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

Page 28 text:

Ernie tells me there was quite a merger a couple of years ago when Larry finally popped the question to Ardis, now they own the only place in town where you can get a prescription filled and have your pants pressed at the same time. While we were uptown, we met Mrs. Larry Leonard, who was shopping. She told me that Little Larry Jr. was six years old now. Barbara also told us that Ruth Virkus was now quite famous for solving the Grimes case for the FBI, and that she was being considered to replace J. Edgar Hoover next year. We stopped in at Schmidt’s Hast House for coffee, and we saw our old classmate, Ellen. Ellen was voted Miss Soup Slinger of 1965, a worthy honor for one of our distinguished classmates. Marge Weakley and Mary Crist joined the Navy; the recruiters tried to tell them it was for men only, but the girls were very insistent. The Navy says that they’re never had it so good!!! Well, Quen, I have to get back to the ole grind. My next picture is “Marooned On A Desert Island,” co-starring Jayne Mansfield. I really just have to take another vacation. This work is getting me down. Your old classmate. Dan “Always Leave Them Laughing” Norvell

Page 27 text:

Hollywood, California May —, 1967 Squire CXientin Cultra Cultra Ranch Cultraville, Australia Dear Quen, I certainly enjoyed my stay last month at your 750,000 acre sheep ranch with its 300 oil wells. There was just one drawback, I just couldn't get used to diving into that swimming pool filled with money. Well, now I know why they call you “Scrooge. As for myself, I just finished my latest picture with Natalie Wood. It's called “Alone In The Desert. Of course I had Natalie to keep me company, but you don't know the tremendous strain you go through. Speaking of strains, I just happened to be in the old home town a couple of days ago. You'd be surprised. Oiarga has changed hardly at all. I stopped in at the old high school, and I saw Mr. Jones, who's still Principal and head of the Science Department. Mr. Jones was in the process of giving IQ Tests to the Seniors. You remember the IQ Tests, don't you Quen? I used to think IQ stood for Idiot Questions. Anyway, you’ll never guess who Mr. Jones's chief assistant in the electronics field is. Why it’s good ole “Charger Erwin. I understand Duane was responsible for the wire tapping of the boys restrooms to put a halt to the wastepaper-basket gang. On the way out, I met Mrs. “Butch Johnson, head of the Commerce Department. I can't understand how Nancy can teach school and raise ten kids at the same time. After leaving the school, I happened to bump into Ernie Wright, and I mean bump into. Ernie came careening out of a corner and ran into me. After I came to, Ernie and I had a nice polite conversation about the weather, and then we went down to Durham Park where we beheld Wright's Drag Strip. Ernie was in a hurry to get there because he was slated to drive against Robert “Rex Patterson. Rex was just back from Africa where he and JohnZirkle and Larry “Al Balding had conducted their latest Safari. Next year the Rover Boys plan to cross the Amazon Jungle by dog sled. They always did do things the hard way. After the race, I talked to Ernie's chief mechanic, Tom “Greasy Thumb Weakley. Tom’s one of the best mechanics in the business, and you know he'd have to be to put a car together after Wright gets through with it. Tom’s wife, Diana, was at “Greasy Thumb’s greasy elbow handing him tools. After that, Rex, Ernie, and I drove over a block south to Bill Reed’s Marathon Station. We saw Onarga’s Famous Story-Teller propped up in a chair chewing the fat with Don Crist, “The Gentleman Farmer of RidgeviHe. As usual. Bill was expounding on the subject, “Why The Cubs Will Win The Pennant This Year. We asked Don about his old side-kick, Larry Wulff. He said that Larry had moved out to Arizona, where he now has a pig farm, and he has become Arizona State’s Champion Hog-Caller. Going into town, Ernie pointed out the old Mode Theatre, now a spacious block long Burlesque Palace owned and operated by Barbara Fisher and Maxine Gercken. They say the popcorn there is the best in the Middle West.

Page 29 text:

MEMORY LANE In September, 1953, twenty-three wide-eyed little Freshmen entered the halls of Qiarga High. Having been tempted, tried, and true, they somehow reached the close of their Senior year. Let’s wander back through Memory Lane and review their activities. During their Freshman year, they were entertained by the Sophomores at the Freshman-Sophomore Reception. They were officially welcomed by the Seniors at an informal initiation and managed to survive. Dan Norvell was the president. He was assisted by Quen Cultra, vice-president; Ruth Virkus, secretary; and, Barbara Fisher, treasurer. Barbara Swearingen presented their troubles at the Student Council meetings. They decorated the gym for the Homecoming Dance, where Barbara Swearingen and Quen Cultra were their candidates for Queen and King. For their one big party, they had a scavenger hunt. To make money, they sponsored bake sales and collected dues. They enjoyed putting on their Little Artie skit for the Korn Bawl. The Freshman class was represented in all sports in addition to music events, plays, and honor roll. Class Sponsors were Miss Wright and Mr. Hoisington. Then having passed the tortures of their first year, the group moved on to their Sophomore year. They welcomed Patsy Koehn to the class and said, Good-bye to Andy Empey. So this still made twenty-three members in the class. The officers for that year were Quen Cultra, president; Bob Patterson, vice-president; Barbara Swearingen, secretary; and, Barbara Fisher, treasurer. They sent Nancy Natterstad to the Student Council meetings. They started out the year by entertaining the Freshmen at the Fresh man-Sophomore Reception. The Sophs had a Penny Supper, sold decals, had bake sales, picked up corn, and collected dues to make money. For their part in the Homecoming celebration, they made the dummy for the bonfire and decorated the football field. Barbara Swearingen and Bob Patterson were candidates for Queen and King. The girls won a contest by selling more decals than the boys, so the boys treated them to milk shakes. At the end of the year, Earl Betourne was picked to play for the 1956 Prom. Larry Salmon and Ruth Virkus assisted the Juniors at the 1955 Prom by pouring punch. The Sophomore girls served at the banquet. Dan Norvell and Larry Salmon attended Boys State that year. Class Sponsors were Mrs. Hite and Mr. Com-pagnoni. Leaving their underclass days behind, they trudged upward to their Junior year, but they still had a long way to go. Ellen Schmidt joined their class that year, but Pat Koehn and Janice Hendricks left, leaving a class of twenty-two. Their officers were Barbara Swearingen, president; Ernie Wright, vice-president; Barbara Fisher, secretary; Nancy Natterstad, treasurer; and. Marjorie Weakley attended the Student Council meetings as their representative. This was their busiest year, and they handled all their activities very nicely. That fall they ordered their class rings and received them about the first of March. Some of them took part in the Thespian Play.