“The time has come,” the Walrus said,

“To talk of many things:

Of shoes–and ships–and sealing-wax–

Of cabbages–and kings–

And why the sea is boiling hot–

And whether pigs have wings.”

From “The Walrus and the Carpenter”

Lewis Carroll

Lost and Found

David Newhouse has been on our lost list for many, many years, with only the vague knowledge that he used to live somewhere in California. The last contact is thought to be when Lon Carpenter visited with him in the 1970’s. Now David is found. Recently, I came across a new search data base that is free and is good. I searched in California for someone between 75 and 85 for David Newhouse. While I did not find contact information, I did find a listing of relatives, whom I called, reaching his daughter.

I chatted with David and enjoyed a good visit. Here is a quick update. David joined the Navy after high school and six years later settled in California. He married and went to work in the movie industry, working in movie set landscaping until he retired. These days, his daily chores include taking grandkids to school and picking up and packing their lunches. Somehow I have misplaced my notes, so I will tell you more if/when I find them.  So David, who was lost, is found, and my notes are lost until found.

It’s Never Too Late…to enter the 21^st century, as Lon Carpenter will tell you. For some time I have been ragging on Lon to get a computer tablet to be able to search the Internet and to send and receive emails. Each time Lon explained that he had a new smart phone that had never come out of the box.   Lon recently acknowledged that he needs to get connected. If you want to contact Lon, his new email address is loncarpenter1936@icloud.com.

Our recent lunch

Thanks to all who attended the Class of 54 lunch on October 12^th. We had about sixty present, several for the first time. All comments I heard were positive and murmurs of anticipation of the next one in April 2018. As ever, our unofficial photographer, Patsy Patterson, was there with trusty camera aimed at those attending.

I will add a photo or two over the next several blogs.

   

 Just Ramblin’’ Penny and I had a truly fine trip to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket from Labor Day until mid-September, hence the delay in posting. The weather was perfect, the crowds were not so great, and the exploration was great fun. We had been reading a series of books that all take place on Martha’s Vineyard, and the descriptions were so enticing that we decided to see for ourselves. We would go back again, but there are too many other places to see on our continent, and time is fleeting.

We were a bit ahead of the autumn color, but the seafood is always on tap there, so the dining on scallops, clams, lobster, and white fish were fine. And if you ever have a chance for some blue fish pâté try it without fail.

But here we are home again and that is good.

Old Age: There are so many jokes and internet emails about seniors, getting old and forgetful, getting wrinkled, and getting even. The latter are the best ones.

I was driving along and heard a song entitled “Thank God I’m Old” and I was piqued enough to look up the words, which are copied below. To get the best effect, though, click on the URL to hear it played on YouTube.

If you just read the words, the cadence or meter does not flow very well. Best result is to listen and watch the words—or sing along. I discovered that the song is from a Broadway musical that was a moderate success in the 90’s and Tony nominated. It was a show called Barnum, about the founding of the circus. The singer here is billed as “the world’s oldest living woman” aged 106. So here it is. I hope you get a kick out of it. I think the video is about 3-4 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RtYUDGiwDI

Thank God I’m Old lyrics – Barnum Cast

When you see the shape the world is in

When the way it is ain’t what it’s been

When folks just care for gold,

Thank God, I’m old

When you take a gander at the news

When you hear the language people use

When no sweet songs are sung

I don’t wanna be young

Daddy Time, he

Doesn’t fret me

Should he spy me

That don’t upset me

Let him eye me

Come and get me

That’s fine by me

Age don’t worry me

When you see the way folks misbehave

When it’s only good times that they crave

When kids are much too bold

Thank God, I’m old

When there ain’t no He-Men left alive

When they tell you three men out of five

End up locked up or hung

I don’t wanna be young.

(Dance Break)

Gonna get me dressed and powdered down

Call myself a hack and go to town

See every shady street

These feet once strolled.

Then I’m gonna slip back on the shelf

Have myself a nip and tell myself

Though my back buckles and bends

My hair’s got silvery ends

When I see all of my friends

Laid out and cold

Thank God, I’m Old!

Bank Checks: We are headed toward a cashless society, probably not in our lifetime, but with the apps available on cell phones, a surprising amount of banking can be done and it is possible to pay using the cell phone. I don’t know about the security, but my guess is that it is not more susceptible to identity theft than computer or mail.

What that all calls to mind is the evolution of bank checks over the decades. My earliest memory of a check was at the drugstore several blocks away, where there was a shelf with blank checks on it, at a height where an adult could go and stand there and write a check. The check itself was fairly blank, so that whoever was making the check had to write in the name of the bank. There were no bank routing numbers at the bottom, and certainly no check number. I believe that the banks sorted all checks that arrived at their bank sent them to a clearing house for routing to the bank on which the check was drawn.

