Recollections of Dr. W. F. O'Kelley
Photo Dr. & Mrs.
W. F. O'Kelley
Dear Friends at Minden
Memories!
My name is Clare O'Kelley Bennett. My grandfather was the pastor of the First
Presbyterian Church in Minden from 1920-1943. He was an avid photographer. My
father, Keith O'Kelley was raised in Minden and resided there until my
grandfather took a pastoral call to Dallas and a new church. My aunts are
Margery O'Kelley Lane and Frances O'Kelley McDonald.
Several years ago, in helping my mother clean out the attic, I found some boxes
of slides that my grandfather took over the years. There are quite a few of the
church, but there are also photos of houses and sites in Minden. Would you be
interested in these for your web site?
Among the photos are pictures of the manse for the Presbyterian Church on N.
Broadway. There are also photos of the Methodist church and parsonage, the R.
H. Miller Home, and Avinger Garage.
All this to say, if you would like copies I can attach them to a file and email
them to you. Just let me know!
What a fun web site! I have never lived in Minden, but I have certainly heard
the stories!
Warmest Regards,
Clare O'Kelley Bennett
.
The first picture is the Ferguson
home located on East and West Street.
now the Webster Parish Library. Thanks to Earlene Mendenhall Lyle,
Class of 1956 for this information.
In 1940, it was the home of O. P. Avinger - 521 East & Wes
Second Picture - DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF THE
SOLDIERS OF
THE CONFEDERATE STATES ARMY 1861 - 1865
ERECTED BY THE UNITED DAUGHTERS OF THE
CONFEDERACY, MINDEN CHAPTER NO. 1421
MINDEN, LOUISIANA JANUARY 19, 1933
"LORD GOD OF HOSTS, BE WITH US YET",
LEST WE FORGET - LEST WE FORGET."
John Agan, Webster Parish historian has written a wonderful history of the
Confederate history that you might enjoy reading that we have on this web
site. Before Pat Watson died, he photographed the statue after it was
restored.
To read the history and see the statue click on this hyperlink...
Confederate Soldier
Third Picture -
Hunter's Coca-Cola Bottling Company located on the
corner of
Pine and Goodwill Street. This picture was probably taken in the late 30s
or
early 40s when the sky blue and white awning was on the front of the plant. Says
Nan Castle Hunter "Ben might remember when it
was removed." There was a fish
pond behind the plant on Goodwill Street.
Picture Four -"Going down Depot hill - That strange bush is covered with ice
says Ann
Mays Harlan, class of 1958.
That is depot hill. On the left I'm not sure what the smaller buildings are on
the east side of the railroad tracks, but you can clearly see the *Minden Cotton
Oil and Ice building across the tracks. On the right, on the east side of the
tracks I see the depot and the old Hicks Grocery warehouse that is still there
today.
Submitted by John Agan, Webster Parish Historian
There is an interesting article which has a good photo of Minden Cotton Oil
and Ice Company under stories on this site. A portion of it was written by
Larry Mays, class
of 1964.
Picture number five The Chaffee House - Also
called The R. H. Miller House
Well, to be precise I should probably call it the Chaffe house, too. Folks
called it the R. H. Miller house because Mr. Miller was so powerful and
well-known in town, but in reality, the house was actually owned by his two
unmarried sister-in-laws, technically despite all his wealth, he never owned the
house as he died before the last sister died so his wife was never the legal
owner until he was dead.
"That appears to be the R. H. Miller home with the Rex Theater in the
background".
Submitted by John Agan, Webster Parish Historian
Bingo!!This is the same house shown on Minden
Memories as the Chaffee Home. It was located at what is now the Minden
Medical Center Parking lot and next to the REX. In those days Cedar St.
intersected Monroe St. There is a Chaffee Street that intersected Cedar and ran
parallel to Monroe, just beyond the medial parking lot today.
Judy Claassen, Class of 1954
This was the old R.H. Miller home, Thad's grandparents.... It was located
between the Minden "Sanitarium" and the Rex Theater... you can see the side of
the Rex theater's building on the right side....
Submitted by LeVerne Langheld Kidd, Class of 1957
Picture number Eleven
Minden
Presbyterian Church at the Corner of Broadway & Lewisville Rd.
before the new fellowship was added to the left side of the bldg. where
Jeannine Mobley Love (class of 1956) attended and graced with her beautiful
voice.
Submitted by Ann Mays Harlan, Class of 1958,
Karis Robinson Alderman, Class of 1956,
Picture number eleven is the Minden Presbyterian Church. I was a member during
the 1940's. Dr. and Mrs. O'Kelley were friends of my parents, Sue and Willard
Roberts. Dr. O'Kelley baptized (Christened?) me as an infant.
