Stonington High School - Stony Echoes Yearbook (Stonington, IL)

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Senior Hlass Praplzccy January 10, 1965 My Dearest Friend, l have just returned from my trip to Florida as you know and I thought you might like to know of some of the old classmates I happened to run into. My first night out I stopped at a motel just outside of Tupolo, Miss. where I by ac- cident ran into Joyce Blakeman. She was working as foreman of a repair gang on the hard road U.S. 53. Her experience as a cheerleader has proved to be a great asset to her. She can out-yell them all. The next morinng I got an early start but soon I stopped to fill up with gas. I turned into a small station and who do you suppose the attendent was! One of my old class- mates, Keith Swigert, who was surprised in more than one way to see me. At the early hour I had caught him filling his gas storage tanks with the garden hose. I regretted that I could not spend more time with Keith but I had to travel on. About 8:00 o'clock I stopped for a slight snack at a little place in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Lawler's Take A Chance Cafe' was the name of the establishment with none other than Ralphie Lawler as the proprietor. His specialities were dogfish soup and shark pie. He did not recognize me at first but after I mentioned good old Stonington High, he began reminiscing and he forgot his other customers. After ruining his business, I left very reluctantly. That night I stopped at a hotel in Perry, Florida. As I was checking in, a fellow danced in and tapped me on the shoulder. He turned out to be Lowell Beck who was employed as an instructor of the Hampshire Hop, the latest dance step. He told me we were the guests of Gerald Hurelbrink who had been running the hotel since he got Ou! of the pen a couple of years ago. He was sent up for driving too slowly down the Main Street in his Crosley. That night we didn't sleep, because the three of us talked about old times until the sun was beginning to rise and I had lost a considerable sum of mon- ey. The next day, Saturday, I journeyed on to Miami Beach where I planned to soak up plenty of Florida Sun. This proved to be one of the most interesting days of the trip. As I was lying there I noticed the Life Guards patrolling the beach. All at once one jumped into the water and started swimming toward a fellow who had gone too far out into the water and was velling for help. I walked to the water's edge when the Life Guard came up through the shallows carrying the victim. I at once recognized the he- roine as Janice Whitsett and who should she be carrying but Jack Kerwin. 1 was really surprised as Janice always loved strenuous exercise and enjoyed P.E. especially on cold days. After Jack recovered from his shock he spent the rest of the day with me giving me a personal tour of Miami beach and taking me around to see all of our old classmates who had drifted to Florida in the past few years. Due to amorous reverses Jack had become a beachcomber and woman hater. Our first stop was for dinner at a very quaint cafe whose specialty was lobster dimmer which was prepared by a chef who had had much experience in the preparation of de- licious Sea Foods. Jack and I enjoyed this delicacy--at my expense. After the dinner was complete, the chef came out to say hello. Jack had not told me that the famous chef was one of our old classmates, Vivian Matson. She couldn't visit with us very long because her husband who was cleaning turkeys in the kitchen insisted she come back to work if she wanted her full allowance.

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Having fun? What? a fave: Best Banquet Ever qtrnn 8 D S? Poor Chevy! mwnliiliw - X Q Pm Oy The day afper Going home? Name IT Lema1re's Angels? 'The Menu Kids

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After dinner we went back to the beach because Jack said that we would probably see a few more of our old friends there, stealing a few hours offfrom their offices. The first of them we ran on to was John May, now a big swamp-recoverer contractor. He employs Mary DeMichael as his date receptionest whom he was forced to hire because of his many admirers: and Carol Ann Brown as a translater of his foreign love letters. It seems that Jack and I had run on to John at the right moment because his secretaries were making out invitations to a New Year's Eve party at his country home for all the members of the C1355 gf '53 now living in Florida. With a little pressure John insisted that I spend the rest of my vacation as his house guest. Arriving via space ship for the party were Fred Brown and Spike Staples and their wives. I must say they have done rather well for themselves, they are joint proprietors of a bowling alley using mummified heads from the South Seas as balls and unsold wilt- ed celery stalks for pins, courtesy of Spike's uncle. Even their pin boy, Roger Reeh, and their chauffer, Raymond Poiriez, came to add to the guests. Next to arrive was Jim Sanders and his wife. Jim is now the largest cattle raiser in Florida and also as a side line raises monkeys which he has trained to milk so mat he W0r1'I have to get up so early. We all ran out on the front porch to investigate a noise and racket. A speeding car came to a squealing stop near the front steps. When the dust cleared, Harry Blome step- ped from the sleek hot rod, removed his crash helmet and stepped up on the porch. We had all forgotten momentarily that Harry was now a hot rod manufacturer and would, no doubt, come to the party in one of his latest models. After l-Iarry's arrival, John called us all out to the patio where we were seated and prepared for the entertainment. John announced that we would be entertained by four more of our successful classmates. First-we were charmed by a demonsuation of weight lifting by Wilma Bollinger, the new champion heavy weight Lifter of the world. After Wilma had finished her act she took a seat with the rest of us so she could watch Glenda Collier who was next to perform. 'Glenda the Great had gotten a leave from Ringling Brothers Circus to come to the party. She has taken up the dainty act of snake charming. Her act was very breath-taking at times especially for Glenda. She ended her act by putting her twenty foot cobra in a match box. She also joined the audience to watch the others perform. Darline Blome was next and I must say I was a little startled. She was dr6S86d in one of the gayest Hill-Billy garbs I have ever seen. Darline has taken the place of Cousin Minnie Pearl on the Barn Dance. She told us about her reumatism and boy friend Ezra. After her version of She'll be coming round the Mountain, she too, joined us. The last to perform was Mary Ann Price, now a great opera star, fPardon me, the once great opera star.p She sang Paggliacci although personally I couldn't tell much difference between Paggliacci and Darline's She'll be coming round the Mountain' ex- cept that Mary Ann could do a much better job of calling the pigs to feed. The next morning I thanked John for his hospitality and began my long trip home. Nothing of interest happened on the way home so I shall close for now. Sincerely yours, THE TRAVELER