Still in the 1940s

 You know one of my favorite happenings is when someone calls me out of the blue with random Bethlehem related history items.  And in the last couple of weeks there have been two such calls!

The first was a load of stuff from a person's estate in Delmar.  And yes, I am giving no details there as to preserve the donor's privacy. Highlights include old photos and diaries related to the Whitbeck and McCulloch family.  Those have been passed along to the Bethlehem Historical Association as they have a large trove of items related to these families.  Already, new light is being shed.  

What I wanted to talk about today is this scrapbook.

The scrapbook was created by Mrs. Adeline Johnson.  The photo is of Miss Laurella Butler.  For many years, both were teachers at the Cedar Hill Schoolhouse when it was part of the Union Free School District (later Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk District). Mrs. Johnson 4th grade, Miss Butler 3rd grade. Both retired from the Cedar Hill school in 1962, about when that school was closed, right before it became the museum of the Bethlehem Historical Association. 

The scrapbook has photos of 26 people who served during World War II, most of whom appear to be from South Bethlehem.  Mrs. Johnson was teaching in the grade school there in 1937.  I'm not exactly sure when she started at Cedar Hill. 

Mrs. Johnson's "Boys" included one girl, 2nd Lieutenant Dolly Fourman. 

It has been hard to find info about Lt. Fourman. I spent way too much time trying to find out if she married or anything else with no luck.  All I know is the family lived in South Bethlehem about the time of the war.  Her mother, Mrs. Charles Barba is, I think, Lettie Barba who is buried next to Charles Barba in Elmwood Cemetery.  Her brother, Luther Fourman is pretty well documented in the newspapers and is also buried in Elmwood next to his wife Freda. 

From the clipping below we know that she served with the Nurses Division at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky in 1943.  And that is about it.

Ravena News Herald, July 30, 1943

The post hospital at Camp Breckinridge.  Maybe Fourman served here?

Mrs. Johnson also had a page for Dolly's brother Luther with a couple of interesting clips. 

As I have posted before, I'm working with BHA on a 1940s exhibit for the fall and you can be sure that Mrs. Johnson's scrapbook will make an appearance!

And a P.S. 

The second donation was an album of postcards from Slingerlands and Normansville. Very excited about that one.  There were many that I have never seen before.  More info to come!