Illinois Valley Central High School - Sequence Yearbook (Chillicothe, IL)

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The Class of '43 has been outstanding in all lines- For instance, thirteen members of this class have been members of the Chillicothe School Band, several of them since they were in grade schools. Seven boys were on the varsity squad in football, five boys on the basketball team, and baseball and track have had many honors due to the ability of the boys in this class. As for dramatics, both the Junior and Senior Plays were great successes, and many have helped to carry parts which added greatly to the success of the oper- etta for the last three years. Entertainers? When called upon to entertain for the student assemblies, this class could be depended on to give first-class entertainment. This was largely due to an organization known to all as the Moron Players.' Scholastically? The honor roll for the last four years has been a large percentage of the names of members of this class, and some individual members have an almost perfect record in this respect. 'Way back in 1932, this class started to school to get their first taste of education, most in the Chilli- cothe Grade School, some in other schools in this state, and a few started in schools in other states. Our numbers may have diminished, but watch out for the strong 30 of '43.

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JAMES WRAY SHEPARD Junior and Senior Plays; Cheerleader, 3, 4; Band, 1, 2, 3. 4, Senior Quartet; Operetta. 2, 3, 4; Chorus, 3; Declamation, 2; Secretary-Treasurer, 1; Yearbook, 4, Tempest, 4, Academic. JAKE E. STAAB Football, 1, 2. 3. 4; Basketball. 1, 2. 3, 4, Track, 1, 2, 3, 4, Band, 1, 2, 3, 4; Chorus, 1, 2, 3, 4, Oper- etta, 1, 2, 3, 4. Electrician for Junior Play; Vice President of “C Club, 3; President 'C Club, 4, Secretary-Treasurer, 2; Tempest, 3, 4 (Assistant Editor, 4); Yearbook. 4; Academic. JOHN THOMAS Band, 1, 2, 3, 4, Junior Play; Yearbook, 3, 4, Tempest, 3, 4; Academic. DARLENE THOMPSON Transferred from Iowa, 3; Junior Play; Chorus, 4; Operetta, 4; Girls' Intramural, 4; Tempest, 4; Commercial. RALPH VEERMAN Band, 1, 2, 3, 4; Football, 3, 4; Basketball, 2, 3, 4, Intramural, 1, 2; Baseball, 4; Stage Mgr. Junior Play; Senior Play; Tempest, 4; Yearbook, 4, Stage Designer for Operetta, 4; Academic. YVONNE GLORIA WAGLE Transferred from Fort Madison, 3; Yearbook, 4; Business Mgr. of Operetta, 4; Tempest, 4; Com- mercial. JAMES WATKINS Football, 1, 2, 3, 4, Track, 4; Commercial. LEO J. YOCUM Transferred from La Rose, 3; Junior and Senior Plays; Band, 3, 4; Academic. NANCY YOUNG Band, 1, 2, 3, 4, Junior and Senior Plays; Sec- retary-Treasurer, 4, Student Council, 3, 4; Declama- tion, 2, 3; Tempest, 3. 4. Yearbook Editor, 4, D. A. R. Award Winner; Academic. KENNETH BEAUMONT Band, 1, 2; Tempest, 4; Woodruff High, 3. Academic.

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CLASS PROPHECY ☆ One sunny afternoon in the late spring of 1955, while following a winding trail among the Big Smokies of eastern Kentucky, I chanced upon a somewhat dilapidated road sign, which, after close scrutiny, I made out to read as follows: DOGPATCH, KY., POP. 52 2 3. This struck me as a bit phenomenal since there was nowhere in sight any evidence of a town of any size, shape, or pedigree. Just then, however, I became aware of loud snor- ings and whistling issuing from some barberry bushes close at hand; and, acting upon the theory that barberry bushes do not, as a rule, indulge in such nasal acrobatics, I pushed them aside, revealing to my great astonishment none other than my old class- mate, Leo Li'l Abner Yocum. It seems he had been celebrating his election to the much- coveted office of Mayor of Dogpatch the night before and was just sleeping off the effects. After helping him brush off the barberries, I was accorded an official welcome and the keys to the city. The city, I discovered, lay just around a curve in the road behind a large clump of gooseberry bushes completely hiding it from the dilapidated road sign which had previously aroused my curiosity. In the course of the many teas and receptions which are naturally accorded the guest of a mayor, I met Mammy Yocum, which set me to thinking of her strange flights into the realm of the super-natural. I began to wonder if she wouldn't divulge the secret of her wonderful powers of clairvoyance so that I could check up on the rest of my school mates of the old Class of '43. So that evening I broached the subject and was just a trifle surprised when she readily consented. We first drew some of our own blood and marked an X on our foreheads. I then repeated after her some magic words, which sounded like the script from a hog-calling contest, revolved three times with my eyes closed, and fell flat on my face. Immediately I found myself underwater, struggling violently to keep from drowning. Then suddenly I was yanked to the surface by my hair, and I felt myself being towed swiftly toward shore. When we at last gained the beach, I discovered I owed my life to none other than Johnnie Forbes, who was now head life-guard at Miami Beach and a widely known celebrity, having already endorsed no fewer than five brands of nationally advertised sun-tan lotions. After seeing him awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and a flock of other decorations, I felt myself being whisked through space at such speed that I found my- self over the center of New York in no time at all. Then I was dropped into the midst of a roaring, cheering crowd at Madison Square Garden where, it seemed, a world cham- pionship basketball game was at its height. While wondering what it was all about, I heard a loud voice at my ear: Peanuts! Popcorn! Programs! You can't tell what's going on without a program! Turning around, I discovered the source of the disturbance to be none other than Warren Brent, who, it seemed, had branched) out from the retail grocery business. He informed me that the Arizona Wildcats were playing Darlene Thompson's All-American Red-Heads for the girls' world championship. I had an interesting interview with her after watching a thrilling overtime. By then I felt the need of a little relaxation; so I dropped in at Ciro's for some champagne and caviar and found that Leo Brown's orchestra was performing with Blanche Huckins, the featured blues singer. It was their third straight week there. Leaving Ciro's, I went to the little theatre around the corner just off Times Square to see the current attraction, The Corpse in the Green Pajamas, starring Ralph Veerman's Moron Players. It was a smash hit, Veerman being called back no less than five times to take bows in his green pajamas. He told me after the performance that he was mak- ing progress on another play to be presented in the near future, The Corpse in the Pale Pink Pajamas. Next I was whisked up to a spacious office at the top of one of the monumental struc- tures on Wall Street. GEE! I thought, which of my old classmates works here, I wonder? I was not left wondering long, however; for soon the door opened, and in strode James Wray Shepard. [14]