Onarga Township High School - Onarquois Yearbook (Onarga, IL)

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1enior Coach Thomas E. Brim Onarga High School Onarga, Illinois Dear Whaley, I haven’t been down to see Onarga's new ultra-modern gymnasium but 1 hear that it is really a honey! You must be doing well in your new position as coach. It has been a long time since I have heard from you and as I have seen a few of our old classmates lately, I thought I would write and tell you what they are doing. Our old pal, Chief Ed Bottorff, walked into my dental office here on South State Street just the other day, wanting dental treatment for his tribe. Ed has just completed an expedition to North Dakota studying how to acquire territory for the North American Indians. We were just making plans to tour Chicago, when another of our friends, Irvin “Hair less Joe Jean, wandered in. Irvin, as you remember, after having completed his high school training, became famous as a scientist and had the whole office on the edge of our seats telling us of his daring expedition in the Yukon, where he has made a valuable discovery--the distilling of seal oil. So the three of us set out to tour the city. Do you remember when we took our class trip 'way back in '50, the little newstand on the corner of State and Madison? Well, Sue Ficklin, is now on that corner selling old newspapers for a penny apiece. I was shocked to note that the papers were the old Narghi News that Sue had edited when a Junior in high school. 1 never thought Sue would have to resort to this. She also told me that Jeanne Curphey was home at the apartment that they share, writing her book, “Live, Love, and Be Happy. They are making out as best they can on Sue's earnings. At noon we stopped for lunch in a restaurant, and in our anxiety to leave, forgot to pay the bill. Who should call our attention to it but our former classmate, Beverly Haerr. It seems that she and Leon are making out all right in their establishment. Who should be sitting at an adjoining table but Reverend and Mrs. Ronald Schnurr and their little Sunday School class enjoying a day away from his demanding work at a church right in the heart of Skid Row. Ronny is doing a good job of “cleaning up” and enjoys his work. (You remember Bobbye, don’t you Whaley?) We decided to spend part of the afternoonat one of the museums and chose the Chicago Museum of Mummies. Who should be gatekeeper, but “Me rv” Hanne r. He likes his job even though he is so far away from home--and Watseka.As we wandered along the corridors, we found agrcup ofcollege students and in the group was Brad Perkinson, who hasjust received his degree from the Skid Row School for Psychology Students. Brad also joined our group and was overjoyed to see his buddies again. Having nothing better to do we spent the remainder of the afternoon listening to a lecture by Betty Seggebruch. Her subject was “F. F. A. Chapters of the Country.” And she seemed to be well informed on her subject, due to her high school days, no doubt.

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Senior JJistor After the first six weeks our class received the highest grade average for the whole school. The candidate for the King and Queen of our Carnival were Jack Price and Marge Scott. During the year we lost Robert Magnussen, Jack Price, Gloris Ilsie, Clyde Parker, Carolyn Poulson and Virginia Turner. In our sophomore year we had five new members: Judy Voss, Terry Workman, who transfe rred from O.M .S., Joanne Doyle, Brad Perkinson, and Harold Lathrop. The new members were very active in sports. Brad Perkinson and Juanita Henegar were candidates for the King and Queen of our Carnival. Tom Brim lead our class as Pre sident, Te rry Workman was Vice-President, Betty Seggebruch was secretary and Jean Curphey was Treasurer. Juanita Henegar and Tom Brim were chosen to represent our c lass in the Student Council. Our last year as underclassmen” is over so on we march to the Junior section. Our Junior year started with thirty-three members in our class. This year most of the class took part in some extra work outside of the regular classes. The girls participated in choruses and other parts of the music department. The boys took part in athletics and also in music. We put on our first class play this year. It was a three-act comedy, “Bolts and Nuts”. The biggest thing during this year was the Prom. We had worked ever since we had been in high school to get money for this one big evening. We worked the last two weeks in May decorating the gym. We had a lowered ceiling and the people ate at card tables around the edge of the gym. In the center was the dance floor. The Prom went off ve ry nicely and was considered by almost everyone to be one of the best that Onarga has ever had. This ended most of the school year except for semesters and the end of school. Seniors at last! This was the year that we had looked forward to ever since we started to school. We had reached the climax of our school days forever. This year began with thirty-three students but the number was cut to thirty-one before the year was over. This year was the busiest year of all. Several of the boys took part in athletics and many of the members were in music, dramatics and speech. The class officers for this year were Harold Da thr op-Pre sident, Jim Lewis-Vice -President, Betty Seggebruch-Secretary, Jerry Jones-Treasurer. No one will ever forget about how much history we got out of for class meetings ! Our senior play, “Lena Rivers”, was a big success. Several members of the class became Thespians after this play. True to tradition, we were “let out” early, and from May 18 till graduation we were free. Seniors who had made “C ” averages didn’t even have to report for final examinations. We took our senior trip and went to Chicago from May 22 to May 23. During the day everyone could do whatever he wanted to do. Some of the girls went to the Breakfast Club broadcast, plays and movies, and several of the boys went to a baseball game. We spent the first part of our evening at River View and then stayed at the Palmer House Hotel. Baccalaureate was May 28 and Commencement May 3 1. Most of the class were really sad to be leaving high school and entering upon a completely new phase of life. When the school bell rings next September, it will find some members of the class of ’50 in college, some will be married, and some will be on their own--working. But no matter where we are or what we do, we will not soon forget the many happy days we had together at dear old O. H. S. 11

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After leaving the Museum, we strolled along Lake Shore drive and to our amazement, found Harold Lathrop and Diane Rice fishing. They own a partnership in a little fish store downtown, where their speciality is “pickled” herring. Diane said that one of their most frequent customers is Betty Decker and Bob. We took time out from our tour to stop in atone of the large downtown theatres. We were surprised that the stage show was featuring “Terry and His Follies of I960 and guess who is “Terry . None other than Terry Workman. And who should be in his chorus line but more of our classmates, Doris Henrichs, Dorothy Peters, Mary Ann Leonard, Virginia Zirkle, and Joanne Doyle, Marge Scott is his star and entertained us with a few selections on her baritone. Marge, after completing high school, ma rried a multi-millionai re , but he deserted her when he found that her only love was her baritone. And guess who is ticket-seller at the theatre? None other than Willie Cox. I asked him how business was, and he replied that it couldn’t be worse. We were walking out of the theatre and saw a tall, good looking policeman and recognized him to be Norman East. We were surprised to see him in such an occupation, but there he was ! In need of refreshment, we stopped at an ice cream counter and found Mary Staubus the owner, and Marcella Greiner as waitress. Mary has a profitable business. The food was good and her speciality was “crabapples and cottage cheese . Getting back to Onarga, I hear that Jane (Orr) and Bob Niles are in the pencil business. How are they doing? I was surprised to hear that they operate their business near the high school, although it is an ideal location! Juanita Pierce and Beverly Wilken were up to my office the other day. Juanita teaches cooking at the Ridgeville School for Red-Haired Children, and Beverly teaches Mathematics at the Milford High School. Beverly had come to Chicago to the University to try to sell the professors on her new discovery in Math, but of course you already know all this. Beverly didn’t sell her discovery, but she did get an awfully good-looking professor. Well, that just about sums it up, Whaley. Our classmates seem to be doing all right. Have you ever forgotten those English IV term papers and American History class--and those last days of school? The Senior Play went off well, and our sports activities were good. Remember how you know you would miss the gang ? They all have new friends now and live in different places, but you can never forget a face. I’m glad Onarga got the new gymnasium, and that the team did so well in the tournament. You must like your new job. Come up to Chicago sometime and see the gang. 13 Yours truly, Jerry Jones