Frankfort Community High School - Red Bird Yearbook (West Frankfort, IL)

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The class met early and organized, electing Don Henson, president; Tom Blake, vice-president; and Delia Martin, secretary-treasurer. They started the social ball rolling by a tramp to Town Mount Churchyard, where a weiner roast was enjoyed. January twenty-first, a class party was given in the gym. The faculty declared the Juniors to be royal entertainers, an evening of fun and pleasure being enjoyed by all. Several weeks later the class held a carnival, which had all the characteristics of a real one, from the fortune-tellers to the red lemonade. This was pronounced the “best ever” and the sum of almost seventy-five dollars was realized This went toward the Junior-Senior banquet, the greatest social event of high school life. This was held in the Christian Church basement and gymnasium. First, came the banquet with speeches and toasts; then followed games and contests of all kinds This affair was second to none in the history of F. C. H S. In the year 1921, the strongest Senior Class known to the school entered the F. C. H. S. At class organization, Luke Gladdcrs was chosen president; Cloyd Thompson, vice-president; and Lelia Martin, secretary-treasurer. A hallowe’en masquerade party was held in the library of the new F. C. H. S. building. The room was tastefully decorated in Ila .o-we’en and class colors. Everyone came masked and all reported a de igl'.t-ful time. This year, athletics is again a strong point in the history of the Senior class, since several of their boys received letters in Foot Bail and four of the Champion Five of F. C. H S. Basket Ball team are Seniors. This class will have the honor of being the first to graduate from the new high school building, which is surpassed by none in the state. F. C. H. S. will surely miss the class of ’22 next year and the c'ass of ’22 vi 1 miss F. C. H. S., but tine to their class record of “always ready to do their duty,” they will move out into the world and contribute their part toward making it a better place to live in.

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£ rninr (Clasu iatnry Early in the golden month of Septeml er, 1918 there entered West Frankfort High School, a class which was destined to make the whole school, town and community proud of them. Perhaps, at first, there was a certain degree of verdancy in their actions and talk, for they were all normal young people, but soon their superior work in the classrooms commanded the attention of everyone. It was not long before some of the talented members of this brilliant class appeared on almost every program given by the Literary Societies. l»oth semester examinations were conquered and in the year of 1919 the conquerers set sail on Sophomore seas. This year, they were joined by an equally strong band from Frankfort Heights, as the result of the consolidation of the two high schools. Early in the year, the class met and organized, electing Noble Rains, president; Cloyd Thompson, vice-president; and Hess Pitchford, secretary-treasurer. These officers together with the rest of the class, helped to make the social side of school a success. A party was given, which was immensely enjoyed by all the class. This helped the class to gain the ground they now hold, not only as leaders in school classes, but in school social circles as well. Athletics was introduced into the school and both Sophomore boys and girls won the well-deserved title of champions of the high school The class showed their appreciation of this merit by giving them a banquet. The rooms were appropriately decorated in the class colors, canary yellow and white, and a pleasant evening was spent with all the fun that goes to make a class social successful Another feature of this year was an Annual put out by the Senior Class. Needless to say, the “Sophs” contributed their part and it was by the untiring efforts of some of the members that the Annual was made a success and given a permanent place in F C. H S. In the fall of 1920, thirty-six used-to-be Sophs, but now jolly Juniors entered school again. Through marriage and other epidemics their number had decreased by thirteen—but not their intellectual ability. They were still the “live wires” of the school. With what envious eyes did the lower classmen look up to their superior school matesj And even the dignified Seniors might have been a wee bit jealous!

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Senior JJrnphprg It was one of those ideal June days in the year 1923, when one wants to lie down under the shade of some tree and dream of days gone by. I did not have time for such pleasures, but made my way to the hanger where I kept my “air lizzie.’’ 1 rolled her out of her dog kennel with the greatest of care, and l egan adjusting this and that, when I heard a familiar voice say, “What’s up now, Useless?” 1 turned around and l eheld Robert C. Thompson, more commonly known as “Sophy.” Now Sophy and I were the only two of the class of ’22 that had remained in West Frankfort. I suppose the reason for this was, that during our school life we were so timid and bashful, that everyone jeered at us and said we would never get far from home. Sophy had achieved great success, since yo olde Graduation Day. He had acquired several titles of President, some of them l»eing President of Rotary Club, President of Country Club, and President of Greater West Frankfort Club. In case any big project wanted to l e put through in “The Nation’s Coal Bucket” region everybody looked to Sophy to put it through. As for myself, I had managed by nip and tuck, hook and crook, to save enough money to purchase the one-horse air lizzie, I was so proud of, and by establishing a jitney route between Johnston City, Plumfield, Benton and West Frankfort, I had managed to keep the wolf from the door. I told Sophy that nothing was up unless he had something on his mind. “Well,” he said, “I have been thinking of the old class of ’22 and il you are willing I would like to look them up. I will pay expenses.” Who wouldn’t jump at the chance? We loaded up with provisions and fuel, cranked the old lizzie, climbed aDoard and were off, we knew not where. I stepped on the juice and we left little old Illinois behind us. Our first stop was in a prosperous valley of Arizona, near Winslow. Here we discovered the wonderful dashing full-back, Thomas A Blake and his wife, Rol erta Blake, nee Miller. Hossfly, as we always called him, was a construction engineer for the Utah Construction Co., and was building a railroad for the Western Pacific Railyaw Co., from Choncho, Arizona, to Uiles, California. Tom told us he had three children and they were all as red-headed as he. From Arizona we flew north over Utah and while flying at a low altitude, we saw one of the most beautiful cities ! elow us. Above the roar of the engine we could hear the sweetest of music which sounded like chimes. We decided to investigate.