Immaculate Conception School,
Rhythm Band, 1939-1940

From our faithful correspondent, Jim O'Malley:

This picture was taken sometime during the school year of 1939-40. It was probably taken during May, 1940 prior to the spring performance of the Rhythm Band. The Immaculate Conception School was founded in 1915 and was located at 18th & Main in Lexington, Missouri. It was a Catholic parochial school for grades 1-8. There were two classrooms downstairs and the nuns lived upstairs. One classroom was for students in grades 1-4 and it was called the “Little Room,” not because the room was small but because the students were little in size. The other room, which was in the front of the building, was the “Big Room” and held students in grades 5-8. There were 3 nuns assigned to the parish school. One teaching sister for each classroom and a third one to cook and do the housekeeping for them. The building shown in the picture was replaced by a new school in 1955. That building is now known as Dibbins Hall.

Each year there were two public performances by the students of the school. These were before the Christmas vacation and before the 8th grade graduation at the end of the school year. The Big Room students would present a play in three acts and the Little Room students would present some musical playlet. The Rhythm Band would also perform. The band was accompanied by a student playing the piano. The instruments were a collection of sticks, clappers, triangles, bells, a drum, and a water filled device that a student would blow into and the air would cause the water to bubble and sound like a bird chirping. The students wore caps and capes which were red with white piping along the edges.

MEMBERS OF THE RHYTHM BAND

First row: Charles Mussatto, Deloris (Dolly) Mussatto, Shirley Guillemont, Billy Thornton DeLapp (deceased), Mary Jo Farrow (deceased), Delina Beretta.
Second row: Gloria Ann Mautino, Lorraine Mike, Joan Jett, Rhodesia Mussatto.
Third row: Harriet Ann Farrow (deceased), Wanda Mike, Mary Lillian Frost, Alice Beretta, Jeanne Marie Mallot.
Fourth row: James “Jimmie” O’Malley, Wilburn “Bobo” Meieier, Gene Payne, Charles Hotmer (deceased).
Fifth row: Josephine Howard (deceased), Mary Elizabeth Jelice, Alice Borne.
Sixth row: Norman Thorson, Bobby Hansen.
Seventh row: Gloria Beretta, Gilbert Beretta, Arthur Schmidt, Mary Jo Schmidt, Mary Patricia O’Malley.

James “Jimmie” O’Malley
Immaculate Conception School Class of 1945
Janurary 27, 2005