Lyda RobertsMadden, Class of 1957
Says Doug McCrary #11 is the Presbyterian Church--I was the fifth generation
in the church in 100 years. I unveiled a plaque in the church when I was about
13 or so.
Sherry, Picture No. 14 is the First United Methodist Church with the parsonage
beside it. The parsonage was torn down for the expansion to add an activity
building. Rowland (Class of 1952)
Sherry, Picture No. 14 is the First
United Methodist Church with the parsonage beside it. The parsonage was torn
down for the expansion to add an activity building. Rowland (Class of 1952)
Picture number twelve
#12 ~
Aubrey Craton with kittens
Sherry, hello. I am Dorothy Craton Cooper and Minden is my home town. My
parents were Aubrey and Lillian Craton. Sue Ann Richardson Kinsey is so kind to
forward me information from Minden Memories that you send to her. Yesterday she
sent me a wonderful picture of my daddy holding his two little kittens. What a
surprise it was to see such a sweet picture of him as a young man. Neither my
sister or I have ever seen that photo. Who submitted it and identified it? What
a special gift that is to me. Oh yes, we spell our name Craton. There is another
family that spelled their name the other way.
Thank you for any additional information you may be able to send to me
concerning the photo.
Thank you.
Dorothy Louise Craton Cooper
MHS. 1968
In this
set, the building in picture thirteen is labeled Avinger Garage. There is an O.
P. Avinger family listed in the 1940 phone book as well (how handy is that?!!!)
located at 521 East West Street, so I assume the building is connected to them?
Identified by Clare Bennett
Regarding the Avinger Garage. After Nancy Mullins Ferguson died, the
Ferguson House was inherited by Mrs. Avinger (don't know her first name). At the
time that happened Mrs. Avinger was living on First Street behind the First
Baptist Church and my mother and grandmother were renting a room in her house.
When she moved into the Ferguson house and received her inheritance Momma and
Nanny had to move. Later Mrs. Avinger sold the Ferguson house to Mr. and Mrs.
Edmond Stewart. After they died, Mrs. Stewart's sister, Jim Brown, donated the
home to the parish to serve as the library. So that garage is the one belonging
to the Ferguson home that for many years stood behind the library and was used
for storage. There was an apartment in the upstairs of the garage that the
library rented to tenants. Based on the angle it appears the picture was taken
from the front yard or steps of the Presbyterian manse where the O'Kelley's
would have lived, diagonally across the street from the Ferguson house.
Submitted by John Agan, Webster Parish Historian
393 - O. P. Avinger - 521 East & West was
listed in the 1940 Minden telephone book
FIRST METHODIST CHURCH WITH THE MANSE TO THE SIDE
Submitted by Nan Hunter Castle, Class of 1953
Picture number fourteen is the
Methodist Parsonage on Broadway with First Methodist Church in the background.
I moved there in the hot summer of 1954. The "new" parsonage was being built on
Madison across from Mr.& Mrs.C.O. Holland. We moved to that house during
January, 1955, when I was a junior at Minden High. It was used for a youth
building and no telling what else. Since I left Minden in the fall of 1956 for
college in Texas & my parents moved to another appointment in 1958, am not sure
what the rest of the history of that house may have been.
The summer of 1954 was unusually hot, and the south side of the parsonage was
not too far from the north side of the church---two brick buildings too close
together. Of course, there was no air-conditioning in the house. My bedroom
was at the back of the second floor and could have been rented out as a sauna.
The "coolest" place in the house was the hardwood floor downstairs underneath
the windows that opened out to Broadway traffic. A quilt on that floor was all
the bedding wanted/needed on the hottest of nights. What fun!---because moving
to Minden was such a blessing to my life!!!
(Karis Robinson Alderson MHS 1956)
Picture 14 is the old First Methodist parsonage, which we called "The House"
when I grew up in that church. It was torn down along with the church sanctuary
when they decided to build a new building rather than try to keep updating the
old buildings. I don't remember the year, but it was right after the First
Baptist church also tore down their old building & constructed the new one.
Late 70's, I think.
Number fourteen is the Methodist Manse--located where the activity building is
now.
Submitted by Douglas McCrary, Class of 1958
Number fourteen is the First United Methodist Church with the parsonage beside
it. The parsonage was torn down for the expansion to add an activity building.
Submitted by Rowland Ivy(Class of 1952)
Picture Number Fifteen - appears to be taken from in front of the Presbyterian
Church with the camera angled toward downtown, as you can see the 1925 First
Baptist Church building in the background.
Submitted by John Agan Webster Parish Historian
Maybe FBC seen from the Presbyterian church?
Broadway toward homer rd sounds good for #19 and Turner house for the other one
Greg Grambling, Class of 1968
Picture fifteen was taken looking toward town on Broadway. In the background
is the 1st Baptist Church building. I believe it to be just past the Lewisville
Rd intersection.
