Homer Central High School - Odyssey Yearbook (Homer, NY)

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24 THE 1926 EPIC Qlllass iBrupIJecp By Eva Button Homer, N. Y., April 4, 1936. Dear Eva, During the past week there has been a great deal of excitement, for, as you know, it was Easter vacation, and all but two of our class of '26 were in Homer. We had a class reunion, and since your letter shows that you have not heard what the members of the class are doing, I will attempt to tell you about those who were there. Most of them gave a short talk on their work. Halsey Stevens, the president of our class during our Senior year, and now a financial expert for the United States government, told us a little about his work, and from reports I have heard, he is doing very well along this line. The vice-president of our class, who was Mary F. Nelson before her marriage to the governor of the Philippines, attended the reunion, and she also gave a short talk about her social duties as the wife of the governor. Mary has not changed so very much, but one thing I noticed was that she did not use her favorite slang word, Dumb . She spoke with a beau- tiful accent characteristic of her new home. The well-known nurses, Ruth Redfield and Vivian Barber, who are the proprietors of the Homer Hospital, found time from their work to at- tend the reunion, but were, as all nurses are, bashful about speaking. Beulah N adler told us about her first year as instructor of the Latin course at Vassar College. It will interest you to know that Beulah looks very much like a college teacher in her business-like costume-something like an older school teacher with her precise manner, eyeglasses, and the way in which she speaks. She is nearing the time when she will be pres- ident of the college. Both Geraldine Harmon, who is singing with the Redpath Chautauqua, and Norma Brown, who has just made her debut in New York, gave us some fine singing. Geraldine sang a Spanish song, and it was quite ef- fective. By the way, Geraldine has lost her Texan accent. Norma has just signed a contract to sing in the opera In the Springtime, which con- tains the immensely popular aria, When the Ice Thaws in the Ice House, Mary Dear composed by Wilfred Pickering. We had a little talk about agriculture by Stanley Hopkins, who is the Ag. teacher in Homer Academy. Also Robert Mantey gave a short talk on methods of farming. He owns the large dairy farm on the East Little York road, formerly owned by Charles Randall. Ada Ripley gave a very interesting talk on her work as librarian at the Cortland Normal.

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THE 1926 EPIC 23 The fourth member is Ada Ripley, Who was born on March twenty- ninth, nineteen hundred and eight. Her greatest ambition is to pursue a business career. The fifth and last member is Mary Shearer. Mary was born October twenty-first, nineteen hundred and eight. Her great ambition is to become a female Herodotus, and we all realize that she will make a good one. I will now endeavor to give you some of the formation of our present class. In the second grade we were joined by Thelma Gordon. In the third grade we were joined by Halsey Stevens, who is the president of the Senior Class. In the seventh grade our class was enlarged by the ad- dition of Ruth Killam, Beulah Nadler, and Mary Nelson. In the eighth grade we were joined by Laura Button and her sister Eva. In our Fresh- man year Marion Miles entered the class. In our Sophomore year we were joined by Harold Spencer. In our Junior year our class was increased by the addition of Helen Adams, Ruth Redfield, Philip Lindberg, and Geral- dine Harmon. In our Senior year our class was still greater increased by the entrance of Laura Knapp, Cleo Burgett, Charles Darby, Bruce Daniels, Wilfred Pickering, Norma Brown, Robert Mantey, and Vivian Barber. It seems fitting and proper that I tell you something about our class organizations, which have been very joyful and happy events. In our Freshman year we were not allowed to organize outside of the school, so our organization took place in the first grade room, Where we composed our songs and yells. Helen Miller was elected president. Our Sophomore organization was held at the home of Helen Miller, on the Scott road. The Sophomore organization is the saddest blot on our history. During the organization an automobile accident occurred in which three girls were seriously injured. This class has always regretted this unfortunate affair. At this organization Marion Morenus was elected president. The Junior organization was held at Mary Nelson's home on the West Homer road, in the wee sma' hours of the morning. This event took place Without any mishap to mar the occasion. Mary Nelson was elected president. The Senior organization was held at the Republic Inn at Freeville. The officers were elected as follows: president, Halsey Stevens, vice-pres- ident, Mary Nelson, secretary, Helen Miller, and treasurer, Marion More- nus. After the election of officers and composing songs and yells, the remainder of the evening was spent in dancing. To write a conclusion to this history is to desecrate it. As a class, our history is nearly completed, but as individuals it has only begun. In this history which we are about to make for ourselves, the ideals and standards of the Senior Class of twenty-six will be firmly imbedded forever. -Ada I. Ripley, '26.

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THE 1926 EPIC 25 The two Helens of our class were there. Helen Miller is matron of the Home for Aged Women in this town. Helen Adams is the wife of the proprietor of the old Tully Farms. Helen Miller has changed a great deal. She is not the quick, jolly girl of our school days, but instead is a woman of thought, quietness, and dignity. Helen Adams has changed only in that she has fleshed up someg just enough to be nice-looking. Marion Gallup, who is head of the most exclusive boarding school in New England, came for the day, and brought with her Marion Miles, who is one of the teachers in the school. I did not know Marion Gallup when I saw her. She had bobbed her hair, and was dressed not at all like the mistress of a boarding school, but more like a schoolgirl. Marion Miles had changed little. Norris Tallmadge has just come from abroad where he has been preaching from the pulpit of the largest church in London. Perhaps he is a direct descendent of the well-known Thomas DeWitt Tallmadge, who was also a great minister. I think Norris must have got his growth right after he finished high school, for he is at least six feet tall, and, judging by looks, weighs about 230 pounds. Harold Spencer came to the reunion in an airplane. He is an aviator, doing dare-devil stunts for the motion pictures in -Hollywood. He is not alone in Hollywood, however, for he has taken his Cook along with him. He was dressed in the latest fashion and was envied by all the boys at the reunion. Marion Morenus has distinguished herself by being the hair dresser in Homer. She has her beauty parlor in what used to be Carroll Potter's dry goods store. Charles Darby gave us a piano solo. He is playing the large pipe organ at Bailey Hall, Cornell. Thelma Gordon was at the reunion, and she said she is spending her time sitting in the office of the Cortland High School answering telephone calls and doing the correspondence for the school. Bud Pickering entertained us with some of his clever stunts. He is comedian at the Wieting in Syracuse. He is soon to go abroad, where he will perform before the King and Queen of England. The Homer Academy Home Economics teacher, who is Cleo Burgett, and the milliner of Homer, Grace Simpson, were both present. Neither gave a talk, since they were still quiet and restrained as usual. Bruce Daniels is a lawyer. He said he had just hung out his shingle in Cortland. He hasn't had any clients yet, but aside from that he is doing very nicely. He also has changed. He has grown stouter and has stopped smoking. Ruth Killam is the modern Dorothy Dix, and writes for a number of popular magazines, and also for the Post-Standard. She is not as nervous as she used to be in school, and is a distinguished character around her home, which is in Rome, New York.