Fernald High School - Echo Yearbook (Fernald, IA)

Page 19 text:

Class History fContinuedJ Our Senior year arrived and the thirteen years which at times had t seemed endless, now seemed remarkably short. Florence Watt and Mike Kendall had moved during the summer and Phyllis Stevens moved away in March. We were happy to have the same faculty return in addi- tion to Mrs. Neva Cummings. Our last year proved to be very busy-- we had our pictures taken at Waterloo, and the Juniors were hosts to us at a fine banquet at Lloyd's near Marshalltowng our class play, Rest Assured , was presented April Z9thg and we enjoyed Skip Day in Des Moines. Then came Baccalaureate and Commencement. With mixed emotions we received our diplomas Tuesday, May 19, 1953. Among the graduating class were seven of the original class which entered Fernald's halls of learning nearly thirteen years ago. The eleven members of the graduating class of 1953 included Barbara Cawthon, Ray Couser, Elaine Crosby, Donna Rae Danielson, Dean I-Iandsaker, Gay Huhn, Kay Huhn, Evelyn Jarboe, Janet McBride, Margaret Miller, and Helen Wheelock. Class Prophecy The new ultra-modern Fernald Municipal Airport was swamped with arrivals one May evening in 1963. The annual Fernald Alu.mni Banquet was being held and alumni and former teachers from all over the world were journeying back to their old alma mater. As these visit- ors made their way through the heavy traffic of Fernald's metropolitan area they noted many changes. Where once had stood the Federal North Iowa Grain Elevator now stood a skyscraper to rival even the Empire State Building. Another point of interest was the gigantic Hackett Super Market, advertised as the largest in the United States. However, the greatest surprise of all greeted arrivals at the high school. The neat brick building which they had expected to find had been replaced by a mammoth glass-walled structure which had' evidently been patterned after New York City's U. N. Building. Yes, after years of controversy, the consolidation issue had finally been accepted and Ames and Nevada High Schools had combined with Fernald making a high school enroll- ment of well over 2000. As people began to enter the gym where the banquet was to be held they noticed a dark haired woman rushing about giving orders. A man in the crowd, probably one of her old high school sweethearts, exclaim- ed, Why, I believe that is Kay Huhn, Hearing her name mentioned, the woman came over to the group and confirmed the fact that she in- deed was Kay Huhn, now Kay Handsaker, of the class of '53. Although Kay was either too modest or too busy to tell the group at the time, they later learned that she was the social leader of Fernald and that no event of any importance was ever staged without her supervision.

Page 18 text:

Cilas s History qc ontinued, After three years we had finally made it through the sliding doors to Junior High. Somehow, we were not too surprised when we were greeted by Mrs. Edna Talbott who was to be our seventh grade teacher. Our class remained the same with the exception of Carole Swartz who had left after her brief stay with us. - Our eighth grade year was again spent under the guidance of Mrs. Talbott, who had bravely returned for another try at educating us. This proved to be no small task for we were growing impatient after nine years in the brick schoolhouse, and were casting anxious eyes to- ward the long corridor and spacious rooms of the high school building. Phyllis Stevens joined our class from Shipley. On the night of Thurs- day, May 12, 1949, we felt every bit as proud and important as the Seniors for that was the night we received our eighth grade diplomasg and, despite threats to the contrary, all of them were signed by Mrs. Talbott. The eighth grade graduating class numbered twelve and in- cluded Barbara Cawthon, Ray Couser, Elaine Crosby, Donna Rae Danielson, Dean Handsaker, Gay Huhn, Kay Huhn, Evelyn Jarboe, Janet McBride, Margaret Miller, Phyllis Stevens, and Helen Wheelock. Thirteen of the greenest Freshmen F. H. S. had seen entered high school in the fall of 1949. After a thorough initiation we settled down to the high school routine, which to our surprise was not too much dif- ferent from grade school days. Our class acquired Grade Berger from Zearing. Our teachers included J. M. Wright, Superintendent, Mrs. Marie McGinnis, and Mrs. Martha Hansen. After Mr. Wright's resignation, Mr. Tyler and Mr. Hahn each served briefly as his sub- stitute. The big feature of our Sophomore year was initiating that year's Freshmen, who, if possible, were even greener that we had been. Mike Kendall, Florence Watt, and Beverly Hall joined our class although the latter stayed but a few weeks. Grace Berger left our class for Waterloo The entirely new faculty consisted of Ray O. Forbes, Superintendent, Mrs. Anne Forbes, T. O. Martin, and Mrs. Mabelle Chitty. The first big event of our Junior year was our class play, Gangway for Ghosts , which was presented October 31, 1951. Much of the year was spent planning for the Junior-Senior Banquet which was held at the Cloud Room in Des Moines. Our class membership of fourteen remain- ed the sameg but the faculty, with the exception of Mrs. Chitty, was new again. Don Begg was our new superintendent and Mr. and Mrs. Albert Miller completed the faculty.

Page 20 text:

C lass Prophecy qc ontinuedj It was not long until all the guests had assembled and were seated at the numerous tables in the gym. After a delicious dinner, the meet- ing was turned over to the president of the alumni association, a hand- some man in uniform. For the benefit of those who had not been around Fernald recently, he introduced himself as Ray Couser. When he noticed several people looking questioningly at his uniform, Ray explain- ed that after several years in the National Guard, he had become so in- terested in military matters, that he had worked himself up to head of the R. O. T, C. department at Iowa State College. It was evident that Ray was the same bashful, unassuming person he had been back at F. H. S. , for he seemed embarrassed when the guests applauded his good fortune, and told the group that he was now going to introduce a group of really successful people--some former F. H. S. teachers. The first teacher Ray introduced was Mrs. Edna Talbott, recently retired after years of teaching service at Fernald. As Mrs. Talbott rose to acknowledge the introduction, there were shouts of speech! speech! Mrs. Talbott apologized and said she would not be able to give a speech. She then explained that she was suffering from a rare nervous ailment common only to schoolteachers, and that her doctor had per- mitted her to attend the banquet only under the stipulation that she bring her private nurse with her. Mrs. Talbott then commented that she was sure everyone would be interested in meeting her nurse. All eyes turned toward the nurse and many had already recognized her when Mrs. Talbott gave her name. It was Margaret Miller, another member of the class of '53, a class which had, itself, probably contributed gener- ously to Mrs, Talbott's nervous ailment. The next teacher Ray introduced was Mrs, Mabelle Chitty, who was leading an even busier life than she had led as teacher at Fernald. Mrs. Chitty told the alumni members that she was the new head of the Des Moines Art Center and that she also taught art classes at Drake Universi ty. Wishing to turn the crowd's attention from her achievements, Mrs. Chitty said that she would like to introduce one of her former colleagues, Mrs. Neva Cummings. None of her old typing students were surprised to learn that Mrs. Cummings had advanced to the position of President of the Gregg Division of Northwestern University. Just as Ray was starting to introduce the next guest, a strange looking character dressed in ragged overalls wandered into the gym. Believing this person to be in the wrong place, Ray began to explain that this was an alumni banquet and that only graduates of the local high school were allowed. But I am a graduate of Fernald, the person ex- claimed in a somewhat familiar voice. I am Barbara Cawthon of the , class of '53, now known to members of my society as Beautiful Barbara, Queen of the Hoboes. Needless to say, everyone was