Lovingston High School - Cycle Yearbook (Lovingston, VA)

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That evening while waiting for the scientist to arrive who should walk in but Donald Purvis! I shouldn’t have been surprised to learn that he was the scientist for a trip of this kind had been his ambition since high school days. He called a taxi and who should the driver be—-Walter Hughes! The conversation was mostly of school friends and he said that Nelson Goodwin and he were driving for the same firm but were planning to form a company of their own in the near future. Betty Kidd was to be their secretary. On our way to the night club, The Brownie,” Donald told me it was owned by Billy and Walter Browning. They were both out of town, though, attending the opening of another one of their night clubs in Chicago. Their secretary, Esther Burnley, was also away. I was disappointed to hear this. We were greeted at our table by a darling cigarette girl who should be none other than Phyllis Wright. It seems as though she was only working for that evening in place of Beatrice Woodson who was sick. Actually she was Waller’s fiancee and they were planning to be married in the fall. She told me, too, that shortly after graduation Adella Robertson had married Aubrey Layne and thev were now living in Florida where she sang and danced at their own night club. Also Peggy Kidd worked with them. Mildred Parrish was also married and lived in Charlottesville, Va. While talking I noticed a very distinguished looking couple walking towards our table. I couldn’t believe it, but it was true-—-David Nelson, Donald’s assistant, and his wife, Phyllis Wood!! I think they were just as surprised as I was! During dinner the nightly floor show began. You can imagine my amazement at seeing Betty Joyce Forbes as the main singer and dancer. She later came over to our table and we chatted for hours. Her understudy, Martha Terry, also joined us and her husband, Wilson Kidd, who was a major league baseball player! I suddenly realized that I knew of the whereabouts of all of my classmates except two; Walter Mays, and Ray McKenzie. Of course, being curious, I asked Russell. He informed me that Walter was a great game hunter and was now in Africa, but much to my dismay, I learned that poor Ray was in an airplane crash and had been missing for over two years! The party broke up soon after I heard this, for I was greatly disturbed by the news, and also we were leaving tomorrow on our journey to Mars! Fate the next day we prepared to leave and as I entered the space ship I felt uneasy. What if something happened? But of course, I shouldn’t worry, Donald assured me, as he was confident the expedition would be successful. All of my friends were there to wish us luck and at 5 o’clock the pilot started the space ship. Only thrity-six hours later we landed on Mars!!! Donald by means of short-wave radio, had communicated with the inhabitants, and was able to understand their language. On our arrival we were greeted by a welcoming committee and after many speeches were made, two guards led us to the Sultan’s mansion, an exquisite palace that looked as if it jumped from the pages of a fairy tale. He immediately adopted us and took us to meet the rest of his family. There, in the next room, lounging lazily on satin cushions, and smoking a long, reej pipe was Ray McKenzie, the Sultan’s son-in-law!! I fainted, naturally!! Once revived, I couldn’t help but ask him millions of questions. His plane had crashed and when he had regained consciousness he realized he was a prisoner of these strange people. The Sultan’s daughter had fallen in love with him though, and to free himself he married her. If you could have only seen Ray! Two beautiful girls fanning him, four others dancing, and anything he wished for. He hid changed considerably I must say. He weighed three hundred pounds and was so lazy he hardly ever changed his position of lying down. We spent two lovely weeks there, but since time was running out on Donald and he had to complete his mission we left, bidding every one a fond farewell, even Ray, who seemed content to remain in those luxurious surroundings. I have come to the conclusion that the world is really a small place after all. To think that in the short time of one month I have experienced a trip to another planet, and also I have seen or heard of all my classmates of 1951!! By: Betty Allen d 15 b

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Class Prophecy In the spring of 1961, I was employed as a newspaper reporter in a small southern town. Upon reading the New York Times, I came across an ad requesting applicants of reporters to cover a very exciting and perhaps dangerous expedition. Being somewhat bored with my job, and having seen nothing of the world as I had planned ten years before when I graduated from Lovingston High School, I decided to apply for the job. Several days later I boarded the plane which would take me to New York, and who was the pilot—my former classmate, G. D. Witt! He told me that after being discharged from the Air Force he and Marion Fields had gone in partnership and now had their own airlines. Bummie,” he informed me was now in South America on a chartered trip. After getting settled the stewardess came around to check on our comfort and to see if we needed anything. Much to my amazement it was Barbara Ann Wood! From our short conversation I learned that she had been divorced recently and declared that she would never look at another man. (You should have seen her later flirting with all the male passengers!) She came and told me to fasten my safety belt as we were landing and would be at the airport for several hours. Much to my surprise it was Lovingston!!! I quickly got off to see how many of my friends and classmates I could find. As I entered the terminal I thought I recognized the clerk. It was none other than Faye Elliott, whose husband was the manager of this branch of the airlines. She also said she visited quite often Mary Lee Hughes, Virginia and Marian Wood, all of whom were happily married and now living in or around Shipman. As it was time for lunch I walked several blocks and found an attractive restaurant. As I seated myself I glanced around and what was written on the door but Raymond Goolsby, Proprietor!! A waitress then interrupted my thoughts and it was none other than Della Banton. She had been working here for several months and Marian Carter, also. Marian and her husband were on their vacation at the time. After finishing my meal I still had an hour to spare so I decided to have my hair fixed. I saw the sign— Floyd Stevens Beauty Salon,” and to be sure it was Margaret Kathyrn and Helen. From the crowd I took for granted their business must be thriving. Helen had been engaged twice, but as yet hadn’t married. Margaret and Donald Mawyer had been married two years after graduation and they were now the proud parents of two darling little boys! While having my hair dried the cutest nurse came in. Yep, it was Joyce Wood, now the head nurse at the University of Virginia hospital, and she was also engaged to William Robertson. From our talk I gathered that she and Kathleen Gowen were really close friends. Kathleen was one of the leading women doctors at the University! She also told me that Billy Wood had married Judy Sheppard last month and was now teaching History at good ole LHS! I looked at my watch and found that my plane left in ten minutes so I hurriedly said goodbye and rushed to get back to the airport. Seated next to me, I discovered, was Clyde Harvey, very prosperous looking and with even a moustache! He now owned all of Davis Creek and was running for mayor of Lovingston! We had to make a stop in Washington, D. C., to pick up a very important senator. Naturally I was overwhelmed by seeing Ray Sites board the plane accompanied by his private secretary, Ruth Campbell!! She and Vernon had been happily married for years. Finally, we arrived in New York and after getting settled in the hotel, I ventured out to the newspaper office. I asked to see the editor, and they referred me to the editor’s secretary. There I found myself being introduced to Edna Mae Glover! She had held an important position in Washington for some time and had been here for several monthss. As she ushered me into the main office I noticed she laughed and I looked up and found myself face to face with Russell Henderson, editor of the New York Times!! We talked for ages and then he explained to me about the expedition, which was a trip to Mars!! I gasped at this as he continuedtelling me that this was an experiment of a noted scientist who was trying out his new space ship. He wouldn’t give the name, only said that he would call on me that evening to take me to dinner and show me some night life of New York. d i4 y

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Class of 1952 First row: J. Crist, A. Bridgewater, A. Wood, F. Davis, D. Terry. Second row: A. Whits, M. White, J. Craig, J. Mays, F. Ogden. Third row: D. Gleason, F. Mays, M. Campbell, M. Buchanan, G. Farrar. Fourth roll’: P. Phillips, J. Fitzgerald, T. Browning, S. Fitzgerald, D. Campbell. Fifth row: J. Horton, L. Harvey, J. Bryant (not pictured). i 16 y