Richsquare
is a very special corner of the world to me. Here I lived during the
first twenty years of my life - all happy years and important years in
growth and development. The church and two-room school at Richsquare
were the center of a simple existence in the 10's and 20's of the
twentieth century. Among the early teachers who are remembered at the
Sunday School were Ruth White and Mable S. Johnson. I recall, as a small
lad, the warm handshake and friendly smile of Will White - one of the
leading members of the meeting. Also coming to mind are the visits of
Earlham Students who came to speak at the morning worship service. It
was a real treat to entertain in our home these young men who sometimes
came from Richmond for the weekend. We would go to Lewisville or
Straughn to meet them coming from Richmond on the interurban. My mother
would prepare meals for our visitors - meals which were both abundant
and delicious. I particularly remember Herschel Folger, Leslie Shafer,
George Peacock, Leslie Penington, and Neal Newlin.
My
teachers through the eight grades at Richsquare School were Bernice
Lamberson, Wilma Ball, Jocquina Combs and Paul Lamberson. They were all
excellent teachers and even though they had four grades to instruct in
all subjects, the pupils received superior preparation for the high
school years. I am indebted to all of them.
I
should mention here the unique place that Mildred White held in the
minds of members of the Richsquare Meeting. She was our special
representative to foreign lands as a teacher in the Friends School at
Ramallah, Palestine. Although we only saw her at five-year intervals on
her furloughs, we listened with rapt attention as she told of her work
and experiences.
During
the 20's Richsquare had a rather large group of young people and the
activities ranged from Halloween parties to Christmas programs. On one
occasion Cloyce Johnson used his school bus, which we call "the hack,"
to drive us around the neighborhood in our costumes to visit various
households. At Christmas all the children and younger members of the
Meeting would receive treats of candy and cookies.
Two
musical groups come to mind as I think back over the early years. The
first is a men's quartet which brought a great deal of enjoyment to its
audiences. The singers in the quartet, if I am not mistaken, were
Everett White, Arthur Johnson, Floyd Jefferies, and George Coffin. They
entered into their musical numbers with enthusiasm and good humor.
The
second group was instrumental and included the following: Mabel S.
Johnson, piano; Arthur Johnson, saxophone; Everett White, slide
trombone; Marjorie Johnson, clarinet; Mildred Johnson (now Mrs. Neil
Gaddis), violin; and my brother, Ralph, and I, trumpets. With help from
the more accomplished musicians, Ralph and I could, after considerable
practice, play the rather simple pieces in our repertoire. This
instrumental group appeared once or twice at a church event and we
enjoyed our practice sessions at the Arthur Johnson home near the
church. The high school at Lewisville had started an orchestra under the
impetus and direction of Don Rogers, a musician who started music
lessons and musical groups throughout the county. The Lewisville
orchestra took part in the opening of the National Road as a paved
highway.
One
further reminiscence concerns Everett White who was a person of many
talents. He was, among other things, an amateur magician. I had the
pleasure of serving as his assistant on at least one occasion. some of
his magical tricks exhibited rather spectacular feats and captivated his
audiences.
I
would be remiss if I did not pay tribute to my parents, Myrton and
Bessie Johnson, who were prominent members of the Richsquare Friends
Meeting and the Richsquare neighborhood all their lives. They played a
leading and honorable role in the church and in the community of their
day. My heritage is great indeed.
E. Orville JohnsonSon of Myrton and Bessie JohnsonBrother of Wilmer, Ralph, Janetwritten in June 1984
