Poke Berry School, Barry Co., MO

 Willow Branch School, sometimes called Pokeberry, in Willow Branch Hollow.
 

 

In Emory Melton's oral history story he says, "I went to school there at Star, which was located on the banks of Flat Creek for two or three years, then I went to school at McDowell.  Then I went to school at Willow Branch, sometimes called Pokeberry, over in Willow Branch Hollow. Then I went to school back at Star again, and then I went back to Pokeberry, but we lived in the same place all the time."  (Page 103 of Volume 5 of Lifetimes of Memories)

Cherry said she had the name Poke Berry spelled Poke and that Emory corrected her spelling for it to read Polk Berry.

Cherry Bailey

In the Purdy centennial book, Our Heritage in Story and Picture 1881-1981, on page 62 under the heading of Easyville Church, is the following:  "In the early part of 1952 the little congregation bought the Poke Berry School house on Willow Branch near Jenkins, Missouri and moved it to its present location, on the land given by Erskil and Marzelle Henderson. After considerable work, they moved into the new church in May, 1952 and called it Easyville."

Willow Branch School - see Google maps here for Pokeberry Hollow and Willow Branch School. Linda McCormick  

 

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© 2009 Donna Haddock Cooper, All Rights Reserved