Parker High School - La Reata Yearbook (Parker, AZ)

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-..lv , l-. ,, ..., -7 ,,, 143774 .. MY NAME is Katherine Edwards. I'm an investigator for the Bureau of Internal Revenue. My boss is sending me on a trip to check on the tax returns of several people. I hired a baby-sister for my eight children, kissed my husband goodbye, and boarded a plane for Indianapolis. VVhen I landed I took a taxi for the Indian- apolis Speedway where I was to check up on Ice Lattie, winner for seven straight years of the races held at the Speedway. I didn't connect Joe with my old school-- days until I saw the words Ad Astra Per Aspera on his car. Going over his return with him we both decided he should get a refund. I decided to stop in for a drink after my long plane ride. I went into a small tavern. It was all dark except for a small blue spotlight shining on a woman in the middle of the dance floor. She had on a shimmering black dress and was pouring her heart into a blues song. When she was through and the light went on, I recognized her as my old friend Denise Gallaher. She spotted me at once and came over to my table. We drank lemonades .till my plane time. Once I was on the plane I forgot everything but checking up on the tax returns. My next stop was Hollywood. My schoolmate Leroy Eswonia was a big success. He had six Oscars to his credit. His latest picthre, Happy Feet' with Betty Grable, should earn him a seventh. I drove out to see Leroy and when I saw him I yelled Hey, Tank. Recognizing his old nickname he came running. We talked for a while and as I was leaving a long purple limousine with lime seat- covers came roaring down the street. It screeched to a stop in front of my car and a tall man in a pink chauffeufs uniform stepped out and opened the door. Out jumped a woman dressed in black who began. screaming a mile a minute. I put my finger in her mouth to quiet her. She bit me. Then I recognized her. It was Theo McShane. She said she was in mourning for her husband who had died recently. After talking for a while, she peeled out and headed for Las Vegas. Driving to the Hollywood Paladium I saw a mob of teenagers chasing a man who came and jumped in my car. Get Going. I did. A few blocks away he told me he was Adrien Fisher, :jqil U. S. Band Leader. My poor old friend was so close to a nervous breakdown that I drove him to the nearest hospital. A nurse came out and jumped in the car. Sheila Smith, as I live and breathe! Sheila was headr nurse at the hospital. Leaving Adrien with her, I took off. As I approached a stop sign a big truck full of tires rammed into me and smashed my car and threw me into the window of a clothing store. A tall young man came over and apologized for crashing into me. When he handed me his card I saw that he was Marvin Holt. Marvin had bought out Slim's 76 and was doing quite well for himself. A young woman came out and insisted I pay for her windows. It was my old friend Alice Campas. She had bought out Dave's Toggery and now had a chain of clothing stores all over the U. S. Marvin was still in touch with Gerald Williams who lived in Parker. He had bought the Desert Winds Motel and was living a life of ease. Frances Castro was the local undertaker at Parker, and it was said that she had really advanced the town. -22-

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endaz kwa Wading LOOKING BACK UPON THE YEARS of our school days, the Class of '55 knows that those were their happiest days. To begin, with, ten of us, Gus Torres, Ernest Campas, Denise Gallaher, Katherine Edwards, Bob Langendorf, Eva Bur- goz, Dehlia Martinez, and Reba Powell entered the first grade together at the Parker Grammar school. Q Upon entering the second grade we met Gerald Williams who soon became a member of our happy little groupf When the eager Htle group entered third grade they en- countered Maxine Pollaca, AnnanWilkinson, Theo McShane, and Gloria Martinez who enlarged their number greatly. Fourth grade passed without any new faces, In the fifth grade Carol Bowman appeared among us for the first time, and the class started on a dead run for the sixth grade where we were greeted by Norma Hall and Mike Allen. V I When we came into the seventh grade our number was in- creased considerably by the additions of Berta Benefield, Beverly Bloomfield, Verna Massingill, Morris Sevada and Benny McCabe. With no new arrivals in the eighth grade we Hnally gradu- ated into N.Y.C.U.H.S. Consisting of the largest Freshman Class ever to enter N.Y.C.U.H.S., we welcomed into our numbers many new students from surrounding territory. They were Arlene Holmes, Hubbard Allen, Marilyn Robinson, Betty Orosco, Ioe Lattie, Adrian Fisher, LeRoy Eswonia. As Sophomores we were happy to greet Rufina and Bernardo Bernal, and Glenda and Marvin Holt into our ranks. Finally, as Mighty Iuniors,who gave a superb Prom and Ban- quet we welcomed three new additions, Ed Moritz, Iames Ham- ilton, and Lydiann Shields. As Seniors we' welcomed Leila White, Sheila Smith, and Frances Castro. So is the brief outline of the graduating class of '55 who will always remember N.Y.C.U.H.S. with fondness. -21-

