear. You might enjoy my book about Flint called "Teardown: Memoir of a Vanishing City," a Michigan Notable Book for 2014 and a finalist for the 33rd Annual Northern California Book Award for Creative NonFiction. Filmmaker Michael Moore described Teardown as "a brilliant chronicle of the Mad Maxization of a once-great American city." More information about Teardown is available at www.teardownbook.com.