We understand, from a conversation with Wendel Rufener in February, 2018, Mrs. Davenport lived during this school year, in our old house about a quarter mile east of the school. I believe we still ownded it at that time, so she must have leased it from us, although I don't remember my parents mentioning it. Wendel recalled the Rufener children, walking to school from about a mile east of the school, would see her coming out of the house as the crossed the creek bridge below our house. "We'd take off running and beat her to school."
Here are some other notes from my conversation with Wendel.
- • Maggie Davenport moved into our house after we left. That would have been the 1954-1955 school year, when she taught Bohannon for the second time. Wendell said they would see her come out of the house, and "we took off running and beat her to school."
- • Wendell married in 1968, one of the Van Houten girls, and he has 4 daughters. Van Houten lived nearby and Paul Toops lived with them for about half the year he taught Bohannon.
- • Wendell lives within about 2 miles of his old family home. Built a new house.
- • Bob Smith bought our old place, Everett Phillips' place, the Straus place, about 500 acres in all. He bulldozed our house and barn, and put in a pond at the bottom of the hill.
- • Wendell remembered the old cave on our place.
- • The Straus place is where Johnny Butkovitch lived.
- • Wendell was in the last class at Bohannon, which consisted of him, Marlene Wray, and June Mooneyham. About 1959.
- • He mentioned his brothers. Gene Rufener, whom I had known as a first grader, was retired, but still active. Another brother, Jim, died of cancer many years ago. Bobby is still farming, with Wendell, and they have about 350 head of cattle.
- • In the 1913 picture, Lizzie Rufener was Irvin Rufener's half sister.
- • Bobby Rufener had a tractor turn over on him, a few years ago, but was not injured seriously. He recently had a knee replacement and is doing well.
- • Wendell remembers my mom taking care of the kids during his mother's funeral. He has only vague memories of his mother.
- • Wendell believes Bob Smith tore down the school house when he bought the Phillips place. I asked if the school had been moved, and he didn't think so. Other indications are that the school was moved to the west, and used for some other purpose. He doesn't remember when that was.
The Trachta family was living in Colorado during this school term. They visited the area the following year, in the summer of 1956. The school building was unchanged from 1953. The above picture of part of the Wray family was made during that visit.
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