Recently, I was sorting through some very old papers and came across cancelled checks that my grandmother had signed to pay some property taxes in East Texas. Here is what the check looked like:

Travis Elementary: I don’t know if any of you reading this went to Travis Elementary way back when. I did, and I know Alex Trevino, Marcia Pittman, Louis Dan Holst, Susan Crawford, and Richard Kauffman did, and more whose faces are not popping up at the moment. Maybe Dan Scraiffa, Walter Graham, and Jo Ann Adams.

In August, I was in the old neighborhood and stopped by to have a look. It was closed for the summer, but there has been a big change. It is now a high school with a small population of college-bound students. The kids take advanced courses and most graduate with an Associate’s Degree. I intend to go back and learn a bit more. I gather enrollment is competitive. No sports and I wonder about what sort of campus life they enjoy. Maybe they are all just nerds.

Till next time…

Blog 77 Charles Griffin

Charles M. Griffin

January 24, 1936 – August 27, 2017

Obituary

Charles M. Griffin, age 81, went to be with Lord on August 27, 2017. He was born on January 24, 1936 in San Antonio, TX to Floyd & Lurene Griffin. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend who will be dearly missed. He graduated from Jefferson High School (class of 1954) and later joined the Army National Guard. He married Dorathea “Dottie” O. Schwope and were married for 61 years. He went to Texas A & M, Trinity University and graduated from the University of Houston Pharmacy School. He loved to ranch and was the 4th generation on the Decker Ranch in Hondo, TX.

He was a member of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association; a Life Member of the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo; Triune Lodge; Alzafar Shrine; State Pharmacy Association; and Bexar County Pharmacy Association.

He owned Dellview Pharmacy for over 16 years. He then worked and retired from the Alamo Heights Pharmacy.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and grandson, John “J.T.” Tarro.

He is survived by his loving wife Dorathea “Dottie” Schwope Griffin; 2 children, Charla Tarro- Pawelek & husband Charlie and Charles J. Griffin & wife Denise; 3 grandchildren, Chandra Tarro, Hilton Schweitzer & wife Hattie and Erin Griffin; 2 step-grandchildren, Macy and Logan Pawelek; 1 great-granddaughter, Fallyn Schweitzer; numerous other family members and close friends.

Visitation will be 5-7p.m., Thursday, August 31, 2017 at Sunset Funeral Home. The Funeral Service will be 12 noon, Friday, September 1, 2017 at Sunset Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow at Sunset Memorial Park.

Condolences may be offered at www.sunsetfuneralhomesa.com.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Alzafar Shrine Transportation Fund, 901 N Loop 1604, San Antonio, TX 78232 or to a charity of your choice.

====================================================================================================================

I am deeply saddened to post this obituary. My first post-Jefferson connection with Charlie was thirty-three years ago, when we worked together on the 1984 class reunion. Charlie, along with Dottie, was totally committed to offering up memorable celebrations. He quickly became my go-to guy whenever there was an extra job or task to be done. That continued up until today. I cannot ever recall Charlie saying no to any request I may have made. And Dottie was right beside Charlie all the way.

Charlie passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack in the middle of the night. For those who are not close to him, he was active, driving out to Hondo a couple of times each week to work on the ranch. He and I had discussed recently how active and in shape he was. It is my understanding that he had recently had a successful physical.

My best memories of Charlie at Jeff go back to the Senior play, when the cast included Charlie, Dottie, Ed Davis, and a host of others, including Aleen Smith, Beverly Cole, Nancy Grauer, Carol Hanson, Sue Grum, Dick Blount, David Mills, Bobby Rios, myself, and a slew of others. Ed Davis had encouraged Charlie to call Dottie and ask her out (don’t know how Ed knew to do that). My understanding is that Charlie called Dottie and she hung up on him. She claims it was an accident. At any rate, they started seeing each other, and I recall that they sat side by side in cooing in the back of the auditorium during rehearsals.

I spoke with Dottie on Sunday evening. She was in shock at the suddenness of Charles’ passing, but she was coping well. Her outlook is positive.

I belabor the point, but a great many of us will miss Charlie.

Special thanks to Jack Davis for sending this along.  It is a bit long, but it is worth the read.  Nostalgia rules! If you can think of other Last Ones, please post them.

