Union Center High School - Reflector Yearbook (Wells County, IN)

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FORTY-NINER'S CLASS HISTORY Back in September of 1937, twenty-eight bewildered little children began their long journey through education. Miss Bernece Martin, our teacher, greeted us with an understanding smile which assured us of a happy first year at Union. The members of the first grade class were, Don Caley, Pete Carey, Gene Carl, Harold Carpenter, anford Cayot,Rex Douglass, Ronnie Fisher, Peggy Folk, Jerry Fritz, Vivienne Grant, Richard Haffner, Velda Hine, Fredrick Leach, Mary May, Robert McNeely, Dick Mulligan, John Osborne, Clara Osburn, Joan Patty, Ralph Platt, Bonnie Lou Shoup, Arlene Spragtie, Dixie Thoma, Dick Thomas, Robert Tuttle, Jo Ann Veazey, Max Walton, and Mary Lou Roebrock. Everyone remained at Union except Arlene Spragtie who left before Christmas and Dick Thomas who withdrew in March of '38 to a district school in Allen County. As time flew by, we were amazed to notice that summer vacation was here and gone and we were ready to enter our second year of school. we were again greeted by Miss Martin and a few new faces who were Carol Stillwell, Edwin Smeltzer, Alice Brickley, William Brickley, Richard Crist, Wendell Ormsby, Russel Wilson, and Harold Bumgarner, all of whom came from various schools. Some of the puzzeling questions in the first week were, 'What's Phoenix? And how will we ever survive ten more years of th1s?' After the first semester and all the excitement of Christmas was over, we found we had lost three of our classmates, Carol Stillwell, Mary May, and Robert Tuttle. Before we realized it, we had been promoted to the third grade and come under the jurisdiction of a new teacher, namely, