Family History General

What Happens in High School (and College) Stays in the Yearbook

I am wearing my detective hat and I am hunting for clues. I am hoping to find out how my great-grandparents met. In 1920, Weightman Edwards lived in Glen Ridge, New Jersey and Florence Alberta Pillow Lived in Richmond, Virginia. Weightman graduated from Cornell Florence A. Pillow graduateUniversity in 1914 and Florence graduated from Charlotte High School (Charlotte, North Carolina) in 1915.

What clues did I find? Annuals from Cornell revealed that Weightman studied to be a mechanical engineer, played the mandolin and belonged to two different fraternities.

Finding a full text transcription of Florence’s graduating class yearbook called Snips and Cuts has proven to be a most fun read. (If you want to see for yourself visit: https://archive.org/stream/snipscuts19151915char/snipscuts19151915char_djvu.txt )

Here goes:

FLORENCE ALBERTA PILLOW

Age 17 years; height 5 feet 5 1/2 inches; weight 123 pounds.

Alexander Graham Literary Society, Assistant Supervisor second term ’15; Dramatic Club; Member Executive Committee ’14-15; President Girls’ Choral Club; Senior Basket-ball Team.

Flo has been in Charlotte High School only two years, but we feel that she has been with us all along. She enters heartily into all the school life, and is enthusiastic about the Girls’ Choral Club. Being of a sociable nature, she shines especially at the Class parties, and is an active committee worker.

Last, but not least, we bequeath Florence Pillow’s charming personality and energetic disposition, which we couldn’t have done without, to be divided among the most promising juniors, as we fail to find one capable of receiving this alone.

Most Conceited Girl Florence Pillow

Biggest Flirt Florence Pillow

OFFICERS— SECOND TERM, 1915

Florence Pillow… Assistant Supervisor

Artist Choral Club

Florence Pillow… President

I used google to search for these yearbooks. For Florence, I used the search terms: “Florence Pillow” Charlotte North Carolina. (I am old-fashioned and still use the quotes although many folks do not.) Whose yearbook will you find?

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