Billie Sue (Hall) Cullum (1926 - 1975)

Born 16 Sep 1926 in Navarro, Texas, United States

Died 11 Apr 1975 at age 48 in Carthage, Panola, Texas, United States

Space:New London, Texas, School Explosion

Biography

Billie Sue was a student at the New London School when it exploded. She sustained a skull fracture, from a desk falling on her head and spent 10 days in the hospital. Her mother was on campus at the time of the disaster and rushed over to help with the rescue.

She married Dr Paul Cullum. Children: Paula, Susan.

The New London School explosion occurred on March 18, 1937, when a natural gas leak caused an explosion, destroying the London School of New London, Texas, a community in Rusk County previously known as "London". The disaster killed more than 295 students and teachers. As of 2017, the event is the third deadliest disaster in the history of Texas, after the 1900 Galveston hurricane and the 1947 Texas City disaster.

London School did not publish a yearbook in 1937, instead substituting a memorial book that recognized all of the students and teachers who had died during the disaster.

Sources

• 1930, 1940 US census

• U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-1999

• Texas, Death Certificates, 1903-1982

• http://nlsd.net/Recollections15.htm

• https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-03-22-mn-14795-story.html

• • https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_London_School_explosion