ANNIE E TULLIS FENNER
1902 – 1980
When posting pictures on Facebook of the Berryman/Fenner house, one of Alto’s most beloved homes, I was impressed with the number of responses that had to do not only with the house, but with one of the owners, Mrs M M Fenner, long-time local music teacher. There seemed to be so much affection for and interest in her that I decided to tell her story.
Annie E Fenner was born in 1902, daughter of Thomas M and Hattie Snow Tullis, originally of the Mount Zion community. After Thomas died, Hattie and the children moved to Alto. Annie came from a musical family. One story tells of a violin that had been in the Tullis family for over 200 years.
By the 1920’s Annie had married Richard L Dickerson and was living in El Paso. As a young mother she was already showing her leadership abilities. She became a National Officer of the Woodmen’s Circle, the auxiliary of Woodmen of the World. She went to meetings in New York City and attended the Worlds’ Fair there.
Her son, Richard Austin Dickerson was among the first casualties of World War II, having been killed in action in 1941. Although his parents were living in Lufkin at that time there was a gold star on the Service Flag of the First Methodist Church of Alto in his honor. Mrs. Tullis was a very active member of that church.
By 1948 Annie was married to Mr. Fenner and in the early 50’s they came back to her home town and bought the “Berryman” house across from the school campus. Mrs Fenner began teaching music and changed the lives of many of Alto’s young people.
She taught not only piano but organ, accordion, guitar and voice. She had pupils from towns all around Alto. While most small-town music teachers were content to quietly give lessons, Mrs Fenner looked for a larger venue. She affiliated with a National Music Organization which sponsored local, district, state and national conventions and competitions.
The newspaper stories are full of trips to Carthage, Kilgore, Austin, Oklahoma City, and Chicago. Her accordion group, the Orkettes seems to have been especially successful winning all kinds of recognition. She even had a folk-dancing group to perform with the Orkettes.
Besides the lessons, she sponsored Mozart Music Clubs which were wonderfully organized and taught an appreciation for music not often found in rural areas. Her pupils spent many a Sunday afternoon in that beautiful old Victorian house.
In addition to the organizational activities, Mrs Fenner and her pupils were generous in sharing their music with the community. They put on programs in churches, schools and civic clubs all over the area as well as appearing on radio and television. They performed in the Christmas program at the Rusk State Hospital
She served as organist for the Order of the Eastern Star for all the years she was in Alto and was active in the Jacksonville Civic Music Association. She organized a Music Club for adults which met monthly for musical programs.
Several of her pupils received scholarships to Lon Morris College, noted at that time for its majors in the arts.
Mrs Fenner was a master publicist, never failing to report on the activities of her pupils, which makes it ironic that we have only one picture of her, furnished by one of her pupils.
If you haven’t already figured out, the featured image this week is the sad demise of the Berryman house where Mrs. Fenner lived and gave so many piano lesssons. You would think that our archives would be filled with photos of someone who was so well known, but this is all I could come up with. I’m pretty sure the baby is Miss Annie.
We did have one group picture of some of Mrs. Fenner’s piano students. I only recognize one of them, but I’m sure some of you will do better.
The Berryman house was also featured in some historic exhibitions. These young ladies do look familiar to me somehow, but I don’t think they were piano students.
