Point Pleasant High School - Oh Kan Yearbook (Point Pleasant, WV)

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CLASS HISTORY Each of the one hundred and nine graduating seniors of the class of 1945 has, during these three years of training and learning in Point Pleasant Senior High School, unfolded the first chapter of the book of his life. In this great volume, the following facts serve as introduction to our history: The class of 1945, after taking its basic schooling in the elementary and junior high schools, enrolled in Point Pleasant Senior High on August 31, 1942. As sophomores we felt quite proud because we knew that in former years we had proved that we possessed sufficient ability to be given the privilege of entering this fine institution. Since a great world struggle had broken in upon our lives, our leaders thought it wise and necessary to change our school program to it present day conditions. Consequently, our students selected courses that would be most val- uable in developing such knowledge as would enable us to serve our country diligently, For student leaders the class chose Marion Burdette, Eugene Hanes, Jack Buxton, and Ethel Durst. Directing us in the right paths were Mrs. Filson, Mrs. Beller, Mr. Rogers, Mrs. Jackson, Mr. Cireen, and Mr. Dunn. By their efficient guidance and our sincerity and enthusiasm in our work. we spent a very successful year. Before the class began its work as juniors, we enjoyed a three months' vacation. In an effort to do our part toward helping our country, many of us worked to fill vacancies which had been created by the war, and others helped to produce food on the farms. One hundred and thirty-six boys and girls were fortunate in having the privilege of returning to school August 30, 1943. This year the members of the class elected Donald Sines, Faye Blake, Annette Lewis, and Ethel Durst as ofiicers. Mrs. Eoglesong, Mrs. Rayburn, Mr. Boggess, and Mr. Jordan accepted the responsibility of advising us students. Everyone was eager to receive the ring which we purchased as an emblem of our struggle and of our attainment of knowledge in Point Pleasant Senior High School. Near the end of our junior year, we were greatly pleased to entertain the out-going seniors with a banquet and dance. Even though in the next few years they would be scattered over different parts of the globe, each would have this social affair as one of his happy memories of school days with us. By September 1, 1944, when we returned to this institution of learning to complete the last phase of our education as dignified seniors, everyone had been affected in some way or another by the turmoil of war. Therefore, realizing our responsibility as citizens of the United States of America, we took our work more seriously. Perhaps this serious attitude was partly due to the fact that our number had grown smaller-now 109-and we realized that several of our members would soon be called for training that would enable them to serve in the defense of the many rights which we as Americans have the privilege of enjoying. Everyone knew that we must work with undivided effort and a sincere purpose, so as special helpmates to keep us all working cooperatively we chose Homer Martin, Donald Sines, Patricia Ingraham, and Ethel Durst. Miss McCulloch, Miss Clark, Miss Burdette, and Mr. Blessing have rendered great service in helping the students overcome the many difficulties which they have encountered this year. Since Mr, Blessing has left us to accept a position of greater responsibility, his place has been filled by Mr. Green. Upon our departure from our Alma Mater, we will be given a diploma as asymbol of our first great accomplishment in education. Thus, is Chapter One, as it is written in our Book of Life. Every succeeding chapter will be written by each one of us in different walks of life, and we, the class of 1945, sincerely hope that it will be written with as great success and enjoyment as the first chapter has been. 34. The 1945 Oh-Kun

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SENIORS LILY STAATS Girl Reserves Junior Red Cross CHARLES EUGENE DUNN F.E.A. INEZ LOUISE MONROE Girl Reserves Junior Red Cross BEULAH BELL HAYES Glee Club Movie Club EVA IIAYE HALL Girls' Athletic Club Glee Club QZQ .GQ QB OF 1945 JACK EARLEAN NOBLE I.OlS OTTALIZIS BENNETT Ifuture Homemakers, Sec. Tu-Endie-Wei Speech Club Movie Club, Sec. Cast of Nine Girls Thespians JACK KAROL SMITH Hi-Y Homeroom 12, Sec. Football OREN DARRELL THOMAS IH' THOMAS A. BARTON Movie Club Football

