Gem Consolidated School - Gems Yearbook (Colby, KS)

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SENIOR CLASS HISTORY In the year 1936 ten students enrolled ln the flrst grade of the Gem Con solldated School They were the followmg s1x year olds D j Bugbee Ber nard Poland Bob Havlce Donnle Wexshaar Bobby Gene Haremza Mary Belle Mlller Mxrxam Morrxs Vesta Lee Schulte Esther Larsen and Wllma Purcell Our teacher was Rena Eversoll In the second grade because Mxrlam Morris Esther Larsen and Wilma Purcell moved away and john Dean entered our number was down to elght Our teacher was Frances Dechert We felt qulte grown up because we could read and there were flrst graders who couldn t The next year 1939 we had Lols Saddler for our teacher We were thlrd graders now and we picked up George Drescher whxch gave us nlne students By the next fall when we were fourth graders we were back to an enroll ment of seven havmg lost Vesta Lee Schulte and john Dean Our teacher was Mylclred Hays In 1941 as flfth graders we entered school wlth the same number of puplls havmg lost George Drescher and gamed Wayne Woerpel who moved to town l-Ie had attended a country school before transferrmg here Esther Pryor was our teacher In the sxxth grade seven students were enrolled D j Bugbee Bernard Poland Bob HBVICS Bobby Gene Haremza Wayne Woerpel Donme Welshaar The same seven enrolled ln the seventh grade ln 1943 wlth Frances Dechert as our teacher We lost Bob Havxce 1n the next year when sxx students graduated from the elghth grade wxth Twxla Saddler as teacher The next fall seven Freshmen enrolled nn hlgh school They were Bernard Poland D j Bugbee Wayne Woerpel Mary Belle Mlller Bob Ryan Patty Ryan and jlm Knudson ln 1946 jxm had an accident w1th a tractor and spent several months mn the hospxtal so was unable to be with us and Bob and Patty Ryan entered other schools so there were fnve of us Wilma Hopson havmg enrolled as a transfer from Eagle town Oklahoma At the beglnmng of the jumor year five students enrolled They were Wayne Woerpel Bernard Poland Wilma Hopson Mary Belle Miller and jlm Knudson was wnth us agaxn This year we were hosts to the Semors at the jumor Senior Banquet We used the circus as the theme for the banquet Q ' ' . 1 I P . Y I I U . i and Mary Belle Miller. Esther Pryor was again our teacher. .4 . : . . K A - ' ' ' .Q . .. '

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H1 story concluded The Senior year mcluded f1ve students agam However Mary Belle and Charles Hopson were married durmg the summer and after the first semester she left school for housekeeplng Since Mary Belle IS completmg her work by appomtment we plan to fmlsh w1th the flve as graduates Bernard has gone to Gem School the entire twelve years PROPI-IECY As I Wllma I-Iopson folded the wxngs of my sky flwver to travel the hlghway for a whxle I almost bumped mto a large cattle truck as my wheels touched the ground I was travelmg along at the rate of 60 mxles per hour when all of a sudden the truck stops wlthout sxgnal I press the button to stop my vehlcle but I have al ready hxt the truck but nothmg IS damaged except that the cows ln the truck are stormlng mad and as I examine my flxvver I flnd that the grill IS smashed badly Out of the truck jumps a large bearded fellow spouting eplthets at me Well of all people but thxs 1s B111 Hedgpeth He doesn t recognlze me so I say nothmg untzl he IS through then I say I m sorry Mr Hedgpeth but I thmk xt was your fault He recognlzes me then and W declde to take the case mto court ln the nearby town Salma As I know nothing of the town of Salma I search desperately for a lawyer and fmally I see a sign on a street door Duane Saddler Attorney at Law I knock on the door and Duane htmself lets me m I tell hlm that I would Ilke to me to have dmner at hls home and upon arrwmg there I was not surprxsed to fmd Peggy a damty llttle woman who st11l has her beautlful volce but now she wrxtes music and smgs songs to the chzldren After spendlng the evening at the home of the Saddlers I went to a hotel and found Shorty as Chef ln the hotel He got h1s start as a cook frying hamburgers m Gem Hugh School Shorty told me that Bob and I.. Vena were marrxed and were successful turkey ralsers near Topeka They furmsh turkeys for the Whlte House banquets ' I left the sky flxvver ln Kansas Clty to be repalred and went to Unlon Statton to board a tram for Chlcago When a familxar vo1ce began the tram caller's chant I craned my neck to catch sight of my old schoolmate Wayne Laurltsen who with that charming voxce was mtomng On track 10 tram number 6 leavmg for I-Ian nlbal Dubuque Chlcago and pomts east' I rushed to hmm wlth a beaming face for here was another member of the old school group He xnsxsted that I stay ox er and VlS1t that evening m hls home jean wxll never forgive me rf I let you go with out seelng her he saxd What else could I do? ' I I . . I IO I I I . ' I collect for damages on my flivver and he accepts the case immediately. He asked