Comstock High School - Corral Yearbook (Comstock, MI)

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Clad d JJidtory, In the school year 1940-41 o great thing happened at Comstock; the class of '53 started its long climb toward the top. During the time that elapsed between the kindergarten and the sixth grade we were so busy learning the three R‘s and growing up? that we didn't do anything worth mentioning. Then it happened, before we knew it we were in junior high. It's quite a step into junior high from the delinquent stages of the first six years of school to the supposedly grown up stages of the seventh and eighth grade. Mr. Hoehne did a great deal in preparing us for high school, but we still weren't quite ready when we got there. In 1949, we really did it, we were freshmen. We discovered that there is a wee bit of difference between junior high and high school, especially the freshman year. Hey, this is great, oops my mistake, initiation. If you have been through freshman initiation, you know what it is. To those who haven't, I say this, Oh brother. One nice thing about initiation is the teachers don't get much work handed to them. Boy are those sophomores mean; have you ever walked ten miles on a country road you hove never seen before at midnight, some fun---no? Then came the initiation party, some fun; did you girls ever try making love to Mr. Young or did any of you boys ever try to sell a package of cigarettes to the coach. Taking everything into consideration the whole thing was quite a lot of fun. After the effects of initiation had worn off, we got down to business and elected our class officers. They were: President-Kenneth Fryling;Vice-President-Ronald Slater; Secretary-Patricia McVay; Treasurer-Nancy Keiser; Student Council Representative- Eleanor Thomas; and class advisor-Mr. Ruhs. The remainder of the freshman year was fairly successful. With a little bit of hard work and a little luck, we managed to get into the tenth grade. Our first thoughts were thoughts of revenge. We were really going to lay in on—we thought, but as luck would have our plans were changed. Due to circumstances highly beyond our control, the practice of sophomores taking freshmen for rides was outlawed and the whole initiation process had to be calmed down. The remainder of the year was devoted to making money—three hundred and forty-seven dollars, not bad, but still far from enough. Our chosen leader for the sophomore year was Collins Reed. His cabinet consisted of Vice-President-Dick Gleesing; Secretary-Eleanor Thomas; Treasurer-Edythe Tyler; Representative to Comstocks version of the U.N. (Student Council) Patricio McVay. Mr. Ruhs was still our class advisor. The eleventh grade-only one year left. It seems that the farther you go the more problems you have. This year the money problem is really rough. We have to sponsor the Junior-Senior prom. That was nothing serious, of course, it only cost us about half the money we had in our treasury. The dinner and dance were held at the Harris Hotel. The food wasn't too bad and the music was-well itwasloud. We were all glad when it was over, but we all enjoyed ourselves. After we had recovered and school life was back to normal, we settled down and concentrated on making money again instead of spending it, not much time left before the senior year and the trip. Our class officers for our junior year were: President-Dona Id Rand; Vice-President-Donna Sprague; Secretary-Geri DeVries; Treasurer-Edythe Tyler, Student Council Representative-Patricia McVay. Much to our regret we were forced to select a new class advisor. Mr. Ruhs had enough troubles of his own in the junior high. Our new advisor was Miss Whiteside. This is the year we have to work the hardest. With only a very short time before the trip, we still have to make a thousand dollars. We did practically everything to make money. We sold popcorn, hotdogs, cokes, and coffee at the football games. At the basketball games, we sold popcorn, hotdogs, and potato chips. Our class officers for the senior year are: President-Ronald Slater; Vice-President-Donna Sprague; Secretary-Geri DeVries; Treasurer-Edythe Tyler; Student Council Representative-Leona Chmiel. Our class advisor was Mr. B. J. Earl. He did a wonderful job and we will be forever indebted to him. We are looking forward to a wonderful trip to Washington D.C., but what we are looking forward to more than anything is graduation day; and our diplomas—signed if you please. 10

