Bethel High School - Beacon Yearbook (Bethel, MO)

Page 32 text:

SENIOR CLASS PROPHECY OF 1945-46. In May 1970 as I stood watching a promising group of young graduates, many memories of my own graduation days in 1946 from Bethel High School returned. I began to wonder what old man time had done to my fellow classmates. I solemnly resolved to make -,a search throughout the United States and to make inquiries until I located the other three members of our class and our sponsor, Mr. Ballance. First I will report on Richard Smoot, who, twenty-five years ago, was a tall dark and handsome lad. He never worried about lessons, dates or his future occupation. Of the latter he said Uncle Sam will take care of that . I finally dis- covered he had spent four years in the United States Navy and had returned to his home town and claimed a former school mate, Lyda Lee Broughton, as his bride. Together they had migrated to the State of Arizona. There they owned and operated a ranch known as Pine Springs Ranch . According to the report, Richard was a successful manager and though rather portly was happy and well contented. The next classmate on my list would naturally be Richard's mischievous, fun-loving brother, Grover Wilson, better known as Junior or Chris. I recall how he was always busy hiding the teachers books or pencils, or tying someones scarf or sweater in knots. That boy will go places someday people often remarked. According to this report, he really has. It states: Grover Wilson Smoot, a bach- elor of fifty-two, was elected Mayor of New York City by a large majority. ' It is with a smile that I report on pretty blue-eyed Barbara Swisher, who at seventeen insisted she was going to college for four years and definitely was not going to marry until she had reached the age of twenty-five. However, Lamar succ- eeded in persuading her to take the M. R. S. degree at the age of twenty-one. She has proved to be a good housewife and a great help to her husband in keeping books for the Standard Oil Company. I am the remaining senior, and in case you are interested, I submit the foll- owing facts. My teen-age ambition was to make a trip to the West Coast, however, it was never realized. After teaching school for four years, I married an old school- mate, Leroy Becknett. Now that our two children, Mary Jane and David are older, we are planning a trip through western United States and Canada. I learned from a recent college bulletin that our beloved sponsor, Mr. Wayne Ballance, had been elected President of the Missouri University. Something has evidently changed his attitude toward the teaching profession since l946. I was quite surprised when I noticed in the hands of a school boy, an English book, Rules for Better English hy Miss Eva Dale McDaniel. I understand she had retired and is enjoying life on the teachers pension. According to the December 1970 edition of the Bethel Beacon, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Gonnerman had received word of the birth of a grandson, Jesse Ray, to their daughter in California. An old schoolmate informed me that our former Math and Science teacher, Mr. Ma lflox, had retired. He is living in his home in Bowling Green, Missouri. It seems that his favorite pastime is that of helping his granddaughter with her Algebra.

Page 34 text:

This concludes the report in regard to the graduating class of 1946 and the teachers of that period. If at some later date, you should find that any part of this record should be revised, feel free to let me know immediately as I intend to keep this precious document on file for future reference. . By Norma Smoot A , 5 2 2 :- N 2 eniors 5