Helena High School - Vigilante Yearbook (Helena, MT)

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drivers at Fort Douglas, Utah. Sitting across from me was Geraldine McCarthy, who said she was now a buyer for the American Fur Company. The talking subsided when our speaker, Vivian Heiser, rose to open the reunion. Viv is the head nurse on the U.S.S. Mercy, just returned from the Solomons. She wel- comed everyone and said she was proud of the success of the class of 44 . She then introduced Curtis Brown who is in charge of the United States Zoo for unintelligent monkeys and intellectual apes. Curtis proposed a toast to the class of 1944. After the toast Viv made a short talk. She thanked the decorations committee for doing such beautiful work and the program committee for arranging the lovely pro- gram which would follow. Laughingly, she thanked Alice Brown for preparing such a suitable menu for us since Alice is the dietitian for convalescent dogs and might have gotten her menus mixed. After this she introduced Joe Buley as the acting secretary for this reunion. Joe is a mining engineer in Chile. Viv then requested that we answer the roll call by giving our occupations and those of absent members whom we know. Joe began the roll call with the name of Bruce Anderson. Bruce is a junk dealer and he informed us that Raymond Cumming and Robert Downs are dog catchers, spe- cializing in French Poodles and Dachshunds, in Kalamazoo. Bruce added that Mary Lou Frey won a fifty thousand dollar R0ver's Fleas Soap contest and is now living in leisure in the South. ' Alyce Bevan's name was the next to be read. She said that Joyce Meale, Kay Guthrie, Robert Turner, and herself were owners of the Wee Toddlers Toy Company. The others regretted that they could not attend. She stated that Peg Hanley, Shirley Hibarger, Delores Johnson, Beverly Thompson, and Beverly Lyman are modeling for Mademoiselle Valorie Wordal's La Vieille Chatte Magasin, New York City. Joe then called on Charles Bradham who is the president of the So That's Whe1'e My Mule Went glue factory. He said Joan Rummel was now the wife of an R.A.F. pilot and they are residing in London. She met him while ferrying bombers during World War II. Irene Bompart was next. She said that she was superintendent of the High Hooters School of Dancing and also that Clara Bean, Audrey Boone, and Betty Brewer are chief petty officers in the W.A.C.S. and are stationed at the San Diego Naval Base. Viv then asked Joe to read the cablegrams received from those members not present. I-Ianyang, China. We regret that we are unable to be present at this reunion. Our work as teachers in the American mission here retains us. Sincerely, Dorothy Loranz, Grace Bausch, Dorothy Knudsonf' V New York City, New York. Sorry we cannot be present. Our duties as censors of the overseas mail of the W.A.C.S. keeps us here in New York. Long live the class of 44 .--Rose Ann Talseth, Nellie Martello, and Lola Kitts. Budapest, Hungary. Sorry I am not present but am collecting information for my hook Folk Life in Hungary. Good luck to everyone. Helen Mayer. Lampang, Thailand. My work as principal of this missionary school keeps me from attending the reunion. Ted Schuelef' Then Joe continued the roll call with Dick Baker's name. He stated that he was running the Seam Shoppe in which he paints the seams on artificial stockings. He said Jerry Pippy had been recently elected pin up boy by the K W W-Kaiser's Women Workers-and also that Frank Smith, Fred Strandberg, and Dale Sutton are the proprietors of the S.S.S. Restaurant. Their motto is Service, Savings, and Spaghetf' Next, Marilyn Biffle said she was now manufacturing the Straight From the Shoulder Chemistry Aprons which have made her famous. Mouriel Bottomly had written her that she was now conducting a boarding school for girls in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Joe 'then called upon Sig Berg. Ole Carlson, Don Thompson, and Sig, after twenty- five years in the Army Air Corps, were still Shavetails. He added that Dan Schofield and Bob Radley are well known F.B.I. agents. Joy Bowden answered that she was owner, financier, secretary, manager, book- keeper, and chief dishwasher of the Help Yourself restaurant and wonders why she doesn't make any money. Elaine Hammerstrom is a movie actress playing under the name of Brunhilde Boondocker. Mrs. Lindstrom, formerly Betty Bridges, said she was driving the truck for the How Sweet You Are Flower Shop. The roll call was interrupted long enough for the program. Bud Burke's Band played several numbers. Bud and Connie Eckhardt are the only original members left in the band. The twin sons of Mrs. Alibabba, the former Lucie Bell Fall, did sev- eral tap dances. While the band was playing, I glanced at the advertisements on the menu and recognized some of the advertisers as Ed, Bill, Mike and Donald, as former classmates. They have the McHugh and Hartzog Rigor Mortis Funeral Home and the Stump and Peterson Lumber Company. Another ad read Get your black market meat at Young's Slaughterhouse, owner R. D. Young.