The Last Ones

CHILDREN OF THE 1930s and 1940s – “THE LAST ONES”
Born in the 1920s,1930s and early 1940s, we exist as a very special age cohort.  We are the “LAST ONES.”  We are the last to see huge steam engines trailing trains noisily through our towns and countryside.  We are the last to see old black-and-white movies and newsreels of the devastation brought upon China by flood and famine.  We are the last to listen to music on the windup “Victrola”.  We are the last, climbing out of the depression, who can remember the winds of war and where we were when Japan struck Pearl Harbor; and the war itself with fathers and uncles going off.  We are the last to remember ration books for everything from sugar to shoes to stoves.  We saved tin foil and poured fat into tin cans.  We saved newspapers and conducted scrap metal drives for the war effort.  We bought War Saving Stamps during intermission at the movies and then pasted them into books that we turned in for a War Bond when the stamp total reached $18.75.  We practiced “Blackouts” and marveled at how we could actually still see when the entire city was darkened.  We delivered newspapers and set up lemonade stands on the late summer afternoons.  We climbed fences and “jumped” garage roofs. We saw cars up on blocks because tires weren’t available.
We are the last to hear Roosevelt’s radio assurances and to see gold stars among the blue in the front windows of our grieving neighbors.  We can also remember the parades on August 15, 1945; VJ Day.

We are the last who spent childhood without television; instead imagining what we heard on the radio.  As we all like to brag, with no TV, we spent our childhood “playing outside until the street lights came on.”   We did play outside and we did play on our own.  There was no little league.  There was just no organized anything except what we might conjure in our own heads and then act upon.  We roller skated and “biked” in the summer and slid down hills of snow on cardboard boxes in the winter.  we floated boats in the gutter after a summer rain.  We played cowboys and Indians and “war” (we made hand grenades out of clay dug out of a river bank or a shady glen) and of course baseball … “Anybody got a bat, anybody got a ball? … on the street, on the road, on that empty lot, in a field, in the backyard …and the bases … bricks, sticks, stones, rags, shirts, cans, you name it.  It was game on!  And the things we could build with an orange crate!  Break it down, save the nails, find a rock and away we’d go!

The lack of television in our early years meant, for most of us, that we had little real understanding of what the world was like.  Our world stretched for about 10 square blocks or a few miles if you lived in the country.  Our Saturday afternoons, if at the movies, gave us newsreels of the war and the holocaust sandwiched in between westerns and cartoons.  Newspapers and magazines were written for adults except for “funny books” or comic books.  We are the last who had to find out for ourselves.

As we grew up, the country was exploding with growth.  The G.I. Bill gave returning veterans the means to get an education and spurred colleges to grow.  VA loans fanned a housing boom.  Pent up demand coupled with new installment payment plans put factories to work.  New highways would bring jobs and mobility.  The veterans joined civic clubs and became active in politics.  In the late 40s and early 50s the country seemed to lie in the embrace of brisk but quiet order as it gave birth to its new middle class.  Our parents understandably became absorbed with their own new lives.  They were free from the confines of the depression and the war.  They threw themselves into exploring opportunities they had never imagined.

We weren’t neglected but we weren’t today’s all-consuming family focus.  They were glad we played by ourselves “until the street lights came on.”  They were busy discovering the post war world.

Most of us had no “life plan”, but with the unexpected virtue of ignorance and an economic rising tide we simply stepped out into the world and went out to find out.  We entered a world of overflowing plenty and opportunity; a world where we were welcomed.  Based on our naïve belief that there was more where this came from, we shaped life as we went.

We enjoyed a luxury; we felt secure in our future.  Of course, just as today, not all Americans shared in this experience.  Depression poverty was deep rooted.  Polio was still a crippler.  The Korean War was a dark presage in the early 1950s and by mid-decade school children were ducking under desks.  China became Red China.  Eisenhower sent the first “advisors” to Vietnam.  Castro set up camp in Cuba and Khrushchev came to power.

We are the last to experience an interlude when there were no existential threats to our homeland.  We came of age in the late 1940s and early 1950s.  The war was over and the cold war, terrorism, climate change, technological upheaval and perpetual economic insecurity had yet to haunt life with insistent unease.

Only we can remember both a time of apocalyptic war and a time when our world was secure and full of bright promise and plenty.   We experienced both.

We grew up at the best possible time, a time when the world was getting better… not worse.
We did not have it easy.  Our wages were low, we did without, we lived within our means, we worked hard to get a job, and harder still to keep it.  Things that today are considered necessities, we considered unreachable luxuries.  We made things last.  We fixed, rather than replaced.  We had values and did not take for granted that “somebody will take care of us.”  We cared for ourselves and we also cared for others.

 

Not to be too morose there are fun memories too:  mud pies after a rain shower, glow in the dark belts, whatever the next box top would bring.  Let’s exchange Decoder Rings and Flash Gordon lapel pins!  We could even make battleship cannons with those cardboard tubes linoleum came rolled on.  We were creative above all.  We made do.

 

We are the “LAST ONES.

