It is very likely that Asher and Birda were the same year in school.
But aside from the photos of them in the Drama Club together, it's rare to see Asher in school photos.
This one is an exception:
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| Asher at "X marks the spot" front row, 3rd from left. Lookin' ready to learn... but I don't think Birda is in this photo. |
Besides Drama Club, it appears Asher and Birda were both involved in the Uintah Academy Chorus of 1916-1917.
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| SOURCE: Vernal Express 1954, Feb 18, p.1 Not transcribed because, well, it's rather a long article. But Birda and Asher are mentioned in the 3rd column. (Article has been grossly photoshopped to align 2 pages together.) |
Apparently some time into his high school education, (sophomore year is presumed) Asher's marks started to run low, and according to family story a teacher or the principal of the school told him, "if you don't get your marks up you'd be better off working on the farm with your white-haired old man." And in a huff, Asher dropped out of school never to go back.
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| Asher at Merkley homestead. Taken about 1916. See ya later, school. |
Birda, on the other hand, LOVED to learn and continued on with her class of 1919 to graduate.
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| Class of 1919 (taken in 1917). Birda is 2nd row, 2nd on left. Man in dead-center front (with glasses is Principal Robert Sainsbury, the man who may have offended Asher's academic career, who is otherwise said to be a very nice man.) |
Article on the advent of the new 1918-1919 school year.
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| SOURCE: Vernal Express 1918, Oct 11, p.8 |
And, it looks like Birda continued on with the Drama Club her senior year, despite Asher's absence.
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| SOURCE: Vernal Express 1919, Apr 25, p.4 See Birda's name in there as Millicent Merrill? Also note future in-laws, Margaret Merkley and Harold Hullinger |
Article on 1919 Commencement exercises:
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| SOURCE: Vernal Express 1919, May 2, p.1 Once again, NOT going to transcribe this one, but click to enlarge if you're interested in the details. |
It's also been stated that Birda intended on going to college as well, but plans changed when she married Asher and became helpmeet to him on the homestead as a farmer's wife.
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| Uintah Academy class of 1919, Birda front row, 2nd from right. Eventual brother-in-law Harold Hullinger is back row, 2nd from right. |