A meeting of Denman Alumni and interested parties was held at the Denman schoolhouse, after a bounteous picnic dinner on September 8, 1974.

I had been making up a history of the Denman school from available materials at the school, some borrowed from former patrons and from the courthouse. Then a group got together at our place and decided on a picnic to reminisce and perhaps put together more information.

The picnic seemed a success with four states represented, and it was decided to make the picnic a yearly affair.

A short entertainment was held in the form of a "This Your Life, Vera Utter Wendling". Mrs. Wendling was a first teacher at Denman the Fall of 1914, along with Ethel Parks Gearhart who wrote the eulogy to her. The narrator was Gwendolyn Peebles from Grants Pass, Oregon, a niece of Veras' and also a 1929 graduate of Denman High Schools’ 10th grade.

It was Interesting to note from these first teachers that school was begun in the Denman Baptist Church that Fall of 1914. During Christmas. vacation they moved into the newly completed, nice, two story brick building surroounded by the beginning of a flourishing village of a depot, elevator, lumber yard, blacksmith shop, church and combination store, bank and postoffice. The children and teachers presented a gala program for those early patrons.

Elections were held with Kenneth Ramsey presiding. Nominations were closed after he was nominated and he was declared elected. In the same manner, Dessa Woodman and Josie Johnson were elected Secretary and Treasurer.

The later part of August was decided on for the 1975 picnic.

A collection of $35.30 from those present was presented for future expenses and the meeting adjourned for one year.      ---Dessa Woodman, Sec’y

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