This is the Graduation Program of my grandfather Ross Hannan. He was born and raised in Palermo, Waldo, Maine. The Palermo Grammar School held grades 1-8, and in 1918 my grandfather was finishing eighth grade. You can see him listed as the Valedictorian, giving his speech towards the end of the program. My mother tells me that this was the end of his education because the town had no high school. He could have gone to high school in another town but would have had to have his own transportation and his family could not provide that.
Another interesting note, the ceremony did not being until 8:30 pm. Palermo was a farming town. By waiting til 8:30 pm, most farming chores were done and the families could attend the ceremony.
I am going to list all the names found on this program here in the hopes that anyone looking for my grandfather's classmates might find them.
Mabel Gladys Saban
Gayland Briggs Turner
Verda Elsie Bailey
Sidney Burton Haskell
Earl Andrew Turner
Helen Gertrude Nelson
J. Lyle Trask
Melissa Spratt
Mary Ernestine Moore
Maurice Eugene Tobey
Alice Lena Morang
Ross Newell Hannan
Hazel Gertrude Turner
Wow - it must have been a very small town, with so few children in school! Does the grammar school still exist?
ReplyDeleteIt was and still is a very small town. However, the list is not all the students, just the ones doing the ceremony.
ReplyDeleteThat is really great that the program still exists today.
ReplyDeleteKathy, I'm glad your family saved all these goodies, I think my mother threw them away! Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteKathy as always I love reading your stories.
ReplyDeleteI want to tell you I have given you the Ancestor Approved Award. If you drop by my blog Branching out Through the years, you can pick up your badge and the rules.
Thanks again for sharing.
Frances