Rowe High School - Viking Saga Yearbook (Lakeville, OH)

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▼ ▼ Senior Class History ▼ ▼ Way back in 1927, forty-three innocent little mama’s darlings, shiny new lunch boxes in chubby little hands, toddled off to school with comingled regret at having to release mother’s apron strings and curiosity to see the great wide world as might be revealed at Farnham, Amboy, and the Old East Main Road school. Amid the many trials and tribulations several incidents of those by-gone days are still cherished, perhaps because of painful corporal punishment attached thereto. For instance, Phyllis and Helen will always remember their first spankings, administered when in the second grade for playing tag in school. “Jo” tells us she’ll never feel the same about running upstairs after spending a perfectly good afternoon in the closet corner as a result of indulging in the the forbidden act once too often. Perhaps the reason Louis is very seldom seen chewing gum in classes is due to the fact that back in the grades he was frequently peiched on a table in the front of the room next to a picture of a cow in order that the class might compare the two methods of mastication. Can any of the Amboy lassies forget the broken hearts suffered in the fifth grade when their Prince Charming, none other than George Rector, appeared and immediately focused all his attentions on Clara Kellogg? It is said that Margie Wright cultivated her liking for the piano as a result of frequently being stood behind the piano at 0 d East Main Road school for her social proclivities. But those days could not last forever and September 14, 1936, found these same forty-three young men and women, hardly daring to breathe for fear they might attract the attention of some upperclassman, ready to enter the portals of Rowe High. Adding still more to our consternation, the class was divided and many of us found, much to our despair, that we were separated from our best friends. We never really regained our courage and self-confidence until after Freshman initiation, a time many of us believed never could be survived. However, our elders proved quite lenient with us and soon afterwards we had class organization, electing George Rector to guide us through the rest of this first year. As “sophies” we seemed to drop into oblivion as all sophomore classes are wont to do, remembered only by Helen’s outstanding ability on the basketball court, and Dot’s upper-class boyfriend. In our junior year we emerged from the shadows and took an active part in school life. Our first act was to select Dorothy Bankston as class president to pilot us through this, our third year of high school. We made our first major stage appearance in the comedy “Small Town Romeo”, with Shirley Paananen as the heroine and George Rector, her ‘heart interest,’ leading a very able cast. It was at this time that we learned what a comedy actor we had in Fred Ollila, when he kept the audience, as well as the cast, in laughter until the last curtain. On May 12th, amid attractive nautical decorations, we gave the annual Junior-Senior Prom, sending off our seniors with a party that really made them feel they had been appreciated. After a short summer vacation we were again back at these same portals, this time entering them 17 less in number but with a determination to get as much out of this last year as possible. We immediately began activities by putting George Rector back into office as president for his third term. Our first social function was the annual Freshman Initiation, formally welcoming the ‘green frosh’ into our Alma Mater. Under the editorship of Margie Wright, the school newspaper soon got under way, with many seniors listed on the staff. Most of the musical ability of the group seemed to be vested in Doris Thompson, who was our sole representative in the A Cappella Choir for two years. The days preceding December 26 were filled with much excitement for us, not Continued on page 17 13

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GEORGE RECTOR—“ H e r m ”, “Pansy”, “Rec”, “Lion”; Our Don Juan with the ability for class leadership. A firm believer of the ‘third term”. Track 9, 10, 11; Football 10, 11; One-Act Play 11, 12; Class Play 11; Class President 9, 10, 12; Jr. Red Cross President 11, 12; Camera Club 11; Varsity “F” 11; French Club 11, 12; Chorus 9, 10. REGINA STEPHENSON—Dependibility and patience are her virtue. Chorus 1, 2; Basketball 2, 4; Commercial Club 2; Mgr. Paper Sales 3; French Club 3, 4; Operetta 1; Scholarship Tests 2. DORIS THOMPSON—“Dody”, “Mae”; Ever the model student, never a time waster. Glee Club 1, 2; A Cappella 3, 4; Orchestra 1, 2, 3; County Scholarship 9, 10; Operetta 1, 2, 3; Play 3. PHYLLIS WHIPPLE—“Scarface”, “Flip”, “Fuzz”; “Live, love and laugh” has been her theme; out-talk her opponent has been her scheme. Girls, Chorus 1, 2; Operetta 1, 2; Band 1, 2, 3; Orchestra 1, 2, 3; Scholarship Tests 1; Dramatics Club 3; French Club 3, 4; Pilot Light 1, 2, 4; Annual 4; Glee Club 4; One-Act Play Contest 3, 4; Commercial Club 2, 3; Senior Play 4; Candy Sales Staff; Vice President 3. MARJORIE WRIGHT—“Marge”, “Slick”; The redheaded “flash” of the Senior Class. Procrastination is her hobby. Girls’ Chorus 1, 2; Operetta 1, 2; Band 1. 2; Jefferson Scholarship Test 2; Kent Test 3; Declamatory Contest 2; Dramatics Club 3; French Club 3, 4; Pilot Light 1, 3, 4; Annual 3, 4; Junior Play 4: One-Act Play 3, 4; Candy Sales 4. 12

