Every Thursday throughout the school year, the Warwick Valley Central School District will post a vintage photo such as this one on their Facebook page. Pictured is Miss Helen Doris Buell, who took a break from teaching music to pose for this photo, dated 1939.

    Miss Buell was born on March 24, 1912 & lived in Middletown when she was hired by the District, but soon she was closer to school & living on Warwick’s Oakland Ave., according to the archives of the Warwick School District. She graduated from the Eastman School of Music in 1935 & was teaching in Warwick less than a year later, earning an annual salary of $1,300. She taught all grades in all buildings & soon went on to become the Supervisor of Music.

   Miss Buell – later Mrs. Stidworthy – was among the early architects of Warwick Valley Central School District’s exceptional music program, which for six consecutive years has been named one of the “Best Communities for Music Education.”

   Some may remember Miss Buell from her teaching days, others as a member of the Warwick Chorale. She passed away in 2010, in Warwick, at the age of 98.

Helen Buell Stidworthy taught music for many in the Warwick schools & is credited with being an early architect of the exceptional music program in Warwick. Photo provided