BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

AGRICULTURAL HIGH SCHOOL

CLASS OF 1927

Class Roll - Immer W. Ball, Parnell Causey, Frank Marion Cox, Hilda Lacy Gordon, J. M. Hoff, Wallace R. Jackson, Agnes Leard, Thomas S. Lewis, Josephine Juanita Maddox, Lola Mae McGehee, Orien J. Pearson, Ernest Randall, Louis M. Ratcliff, Eva Ernestine Shurley, Dorris Otile Stewart, Julia Wilhelmena Street, Inez Talbert, Davis White

Immer W "Dad" Ball, born abt 1909, was the son of Jessie Ball and Janie Day. His siblings were: Jewell, Annie L, Bickham, and Jessie D Ball.

Parnell "Pete" Causey, born 21 Sep 1908; died Oct 1953 Tennessee. After graduating from Mississippi State, he was a manager of a cheese plant in Tennessee. In the summers, he played semi-pro baseball as a pitcher. He married Sammie Nabors whose father was a representative to the Mississippi legislature. They met while visiting relatives in Shelby, MS, where Parnell's parents, Jonas Oliver and Florence Shaw Causey were living. His siblings were: Irene and Henry Grady.

Frank Marion Cox, the son of Thomas Marion and Frances "Fannie" Taylor Cox, married Edith Ruth Jones, daughter of Henry L Jones and Julia E Causey Jones on 1 Jul 1929, Amite Co, MS. They had one daughter, Ruthie Nell Cox Singleton. His siblings were: Edith, Elma, Etta Belle, Gillia, Thomas Carlton "Tommy", and Allison.

Joseph M Hoff, born 25 September 1907; died 31 December 1973. He was the husband of Inez Tarver. After graduating from AHS, he attended Louisiana State University. He was employed with Mississippi Power and Light Company in Tylertown, later being transferred to Lexington. During World War II, he worked in Greenwood, MS. After the war he came back to Lexington where he was the proprietor of electrical, plumbing and freight businesses. They were the parents of two daughters: Martha Lee Adcock of Baton Rouge and Joanna Hearn of Liberty. J M’s siblings were: Hollis Benton, Dan, Paul, and Annie.

Hilda Lacy Gordon, born 16 January 1911, Amite County, MS; died 16 August 1997 in New Orleans area, was the daughter of Hon. Charles Tucker Gordon and Margaret Lucille Butler Gordon. She was vice-president of the class of 1927. She married Robert St Clair "Bob" Smith from South Carolina in 1936. After "Bob"’s accidental death in 1961, she married Eric C Labenstein in 1970. Eric died about 1995. Hilda was a teacher of English in the Liberty Consolidated school for a few years before accepting a position as teacher of English with the St Martin’s Episcopal School in Metairie, LA where she resided and taught for numerous years. She had one daughter, Margaret Elizabeth Sollars, a lawyer in Thibodeaux, LA. Her siblings were: Charles B, Joseph D, Margaret, Mary L "Meb", William, Nell, Kenneth, and Clifford.

Wallace R. "Booster" Jackson, born 11 Sep 1909; died Jul 1982 in Baton Rouge, LA, son of Wallace A Jackson and Mary Virginia "Mamie" Causey, married 24 Oct 1937 in Amite Co Jean Toler, daughter of Wyatt Larue Toler and Hazel Beard. "Booster" worked for one of the plants in Baton Rouge. He was an enthusiastic Amite County historian and genealogist. His siblings were: Reba, Maude, Ruth, and Frances

Agnes Leard - Mittie Barney McLean remembered Agnes being a very sweet person, who resided with Mittie’s Aunt Maud McLean Bates after graduation. Joe Hoff remembered her father, Professor Leard, coming into the area and teaching at the Woodland School west of Liberty for a number of years. Professor may have taught in Liberty, too. It is thought that he married a wife from Amite County, MS; she may have been a Toler.

Thomas Street Lewis, born 18 Jul 1909; died 12 Apr 1963 from a gunshot wound; he was the son of Dr. Henry Leander Lewis and Katie Victoria Street Lewis. He married Pauline Hamilton, born 21 May 1908; died 11 Jun 1977. He spent most of his life where he was born in the Street community, Amite County, MS. Thomas and Pauline adopted two children: Tom and Ginger. His siblings were: Evelyn, Katherine, Pearle E, Ethel S, Henry L, Charles D, Aline, and James B.

Josephine Juanita Maddox was the daughter of K W Maddox and Exie A Turnipseed; Davis Maddox was her brother. Exie’s parents were Jerome E "Jerry" and M Ada Anders Turnipseed. Joseph Hoff remembered that the family moved to the Memphis area abt 1927.

