After my mother-in-law passed away, we discovered quite a few mementos from her youth. Since it is now football season and many of my family members are football fans, here are Ruby’s souvenirs from the Anadarko High School Darkies (today, the Warriors) Football Banquet held on Thursday, 6 December 1934 at 7:30 p.m. at the Christian Church.

Ruby Sturgell, 1930’s

Last month, I wrote about the Oklahoma Dust Bowl days in the midst of the Great Depression and this school banquet continues to stretch my mind in terms of how difficult life was during that era. I know the Sturgell family was not well-to-do, having seven children and dad being a house painter. Yet, the school activities seem to indicate that, in spite of hard times, students were still able to have fun and do many of the things they did before the Depression hit.

Banquet Program

The program is tiny, about 3 inches by 4 inches and made by hand.

Darkie Football Banquet
Thursday, December 6, 1934
Christian Church, 7:30 pm

Program

Welcome: Twinkle Patton
Response: Paul Miller

Selected: Girl’s Quartet
Toast: H. Littensley

Dear old H.S.: Unison, lead by Juanita Dawser

Farewell: Smitty Watkins

Menu

Baked Chicken
Mashed Potatoes. . . Gravy
Buttered Peas. . . Cranberries
Hot Rolls. . . Butter

Waldorf Salad

Jello Fruit Salad. . .whipped cream

Cake

I wasn’t able to find much about the people listed in the program, except that Twinkle Patton was a young lady. The other names don’t show up in the 1930 or the 1940 census.

In spite of the Depression time frame, it looks like a good time was had by all and they ate well!