About This Site

In 1943, at the height of the build up for World War II, school goes on, but conservation is in place everywhere. It may not seem like much, but the programs shown below for three major graduation event was all printed on one sheet of paper. The hardest part would be keeping up with the program through the week - or were they given out and taken up for the first events? The dates are also interesting, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday in early April. This is perhaps the earliest graduation we have seen among all the years.

This single piece of paper used for multiple purposes says a lot about 1943 and it also explains why we have no Annual or newspapers from the 1942-43 school year - conservation from the war effort simple didn't allow that luxury, among others. In fact, rationing was in effect for all manner of comodities from sugar to gasoline. It was a time when everyone pitched in to help the country and our fighting forces. Three of the pictures below show one of many scrap drives held during the war years at the high school-which was the center of the community.

1943 also saw the building of the War Progress Board's public canning facilities on the Lone Oak and Heath school properties. This was a natural since the school board oversaw the War Progress Board. These canneries provided the facilities for public to grow and can garden and farm produce which was shared among the community. After the war, the "Cannery Building" was used by the school as class rooms ranging from 1st grade to Industrial Arts and Argriculture. At the time of closing in 2013, the Cannery Building was the oldest original structure on the property.

The graduation programs for the Class of 1943 does give us the names of the 22 seniors graduating that year, class officers and superlatives. J C Maddox was principal for 1943.

The single sheet of paper for the program guides, ragged and torn, came from Buddy Rushing collection of LOHS Memoriabilia. The scrap metal drive photos from the Osborne family collection, If you have addition information that is applicable to the Class of 43, please e-mail the site Webmaster. Please provide contact information so that we may reply.

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