 

Damn computer…In the latter part of July, I worked with Microsoft to correct a minor problem that was annoying but not essential to my ordinary lifestyle.  To correct that, we uninstalled and reinstalled the software.   I wrote this paper in late July and found that I could not post it directly to the web because I did not remember the password I used when I started it six years ago.  Today I had an inspiration and here I am back on the web.  In 1954 could anyone of us imagined what machines would be doing for us today?  Computers, cell phones, GPS.  I think 1984 is here, because with all of the technology, big brother is certainly watching us all the time.  It just have not told us yet.

I started out here today to rejoice that there are no obituaries to post this time.  But it is definitely more somber than I was intending.  I promise to do better next time.

Ruminating on Obituaries…(Not intending to be a morbid treatise)

One of the most frequently asked questions of me when people email is whether anyone has died recently.  Probably as recently as fifteen years ago, I rarely looked at the obituaries, which the local paper now refers to as “Life Tributes.”

We are of that age now where we think about mortality.  Some joke that they read the obits just want to be certain they are included.

Classmates frequently alert me to obituaries for some of our fellow classmates who have passed on. These last several blogs have included obituaries of classmates who are no longer with us.  So today, let’s happily report, No Obituaries!

One thing I have noticed is that far fewer people insert obituaries in the paper than was common in the past.  San Antonio has over a million people living here, but the paper usually has only a handful on weekdays, with maybe twenty or so on Sundays.  I do know that newspapers charge exorbitantly for the space, which is why a trend seems to be to mention the Funeral Home website for a more detailed life synopsis.  Do you remember when newspapers published a list of “Death Notices” which were presumably taken from official records.  It was just the name and date of death as I remember.  Does anyone recall differently?  Similarly, the police blotter listings showed all arrests in town.

Ruminating on Aging…  (Intended to be lighthearted.)

I admit that during my seventies, I tended to not advertise my age, especially in our present neighborhood, where all but six or seven are younger than I. We reach a point where, as Marcia Pittman said, “I can’t believe I am eighty.”

But turning eighty was somewhat liberating.  I occasionally comment with a bit of prided after some accomplishment, “Not bad for an eighty-year-old man”.

And Memory…

As we age we increase our concern about memories.  And we send out all manner of silly and funny things about old folks and memory.  I read something the other day that said that everyone walks into a room and tries to remember why they went in there.  Since that happens to me, it was comforting.  The article then went on to say that there are four things that you can do to keep your memory sharp.  First, do associations for the things you want to remember.  Then if it is a bit complicated, break it down into groups.  I wish I could tell you the other two things, but I forgot them.

And seriously…We all are aging.  Many from our class are above ground, but age is beginning to take its toll one way or another.  I know from correspondence that we have classmates who are having serious memory issues or have been diagnosed with early stages of Alzheimer’s.  Some are on oxygen or have mobility issues.  And while I am not aware specifically, I would suspect that we have classmates fighting depression, which is not uncommon as people face the reality how few years remain for us compared to how many we have lived.

In closing… the heat is maybe affecting my brain.  We are flying out tomorrow for Sedona, where it will be a bit cooler.  I hope all are enjoying the summer of 2017.  Actually, because of the delay in publishing mentioned earlier, we are back and it is mid-August.  Great trip we had.

 

 

Remembering Rudy Krisch

With regret, we note that another classmate has passed away.  Rudy died on June 25. Below is his obituary, followed by a featured article that expands on the obit.

RUDOLPH (RUDY) CHARLES KRISCH III

January 6, 1937 – June 25, 2017

   

Rudolph (Rudy) Charles Krisch III went to his Lord on June 25, 2017. He was born in S an Antonio, Texas, on January 6, 1937. He was preceded in death by his wife Jean Mayer Krisch, sons Rudy IV and Trevor Krisch, and his mother and father Rudy Jr. and Lucille Stewart Krisch.

He is survived by his son Stewart (Rhonda) Krisch, friend Annell Thompson, grandsons Rud (Lauren) and Cody (Katie) Krisch (mother Dana Schweers Krisch), granddaughter Courtney (Ryan) Odell, great-grandchildren Briley and Brinley Krisch and Griffin and Blake Odell, sister Nora (Al) Shire and nephew Alfred Shire.

Rudy led the family construction business his father started in 1927, which is celebrating its 90th year. He has successfully r un Krisch Construction throughout the years with the assistance of his sons and grandsons. He utilized his civil engineering degrees and his natural artistic ability in his work to help beautify San Antonio. There are very few places you can go in SA and not see his legacy and work including the River Walk, the museums, the missions and many parks across the city.

