NINA ELOIS McWHORTER DUTTON

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ACROSS THE FENCE

Arvord M. Abernethy

5 April, 1990

The teacher we salute this week has touched and benefited many pupils during her teaching career which covered a span of over 42 years.

Nina McWhorter was born August 1, 1903, to Mr. and Mrs. C. T. McWhorter in Bee County in South Texas. Nina’s early schooling had its difficult times. Her first school was a one teacher school, then one year her mother was sick and she didn’t get to go and the next year her father was injured and this kept her out. Besides, they lived too far from a school. Nina finally got to finish school at Tuleta at the age of 20.

Nina did her senior year of work at Southwest Texas State Teachers College at San Marcos. Along with her diploma, she was given a three-year teaching certificate. She soon began teaching but continued to do college work in the summers, finally receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in education and business in 1937 from San Marcos. This summer work continued until she received her master’s degree from Baylor in 1950.

At college at San Marcos, she met a young man by the name of Owen Dutton of San Marcos whom she married in 1936. They began their careers as teachers together which was to be broken in 10 short years by the untimely death of Mr. Dutton in 1936 while they were teaching here in the county at Sunshine.

Their first teaching in this section was at Mount View, just over the mountain south of Evant. Here they rented a small house from Sam Sneed, the grandparents of Nora Sparks. The Sneeds had recently built them a new home nearby. Nina told Nora how much they appreciated Mr. Sneed’s permitting them to keep a good fire going in the fireplace until they left for school, then he would go over and check to see if the fire was safe.

In 1928, Nina and Owen took one of their well-deserved vacations. They had a car that had front seats that would fold back and make a bed, so they journeyed to Los Angeles to visit some of the Dutton family. On this vacation they got to see a show by Mae West, then visiting such vacation spots as Lake Tahoe and Yellowstone National Park.

Mr. and Mrs. Dutton were teaching at Sunshine in 1936, when Mr. Dutton had a fatal heart attack while getting a haircut in Carlton. This was a severe blow to the school and community as Mr. Dutton was well-liked and respected. Nina finished out his year of teaching there.

I am deeply indebted to their daughter, Shirley Dutton Boemerman, who furnished many clippings and old letters that her mother had kept. Among them are several letters by her pupils at Sunshine near the end of school. In them they expressed their love and appreciation to Nina for her efficient teaching and some expressed their feelings in the loss of Mr. Dutton during the school year. Some expressed their admiration of Shirley June, the Dutton’s baby of some three years of age.

After Mr. Dutton’s passing and Nina’s assuming his role as teacher, Mrs. John (Mollie) Guest kept Shirley June during the day.

Among the many letters by the pupils was one by Georgia Ervin Loyd who later became Mrs. Farel Williams. In the letter she spoke of her appreciation to Nina for taking her over to her house and giving her a dry dress when she got wet. In talking to Georgia, she told me that after the school at Elza was closed she had to ride horseback five miles to Sunshine to school. She got caught in a rain one morning on the way to school and was soaked when she got to school, thus the borrowing of a dry dress.

There were some happy days in the Sunshine community back in those days. Ones living back then like to tell of the basketball and baseball teams they would have. Also the plays that they would work up and give and often take to other schools and put on. Someone was telling of how good Lila Bratton Warren was in plays especially when she would play the part of a Negro lady.

Lester Roberts was teaching in the Hamilton School at the same time Nina was, but his connection went further back. He was telling that after his finishing of high school he attended college a year then took out a year and would work at Garner Alvis Dry Goods on Saturdays. Mr. Dutton knew of Lester’s interest in school both at Indian Gap and at Hamilton, so encouraged him to go on to college and enter the teaching profession. Lester feels that these talks that he and Mr. Dutton had, had much to do in his choosing the teaching profession.

After Mr. Dutton’s passing, Nina taught at Shive, Lanham, Union and Fairy and then Superintendent Virgil Santy asked her to come to Hamilton and teach bookkeeping, typing, and shorthand in the high school here. This she did for the next 24 ½ years.

Nina was known for the excellence that she wanted from her pupils. This something did not set well with every child and sometimes a parent, but Nina said the greatest joy she ever received was when some former pupil would return and tell her how much they appreciated her for being so thorough and strict in her teaching. It had helped them so much in fitting into their life’s work.

Even with her busy school activities, Nina found time to be involved in community activities. She was active in the Methodist Church and for 17 years served on the Girl’s State Committee of the American Legion Auxiliary. She was a member of the business sorority, Delta Pi Epsilon and a Women teachers organization, Delta Kappa Gamma.