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Class Prophecy Richland Hotel Cleveland, Ohio May 25, 1969 As I was strolling through the lobby of the hotel, which is managed by Kermit Kruse, I heard Kermit and Ched Kabalin, district manager of Western Union, talking about the class of 44 . I stopped to hear what they were saying. A reunion banquet? When? Tonight, in Helena. Didn't you see it in the paper? Here, I'll show it to you. Looking over his shoulder, I read, On May 25, 1969 a reunion banquet of the Class of 44 of Helena High School will be held at 7 p. m. in the Vigilante Hotel in Helena, Montana. All members of the class are to be present if possible. I immedi- ately decided that I, Jonathan P. Snoop, inquiring reporter for the Class of 44 , should attend. So I called a Black and Blue cab to take me to the airport. This cab company, owned by Harry Joslin and Robert Ring, is so called because of the condition of the passengers after their ride. I reached the airport just in time, and as we took off, I noticed that all the other passengers were members of my class on their way to the reunion. Eimalee Lane and Dona Cloo-ten are nurses in charge of osteopathic and surgical wards, respectively, at Mayo's clinic. Florence Turner and Shirley Reynolds are popular radio script writers. Warren Totten is a Representative in the House for the state of Kentuckyg and Dick Hohn is president of the Chewy Chew gum factory. We landed in Helena around dinner time and went straight to the banquet. The hotel Vigilante where the banquet was held is the largest in Helena and is owned by Richard Volk. As we entered the banquet hall we were greeted by a wel- coming committee made up of Joe Mazuranich, who is well known for his book The History of the Trojan War , Lois Strom, dietitian at U.S.S. Carrollg Jack McLaughlin, Jack Moore, and Kenneth Orton, all of whom are United States Senators representing Montana, Wyoming, and Kansas respectively. As I walked around the banquet hall, I met Mary Ellen Horne and Irene Hewitt. Mary Ellen holds the world's record in typing. She told me that Dorothy Hall was the personal secretary to the president of the Du Pont Company. Irene told us she is a blues singer in the Blue Tavern, New York City. We admired the beautiful decora- tions which were made by Marilyn Smith. who is noted for her distinctive ideas in interior decorating. Grace Taylor, now a professor of psychology at Mills College, came up and we looked at the cleverly designed placecards which were made by Claire Julian. Claire designs cards for the Scattergood Will Card Company, whose slogan is Scatter Good Will tPoor little Williej. We had been requested to register and state our present occupation. Since I had not done so, I now made my way to the desk. I met Hans Trankle. Remembering his interest in chemistry I was not surprised to lea1'n that he was head chemist of the research laboratory at the General Electric Company. We noted with interest the following names on the register: Frances Cable-Librarian at Great Falls Public Library Helen Bond-Model for Vogue-New York City Bob Austin-Chief Justice of the Supreme Court-Helena, Montana Clarence Mergenthaler-Manager of American Smelting and Refining Company Barbara Vinacke-Radio announcer KNX Los Angeles-Los Angeles. Calif. Luella Smigaj-Candy tester for the Societie Candy Company-Salt Lake Mickey Sanders-4Head of the agency to obtain dates for Hi school girls Norma Nyland-Secretary to president of the Mike Horse Mine Jim Brinker-Mining engineer in Nome, Alaska Mary Reagan-Air line hostess for American Airways-South Bend, Indiana Bob Tennyson-U. S. Marshall-San Francisco, California Midge Norris-District salesman for the C Yourself as Other's C U Mirror Com- pany-Denver Melodie Cusson-Actress-New York City, New York Martha Celar-Riveter at Lockheed Elsie Beniger-Originator of next year's haircut, the Leap Year Bob Clifford Kracher-Forest Ranger at Yellowstone National Park. Then the toastmaster, Curtis Brown, asked us to find our places. While I was look- ing for mine I saw E.unice Grieb, advertising manager for LEGS, a sportsman's magazine. Finally I found my place. On my left was Joe Winfield and on my right Katherine Foote. Joe is the coach of that famous Midget Team of Clancy, Montana. I wonder if it is Joe's good coaching or just a good team. Katherine Foote, or Lieu- tenant Foote of the Women's Army Corps, told me that she was in charge of the truck