Rudy was a Scout Master for over 30 years, leading all three sons to the rank of Eagle Scout. He had a positive impact on many other lives throughout his years in scouting. Rudy was a Patron member of the National Rifle Association, a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Sons of the American Revolution, Descendants of Mexican War Veterans, Military Order of the Star and Bars, Texas A&M Corps of Cadets Association, San Antonio Living History Association, Texas State Rifle Association, and Chi Epslon Civil Engineering Fraternity. He was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Boerne.

He was a 1954 graduate of Jefferson High School and graduated from Texas A&M in 1961. Rudy loved Texas A&M Football and the Corps of Cadets and was proud to be a Texas Aggie.

He loved his family, along with nature and animals and was an avid historian. Rudy participated and helped lead numerous historical reenactment groups from the Texas Revolution and Civil War to World War II. He could often been seen defending the Alamo for tourists.

Rudy learned the value of hard work from his father and he learned to dream from his mother. His passing left a tremendous void in the lives of those that knew and loved him. They find solace in the knowledge that Rudy is in the hands of his lord.

A service will be held on Saturday, July 1, 2017 at 10:00 am at Porter Loring on McCullough with interment to follow at Locke Hill Cemetery.

You are invited to sign the

Guestbook at http://www.porterloring.com

Temple Bethel

Most of you probably remember Temple Beth-El standing on the corner of Belknap and Ashby Streets, standing across from San Pedro Park. Here is an article from the Rivard Report, a daily compendium or news and items of interest published in San Antonio. I thought you all might want to see and be reminded of what an imposing structure Temple Beth-El is.

Eighty years ago this month, on June 29, 1937, uniformed and plainclothes officers of the San Antonio Police Department raided the headquarters of the San Antonio Workers Alliance, a group that supported workers’ rights.

The police brought axes and “enthusiastically destroyed everything,” according to one participant. They smashed dishes in the kitchen, kicked over the stove, chopped up the piano, hammered chairs and benches to pieces, smashed the typewriter and duplicating machine, and arrested seven members of the alliance.

Among the first community leaders to respond with outrage was Rabbi Ephraim Frisch, the senior rabbi of San Antonio’s Temple Beth-El.

In a scathing letter to the San Antonio Light, Frisch condemned the police raid as worthy of praise from Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini. When the editor of the Light truncated Frisch’s letter and consigned it to a corner of page 6, Frisch printed 800 copies and distributed them throughout the city.

Less than a year later, the fiery Frisch would openly challenge a wealthy and powerful board member of his own congregation, Julius Seligmann, owner of the largest pecan shelling operation in the nation and the target of a massive labor strike led by Emma Tenayuca. Frisch publicly sided with the strikers, condemning the six cents-per-pound pay and the wretched working conditions that often meant poor ventilation, no water or toilets, and a choking pecan dust that destroyed the workers’ lungs.

Over the ensuing decades, Temple Beth-El’s rabbis were equally visible and no less influential in the affairs of San Antonio, especially when social justice issues arose. That tradition continues today, with a new generation of rabbis who share their predecessors’ commitment to those issues.

There have been only four rabbis in the 80 years following Rabbi Frisch. Rabbi David Jacobson served for 38 years until 1976, followed by Rabbi Samuel Stahl, who served for 26 years. Rabbi Barry H.D. Block was senior rabbi for 21 years, retiring in 2013.

The temple’s online history says Jacobson, Stahl, and Block “used their prestige and moral authority to work for the peaceful desegregation of San Antonio, the initiation and perpetuation of an interfaith dialogue and partnership, the ongoing quest for human rights and equality, and the advancement of Jewish ideals for the betterment of the city of San Antonio.”

Rabbi Mara Nathan, the current senior rabbi, works with her congregation to support today’s struggles for equal rights, women’s and gender equality, working on behalf of people who are underprivileged, and alleviating childhood hunger in our community.

Nathan, who assumed leadership of the temple in 2014, is the first woman to serve as senior rabbi of a major Texas congregation. Her fellow clergy members are Rabbi Marina Yergin, who came on board in 2015, and Cantor Julie Berlin, who has served the temple since 2008.

This is getting a bit long. If you wish to finish the article, you can go to this website: https://therivardreport.com/tikkun-olam-repairing-the-world-at-temple-beth-el/

300 Years and Rolling On

How many of you know that next year, 2018, San Antonio will celebrate its 200^th birthday? Yep, 1518—1718. That don’t make 80 sound so old, do it? The celebration starts on January 1 at 12:01 AM and lasts for the next twelve months. As part of the yearlong observance, the local newspaper has been running a full page each day connoting some aspect of those years. On June15, there was an observance of the opening of the Alamo Heights Swimming Pool in 1949. The pool was built at a cost of $185,000 to hold the 1949 Women’s AAU swim meet.

Wasn’t the Heights Pool a great place to spend a summer afternoon? It is still in existence today and still popular. The two tall platform diving boards are gone, but much else remains in place. If anyone has especially good memories (or bad), send them along for others to read.

