Margaret Rae Sorensen Lieshman, of Mendon, provided this photograph and the identification of her schoolmates. I know many of these fresh faced eighth graders, but as older men and women, this group is about the same age as my parents. This photograph reflects the end of an era for them, they are posed to enter the prime of their life soon. They will leave Mendon in the next school year, on the old U.I.C., the electric train that ran down the center of Mendon’s Main Street, that will take them to the ninth grade and South Cache High School in Hyrum, Utah. These are yet still the sons and daughters of farmers, still struggling to make a living and provide for the ever increasing wants of families coming out of the Great Depression. A peaceful time still exists here in Mendon, though the rest of the world is either preparing for war, or at war. This is a time prior to Pearl Harbor, World War II and the changes it would bring to the world and them, their families. In ten years all of the horses that are doing the farm work at this date, will begin to be replaced by small Ford tractors, this group will have cars with which to date and be the first mobile young adults in Mendon. This age group is a watershed year, between the way it was and the way it would be today. They have witnessed a great change, the flag had 48 stars, trains were powered by steam, you could still buy items at the store with a few eggs. Oranges were a special treat for Christmas and you just grew your own strawberries, blackcaps, raspberries and such fare. This group was on one edge of the fault line when the world slipped and moved changing everyones lives forever it would seem.
All rows are left to right —
Back row: Dale Bird, Doyle Bird, Bill Barrett, Principal Durrell Hughes, Keith Hughes and Carol Hughes.
Front row: Joseph Hardman, Margaret Rae Sorensen, LaDonna Hardman, Kathleen Walker, Thelma Buist and Philip Humpherys.