, 1935-05-12

lowed: VA group Of songs by grammar
school children and two violin
numbers by Miss Annie Putegnmt
accompanied nc the piano by hnH
mother. Mrs. Annie ID. Putegnat.
MIR. H.. T.. DOdd, superintendent
OF schools, introduced the members
OF the board OF education. He paid
tribute To Mrs. Clearwater as a
teacher, speaking from lis aSsocIA-
uon with her In the schools Hn
related the story told Dy an old
friend VINO said, she had made
many good men from bad little
boys" lie read IA letter OF greeting
from old friends who ARE now Sisters
of the Sacred Heart In IA convent
III Corpus Christi.
MIR R. lib. Creager, N former pupil
and son of "a pioneer citizen spoke
OF the honor guest as "a woman and
"a citizen.
Mrs. Clearwater's father. william
Clark came I'd this section with Tay-
lor'S army during the war with Mex
leo. The town of GAINESVILLE near
the mouth OF the RIO Grande was
named for him and became IA thriV-
ing village during the co.'s. Mrs.
Clearwater vas born at GAINESVILLE
III 1882.
During the war between the
States the Clark family made ItS
home III Brownsville ard lived ul-
der the flags OF Mexico. France, the
III. o., Texas ana the COnteuerAcy,
which waved over the town.
After the Point Isabel railroad
was built In 1872 the Clarks moved
tc Point Isabel. where Mrs. Clear
water taught "a private school. She
took the state examination and
received IA certificate To teach In
the public schools the same year.
Among her first pupils in the public
school In Point Isabel was John
Champion who was seated cn the
stage at the Monday night recep-
lion IN her honor.
She OOn after married, and moved
To Mexico the same year. She re-
turned To Brownsville about 1880
and began her work as IA teacher in
the public schools. The present syS-
tenn was not fully organized until
about 1888 and Mrs. Clearwater was
then a veteran teacher. She has
taught successfully ln the city school
since 1880 and holds the state rec
ord Tor having taught longer than
any teacher I'LL Texas. Mrs. RIA
Clearwater Moore, her daughter, can
qualify aS "a pioneer teacher also.
and was the first principal NY the
fourth ward school. the Oldest
elementary school ln the present
system.
Mrs. Bishop introduced Mrs. Har-
Der Davenport, retiring president.
whose thoughts and plans were be-
Ing carried out In the program. Mrs.
Davenport referred tO the occasion
as u Mothers day celebration for
the honoree who LS the Mother oR
the Public Schools" here. and who
still has the spirit ky youth aS EhB
re uses 10 he tired or retired.
She spoke or Mrs. ClearwaterfE
life as an important chapter In
Brownsville history and added that
40 was the wish or the council that
her picture DE- presented tO THE
schools III her honor. Little Peggy
Schmelling, whose ancestors were
active In the organization or the
first school in the city. unveiled the
portrait OF Mrs. Clearwater. painted
b Miss Mary McCOIlum. art dErec-
tor In the school in which Mrs
Clearwater is now Librarian. This
work will he hung in the grammar
school library.
"A few years ago. the director ok
the art department, In the schools
supervised the painting Of ia friezB
on the walls OF the library, depict
ing the history or the Rio Grande
Valley. The picture fits into THE
frleze. which covers the entire per-
iOd from 1919 tO the present. Mrs.
Davenport introduced the artist,
Miss McCOllum. who had painted
the portrait through her love and
admiration for Mrs. Clearwater.
Miss McCollum has been an mic
teacher In the Brownsville schools
for several years. and has been Tor
tho past year director of the art
department. she has studied art ln
the College OF Industrial Arts TN
Denton. and has studied III western
Texas under Miss Eeefer. who lS
famous for her etchilES, and also ln
Mexico City. She has only recently
taken lid the work Nj p~ortraiture.
and Is now hoping t1 take up the
work seriously. N work for which She
appears well-fitted judging from the
talent displayed in the portrait OK
Mrs. Clearwater.
An informal reception was held
ir the home economics living room
and punch was served 10 several
hundred friends and former pupils.
Jeannine Workman and Eva Fer
randez presided at the punch bowl
assisted by Miss Katherine Brown
and Miss Judith AldHdFe.
Others assisting in entertaining
were Mrs. ~. X. DOdd. Mrs. Annie
Scanlan Putegnat. Miss Josephine
Webb. Mrs. Pauline G0Ode. Mrs.
Ralph Schmelling. Mrs. Jerry Rem-
my. Mrs. .. O.. Tucker, and Mrs
Wiley Truss.
other pioneer teachers who have
long been associated with the
Brownsville schools FOR many years
are Mrs. Annie Scanlan PuteEnat.
Miss Josephine webb. Miss Amelia
Fernandez. Mrs. Wiley Truss and
Miss Amelia Campbell.
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