Ruth Freedman

Thanks to Joyce Skolnick Meyer for passing along news of the death of Ruth Freedman. Ruth came to Jeff in as a mid-termer in January 1951, along with about sixty others of us. I am not certain whether Ruth went to summerschool on summer and finished with the rest of us in 1954, if she left in January of 1955 or waited to finish in June 1955. I last recall chatting with Ruth fifteen or so years ago when chasing down lost classmates. She was living in Virginia and running a family business after being widowed. Here is the obituary for Ruth.

Ruth F. Spector, on Tuesday, March 10, 2009 of Fairfax, VA.

Beloved wife of the late Joseph Spector; mother of Marilyn E. Morrison and her husband, John CMDR USN Ret. and Larry B. Spector and his wife, Teresa Gardner; sister of Merle Polunski, Robert Freedman and the late I.E. and Lester Freedman; grandmother of Heather, Leah, James, Jacob and Austin.

Graveside service will be held at Agudas Achim Memorial Gardens, 1727 Austin Highway, San Antonio, TX on Sunday, March 15 at 12 Noon. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Humane Society of Fairfax County, 4057 Chain Bridge Rd., Fairfax VA 22030 or Temple B’Nai Shalom. Arrangements by Jefferson Funeral Chapel Alexandria, Virginia, 703-971-7400

San Antonio Express-News (TX) – Friday, March 13, 2009

Manuel Spector

Seeing Ruth Freedman’s married name reminded me of Manuel Spector. I wonder where he is today. Does anyone know? He had called me some years back and was living in the Boston area at the time. But after he found us, he fell through the cracks again.

 

 

William (Willie) Gonzalez

Similarly, Willie Gonzalez is another who has fallen through the cracks. Willie came to Jeff in January 1951 as part of the midterm sophomore class coming from Mark Twain and Hawthorne. Willie appeared in 1953 the Monticello as the class of 1954 section. He does not appear in the ’54 Monticello, so he either left before in January 1954 or ??? Does anyone know for certain?

I was told once that Willie became a doctor and was somehow associated with Texas Tech in Lubbock, but I was never able to track that one down.

Incidentally…

In looking at the earlier yearbooks, I noticed that seniors got big pictures, juniors were small, while Sophomores and Freshmen were thumbnail size.

Tata.

That was a common greeting of farewell when we lived in Australia. It always tickled me when manly men would say “Tata.” I think this wraps it up for today. Thanks for reading.

Let me leave you with this thought:

Did you ever look back and think of the people you dated in high school or wanted to date? Then you see them on Facebook and think, “Whew! I dodged the bullet THAT ONE!

 

 

The older we get,

Earlier today, I read a statement that “The older we get, the more we can’t believe how old we are!” Amen. It made me think of you all, my “old” classmates. Over the past few months, several have said (and you know who you are), “Can you believe we are 80?” then there is the line from the song in the musical, Chicago, “I never thought I would be this old.”

Those thoughts were followed by others about the joys of being older. We can sleep late, eat when and what we want if we don’t worry about staying healthy. Here are some thoughts to ponder.

I love being over 60.  I learn something new every day . . . and forget 5 others.

Senility has been a smooth transition.

I don’t mean to brag, but, I finished my 14-day diet food in 3 hours and 20 minutes.

I may not be that funny or athletic or good looking or smart or talented . . . I forgot where I was going with this . . .

David Chester

I heard from David recently and asked him to update us on the last 60 plus years. Here is David’s version of This Is Your Life in eight brief lines.

Graduated from The University of Texas in 1960 with a BS in Petroleum

Work History:

1960-2 Texas Railroad Commission

1962-82 Pet. Engr. with the IRS

1982-84 Petroleum Loan Officer with Texas Commerce Bank

1984-1994 Petr. Engr. with the IRS and the Regional Counsel and Justice Dept.

Retired.

Hobbies: Travel, Reading, Golf, Bridge, Genealogy, and Research for investing.

Married still and have 3 boys, all attending the The University of Texas

Very nice, David. Thanks for the update. Anyone else want to send along your resume?

Speaking of which…

Who remembers This Is Your Life, the that old, maudlin program on TV? That was in the day when television was still new enough that we all sat around and watched whatever was on. We started around 4:30 or 5 PM and watched the test pattern prior to the station signing on to broadcast.

We watched fifteen minute programs with Dinah Shore and Liberace and the news cast, among other things. These programs were not nearly as exciting as the radio serials, like Sky King, Terry and the Pirates, or Jack Armstrong, All American Boy. Those radio programs required imagination to visualize what was going on. All that television required was to sit and stare.

No photos today.

