C.H. Darden High School

Studio shots, no. 186: Alice H. Jones.

Sixth-grade teacher Alice H. Jones (1892-1957). The Trojan yearbook, C.H Darden High School, 1949.

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Lucy Frances Jones died 18 February 1930 at Guilford College, Greensboro, North Carolina. Per her death certificate, she was born 19 October 1914 in Wilson, N.C., to J. Robert Jones of Virginia and Alice H. Albright of Davidson County, N.C.; was a school girl; and was buried in Raleigh’s Cross Roads, Guilford County.

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 808 East Vance, owned and valued at $2000, widow Rosa Foster, 42, public school teacher; her children Carter, 16, Daily Times newsboy, and Naomi, 14; and roomers Alice Jones, 36, and Mamie Key, 20, public school teachers.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: Alice H. Jones, 46, public school teacher, and son James R. Jones, Jr., 23, office building janitor. 

In 1940, James Robert Jones Jr. registered for the World War II draft. Per his registration card, he was born 2 January 1917 in Wilson; lived at 808 East Vance Street; his contact was his mother Alice Helena Jones; and he worked for Ernest C. Lucas, Lucama, N.C.

Alice Jones died 29 October 1957 at Duke Hospital, Durham, N.C. Per her death certificate, she was 65 years old; was born in Lexington, N.C., to John Albright and Alice Adams; was the widow of James R. Jones; lived at 122 Pender Street; and was a retired schoolteacher. Robert Jones was informant.

 

Studio shots, no. 185: Clara R. Cooke.

Sixth-grade teacher Clara Rosetta Godette Cooke (1891-1952). The Trojan yearbook, C.H Darden High School, 1949.

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In the 1900 census of Township #5, Craven County, N.C.: farmer Jessie Godette, 32; wife Liza, 29; children Martha A., 13, Matilda, 11, Clara R., 8, Beauler, 7, Eather, 5, Walter A., 2, and Eunice, 8 months; cousin Blanger Godette, 16; and boarder William Fenner, 22.

On 21 May 1908, Jerry L. Cook, 21, of Wake Forest, N.C., married Clara R. Godett, 17, of New Bern, in New Bern, Craven County, N.C. Rev. A.L.E. Weeks, Missionary Baptist minister, performed the ceremony. 

In the 1910 census of Township #8, Craven County, North Carolina: at 5 Randolph Street, printing office mail dispatch employee Jerry L. Cooke, 23; wife Clara R., 19; son Henderson J., newborn; and widowed lodger Fanny Tull, 52, cook.

In the 1920 census of New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina: government mail clerk J.L. Cook, 33; wife Clara R., 29; and children Henderson, 9, Edwin, 8, Clara, 4, and Georgia, 2.

In the 1930 census of Wilson, Wilson County: on Hadley Street, railroad mail clerk Jerry L. Cook, 43; wife Clara, 39, teacher; children Henderson, 20, Edwin D., 18, Clara G., 14, Georgia E., 12, Annie, 8, Jerry L., 6, and Eunice D., 4; sister Georgia E. Wyche, 48, teacher; and nieces Kathaline Wyche, 7, and Reba Whittington, 19.

In the 1940 census of Wilson, Wilson County: at 916 East Green Street, railway clerk J.L. Cook, 54, born Wake County; wife Clara, 48, born Craven County; children Henderson J., 30, Clara, 24, Annie, 18, Jerry, 16, and Eunice, 14; and cousin Ella Godette, 18. Henderson and young Clara were born in New Bern; the remaining children in Wilson.

Clara Godette Cook died 31 January 1952 at her home at 916 East Green Street, Wilson. Per her death certificate, she was born 18 April 1891 in Craven County, North Carolina, to Jesse P. Godette and Eliza Ann Fenner; was married; and worked as a teacher. Clara Cook Bailey, 916 East Green Street, was informant.

Are you ready for some football?

