Clay City High School - Claytonian Yearbook (Clay City, IL)

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SENIOR CLASS PROPHECY w One lonely night as I was plugging away on the yearbook, my eyelids flickered and in an instant, 1 was cutting wood for a sawmill. That night I was to have written the Class Prophecy; but being near-sighted and far from a prophet, I dreaded the job. I let Skinny Ennis, my cat, indoors. I ate breakfast food, read the daily paper, all the time dodging the thoughts of concentrated work. Finally, I sat down and took the pen in hand. Bore led to sleepiness, and my head soon dropped to the table. It was then I found myself in this other world. I had been appointed to take a census of the whereabouts and status of the members of the class of 1944. The date? —oh yes. It was 1954—ten years since we had grabbed our diplomas. I never shall forget that. The president of the Board of Directors had blisters on his left hand from giving out the diplomas. I remember one Senior saying, “Oh, oh, Mr. Shafer, you forgot something!”—it turned out to be his signature. One Senior was so scared that she made too swift a getaway without giving warning to her high heels. Well, enough for that, for I imagine you’re anxious to learn what the class of 1944 is doing. Martha Acklin has married Bill Winchester and they have two sets of twins, triplets, and quintuplets—which make a grand total of of twelve. Bill is gray haired from that scare he got the other night. An unknown babe walked in the front door and Bill began to feel unlucky. But, contrary to his fears, it was just the Baby New Year. No kidding now. Bill is about to go “stork-mad.” Ronald Heninger is a traveling salesman. He sells propellers for helicopters. He leads an exciting life for he comes in contact with all the housewives of Florida. Paul Kuyoth is a foreman on a dam building project in Wyoming. All scrap iron is thrown in the cement for reinforcement. He should throw in that piece of iron he has at home. I think they called them cars back in 1944. Doyle Levitt, with a package of Mail Pouch in his hip pocket, does little more than take target practice on the spittoon every day.

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SENIOR WILL (Continued) Ralph Kelly: Would like to give Junior Hosselton his pet hobby of wrecking cars. Paul Kuyoth: Leaves his variety of girl friends to Bill Weiler. Doyle Levitt: Leaves his mild disposition and an extra package of Mail Pouch to Junior Kidder. Anna Mae Love: Bequeaths her riding breeches to Alice Fox. Juanita Mayden: Thinks she will leave her yellow “curls” and one—two—maybe three of her soldiers to Virginia Rogers. Betty Lee Miller: Leaves her daily trips to the Post Office to Juanita Pearce. Carlyn Miller: Deeds his place in the Reading Room to anyone who feels the need for it. Bonnie Moore: Hands over her good natured ways to Jane Brainard. Pauline Moseley: Leaves her love for “Bokey” to his commanding officer. Joseph Noll: Leaves his cowboy boots to Andy Brissenden who already has some, so why give them to him? Joyce Reid: Gives her rank of Queen to the next lucky Senior girl. Jean Rinehart: Wills her funny laugh to Jo Ann Striegel. Deanne Smith: Leaves her bandleading to someone with swing but her Ford, Leopold, goes to the scrap drive. Ray Stanford: Wants his gracefulness in a gymn suit to be given to Harold Shaffer. Merle Thomas: Wills his long shots and welding to Norman Moseley. Donna Warren: Gives her liking of Jack Cockerel to any nut. Georgianna Weber: Wills her fast talkin’ to Onita Hill. Fred Weiler, Jr.: Leaves his “Gable” technique to Keith W. June Williams: Bequeaths her affairs with George Lewis and Robert Washington to sister Feme. Maxine Wilson: Gives her love for the Senior boys to Johnnye Story. Bill Winchester: Deeds his place on the team to Bus Patridge. The preceding is signed and sealed in the presence of the class of English IV.

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SENIOR CLASS PROPHECY (Continued) I went out to Hollywood and there 1 found Ralph making famous that title “Wreck 'em and leave ’em Kelly.” The women are all moon-eyed over him since Frankie Sinatra died from tasting so many tunes. But Ralph’s popularity is no competition for that of Clark Gable, Jr., who is known to us as Fred Weiler, Jr. I looked and hunted everywhere for Jack “Joker” Cockerel but the search seemed in vain. I contacted the Governor and he gave me Jack’s address. My, my what monstrous rocks they have at Sing Sing! at the prison. Jack told me his girl had shot him but, deciding to be contrary, he didn’t die. The judge considered that a criminal offense and sentenced him to 999 years just to be on the safe side. Leon Groves and Gene Hall, unable to leave the Navy, are fast becoming a couple of old salts and are living up to that saying of “a girl in--” (you know where). Ruth Doud is a beauty operator and very happy at her work. She now has the opportunity to plaster a few enemies with mud balls. Dick Doris is now President of the Whitizzit Company and enjoys turning out products that make sales because they arouse curiosity. Bob Clark has a contract for manufacturing a special kind of snowball. These snowballs have rocks inside. The Regular Army uses them to keep in practice. Dick Bokenkamp lives down in soft music, moonlight Hawaii. He married an Islander and they have a two-room shack. His hair has turned dark brown. He thinks he is really smart—dodging income taxes. Maxine Wilson and Pauline Moseley married twin cowboys and they all live on a ranch in Montana. They started naming their children as the months of the year but there got to be so many that, in order to save time, they just wait till round-up time and brand them all. Dale Bissey is an architect for a bridge company. But the other day he went too far with his drawings. He designed a bridge for Lake Michigan. Now everybody knows that Lake Michigan is just too far North. Ray Stanford is a big time farmer. You can see him in the field most every day pulling his machinery with a helicopter.