Martinsville High School - Blue Streak Yearbook (Martinsville, IL)

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Class Prnphecg By REPORTER H. KANNMACHER It was in 1954 that I received my nrst big assignment, and incidentally. one that was to take me entirely around the world. Assistant Editor A. L. Hamilton of the lVI.artinsville Daily Chronicle informed me that the paper had decided to run a series of articles featuring the now famous class of '44, and that my job, as a former class member, was to get the 'ilowdownf' The first two I interviewed were farmers. Johnny Hardway and Dean Hendrix who had come home with their degrees and remained true to the soil. They now vied with one another at all the State Fairs where their prize cattle were the envy of all other breeders. I later learned that President Clayton Hammond, of the Martinsville State Bank, and his wife, the former Letha Belle McFarland, had been ffor old times sake and at considerable personal lossy loan- ing these boys money at the miserable rate of IOW. I next visited with Max Sweet and his private secretary. Virginia Reed. at the Sweet Poul- try Co., on the corner of Washington Ave., and Railroad Street. Mr. Sweet. after a special Poultry-Dressing course at college. now dressed all his own poultry at great savings to the firm. Upon my arrival in Alton, whom should I see but the former Ruth Perisho, wheeling the cutest pair of blue-eyed twins I ever saw. down the street, She told me that she had divorced her husband, who was a dirty two-timer and had left herl While we were talking. two asylum attendants, Dale Wilson and Graydon Ulrey, hurried by, armed with twelve-inch monkey wrenches. Ruth informed me that these were used to crack nuts on the heads. when they tried to bolt. In St. Louis. I visited the Stanfield Annex, owned and operated by none other than my old friend. Pinkey. He was engaged in conducting a great anniversary sale of brand new last year's stock. I noticed a big bargain in ladies' S15 spring coats at only Sl4.98l His head bookkeeper. Little Bill Stanfield. had devised a new method of keeping books that en- tirely did away with all tiresome recording, posting, and filing. That evening the three of us heard Connie's Swing Slingers in person, featuring Bill Kannmacher and his Super- Sax, and Gayle Medsker, cute little blues singer. The next morning I hopped the fast stream-lined Speed Demon and conductor Rob- ert Keller whisked me over to Bucyrus, Ohio, where I had a long talk with Captain Willard Thornburgh and Lt. Janell Cireenwell and her sister WACS. Roselyn Meloy and Betty Hut- chens. With the exception of the time they had spent in the guard house, I think their lives in the army had been most pleasant. Doyt Romines met my train in New York City. He was now known from coast to coast as the Quiz Kid, on Information Please. Enroute to my hotel we passed a vaguely familiar figure listening to a radio in front of a second-hand store. Doyt told me that it was Lowell Bennett, whose wife sang so much at home that he never got to turn on the radio. I had been hearing that Tex Roten had been making quite a name for himself in New York. but I was totally unprepared for the magniiicence of his night club. The Hall Sisters. Faye and Thelma, of radio fame. were guest artists of the evening and were now even more famous than the Andrews Sisters, even though Thelma, being a little short, did have to climb on a stool to reach high C. His fan dancer, Lois Thompson. manipulated her beautiful hum- mingbird feather fans with a dexterity that amazed all spectators. The 1944 Blue Slreak