Submitted by Pat
Patrick
Picture Number Sixteen - The man with the mustache looks a lot like Dr.
Bradford. Don't know who the man is in 16 and 17. Looks like the same man.
Submitted by Wanda Monzingo Ballard, class of 1952
These houses would not be on Lewisville Road. The Whitfield house stood up on a
hill & this is definitely flat so it could not be on the Lewisville Rd. Looks
more like Broadway Street.
Submitted by Barbara Mendenhall McLemore, Class of
1961
Photo sixteen- I don't think this could be Lewisville Rd. It appears to be a
double road like Broadway. If so, the car looks to be just past the Lewisville
Rd intersection and headed toward town, probably right in front of the
Presbyterian Church. I don't have a clue who the man is.
Submitted by Earlene Mendenhall Lyle, Class of 1956
Looks like Broadway from the north perhaps from the Presbyterian Church?
Submitted by T. C. Carey, Class of 1961
This Picture also appears to be taken in front of the Presbyterian Church
looking across Broadway. While that doesn't look like the Drew House, it does
appear to be the Williams home to the left of center.
Submitted by John Agan, Webster Parish Historian
Taken on the sidewalk at the Presbyterian Church. The house on the right of
the photo is the current residence of Harmon Drew
Submitted by Ann Mays Harlan, Class of 58
Picture Number Seventeen - Where and who is this?
Again, this looks a lot like N. Broadway headed toward town, somewhere near the
vicinity of my favorite judge's (Harmon Drew) home. His house, of course,
would be on the other side of the street on S. Broadway.
Submitted by Earlene Mendenhall Lyle, Class of 1956
The man with the mustache looks a lot like Dr. Bradford. Don't know who the
man is in 16 and 17. Looks like the same man.
Submitted by Wanda Mnzingo Ballard, Class of 1952
Picture Number Eighteen - Can you tell me where this is?
Number 18 Looks like Broadway going from town to Homer Road at Lewisville Road
intersection. 1st house on right side would be where Harmon Drew now lives.
Submitted by Barbara Mendenhall McLemore, Class of
61
Also appears to be S. Broadway coming from town. To the left would be
Lewisville Rd.
Submitted by Earlene Mendenhall Lyle, Class of 1956
Picture nineteen appears to be taken from the front yard of the Presbyterian
Manse, the house in the picture is next door to the Manse on the west side, it
was one of three homes built by the Drake Family in that area of Broadway and at
one time I remember the mother of Judge Enos McClendon living there.
Submitted by John Agan, Webster Parish Historian
Broadway Street toward homer road sounds good for #19.and Turner House for the
other one.
Submitted by Greg Grambling, Class of 1968
Photo Number Twenty is the Minden Presbyterian Church
Photo Number Twenty One - "Miss Annie Drake"
Photo
twenty-two...This one is interesting to me. I wasn't even sure this was a Minden
photo at first, but when I looked carefully, look at the calendar behind the
bar--Andress Motors Co. in Minden! The date on the calendar is June of 1942 I
believe.
Who is the man in the photograph?
Submitted by Clare Bennett, granddaughter of W. F.
O'Kelley
I'll bet my snow boots (it's a deep freeze here) that was the Star Drug that
was on the corner of North Broadway and Union, across from the Peoples Bank.
They often hired teenage boys to "soda jerk." In fact my oldest brother worked
there in the early 40's. I was often there looking for a cherry coke handout.
Blowing up the picture reveals a marble counter, which the Star had. The arched
mirrors look familiar. I don't believe that Hightower had a soda fountain. But
it could be the City Drug that was just up the street on Broadway; they had a
fountain at one time. I wish I recognized the young
man.
Judy Gleason Claassen, Class of 1954
I think photo #22 may be one of the drug stores in downtown Minden. I think
they all had soda fountains back then.
Ann Mays Harlan, Class of 1958
Photo twenty-two On the drugstore photo, looks like the inside of City
Drug.
Submitted by Carolyn Sale McDaniel, Class of 1954
*If the picture in the other message is inside City Drug (which was my first
reaction although I never saw the inside of Hightower Drug, so I can't say for
sure) the man in the picture would be one of the Williams brothers, based on
size and appearance I would say David. Assuming this picture was taken prior to
1943, when the O'Kelley's left Minden, David would be no more than 25 in that
picture as he was born in about 1918 since he graduated from MHS in 1935 with my
Daddy. I believe he, along with Paul Mattingly, are the last surviving members
of Daddy's class.
Submitted by John Agan, Webster Parish Historian
This is definitely the soda fountain in City Drug Store. I worked there as
the soda jerk from 1949 to 1952. I can't see the details of the cash register,
but it may the same one that I used.
Rowland
Ivy (Class of 1952)