Via Shaunna M. Stevens, Lisa Jones shared these photos of the Darden High School football team on which her late father, Elroy Jones, played in 1947.

D.H. Atkinson was head coach of the team, and James C. Ellis and Charles E. Branford were his assistants.

The players:

  • Fred Barnes, back, sophomore
  • James Barnes, center, senior
  • Gerald Best, guard, sophomore
  • John Cotton, tackle, sophomore
  • William Darden, center, junior
  • James Dew, end, sophomore
  • William Dew, back, junior
  • Jimmy Ellis, back, freshman
  • Ralph Gay, tackle, senior
  • James George, guard, senior
  • Charles Hines, end, senior
  • Ernest Holiday, captain, back, sophomore
  • Joe Holiday, end, senior
  • Charles Howell, back, junior
  • Robert Jenkins, end, junior
  • Elroy Jones, end, junior
  • Ivory Robinson, co-captain, back, junior
  • James Simms, tackle, junior
  • Clarence Thomas, guard, sophomore
  • Alphonza Watson, back, junior
  • Marvin Weaver, tackle, junior

Wilson Daily Times, 24 September 1947.

Stay tuned for more posts as we follow the Trojans through their 1947 gridiron season!

Tribute to principal W.H.A. Howard.

Wilson Daily Times, 17 December 1932.

Hartford E. Bess, chairman of the High School Alumni Association, penned a rather overwrought tribute to William H.A. Howard, former principal of Darden High School, in 1932. As is hinted in the piece, the year before, Howard had left the school under a cloud of accusations of sexual harassment, mishandling funds and other charges.

Darden High School class of 1949’s 30th reunion.

Wilson Daily Times, 7 June 1979.

Darden High School’s Class of 1949 celebrated its thirtieth class reunion in 1979 at American Legion Post 17’s hall in East Wilson. Twenty-seven out of about 63 class members attended.

The Class of ’49 was Darden’s second to produce a yearbook, and here are the senior pages:

Henry Arrington Jr., Daisy Lee Artis, George Thomas Barnes, Mary Bernice Barnes, Katie Chestnut Barnes, Ruby Mae Blue, Samuel Wesley Bowens, George Thomas Brodie, Henry Tabron Brodie.

Jacobia Lorenzo Bulluck, Elnora Blanche Cooper, William H. Darden, Lorena Davis, William Lima Dew, Minnie Doris Ellis, Marie Everette, Levolyre C. Farmer, Mae Lillie Ford.

Charles Ervin Howell, Fredrick D. Jenkins, Robert Allen Jenkins, Elroy Jones, Joseph Jones Jr., Phoebe Arletha Jones, Flora Narcissus Little, Georgia Moore, Sarah Ruth Moore.

Daniel Edward Freeman, Joseph Thomas Freeman, Annie Mae Goodman, Gladys Lyvonne Goodman, Lucille Gorham, Helen Delzel Green, Agnes Angeline Harris, Joseph Holiday, Jasper Hoskins.

Addie Lucille Murphy, Louise Parker, Rosa Lee Payne, Eula Mae Reid, Margaret Reid, Bernice Roberson, Daisy Mae Robinson, Charlie Allen Roberts, Ivory Robinson.

Marjorie A. Robinson, Rosa Mae Roundtree, Fannie D. Rountree, Josh B. Rountree, Moses Rountree Jr., Christine Ruffin, William B. Short, James Arthur Simms, Mildred Simms.

Vera Elizabeth Smith, Rosa B. Sutton, Amos Tabron, Helen Robinson, Doris D. Williams, Robert Earl Williams, Annie Ruth Woodard, Fred Augustus Woods Jr., Earl Leonard Zachary.

At least two ’49 classmates — Agnes Harris Locus and Levolyre Farmer Pitt — will soon celebrate their 72nd class anniversary. Do you know of others?

[Update, 4/11/2021: John Stembridge reports that Mildred Simms, too, is looking forward to the 72nd anniversary of her graduation from Darden High School!]