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cl.Ass PRQPHECY Having an invitation to visit one of my former classmates, Betty Ann McCulloch, who married a rich plantation owner some years ago, I headed south for the blue grass region of Kentucky in the spring of 1955. Here I am setting down an account of my trip that you may knowball the news of our former classmates that I chanced upon in my travels. I traveled by train and whenxyl learned that the engineer was Charles Cunningham I felt quite safe and settled back to my newspaper. A comic strip by 'Tom Bart-orj had recently been added and I wanted to find out if the hero of Toms' strip. Tommy Withers could outwit Deadeye fGene3 Dunn. On the editorial page I found a rather shocking expose in the column entitled The Washington Ferris Wheel, by Jack Buxton and Glenn Bruestle. Having planned to stop in Cincinnati for a few hours and to do some shopping I left the train and headed for the shop- ping district. I had heard that Lona Layne owned one of the most exclusive shops in the city. and with last month's salary tightly clutched in my hand I made inquiry as to the location of Miss Laynes' Shop. On entering the showroom. l was not at all surprised at being met by Betty Treadway. She selected a lovely dress for me and suggested that I go to Vonda Lee Barnettes' hat shop just down the street for a hat to complete my outfit. This I did and found one of Mary Agnes Sayres' latest creations which was just what I wanted. Feeling that a trip to a beauty salon would make a new woman of me I made a beeline for the nearest one. I was delighted to find Irene Gardner and Evelyn Anderson working here. Evelyn told me about a new face cream, created by Jack Smith, that they were using and a hair straightening machine invented by Denver Casto. which is in great demand. Irene brought out Betty Lee, Ruby Knightstep, and Phyllis Herdman, who were in charge of the reducing and conditioning department in the salon, to see me. Margaret Plants was also one of the workers. Having four hours before train time I had lunch at the famous Brown Bowler of which Betty Jo Brown is the enter- prising proprietor and Carl Morrison chief chef. I still had time to see a show and, finding that Donald Sines and Justine Sayre were co-starring in the film adaptation of Inez Monroe's glowing biography, Wilma Sallaz, Missionary to China, I dropped in at the nearest theatre. The news reel was full of such familiar faces as those of Dale Nibert, the dynamic diplomat, and Dora Cullen, the famous Alaskan pioneer who. with her traveling companion. Lucille Roush. has just returned to the states. All of these celebrities were being checked off a plane at Lunken airport in Cincinnati by Nora Hoffman. Imagine my surprise when coming out of the dark theatre into bright daylight I bumped into Ethel Durst and Bob Sayre. Ethel told me she is directing one of the cities' largest recreation centers and that Patsy Yester, Lois Wartenburg. and Edna Koblentz are working with her. A recent addition to their staff is Patty Ingraham, one of the country's ablest swimming instructors. Bob pointed out his men's clothing store just across the street and asked me to stop in and see Bobby Rogers and Billy Rawson, who are both models. He asked me how his old friend Eugene Chapman was getting along with his under- taking establishment and I had to report a profitable business rush. It was the fast life people are living these days. I had to rush to catch my train and almost before I realized it we were pulling into Lexington, where I was met at the train by Betty Ann and whisked off to her beautiful southern home with its white columns. On the way she nearly over- whelmed me with questions about the folks back home. She was thrilled to hear that Gus Douglas had been elected Com- missioner of Agriculture. While we are on the subject, Bonnie Caudill is his secretary now. I told her of the operation the eminent surgeon, Dr. Kenneth Rose, had performed on the youngest son of the former Phyllis Henderson. The child was vacationing on Billy Lewis' farm and swallowed a horseshoe nail. She was somewhat surprised when I told her Viola Kayser had taken over her father's real estate business, but no more than when I announced that Polly Ann Filson