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..afDag4Z'ai SINCE I HAD TO FLY TO PHOENIX I decided I should stop in at Parker and see who was left there. I landed at the new modern airport and took a cab to town. I went first to the Desert W'inds but Gerald was on vacation in Africa. At the funeral parlor I was told that Frances was in Detroit looking at a new line of hearses. I inquired around and was told that Bernardo Bernal owned a cattle lrlanch in Texas, half the land in the valley, and at the time,a choice line of Arabian orses. I wentover to NYCUHS to see my old teachers and I was shocked ,when I discovered that james Hamilton was principal. Morris Sevada was giving lectures to the Ag boys. It seems that he was inspired by his Ag teacher. I took a cab to the valley and I found that Benny McCabe had taken over Poston and Parker Farms. He had the higgest bunch of wetbacks I ever saw. As Benny was showing me around a woman and two children rode by on horses. Why, that is Carol Bowman ,I shouted. Benny said it was ,but she had married, had two kids, and a huge stable of horses. Benny hold me that Hubbard Allen had bought Parker Dam and was charging people to see it. He was making money hand over fist. Mike Allen had bought Earp again and it was growing rapidly. The population was 1,000 and there was even a night club. When Benny spoke of Mike, I naturally thought of Ed Moritz. He was president of the Santa Fe railroad and didn't get to Parker very often. When I got back to town and stepped out of my cab, I spotted a huge build- ing that was the Parker Pioneer. Eva Burgoz was the Editor. I took the elevator to the top floor and asked to see her. Her secretary told me she was not there. She had Hown to South America to check on a revolution that was going on. I didn't recognize the secretary until I got back to Washington. It was Glenda Holt. I left the Pioneer Building and was going into the drugstore when I heard someone call my name. It was Berta Benefield. She told me she was teaching commercial courses at the Parker Business School. We had a coke and as we were getting up Berta said, Well, here is Anna Wilkinson. Annie looked radiant as she told us she was married and had five children. Iust then I saw it was plane time so I sped to the airport and took off. VVe had been traveling about a half hour when the stewardess came down the aisle with a tray of salads. She slipped on something and the salads landed in my hair. She brushed me off and apologized. Her voice struck a familiar note in my mind. Here was Betty Orosco, stewardess. We talked until the plane landed in Clint, Texas. In the taxi on the way to the hotel there was a radio playing western and hillbilly tunes. The announcer said that next would be In the Iailhouse Now sung by Lydiann Shields. So Babe was a western singer now. Outside the hotel a crowd had gathered. In the center of it was a man paint- ing. I asked who this man was and an old woman told me it was Gus Torres, the famous artist. In the lounge of the hotel the television was on. There was a basket- ball game on at the time. The Iron Masks vs. The Unholy Five. The Unholy Fivev were ahead 78-0. As the camera gave Closeups of the players I recognized Verna Massingill, Gloria Martinez, Dehlia Martinez, Leila VVhite, and Norma Hall. The whole team was made up of my former classmates. On the bench sat coach Marilyn Robinson. Coach Robinson was grinning from ear to ear when the game was over. The score was 97-0. -23- Al QM' f -g-p,.,.....-sm. ..i..----.............. .. . - F N I M I