Eastern Academy - Echoes Yearbook (Paterson, NJ)

Page 52 text:

Many Moon Iune, 1961 Dear Diary, I relaxed in my easy chair today and thought how, when I was a senior at Eastern Academy, it had seemed odd to think of a rocket flight to the moon. Here I, John Drukker, had accomplished the feat. I remember distinctly the view I had from the moon and how I could watch the members of the class of '51 go about their duties through the whole world. The first place I looked, diary, was the old home town. It was early morning and the sun was shining brightly. The students and faculty were arriving at school. Among the faculty were several members of our class. Barbara De Bell was in the history department, Gertrude Faber was teaching language, Minnie Klopman a new course in art, and Kay Velzen and Don Vroon were in the physical education depart- ment. Down the street from the school Elaine Doran and Henrietta Englishmen, now Mrs., were talking over the back fence. Walking down the street was Iackie Wattez who was coming to decorate the interior of the ladies' homes. lack Stelpstra and Lambert Hazen were expected to come and paint the outside of their homes. Speeding down the street zoomed Bob Hoogstra with his florist truck. Two blocks away the 40 driven by Ray Sonderfan was still making its daily journey. I could see some of the occupants of the bus. Kath- leen Andringa, Ruth Botbyl, Edna De Rose, Marion Ieltes, Helen Fridsma, Doris Littel, Margaret Steenstra, Cornelia Terpstra, Ruth Van Harken, and Fred Sietsma were on their way to down town offices. Bobbie Bonnema was on her way to New York where she was a technician in the New York Medical Center. Peter Christophersen and Bob Tanis were on their way to an accounting firm. It was soon approaching noonhour and over in the elite section of the city Ebele Bruining tossed off his bed clothes, reached for his bedside phone, and called Bob Zuidema. I heard him ask Bob if he would like to go fishing. Bob said he would and why not ask Bandstra and Wisse the rich bankers to accompany them. They gathered in Ebe's streamlined convertible and took off for Fellema, Ioustra, and Gros Farmers Inc. to do their fishing. As the afternoon increased in hours I returned my gaze to the city. In one of the leading cities of New Iersey I saw Don Verbeck sweating it out in preparation for another operation. Ready and willing to assist him were Alma Trouwborst, Wilma Kuiphoff, and Hermiena Oosthoek. Down the hall Doris Vande Ree was intently gazing in her microscope. Across the street from this hospital was a big grocery store owned by Iohn Oosting who employed Bud Ruit as butcher. This massive build- ing was erected by Sweetman dt Van Eck Inc., builders and contracters. In another section of the city Bill Vermeulen was the operator of a

Page 51 text:

x I h V a

Page 53 text:

To Come large funeral parlor in which Anita Smith was working as his hair dresser. And now, diary, I would like to turn back to the beginning of the day and view with you other parts of the world. In the city of New York going about their respective business some of our artists were using their talents. Annetta Atema was organist for station WIZ, while Carol Troast was doing one of her regular broadcasts on the same station. Florence Belanus and Meri Broekhuizen were preparing for their concerts to night in Carnegie Hall, and Wilma Teitsma was still sleeping off the tremendous professional basketball game she had played the night before. Henry Zeeuw was giving his band a work out. Bill Cook played the drums and Bill Hanse, and Andy Machiela played the trumpets in Henry's band. Over at the other end of the city Dave De Wilde, famous chemist, and Bart Houseman, also a famous chemist, were working in a modern and fully equipped laboratory. And then I glanced with pride to the shores of Africa. In a little hut Ruth Brain was teaching a group of native children about the love and salvation of Iesus Christ. On the opposite shore of Africa was stationed a division of the Army in which Iulie Faber was a nurse, Iohn Zuidema was doing the weather forecasting, and Bill Hamersma was training intensely for army duty. As I was gazing from the moon, Bill Kingma came circling around with his airplane. Also stopping here was lim Snoep on his journeys around the world. At the sight of a news correspondent, my mind turned its attention to Washington and so did my eyes. There I saw Don Van Dongen working as a German intepreter for the U. N. Dave Stam now pos- sessed a seat in the House of Representatives. Acting as a regular Dolly Madison was Dot Vogel the President's wife. A good share of the Washington visitors stayed in the hotel managed by lane Voorman and Agnes Miller. With the purpose in mind of extending my view I turned to the wide open spaces-the West. There I found Ray Martin, the owner of a large dairy ranch, riding the range in a jeep. In the near-by city were two rival newspapers one run by Lucretia De Ionge and the other by Betty Sikkema. Verna Hey was acting as a disc jockey of hillbilly music in this Western city. The society news of both Lu's and Betty's paper contained the article that Ioan Hey was visiting on her travels through the U. S. Other prominent members of this city are Pete Borduin, lawyer: Robert I. Zuidema, banker: and Pete Van Osten- bridge, photographer. As I recalled these things to mind, something of the old spirit of class unity came over me and I was happy to be back on the solid ground of mother earth where I knew that none of the old crowd was farther away than a few thousand miles.