Chester High School - Summit Yearbook (Chester, IL)

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THE SUMMIT SENIOR CLASS PROPHECY After graduating from the Massachusetts General Hospital, 1 took a position as an industrial nurse with P . Altman and Co, in New York City. Being the junior nurse employed by the firm, 1 had been able to get off only for short periods of time until the summer of 1942, when I was given a month’s vacation. A few days after my arrival at home 1 received a letter from Alberta Welge inviting me to her home, the next evening, to play bridge. I arrived at Alberta’s home in the Fairview Park Addition about seven-thirty. Alberta opened the door and welcomed me in her old talkative style. “Oh. what a beautiful home you have.” I remarked. “How long have you been living here?” “Oh, only about six months. After graduating from Cape Girardeau Teachers’ Collese, I taught history for four years before I was married.” I had visited with Alberta only a few minutes when Fern Stadler arrived. I asked, “Fern, what are you up to now?” “Oh, haven’t you heard about the new kindergarten I have in the glass penthouse on the First State Bank building?” “It certainly is good to be home again and hear about all my old friends. What has happened to our other classmates? Where’s Ruth Bartels, now? She used to go with my brother, but I never hear about her any more.” “She has been teaching English in the high school at Mt. Vernon since she graduated from Carbondale.” “A pedagogue! Are any of the rest of them teaching school ?” Fern proudly spoke up, “Why, yes, Josephine Meder is director of physical education for girls at the Crane Jr. College in Chicago; Wilma Schroeder is teaching commercial subjects at Perryville; Hulda Rieckenberg is teaching mathematics in Roosevelt High School in St. Louis; and Helen Mueller was a teacher until she married Coach McGuire last year.” After we had waited several minutes, Edith came bursting in. “You’re up to your old tricks. What’s the trouble; is the baby cutting teeth ?” Fern asked. “No. the baby is a marvel; just like his dad. But Owen was made business manager of Max Katz’s new haberdashery, and we had to celebrate.” I bid “no trump” and the game started. “You should see Mr. Katz’s store since it’s been remodeled,” Edith remarked. “This town is certainly getting a lot of new life. Have the girls told you anything about the place?” “No,” I answered. “What’s been going on in the town?” “Ob, it’s changed a lot. You should see all the new glass houses. T understand that by fall we are to get those new hidden street lights which were invented by James Baronowsky. Several other old classmates have added to the prosperity of the town.” “They have! Who are they?” 1 asked. “Since Richard Wilson has bought the Chester Press and named it the Chester Crier (more tears than anything else) it has become the leading paper in the county. Often it contains some poetry by Mae Smith. You know her lyrics have become rather popular, lately. Oh, yes. I suppose you knew about the new grocery of Berrv and Harrison. Raymond Kipp is the new bookkeeper.” “Well, girls,” said Fern, “are we going to play bridge or talk?” We played on peacefully for a few minutes until we heard a peculiar drone. “Oh, look,” Alberta said, “I’ll bet that’s one of those new rocket p'anes.” We rushed out and saw a plane with vari-colored lights forming the words, “World’s Fair. Columbus, Ohio; 1942-43; 450th Anniversary of Columbus’ Discovery of America.” The plane circled around town several times and to our amazement it dropped lower and landed in the park-way near us. The pilot got out of the plane, and as he started toward the Blue Moon Cafe. I recognized that that walk could belong to no other than Charles Meng. We ran up to welcome him and ask him how he happened to be here. “Just as you see, I’m advertising the World’s air. John Nagel is advertis- Tape 20