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Senior RONALD RENE VINING A quiet tongue shows a wise head. Baseball 1-2 Football 3-4 Annual 4 Play 3-4 Debate 4 GRACE E. WILSON What treasure found she? Roily. Forensics 1-2-3-4 Junior Play Hi-Teens 3 ELMA JEAN WATERLANDER The busy have no time for tears. Hi-Teens 4 Play 3 Play Dir. 4 Owlette 3-4 Debate 4 G. DAWN WEED Like her name, bright and shiney. Debate 4 Hi-Teens 4 Annual 4 RICHARD YOUNG Honorary Senior The constant friend is a thing rare and hard to find. 9

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Class Prophecy, It's a beautiful day for dreaming. Ah! Here's a park bench, just the spot to rest one's fatigued mind-Wonder what all my old classmates are doing on this beautiful day? Sure doesn't seem like we graduated twenty years ago, but my mind is too fatigued to wonder, so I think that I shall sleep and dream about theml- Well, right close to home is Steve Elmore running his own service station. He's going broke, but its a good business! There's been some change mode at school, o new course for HE-MEN and will you look who's the instructor, Red Gleesingl Well, well, the guy who was voted best looking boy of the Senior Class, Don Rand, is now a male model for Esquire. I see two little bungalows with a fence in between. There's Joan Knobloch and Nancy Keiser talking over their back fence. The names on the mail-boxes are different though, its Koss and Reed. Guess I'll listen to their conver- sation. They are talking about their husbands-------Koss is a pro-wrestler and Reed is a basketball coach. The children are fighting over a basketball, of course the Koss children are winning because of their wrestling ability. There's Borgess Hospital and Yvonne Mort is the manager of the Coffee Shop. Joy Psalmonds Padgett is on the fourth floor with triplets I I see Geri DeVries Redmond, one time secretary, now at home with her husband. She seems very happy with her children, her home and Ed. Who is that coming down the street? . . . Why I believe it is Georgia Falls with her little boy, who is screaming and kicking. What is the matter Georgia? Oh, she says, I'm taking my son to the dentist, won't you come along with me? So, here we are in the reception room and the dental assistant is Leona Chmiel. After managing to tie the screaming brat to a chair, she picks up a TRUE Magazine to read and finds that editor is none other than the Archie Knott, of course, Mrs. Valerie Vanderbeek Knott is the real boss. Just then the telephone rings and we have a long distance call from California, the operators voice sounds like Jewel Cox, it is. The voice from California is Edythe Tyler, who is test driving automobiles for George Friel's Universal Stock Car Stadium; in the pits is the present owner of the Ford Motor Company, Mr. Thomas James Butcher and son. Edythe wants me to visit her; the best and fastest means of getting there is by jet plane and who but Donna Sprague is the stewardess, the flyer of the plane is the famous resort owner Mr. Donald Manley Stowe. These two friends tell me that some of my former friends of Comstock are in various States ... as we Whizzzzz by the Empire State Building we see Ethel Summerson letting passengers off the elevator on the top floor. Another person up in the world is the Editor of the New York Times, Elmo Waterlander, we almost knock her off her perch on top of the highest flag pole in the world getting a humans eye view. Donna tfells us that on this plane we have many modern conveniences such as T.V., there is a FLASH-------------Will Artie Shaw marry the notorious Lou, if so Artie Shaw is 82 and Mary Lou is 37--The question is: Can this little girl from the celery fields of Comstock find happiness as a wife of a wealthy and retired band leader? We hope so, this will make her fifteenth morriage. She met her future husband through Mary Reeds (the modern Hedda Hopper) column, advice to the lovelorn. We switch stations and see the fights from Madison Square Gardens where Alfred McCormick is the star attraction He is fighting for the heavyweight championship title. From the stands comes the gravel throated call of—Popcornll — and the spotlight shines on Eleanor Thomas, the popcorn queen, who is selling tonight for a charity benefit. Just behind her we see Glen Statler, the owner of the largest popcorn plantation in the world. The fights are sponsored by Mary Shrouts Drugs, I understand that Shrouts drugs is the only drug store in the country selling Bikini bathing suits; who is modeling them? None other than the slinky Janet Jennings. 11