After her retirement, Nina went to North Carolina to be near her daughter and family, the George Boomermans and their two children, Steve and Susan.

George was a retired U. S. Marine and his work took him to some different places before they returned to San Marcos in August of 1981.

Nina was with them there when she passed away on October 27, 1981. This had made full circle for her. She had done her senior high school work in San Marcos, did her college there, met and married her husband there and now moved back there and passed away.

Nina’s life expressed the high aims and motives she had in life. Being a teacher, her favorite verse was, "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Next week I would like to bring you a copy of a letter that she received as a young lady from a teacher that could have had a bearing on her life.

ACROSS THE FENCE

Arvord M. Abernethy

12 April, 1990

A Salute to Our Teachers

NINA ELOIS McWHORTER DUTTON

During the past year it has been my pleasure to pay tribute to some of our former teachers. It was a pleasure because I have found among our teachers, the very salt of the earth type of people; a stalwart group who have been an influence for good and seeking to pass those same qualities on through their pupils.

I hope you got to read the story of Nina Dutton and her work in last week’s Herald-News. Among her things that her daughter, Shirley Dutton Boemerman, sent up here was a letter that Nina had received from one of her former teachers who was then doing extension teaching out of the University of North Texas. Nina was about 18 years of age at that time. When you read it you will see why Nina treasured it enough to keep and use it as an ideal guide.

Austin, Texas

May 4, ‘21

My dear Nina,

Your kind invitation to your commencement exercises is before me, and I very much appreciate your thinking of me.

I am wondering if I may not doubly rejoice with you in completing the course of study at our beloved Tulets School, for I am sure that I helped a bit to keep the school going for the boys and girls of our community and of adjacent communities? I am so glad that I have been permitted to help you all, and that God may abundantly bless your future efforts to become of service to your community and all to whom you come in contact, is my prayer. For after all, Nina, the only true happiness in this world is the result of helping others to help themselves in the very best way. We may not always be appreciated even by those for whom we work; but if your labors are "as unto the Lord," there will some day be an abundant entrance into His home where there are no more misunderstandings, but perfect joy in the glory of His Presence." This is so well worth working for, my dear Nina, in spite of all.

My dear, you know, I am sure, that you have only begun your education for life; that is the reason that your exercises are known as "commencement." So with your ideal before you, keep on striving toward it day by day. Read good books, use good English, keep well, laugh, keep your heart full of love, then your words will never hurt anyone.

But I must close this long letter and again wish you much success in all your undertakings. Trust the circumstances may permit me to attend at least some of your exercises which I hear are to continue for about a week.

Remember me kindly to your dear parents, and brothers, and sisters

With much love,

Your friend and teacher,

Amanda Stoltzfus

OBITUARY

MRS. DUTTON

The Hamilton Herald-News

5 November, 1981

Mrs. Nina Elois Dutton, 78, a retired Hamilton area school teacher, died suddenly in a San Marcos Hospital, Oct. 27, after a brief illness.

Services were held in Riley Funeral Chapel Saturday, Oct. 31, at 10 a.m. with the Rev. Roy Bassett officiating. Burial was in the Murphree Cemetery near Evant.

Mrs. Dutton was born at Toledo, Texas, August 1, 1903, daughter of Charlie C. (Charlie Clifton) and Esther (Esther Luvina) Hatcher McWhorter. She was married at San Marcos April 24, 1926, to Owen Andrew Dutton. He passed away Feb. 15, 1936.

For 42 years before retiring, Mrs. Dutton was a much-loved teacher in several area schools including Hamilton. She held a BA degree for Southwest Texas State University and an MA degree from Baylor University. She did doctoral studies at North Texas State University.

She was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Hamilton.

Survivors include a daughter, Mrs. George (Shirley) Boemerman of San Marcos; a grandson, Steven Boemerman; a granddaughter, Susan Boemerman; a sister, Mrs. Jewell Zigler, of Austin; three brothers, Frank McWhorter of Sayers, Texas, Thurston McWhorter of El Monte, Calif., and C. C. McWhorter of Houston; and two great-grandchildren.

A brother, Claude McWhorter, preceded her in death.

Pallbearers were Red Williams, Irvin Anglin, Ted Jones, Louis Woodall, Gene Christian, Acy Watson, Joe Dalton, and W. G. Anglin.

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[My special thanks to Mrs. Nina Dutton for being a friend and one of my favorite teachers. The skills taught in her typing classes and shorthand class have been useful for a lifetime.

Elreeta Weathers

ACROSS THE FENCE ]