Big Sandy High School - Pioneer Yearbook (Big Sandy, MT)

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Of the ten girls in the graduating class, eight sang in the Girls Glee Club and nine were in the Home Economics Club. Exactly half the graduating members played an instrument in the Pep Band. Half of the class also got the mumps at some time during a two-month period in the spring of their senior year. In September, 1941, twenty-nine freshmen were initiated by the seniors. We dressed like Christmas trees with tin cans as ornaments. The seniors felt themselves superior and made us bow to them, or else? I?!? In the evening, we were the Stars ?? of the program. The Carnival was a great event for we operated novelty games to raise money for class and school-wide expenses. The Carnival Queen candidate for our class was Frances Henderson. In our Sophomore year, the girls cooked and served the Athletic Banquet. About twenty-five boys were present at the Banquet, which was served in the Home Economics room. Because of the war we felt it would be unpatriotic to have a Carnival. We changed this event into a Victory Night, and sold War Stamps and Bonds for admittance. Victory Belles were chosen by placing the ballot from the Bonds or Stamps bought in the box for the Belle of your choice. Our candidate for this year was Margaret Keller. In our Junior year, the major activities started with Victory Night. Delores Goecks, our candidate for Victory Belle, was crowned at 12:00. The class play, Double Exposure , was presented shortly after Victory Night. In the spring, we planned the Junior-Senior Prom. We carried out the theme of Moonlight and Roses. The tables were arranged in a large V in the center of the hall. For the Prom banquet, the mothers of the Juniors brought food and cooked the meal in the Hot-Lunch-Kitchen in the Community Hall. Some of us Juniors helped prepare the meal and set the tables until it was time to get dressed for the banquet. George Jelinek served as banquet toastmaster, and Chouteau County Superintendent of Schools Margarethe Kleinschmidt attended and spoke to the graduates. The last day of school, the class went to Beaver Creek Park in the Bears Paw Mountains on a picnic. In the evening we attended a show in Havre. Being Seniors, it was our privilege to have the Bingo Booth on Victory Night. We were fortunate to make $97.50 which helped to pay for the curtain for the stage in the gymnasium. This curtain was presented to the school by the classes of 1 944 and 1945. Violet Lanik, our candidate, was crowned Victory Belle. Instead of having a play, we had a Senior Dance. Preceding the dance, there was a Band Concert and a movie, Combat America. The dance was not financially as successful as a play would have been. For our Sneak Day , we went on a trip to Great Falls. While there, we visited Giant Springs, the Mausoleum, the Coca Cola Bottling Works, The Paris Department Store, Radio Station KFBB, The Tribune office, and Gore Air 8

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CLASS HISTORY The Class of 1945 started first grade in September, 1933. At that time, there were fourteen of us. Only four members of the graduating class, Margaret Cole, Edward Nygard, Joe Quinn, and Robert Green spent their entire school career together. As the years rolled on, we grew and our class did too. When we finished the eighth grade, there had been forty-five different members in the grades. Some of these students came in from the country on school buses. At first, hot lunches were served mostly for the rural students. The hot lunches were soups made by the Home Economics girls and served to first, second and third graders during the winter months to eat with their sandwiches. Occasionally another hot dish was served. If the weather was unpleasant outside, Muriel Lund organized games for those who wanted to play after lunch before school started again. When we were freshmen, the School Lunch Program served from 60-70 hot meals each day and the cost per plate was a nickel. By the time we were seniors the cost had risen to a dime and 80-100 meals were served daily. During our pre-High School years we had only four different home room teachers. Zelda Bilile served in that capacity in grades one and two. Helen A. Meyer was in charge of us in the third, fourth and fifth grades; Freda Erfle, during our sixth year. Francis E. Miley supervised the Junior High (grades seven and eight), was our Principal for twelve years, and supervised the boys dormitory. We started first grade under Superintendent Earl F. Sykes. O. Lloyd Gillespie became our Superintendent in the third grade and Elmer Skeie in the fifth. Charles E. Hood was the Superintendent during our four high school years. As sixth graders, we joined the High School Band under the direction of Clarence F. Boess. Orion G. Hegre was director during our freshman year and continued until called to military service in the middle of our junior year. Clifford Knapp of Havre took over on a part-time basis for the remainder of that year and also the year we were seniors. Twelve members played in the High School Band and with their instruments are listed as follows: Margaret Bakke - cornet Margaret Cole - clarinet Delores Goecks - clarinet Bob Green - cornet Violet Lanik - alto saxophone Merlin Mandsager - bass horn Ed Nygard - percussion Ed Pokorny - clarinet Joe Quinn - trombone Ethel Randall - clarinet Mernie Wright - clarinet Betty Yama - clarinet 7

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Field. The trip was very educational as many had never visited these places before. The total school enrollment from grades one through twelve was 323 the year we were freshmen. The next year it was 308 and then 318 the following year. By the time we were seniors it had dropped to 301. The high school enrollment also showed a decline from 109 to 95, then 100, and finally 97 during our senior year. The number of graduating seniors decreased dramatically from 31 in 1942 to 21, up to 24, and then down to 16 with our class. The war years when we were in high school caused an unusual turnover in staff members so we had more than the usual number of teachers. The faculty members who served during our high school years and the courses they taught are listed as follows in alphabetical order: Mary Bailey, Social Science Zelda Bilile, English and Library Helen Carlson, Social Science and Phy. Ed. Cecelia Deutschman, Home Economics Orion G. Hegre, Science and Music Charles E. Hood, Superintendent, Science Esther Hood, Vocal Music George Jelinek, Social Science, Vo-Ag, Phy. Ed. Earl Julson, Vo-Ag and Shop Clifford Knapp, Band Fay Machgan, Science Francis Miley, Principal; Mathematics, Vo-Ag, Shop Margaret Muir, Commercial Science and Journalism Lucy Naegeli, Home Economics Alfred Ophus, Mathematics Margaret Hodgskiss Ray, Home Ec. and Phy. Ed. John Schulz, Social Science and Phy. Ed. Robert Schwartz, Science and Boys' Phy. Ed. Alfreda Sigg, Commercial Science and Dramatics Ramona Smith, Home Economics and Girls' Phy. Ed. Amelia Striker, Vocal Music Dale Striker, Social Science Ethel Svennungsen, Vocal Music During the war years, most of us helped gather dry animal bones for fertilizer and scrap metal to remelt to build war machines. We all participated in meatless days and planted Victory gardens. Many new recipes were sugarless, meatless and possibly tasteless! We were all proud to be part of the patriotic community. We heard about blackouts in the cities and opaque window shades were available for that purpose. Miss Bilile had all the English classes write letters to the 9