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The Last Will and Testament of the Class ef '44 I. Lowell Bennett. do bequeath my streamlined figure to Ivan Schmitt. I. Freda Burkett, do bequeath my beautiful blonde hair to Carolyn Mauk. I. Patricia Cunningham. do bequeath my sweaters to Catherine Ryan. I. Alvis Ferguson. do bequeath my position as tackle to Dwight McKee. I. Bonnie Garver. do bequeath my Casey date to Betty Hurt. I. Betty Germain. do bequeath my dimples to Audrey Buschemeyer. I, Erma Gray, do bequeath my beautiful profile to Betty Grable. I. .lanell Greenwell. do bequeath the guidance of the class to the future. I. Faye Hall. do bequeath my glorious locks to Rosemary Patchett. I. Thelma Hall. do bequeath my booming voice to Garth Elmore. l. Clayton Hammond, do bequeath my leading role in the class play to Gould Ulrey. I. .Iohnny Hardway, do bequeath my trips to the Rardin home to Denzil Hammond. I. Dean Hendrix. do bequeath my seat in the assembly to Betty Wallace. I. Betty Hutchens, do bequeath my future sister-in-law to Hutch I. Bill Kannmacher. do bequeath my scientific ability to Mr. LaFief. I. Harlene Kannmacher. do bequeath my predictions of the future to Sam Deahl. I. Robert Keller. do bequeath my paper route to some female. I. Letha Belle McFarland. do bequeath my possessive ways to Rosa Slater. I. Eula Faye McKee. do bequeath my speed in typing to Kenny Hardway. I. Gayle Medsker. do bequeath my gossiping with Loki to Muriel Chapman. I. Roselyn Meloy. do bequeath my babyfblue eyes to Norma Kelley. I. Wilma Miller. do bequeath my shapely figure to Mrs. Hamilton. I. Billy Moore. do bequeath my stunted growth to Verlyn Hurst. I. Ernest Morgan. do bequeath my way with women to Bob Downey. I. Ruth Perisho. do bequeath Don's and my seat at the show to Hazel and Jim. I. Peggy Rardin. do bequeath my pug nose to Mr. Duncan. I. Virginia Reed. do bequeath my Saturday nights with the Connelly's to Kate Napier. I, Wanda Richart. do bequeath my many dates to Rosemary Beabout. I. Lorene Rogers. do bequeath my domineering spirit to Lila Rae Galey. I. Doyt Romines. do bequeath my negro accent to Dean Reeds. I. Durward Roten, do bequeath my southern drawl to Mrs. Ennis. I. Carroll Shade, do bequeath my affection for the president to George Harris. I. Bill Stanfield. do bequeath my blue-eyed baby to Hinker Lee. I. Merlin Stanfield. do bequeath my technique in the dark to Edgar Hackney. I. Max Sweet. do bequeath my Model A to the junk yard. I. Don Swope. do bequeath my round face to Jack Padgett. I. Lois Thompson, do bequeath my strut to the majorettes. I. Willard Thornburgh. do bequeath my serious outlook on life to Frederick Bright. I. Graydon Ulrey. do bequeath my early morning walks to Bob Lee. I. Jimmie Weldon. do bequeath my low-backed evening dress to Nelson Auld. I, Dale Wilson. do bequeath my quick answers in class to Mary Harner. I. Grace Zachary, do bequeath my position at Bill's to Wilma Pearce. We. the senior class of '44, do bequeath our highest esteem to Mr. Hurst. THE SENIOR CLASS OF '44 16 The 11144 mat- .sift-an

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The next evening I was very fortunate in getting a ring-side seat at Madison Square Gar- den's biggest event of the year-the heavy-weight championship match. It was with pride that I saw little Ernest Morgan overcome the Black Bomber in the fifteenth round. Erma Gray's strong. vibrant voice carried the match to the waiting world punch by punch, My trip to France was made very pleasant by WAVES. Eula Faye McKee and Freda Burk- ett. They were serving as deck hands and assured me that the WAVES surely did get around these days. My first stop was in Paris at the Ferguson Beauty Salon where Alvis himself gave me one of his famous French linger-waves. At the University of Vienna, I conferred with Dr. James Weldon, Ph.D., P.D.Q., whose last great discovery had placed him among the foremost scientists of the day, and rendered poisonous gasses absolutely harmless. Dr. Weldon had discovered that by holding the breath until the gasses had cleared away, one was not affected by them at all. Pilot Billy Moore and Co-Pilot Peggy Rardin flew me to Ethiopia where I found I.orenc Rogers and Wilma Miller conducting P. E. classes for the natives, who were highly delighted when Wilma demonstrated perfect poise and equilibrium by walking the tight rope with a pitcher of water balanced on her head. In Bagdad, I received the shock of my life. Don Swope. turbaned, bearded, robed and ro- bust, met me at the station and generously offered to show me through his harem. I had to decline the honor because of a previous engagement with President Carroll Shade of the A'Dig- No-More Wells Oil Company. Mystic India at lastl And now I must divulge my secret mission. Several years before, Wanda Richart had gone to the South Sea Islands as a pearl diver. but had later gone to India and completely disappeared. After weeks of searching, aided by a native safari, I found her deep in the jungles, surrounded by snakes of all kinds and descriptions-big snakes, little snakes, fat snakes and skinny snakes. all swaying in rhythmic unison to the dulcet tones of Wanda's flute. In vain I tried to persuade her to give up this pagan existence and return to the land of her birth, but she had gone completely native and flatly refused. Bitterly disappointed, I turned my face to the north, crossing the lofty Himalayas, the mighty Yangtze, and the broad Whang-Ho and after many weeks arrived in Peking, where I was royally entertained by Madame Chiang. When I remarked upon the excellent flavor of the dinner. she assured me that all honors should go to her head cook, Grace Zachary, who had come to China as a missionary, but had, at Madam's earnest entreaties, resigned and accepted this more lucrative position. Grace, no doubt, owes her success to the valuable train- ing she received while slinging hash in Martinsville's leading beanery. Deep in the heart of the International Settlement District of Shanghai, I found Dr. Patri- cia Cunningham carrying on her medical researches by experimenting upon poor little Chinese Guinea Pigs Cshe would have preferred Jap but there weren't enough left after the ward. As a pastime she collected marbles and I found her crying because someone told her that two and two were five and she always got four. Poor Patf She never was very bright in Math. Ambassador Bonnie Garver showed me over the city of Manila and I was surprised to see the natives conducting their own affairs so well. The Golden Gate surely looked good to me, and after seeing the previews of Betty Ger- main's latest picture, O-h, Why Did I Ever Leave Home? I headed across country for Mar- tinsville. 18 The 1044 Blue Slreak