Coopersville High School - Zenith Yearbook (Coopersville, MI)

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FOOTPRINTS ♦ Class Prophecy July, 1944 “All aboard for Coopers ville,” Ld Leemon, pilot of the Kohler Amphibian, called out as I boarded. In an hour or so I would be at the reunion of the Class of 1934. What fun, when we would be to- gether again, renewing old acquaintances and school day memories. While we landed at Grand Rapids to take on passengers, to mv surprise, Margaret VanOffelen came aboard. After talking with her, I learned that she and Zora O’Bradovitch were employed as nurses for TenBrink and Tikkanen, M. D’s., who have successfully established a hospital in Titusville. On arriving at Coopersville, Frances Venema joined us and I was surprised to learn that she is now Mrs. Donald Laug, and that they re- side on the Laug homestead, just northwest of town. She informed us that Don was detained at home to care for a sick cow-, but would ar- rive shortly. While touring the city, we noticed many changes had taken place. Lillie’s Department Store has been replaced by a fine new building, covering a full city block and is owned by Peters Dinkel. Marie Smith and Evel n McClain are modeling for them, and Uldene Roth is chief cashier. It has been hinted that Wilkinson and Peterson are closing their Funeral Home and have undertaken the real estate business, due to the fact that deaths are becoming fewer and fewer. The Hovingh sisters have an unusual but very modern hat shoppe. As w'e went up East Main street and started to climb the hill, we discovered that the building of our high school days had been com- pletely torn down and replaced with a mammoth building of present day architecture. On entering the lobby, we met Ray Push, present superintendent of schools, Margaret Kloosterhouse, head of English de- partment and Louise Spinner, commercial instructor. While talking with them, we learned that William Mergener is the present coach of athletics. After inspecting the new building, we entered the banquet hall as the high school orchestra played the popular piece, “Internat- ionale.” We were shown to our places at the several tables, which were placed the length of the gymnasium. After an enjovable dinner, Clare Rhodes, prominent oil man from the city of Conklin, acted as toastmaster, introducing Mayor Perd Rey- nolds, who handed us the key and welcomed us to the Biggest Little City in Western Michigan. The next speaker of the evening was Ruth McMillan, who has spent the last eight years as a missionary in the Far East. Carl Merkins, president of the Peoples Bank, at Nunica, spoke on Page Twenty-two

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♦--------------------FOOTPRINTS--------------------------------+ I, Neoma Mergener, bequeath my bewitching eyes to Maynard Sietsema. Beware! I, Eugene O’Brien, bequeath my excelled disposition to Irene Meindertsma. May it serve to your advantage. I, William Mergener, bequeath my art of making friends to Carolyn Lillie. A good nature excells all, t arolyn. I, Carl Merkins, bequeath my beautiful red hair to anyone desir- ing it. I, Zora O’Bradovitch, bequeath my energetic nature to Thelma Cook. It’s a real asset, Thelma. I, Margaret Parish, bequeath mv chemistry book to William Seek- man. Maybe you can get some sense out of it. I, Earl Peters, bequeath rnv frequent trips down town every night to James Kelly. It’s a long ways, but worth it. I, (Jordon Peterson, bequeath mv privilege of driving the Nunica Limited to mv brother, Clinton. May you enjoy it as much as 1 did. 1, Marie Smith, bequeath my physics book to Jack Conley. Every- thing is underlined, that’s reallv important, Jack. I, Mabel Otterbein, bequeath my optimistic spirit to Mary Lou Muller. I, Clare Rhodes, bequeath Barbara to Roger. See to it that you take good care of her, young man. We, Georgetta Root and Frances Venema, bequeath our abilitv of hiving friendly quarrels to Roy Peck and Orvill Beatty, respectively. Advice: kiss and make up. I, Emma Schmidt, bequeath mv good times that I have had by laughing to Elizabeth Smith and Jeannetta Bennink. There’s plenty for both. I, Howard Ten Brink, bequeath my A’s in physics to Jacob Bouw- kamp, providing you work to get them. I, Arnold Tikkanen, bequeath my stature to Dorothy Thomas. Sometimes it comes in handy. I, Evert Wav, bequeath my privilege of being the shiek of the class to Albert Kramer. A very interesting role, my boy. 1, Margaret VanOeffelen, bequeath my privilege of entertaining at noon hours to Goldie Wiegerink. I, Benjamin Westrate, bequeath my privilege of getting into mis- chief seventh hour assembly to Beinardine Lawrence. Take care, Mfs$ Gcooters has a keen eye-sight. I, Lv'qri .Wilkinson, bequeath my art of exaggerating to William Roth. Good luck in gettiug things across. We, the Class of 19 4, hereby appoint as our administrator of our last will and testament Mr. Willard De)onge, on this 29th day of March, 1934. ULDENE ROTH AND LOUISE SPINNER' Page Twenty-one

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FOOTPRINTS the topic of Modern Banking, after which Emma Schmidt and Thelma Nichols, prima donnas of (.hand Opera in Chit ago, favored us v ith a couple of present day pieces. The toastmaster introduced one of our ablest scholars, Eugene O’Brien, who at the present time is our representative lrt m filth dis- trict in Congress, and is doing everything possible to further the ad- vantages of the Great St. Lawrence Water Way. The meeting was interrupted by the presence of Margaret Parish, who had just arrived by airplane from Norfolk, Virginia, where she has been visiting Fred Marshall, Ensign of the Navy, stationed at Norfolk Navy Yards. She reports meeting Mr. and Mrs Benjamin Westrate. Mrs Westrate, the former June Bliss, now resides there with her hus- band on a poultry farm. The last number on the program was a report by Robert Hard, tralfic inspector for the New' York Central Railway, on the following class members w ho were unable to attend this reunion: Neoma Mergener, employed as air hostess on the New York-San- Francisco Trans Continental Airways. Evert Way, operator of a pugilist training camp at Saratoga Springs, New York. Mabel Otterbein, manager of a health resort at Hot Springs, Ark. Kenneth Brown, a mining engineer, last heard from in Northern Canada. As this was the last number on the program, w'e arose to go, but became aw'are of an increasing disturbance in one corner, and upon investigating discovered Louis Laug, Paul TerAvest and Herman Luben, “The Debating Trio of 1934 ’ now famous lawyers of this city, still trying to convince each other that the government should have control of the radio system. The remainder of the evening was spent in renewing old acquaint- ances, after which w-e departed, hoping that we might all meet again some time in the future. G. E. R. Page Twenty-three