Sorry, but I cannot find them in my photo files, and I need to search for them. Next time…

 

 

Miscellany and more of the same old stuff

On the move…

California, here I come! Ann Johnston McEwan
writes that she is moving to California to live close to her daughter. My recollection is that Ann worked in the Austin environs from many years, collecting a paycheck from our state government, and recently retiring. She has lived in Hutto for a while, east of Austin. Ann says she will miss Texas and all her friends. Best wishes, Ann.

Also on the move…

Frances Folkes Porter
is moving (or already has moved) from Midland to Saladao, between Austin and Georgetown or somewhere in that vicinity. Again, proximity to children is the reason for uprooting. At our age, picking up and moving a few hundred or a few thousand miles is uprooting. Frances said she intends to come to the next class luncheon in October.

More from the Grim Reaper

Mary Lee Tiller Dunn

February 8, 1937 – November 29, 2014

Mary Lee Dunn, age 77, passed away on Saturday, November 29, 2014 in San Antonio, Texas. Mary Lee was born February 8, 1937 to Nellis Van Ness and Mildred Lee Tiller in San Antonio, Texas. She is preceded in death by her parents. Mary Lee is survived by her son, Jeffrey Dunn and wife, Cari Beer; son Todd Dunn and wife, Lori; daughter Kelly Dunn McCaslin and husband, Steve; grandchildren Shelby, Katie, Joshua and Jacob McCaslin and Jackson and Alexis Dunn; sister, Elizabeth Ann Bruchmiller; brother Nellis Van Ness “Van” Tiller, Jr. and wife, Cheri and numerous nieces and nephews and other family and friends.

Service: Saturday, December 6, 2014 10:00 A.M.

Porter Loring North Chapel

Interment will follow in Mission Burial Park South. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the San Antonio Feral Cat Coalition or to God’s Dogs.

Doug Steubing

April 1, 1936—September 26, 2000

When I recently published the lost list with Doug Steubing’s name included, Nancy Stover, Cleve Stover’s wife, sent along information that Doug had died a few years back. Per Nancy, Doug married Jean Betz, and they had a son, Scott.

With the internet, you can find out a lot of information about someone, for better or worse. Here is what turned up about Doug: Doug and Jean Betz married in 1958 and were divorced in 1969. In 1972, Doug married Patricia Ann Weir. At Jeff, there was a Jeff librarian named Laura Weir, but I don’t know if there was a relation to Patricia. Doug married once again in August 2000 and died on September 26, 2000.

On a Brighter Note…

Photos from the April lunch and other events in the past.

Left to right: Dottie & Charlie Griffin, Don Martin, Harry & Cerene Wharton, and Bob Blake

John Patmore and Irma Scriaffa

Patsy and Tom Patterson

Photos from past events:

    
Jerry Harris                             Pat Padgett Wiseman          Era Mae McFarland                                                                                                                             Scarborough

    
Ron Bridges                          Dick Brusenhan                   Kay Matteson Gregory

At Jeff: Jim Worley, David Frazier, Jane McRoberts Cobb

Blog 70

Two More Obituaries and Some Lunch Pics

Surprise Obituary: In recent weeks, I have been sorting through boxes of stuff and junk that I have not looked through in years. In a batch of letters my parents wrote to me while I was deployed was the obituary for T. Guy Rogers.

I did a bit of research and noted that T. Guy was married twice, with two children from his first wife, who died at age 34. His second wife, Edith Rogers, was my sixth grade school teacher at Travis Elementary. I recall her as an outstanding teacher as well as friend. Interestingly, she is not mentioned in the obituary, which I would assume was written by his children of the first wife. You will recognize some of the pallbearer names.

Here it is.

T. Guy ROGERS

T. Guy Rogers, age 91, died Friday, December 24, 1976.
He was a member of Jefferson United Methodist Church; member of San Antonio Independent School District for over 50 years; principal of Collins Gardens Elementary School, Main Ave. High School, and as first principal of Thomas Jefferson High School serving over 25 years; past president of Downtown Lions Club, Phi Delta Kappa, San Antonio Retired Teachers’ Association; and also
a member of Texas Lodge No. 8 AF&AM. Survivors: Daughter, Miss Enna Fay Rogers, San Antonio; sisters, Mrs. Sam G. Bratton, Albuquerque, N.M., Mrs. Berry Orr, Hereford, Tex.; grandson, Thomas B. Rogers will lie in state at the church Monday from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. Service Monday at 1 0’clock at Jefferson United Methodist Church, Dr. J. Garfield Owens, the Rev. Albert Clayton, and the Rev. Sterling Wheeler officiating. Pallbearers: Leon Taliaferro, Bill Lafferty, Terrell F. Gates, A. W. Norton, Dr. S. W. Allen. Roland L. House. Honorary pallbearers: J. H. Barnes, Thomas B. Portwood, Oscar Miller, Enos Gary, Bailey Peyton, Louis Rodriguez, J. Andrew Smith, L. W. Fox, Claude Kellam, Carl Hemmi, Claude B. Aniol, Robert G. Chambers, Clyde Gott. Interment in Mission Burial Park.