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Even the Halfway House owned by Iris Rose, Mary Lee Nick, Betty Brockway, Irene Petek, and Mae Watts was advertised. This inn is halfway between Helena and Juneau on the Alaskan Highway. Next the Beauty Shop Quartet which is made up of Beatrice Heisey, Eleanor Skufca, Mary Ellen Wetzstein, and Dorothy Wickersheim, sang a song written and composed by Betty Foe1'schler. The quartet may be heard every evening at 7:47 P. M. over station IOU. Joe continued the roll call with Katherine Blacker who said that after working twenty-five years at the Western Union she finally got the courage to step into the manager's office to ask for a raise but stepped right out again. She added that Joan Allen is the dancer with Cab Calloway. She also said that Betty Sanford, former tennis champ, was in England watching her niece play a championship tennis match. Roy Milligan replied that he was an instructor at the Chicken 'Scratch School for improved methods of shorthand. He said that Ed Hames and Phil Williams invented the Eddie's and Wil1ie's Automatic Show Me the Way to Go Home Shoes after a big New Year's celebration and added that George Herman is a W.P.A. Administrator. Sylvia Miller is an economics and sociology teacher in room 218 H.H.S. She said that Jean Wegner and Dona Reighard were trapeze artists at Coney Island and that Gladys Brown had invented the Pushemup Plant Food. Lorna Richardson answered by saying she was writing a book entitled How Not to Collect Ads for Hi School Papers. She said Marie Nieml is the Social editor of the Seattle P.I. and that Mrs. Bud Burke, formerly Jean Tinker, regretted that she couldn't attend because Mortimer, her ninth child, has mumps. Dan McDonald said that he was foreman and Dave Burgess his assistant at the Leonard mine in Butte. He also told us that 'Buck Private George DeWolf was still peeling potatoes in the Army and that Dick Tobin is playing the part of Banker Pendleton in the 'lMa Perkins series on the radio. Nina Murfitt and Lulu Fulton are running the Lonely Hearts Matrimonial Agency. It is rumored that Don Richards, who owns a large Dude Ranch in Montana, met Mrs. Richards through this agency. Charles Rusek said he was an authority on the cultivating of cookie dusters and that Ivan Fowler and Rod Gregor put out the Skin You Love to Touch wieners. Anita Bruce told us the story of her famous Dingle Doodle Lapel Pins. She added that Aleva Benjamin is an Army nurse and is stationed in Panamag and also that Agnes Strekall and Dorothy Morello were the originators of that tongue scorching chili sauce The Blow Torch. George Langdorf, world famous fortune teller and magician, gave us a few of l1is magic tricks. He is second only to Houdini. He said that Gwen Clark is the burlesque queen and her theme song is Queenie, Queen of them all. Dan Kelly's slogan is: If you want your walls to have that well-groomed look, call on Dan Kelly, the best paper hanger of all time. He added that Gene Christenson was the chief grease monkey in the We 'Can Fix It Tricycle Shop. Ed Johnson is a broker on the Wall Street Stock Market. Reta Rae Melugin is house mother of the Hi Dive. She said that Roberta Lewis, cartoonist, originated the cartoon Moitle the Toitle, successor to Mickey Mouse, and that Dorothy Leidle, Alice King, Thelma Smith and Roseanna Limeberger own the H H Lazy S dude ranch. Joe read a telegram from Katherine Martin who is now a famous pianist and is appearing on a Community Concert in Seattle tonight: also one from Dr. R. A. Hawkins, who is the chief surgeon in Zanzibar. He also read a radio-gram from Vice Admiral Lyle Pederson who is now commander of the U.S.S. battleship Montana. Barbara McDougall Whiteaker laughingly said that times have changed. She is managing the Parrot while Bob stays home keeping an eye on Sharon Rose and her boy friends. She stated that Jacque Spondenburg and Irene Wong are research chemists for the Fragrance Chemical Company which specializes in chemicals for High School laboratories. Clarice Darfler said that she and Patsy Jester are now running a restaurant, The Rooster, It Speaks for Itself. She then read an advertisement for cornbread as follows: Have you ever tried Valencia Kabalin's new, improved, kitchen-tested, en- riched, vitamin-filled cornbread? All experts testify to the fact that when it comes to cornbread, it's Kabalin's. Audrey Wendel, the wor1d's most famous physical ed teacher, originator of that breath-taking Lazy Y football play, is now coaching at Notre Dame. She said Janice McMahon is an advertiser for the Rub Easy Wax Company and that Jeanne Roddy is the chief bookkeeper for the Lee Pocha Employment Agency corner of 19th and 44th Street in Montana City. The reunion ended with the singing of Brawny Bengals and Auld Lang Sync. It has been a privilege to be your narrator for the last minutes. Jonathan P. Snoop, III! Inquiring Reporter