Picture of the Day February 22, 2009
Bertha Ryan's Diploma from BFAAN ARTIFACT FROM FAIRFAX'S PASTPosted for Sunday February 22nd..............Don Fleming stopped by the house Saturday afternoon. Margie called up the stairs to tell me he was here. I had gone up, laid down and was reading. Well.................read a bit, doze, wake up, read, doze, wake up..............
Anyway, when I came downstairs, I had a few cobwebs.
Don saw a framed diploma for sale at a place near Johnson, and bought it. It was a diploma from BFA. He stopped by and donated it to the Fairfax Historical Society. Don wasn't sure which BFA it was, Fairfax or St. Albans.
The name on the diploma was Bertha Ryan, which sounded familiar. I looked at the names of the trustees, and saw F.W. Shepardson. That's a Fairfax name. J.M. Parsons was listed as well. That has to be Jesse Parsons, Larry's grandfather.
The date was 1922.
I was pretty sure it was Fairfax. I thanked Don, and shook his hand, and as he was getting ready to leave, the cobwebs lifted a little and it hit me. I said it has to be Fairfax, for BFA-St. Albans didn't open until 1932, or somewhere near there.
After Don left, I looked at it closer, and sure enough, it says it was awarded to Bertha Irene Ryan for completing the Latin course on June 22nd, in 1922 in Fairfax. Guy Butler is also listed as a trustee with H.B. Bellows and H. Goodsill(?). L.H. Burris is the principal.
Thanks, Don!