Lola Mae McGehee, born 15 Feb 1909, died 12 Mar 1976, daughter of William Henry "Willie" and Queenie Nunnery McGehee, married 12 Apr 1936 James Leroy Tumey, born 26 Nov 1907; died 19 Aug 1980, son of Samuel T Tumey and Mary Strong. Lola was one of the proprietors of the M & T store, a general store in Liberty; Leroy was a barber, operating a barber shop on main street Liberty for numerous years. Her siblings were: Reda Dell and Willie Lee

Orien J. Pearson, born 8 Aug 1907 in Amite County, was the son of Harvey Pearson and Lula Imogene Stokes. His siblings were Alzadie, Nannie Elizabeth, Willie Amos, Jesse Annis, Carey Benard, James Culley, Vonnie Lee, and Mars Joseph. *Note: for additional biographical information check left tool bar for Pearson bio. below Pearson family album.

Ernest Randall, born abt 1908, was the son of Van Allen H and Mattie E Rainer Randall. He was secretary of the class of 1927. Maude J Barney remembered Ernest, his brothers (Roddis and B J), Leland Stokes, and other young men singing with Professor Stout’s men’s singing group at the Liberty Presbyterian Church.

Louis Meade "Son" Ratcliff, born 21 Sep 1908, Liberty, MS; died 24 Mar 1968 at Liberty, married 14 Nov 1940, Brookhaven, MS, Virginia Sue Phillips, born 20 Aug 1913, Brookhaven; died 21 Feb 1980, Liberty. His parents were Louis Meade and Mary Virginia Van Norman Ratcliff. They were the parents of one child - Mary Aileen Ratcliff. "Son" was Baptist, a civil engineer for the State Highway Department, and served in the European Theater of Operations with the Army 258th Engineers in World War II.

Eva Ernestine Shurley, born 16 Apr 1909; died 17 Aug 1960, married R Elliott Adams, 21 Dec 1930 in Amite Co, MS. They were the parents of one son, Bobby L Adams, deceased in 2002. Her parents were James Linfield and Martha Jane Newman Shurley. Eva taught school in the Mars Hill area schools for numerous years. Her siblings were: Hilton N, Mary, Rosa E, James L "Jimmy", John T "Johnny", and Price E.

Dorris Otile Stewart, born about 1911, was the daughter of Robert Sitman and Ary Ann Robinson Stewart. After graduating from MSCW, it is thought Dorris worked in the medical field in another state. On retirement, she removed to Raymond, MS where her sister Lurline was residing. Lurline was a longtime teacher of mathematics at Hinds Junior College. Other siblings: Sitman H, Larry, and Robert "Bobby" killed in action World War II.

Julia Wilhelmena Street was the daughter of Charles Napoleon Street and Mary P Davis Street. She married Edgar Shrenkgost and they resided in McComb, MS. Her sister, Annie Norwood Street, also resided in McComb.

Inez Talbert was the daughter of Robert Orlando Talbert and Hoyte Emily Drummond. She married 19 Sep 1931 in Amite County, MS Joseph M Hoff. On graduating from the Amite County Agricultural High School, Inez attended college at MSCW, Columbus, MS - later residing in Lexington, MS from 1939-1972, where she was a homemaker and bookkeeper. While living in Lexington, she was an active member of the First Baptist Church, Benjamin Humphrey's Chapter of the Daughter's of the American Revolution (DAR), serving as Regent from 1966-1972. In 1972, she returned to her beloved Amite County - spending many happy years in Liberty. She was a member of Liberty Baptist Church, Amite River Chapter of the DAR, State Chairman of American Indian Affairs, 1971-1974, Genealogical Records, 1974-1977, and Amite River Chapter Chairman for National Defense and for DAR Magazine, 1977-1978. Her latter years were spent in Baton Rouge, where she resided until her death. Her siblings were: Pearl, Robert Lee and Sue.

Melvin Davis White, born 23 May 1910; died 20 Feb 1998 in Baton Rouge, LA, son of Forrest Archie and Maude Elizabeth Cockerham White, married Edna Earle Massey. They were the parents of four daughters: Carolyn Sue, Linda Gail, Barbara Ann, and Julie Marie. His siblings were: Edgar L, Inez P, Forest A, Sidney S "Sid", Jules W, Edwin L, Raymond M, and Cecil F.

Researched and contributed by Frances Phrares.

Note-Commencement is included in Memory Book album.

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