Momence High School - Monesse Yearbook (Momence, IL)

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PROPHECY I pushed my way to the Airport lunchroom where I bought a local paper and had a cup of coffee. My waitress was Evelyn Bryan. The headlines read Alderman Charles Thompson Pur- poses Curfew to Rid City of Juvenile Delinquency. I read Glenn Hess’s editorial about the Crime Snydicate In Momence and learned that Doris Bedinger was Judge of Kankakee County. Head- lines on the Society page were Delores Marucci Returns to Home Town for Benefit Perform- ance. After reading further. I found that Delores was an acrobatic dancer and the benefit was to climax a Children’s Welfare drive headed by the society leader. Sharon Lamie. I couldn't help noticing Janice Thurman's name as she was author of all twenty-six comic strips and Jim Montague's Believe It Or Go Jump In The Lake presented such interesting facts as six-hundred- and-eighty-seven butterflies were caught in the Union of South Africa last year. Barbara Ben- nett's article about Vyron Klassen, President of WMOM TV was also interesting. I finished my coffee and decided to go to the High School to see if they could help me in my research on those famed, far-flung members of the Class of '55. As I hailed a cab and on my way through the business district I noticed Turret's Turkish Baths, Forburger's Hamburger Palace. Dobbe's Donut Shop, Bisher's Bijou, Shirley McCurry's Quickie Washie, Margaret Konopacke's Photography Studio, and Walter Fieleke's Fine Foods Grocery Store. At the High School I was greeted by Betty Boomsma, the School Secretary, who showed me into principal Art Gelino's office. I told Mr. Gelino of my task of finding out the occupations of the class of '55 and as we walked over to view the Ward Memorial Gym. donated by Phyliss Ward, the department store tycoon, this is what he told me. Sandra West was operating a Travel Bureau and Alice DeYoung was living off the royalties of her invention of an extra large vacuum sweeper designed to clean alleys. Yvonne Schomer had been presented with an honorary mem- bership in the F. F. A. and had advanced to National Presidency. Gregg Gelino was coaching football at St. Pat's a rival school. Dick Demack was Momence's athletic director and Joe Sanders was coaching all four sports. I spent the evening at Barbara Buchanans High Hat watching the Adagio dance team of Joe Long and Lolita Schmidt and when I finally reached Dianne Klassen's Kozy Korner Motel at two A. M., I was pretty tired, but there were still three members of the class who had eluded my research. Would the F. B. I. be able to help me? However, success was nearer as I switched on the radio while climbing into my pajamas, and heard the Moondog, Joe Peterson's disc jockey show. My day ended blissfully when Moondog played Darlene Giasson and Marlene Simpson's recording of Take Off Your Shoes Honey If You're Going To Run Around In My Mind. This page sponsored by JENSEN'S DRUG STORE 20

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PROPHECY I was working on a thesis for my Ph. D.. and as a former teacher of Momence High School, I chose the class of 1955 to write about. Thoughts were racing through my mind as my plane neared the airport in Momence. Would I be able to find out the occupations of each of the class of '55? 1 already had a good start as the name of the airport, Smedlund Field, told me what Richard Smedlund was doing. My pilot was Arthur Prairie and the Stewardess was Dianne Sherwood. I knew what Judy Brouillette was doing because I had met her in France where she was warmly accepted as our Ambassador. John Bleyle, president of the local Explorers Club, was also in the national spotlight after succeeding in his third attempt to climb Bald Hill. Being a sports en- thusiast. I knew that Ronald Dressler's Midgets had won the World Series for the second year in a row and that Leroy Sanders, the Decathlon champ, had led the U. S. to an undisputed victory in the 1964 Olympic games at Moscow. Alice Nelson was also a member of our Olympic team as a hurdler in the women's track events. Ruth Keller, first woman president of Hudash Motor Com- pany, had played an important part in raising money for the team's trip to Moscow. Pat Cote's Cosmetics, Jerry Griffin's Shoe Polish,and Jack Bass's fish lures were famous throughout the U. S., and the Shirley Clark-Jackie Marr Candy Company also offered Quality Products. Everyone knew that Shirley Temple was great in Come Back Little Shirley, RKO's(Emily Rehmer, Richard Koble, and Bill Owensby) latest release. I also knew that Momence had been put on the map by Jack Ewers, who had discovered oil under the Kankakee River and this was all I had to go on in writing my thesis about the Class of '55. When Dianne came down the aisle to tell the passengers it would be another hour before we reached Momence, I questioned her as to what the occupations of some of her former classmates were. This is what she had to add. David and Donald Rattin were the undisputed tag team champs of the wrestling world. Marcella Graf was modeling LaVonne Fieleke’s latest hats. Ken Burton was owner-operator of the most exclusive beauty salon in town and Jack Morse, the local barber, was competing with Ken by offering Ladies' Haircuts at a cut price. Shirley Bleyle was advertising Carol Baker's Non-Smudgie Lip-Stick on WMOM TV. I thanked Dianne and moved to the front of the plane to see if Art could add anything. It was no surprise when he told me Dorothy Jordan's latest record for label Y-O-U, owned by Don Prairie, now is number one on the Hitparade. Eldon Bryan oftheMome nee Company had dropped to second with his record- ing of the Whiffenpoof Song. Here are some more additions Art made. The firm of Don Johnson and Norman Johnson had a monopoly on baby products. Ronald Davis had invented a deodorant which was making skunks very popular as household pets. Beverly Smith and Charlotte Eggen were running a school for Babysitters. Pat Boudreau is captain of the baseball team, The Bloomer Girls. Art then mov- ed back to the front of the plane and I fastened my safety-belt for the landing. It seems as though this was flight number .one hundred thousand into Momence and Mayor Gene O'Cull was on hand to greet the passengers. 1 noticed Chuck Bennett, a State Trooper, holding back the crowd. This page sponsored by STANLEY FARM STORE 19

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