and Esterina Modula are managing a new theatre chain. Betty Ann had already read of Jean Wandling's approaching marriage in Eleanor Bailey's publication The Bailey Daily , I have heard that Laura Noland, Helen Rogers, and Bertie Wears spend a good part of their time gossiping over their back fences now that they are married and live in the same neighborhood. I must mention here the improvements being wrought in Mason Co. by classmates of ours. Dale and Ernest Taylor hold responsible positions with the State Road Commission and are doing wonders on our county roads. Cecil Buck and Wade Bennett are constructing a dam across Arbuckle Creek to lessen the danger of flood in the Point Pleasant area. Bellemeade, which was recently incorporated. is keeping several of our old friends very busy. Jack Noble is mayor of the booming metropolis, and Pearl Chapman has been appointed principal of the high school there, with Sylvia Gleason as her secretary. Dayton Shinn is Postmaster and Billy Knapp and Robert Sayre run a filling station and repair shop. The town is supplied with the best grades of pork and beef by the Matrox Meat Market, and they tell me Otho is making a fortune in the business. I heartily recommended to Billy the favorite vacation spot of hundreds, Blake Lake. owned by the sisters, Faye and Virginia, and managed by Bobby Rayburn. Cluster Glenn. their advertising manager, has made the Lake quite a success. Other members of the staff are Lucy Stutler. Beulah Hayes. and Patty Durbin. They say that the restaurant there, run by Faye Hall, is supplied with fresh vegetables from Mina Kent's truck farm. Ruth Reynolds is making history on the Ohio River with a new type of showboat entertainment. Her entertainers have been playing to a full house and she has had to employ Carolyn Rulen and Evelyn Robinson to help her look after routine matter. Betty Ann had a paper she had saved to show me, with a grand write-up -by the dramatic critic Nancy Ferguson, of a new play by Eugene Byron Hanes. just opening on Broadway and starring Lois Bennett and Ray McConihay. with excellent supporting performances being turned in by Mary Anthony and Irene Beard. Turning through the paper my eye was caught by a picture of Nancy Yerges on the society page. She is being married next week to a cowhand from Texas. Ihad brought along some clippings to show my hostess and now seemed the time to produce them. The first was about three home town girls who have made good in the field of music, Linda Aeiker as an opera star, June Hope Aeiker as featured vocalist on the Hit Parade, and Mary Ann Berkley as a concert pianist. Another clipping was about the splendid job Rose Ann Glass had done as head of the Mason County Chapter of the Red Cross. A third tried to analyze the sudden rise to fame of the Pleasant Nine. a national baseball team composed of the following girls: Josephine Gibbs. Betty Jo Mathews, Frances Neal, Catherine Roush. Lily Staats. Blondena Thomas, Mary Zuspan. and Kathleen Honaker. Betty said that that she had been over to the University of Kentucky just the other day and found Eileen Sines conducting a class in sociology, Bernadine Sayre coaching a speech class. and Charlotte McDaniel Hlling the position of secretary to the dean. She said that Richard Kinnaird and Charles Pullins owned tobacco plantations adjoining hers and that all the people around there sold their tobacco through the auctioneer, Willie Wilson. Having spent what seemed like hours reminiscing. Betty Ann and her husband took me to Lexington to one of their swank hotels for dinner and dancing. The first familiar face to greet me in the dining room was that of Billy Riffle, the orchestra leader. He was soon on his way to our table with two other entertainers in tow. They turned out to be none other than Edna Jane Edwards and Betty Myers. They told us that Homer Martin. known as the Vocal Chord to millions of Americans, would soon make his appearance. It seems that Homer sings in the summer and coaches in the winter along with Bob Miller at one of our larger universities. During the evening Howard Schultz and Herman Morgan stopped at our table for a chat. When our evening ended I felt that I had spent a very full and happy day. If any of you have noticed a ghost lately, don't let it worry you. for Elaine promised to keep me informed of all your doings. Just call the spectre Yost's ghost. The 1945 Oh-Kan 35