Arrangements With

Porter Loring

Below is a newspaper article announcing the funeral.

Rogers’ funeral Monday

Funeral services will be at I p.m. Monday at Jefferson United Methodist Church for T. Guy Rogers, the first principal of Thomas Jefferson High School.

Rogers, 91, died Friday.

Rogers has also been past president of the Downtown Lions Club, Phi Delta Kappa and San Antonio Retired Teachers’ Assn.

He had also been past principal of Collins Gardens Elementary School and Main Avenue High School as well as a member of Jefferson United Methodist Church. Burial will be at Mission Burial Park.

Survivors include a daughter, Enna Fay Rogers of San Antonio, two sisters, a grandson and two great-grandchildren.

Classmate Obituaries:
In recent weeks, various classmates have informed of several deaths. Last time I posted the most recent obituary, that of Betty Ann Canfield Penick. Today I will do a couple more.

First, though, a smile or two, based on memories of Betty Ann. At our thirtieth reunion, there were the usual selection of attendees—most changed, least changed, most children/grandchildren, etc. At that reunion, Betty Ann came as a total blonde and won the most changed “girl” hands down. Incidentally, Pat Trimble Bryant won the least changed “girl.”

Second recall of Betty Ann is the blurb she sent in for the class history booklet published a couple of years ago. Recalling from memory, all Betty Ann said was “I was a straight A student until Miss George gave me a B in history, and I am still upset.”

By including these smiles, my hope is to encourage others to share memories on this blog about our dearly departed classmates. Send me some by replying on the blog itself.

Barbara Hattan Stokes

Barbara Jean Hattan Stokes, 80, of San Antonio passed on January 24, 2017. Born in San Antonio, Texas on September 25, 1936 to Colonel Roy Eugene Hattan, US Army and Ruth Langley Phifer Hattan. She was married to the late Maj. Perry George Stokes, US Army. 

Barbara is proceeded by her husband Maj. Perry G. Stokes, her oldest Son Edward Roy Stokes, her parents Col. Roy E. Hattan & Ruth Phifer Hattan, her brother Captain Robert L. Hattan, US Navy and her Great-Grandson Aaron Joseph Loudon, as well as many very dear Friends.

Barbara’s energetic personality and gracious demeanor made her a much sought after business professional. Her attention to detail, speed and near flawless administrative efficiency allowed her to contribute her energies and talents to many fine companies for nearly 50-years.

Barbara enjoyed reading, crochet to gift to her family, Broadway plays and musicals; next to her Family, her greatest love was Genealogy. Her strong love for the family tree stimulated her interest in genealogy. Near the end of her life; Barbara contributed several filing cabinets full of extensive and detailed genealogical records to the Texas Genealogical Society. All this while raising children and supporting her husband in his military career across several continents.

Her commitment at the following companies during her career as a professional executive administrator included but not limited to:
Swearingen Aviation for Mr. Ed Swearingen – An internationally known Aeronautical Engineer
Southwest Craft Center
American Institute for Character Education for Mr. Jay Mulkey

Her involvement in many organizations, societies and associations at a Local, State and National levels, are remarkable, but are not limited to the following:
Army Residence Community: Barbara initiated the Wii Bowling & Wii Bingo Games. Games and activities: Mexican Train (game)
The Preservation of Historic Ft Sam Houston {Active Board Member}
Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) {Member}
The Society of Sons and Daughters of WW II {Member}
Daughters of the United States Army {Board Member}
The San Antonio Genealogical Society and Library {Member}
National Museum of the Pacific War, Home of Admiral Nimitz Museum {Member}

Barbara, beloved Mother, is survived by:
Her children: Linda S. Loudon, Michael E. Stokes, Katie S. Horn, Barry Stokes, Shelley S. Francis, and Patrice S. Harvey
Her Grandchildren: Katrina Marie Ghiouli, Kourtney Marie Loudon, Clifford Albert Loudon, Madison Rae Stokes and Grace Elizabeth Stokes
Her Great-Grandchildren: Colton Blake Harper, Freya Marie Ghiouli, Alyssia Michelle

Next time, Mary Lee Tiller Dunn and Doug Steubing

More lunch photos from April 7, 2017

  Mary Helen Bass Bell

Bob Tate and Carolyn Edgerton Stafford

Dan Scraiffa, Servando de la Garza, Jim McNeel