Six decades of former students and teachers will come together Oct. 14 to celebrate old times from J. Minnie Smith Elementary School, which was located on Poplar Bluff’s East Side before closing in 1987.
Those with ties to the school are invited to attend the lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bible Baptist Church, 549 S. C St. Barbecue will be provided, and attendees are asked to bring a side dish, dessert or non-alcoholic beverages to share.
The reunion, held every two years, has become a popular event, said organizer Betty Frizzell, an author who lives in Seattle.
“Our school’s roots go back to the 1890s, and we’ve uncovered lots of great stories over time that demonstrate the pride and resilience of these kids and families to thrive in the face of all kinds of obstacles,” she said.
The May 9, 1927 tornado which destroyed the school, was one of the first challenges but not the only one. Classes were drowned out for days during some wet years, said Dolores Shearon, another organizer. The East Side experienced regular flooding until the ring levee was completed in 1956. When classes were canceled, kids sometimes would make the most of the situation by taking to the streets in boats, she said.
This year’s reunion will feature a trivia competition with questions about the tornado, floods and other events from the school’s early decades. “Some of the items may stump even our older alumni,” Shearon said.
Frizzell wrote a book about her family’s experiences called “If You Can’t Quit Cryin’, You Can’t Come Here No More,” published in 2021. It reached No. 1 on Amazon.com’s best seller list of rural sociology titles, and her story was featured in an episode of the Netflix hit series “I Am a Killer.” Frizzell is completing a new book, due out next year, that addresses a Butler County true crime mystery.
Facebook users may request to join the group’s page, “J. Minnie Smith Elementary School,” to keep up with reunions and connect with fellow alumni and teachers. For more information, email dmshearon@gmail.com or tay2500@hotmail.com, or call 573-207-9460.