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▼ ▼ 1940 Class Prophecy ▼ ▼ Here it is 1950 and I find but little change in the cares of the world. The other day, however, I accidentally encountered many of the names of my companions in Howe High School’s graduating class of 1940. It was rather peculiar how I stumbled across them. Let’s see—it was Thursday and, upon entering the lobby of the building where I am employed, I heard the conventional greeting of the elevator boy, Earle Poole. I have always had a weakness for uniforms and his brass buttons, as well as his becoming blush, always fascinated me. I stepped from the elevator on the twenty-sixth floor, and hurried on to the door marked “Bureau of Census.” As my efficient secretary, Clara Kellogg, had not yet arrived, I sat down at my desk and carelessly glanced over the latest census reports from such metropolises as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Amboy. I noticed the general trend of information: Mr. Jones has a fur-lined bath tub; Mr. Doolittle uses Shabby Sham Shaving Cream and has a hound dog, et cetera—then I began to notice more familiar names. There was Bruce Clark, now a teacher of mathematics in Farnham Junior College. He spends his evenings in the bald-headed row at the Casino—and Oiva, the director of the Kangas Fanning Kompany in Konneaut—he’s still driving that old Buick that was so familiar way back when in our high school days. Then I noticed the name of Peggy Kennedy who has become a representative in Congress and is presenting a bill to have Leap Year occur every other year for the benefit of those girls who enjoy picking their own dates. A little farther down, the name, Helen Hirsimaki, attracted my eye. Why for land’s sake! She is the World’s Champion Woman Wrestler in Melvin (iMedicine Man) Barger’s Side bhow. And there’s Anowene uoldsmith, “Slug” for short, now a test-driver for Oldsmobile, for General Motors Corporation. In spite of her increasing years, she is a faithful attendant at the Odd Fellows’ dances. You wouldn’t miss them either if you knew that Harry Kirkwood’s three-piece jug-band is playing there now. Sure enough, there was Hank Brooks, still pursuing his career of portraying the villain, only now in Hollywood, and running close competition to Boris Karloff. Fred Ollila is now the number one “oomph” boy for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer! Little does he realize that his rise to fame is dated from his portrayal of Hugo in ’40 under Miss frown’s careful direction. I looked twice before I remembered the Human Interest Columnist who writes under her maiden name, Shirley Paananen, but who spends most of her time tending the gas station to keep peace in the family! And the well-known chiseler, Martin Ojajarvi, carrying on his prosperous and respectable trade of cutting epitaphs for tombstones. The primary stage of his career was cutting initials on desk-tops in school. I was elated to find that Regina Stephenson has finally realized her ambition as a nurse. She is nursing little peeps at the Andes Combination Chicken Hatchery and Fruit Farm on Daniels Avenue where Marvin and his wife, Charlotte, have taken over the old homstead. I was eaqually elated that George Rector has finally become a captain on a barge running up and down Conneaut Creek, smuggling tax-stamps and chickens for the class of 1950. Then I recalled the name, Josephine Prolong, now doing very well for herself, by posing for toothpaste ads in the Montgomery Ward Catalogue. There was also another of our talented classmates who had become absorbed in his work. It was Leonard Christopher, now employed at the Hartzmountain Canary Farm, teaching birds how to whistle. As was anticipated, Dot Bankston had abandoned the career of a sailor’s spouse and makes a very charming stewardess on a cattle train running from Conneaut to Ashtabula. Just then I was interrupted from my reminiscing by a loud commotion at the door. As I guessed, it was “Farmer” Wright returning with more census statistics. Continued on page 17 14