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THIRTY-THREE Alfred Decker Football, ’28, ’30, ’31, ’32; Basketball, ’30; Ag. Club, ’32, ’33; Dairy Judging Team, ’32, ’33; Ag. Reporter, ’33. Louis Lipscomb Kaskaskia High School. Basketball. ’32; Football, 31. Fa ye Saxe n m e y e r Waterloo High School. Virginia Gii.tkr Glee Club, ’30. ’31. ’32; Orchestra. ’30; Rip and Dip Club, ’31. Frederick Sander Marion High School. Waldemar Stewart Percy High School. Ruth Bartels Dramatic Club, ’30; Rip and Dip Club, ’31. ’32, ’33. Thelma Magers Glee Club, ’30, ’31; Yeowlers, ’31. Teddy Mann DuQuoin High School. . IA RCA R ET KIR W A N Percy High School. Transferred to Pinckneyville. Page 19

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THIRTY-THREE ing west of the Mississippi, and I east of it.” He excused himself hurriedly and in parting remarked, ”1 hope to see you at the fair.” As we turned and started to the house, Fern exclaimed, “Wouldn’t it be loads of fun if a bunch of us could go to the fair together?” Before the evening was over Fern and I planned the trip, but Edith and Alberta decided that they couldn’t leave. We planned to start on Wednesday. We left Chester in one of those new air-gas cars, the motor of which was perfected by Waldemar Stewart. It certainly was a lovely car and Gerald Plog, the chauffeur, told us that it would make fifty miles per gallon of gasoline. At St. Louis we transferred to a Rabe plane operated by radio control. Just as we were getting settled for our ride Olga Gilster appeared as the dramatic air hostess. After she had gone around and made everyone comfortable, she came to sit with us. She told us that Dorothy Hoffman had at last realized her ambition and was a dietitian in a St. Louis hospital. “Bv the way, Fern,” 1 asked, “what ever happened to Earl Staley?” “Did we fail to tell you about him? He married that little baby face from Sparta, entered politics, and is now city clerk. You should see him sitting with his heels parked up on the desk.” Since we wished to look our best when we reached the fair, we sought a beauty parlor during our stop at Indianapolis. Olga directed us to a shop which was owned and operated by Virginia Hamm and Virginia Gilter. As we were old friends they gave us immediate attention and we were back in the plane several minutes before it left the ground. Arriving in Columbus, we took a bus to the fair grounds. Alfred Decker, the driver, told us that he had married his old favorite of Sparta and moved to Columbus five years before. One of the first buildings that attracted our attention was a magn'ficent reproduction of the palace of Queen Isabella of Spain. We went over to the building and were told by the man in charge that it had been planned and constructed by Bunselmeyer, Lipscomb and Company, and lighted by Norman Schoeppel. Of course we were thrilled to think that we had graduated in the same class with these boys. While walking around we were attracted to the Education Building. As Fern was interested in teaching, we went inside. There we found Dean Harris presenting the latest developments in agriculture. We strolled over to the Hall of Music, and whom should we find among the interested spectators but Velma Cleiman, who informed us that she had just returned from an European tour. After lunch Fern developed a toothache, and as I had heard that there was a dental clinic on the grounds, we went in search of it. We were directed into a waiting room into which stepped the dentist, Lawrence Bruce. Faye Saxen-meyer, the nurse, gave Fern the gas, which made her insensible to pain, but allowed her to talk to the dentist. A few minutes later Mildred came in. She wfas her husband’s assistant at the clinic, and came in to see us. After we left the clinic we went to a demonstrabon of new methods in beauty culture. Here we were joyously surprised to find Conrad Becker giving the lecture and Ruth Barnard performing the demonstration. A loud speaker made the announcement that the leaders in the San Francisco to Columbus Air Race would soon be in sight. We immediately made our way to the finish line. Plane number thirteen won. Looking at our schedules we found the pilot and the mechanic to be our old friends, Frederic Sander and Wayne Smith. Later we were told that the flight was sponsored by the blue print magnate, Lester Weber. As we started to leave the race course someone called, “Hello, girls.” We turned and saw two of our old classmates, Dorothy Randall and Paula Fiene, coming toward us. They told us that they were employed as nurses at the large glass hospital on the grounds, and insisted that they show us through it. As we entered, we met Paul Wolff and Elbert Hoppe, who were putting on F age 21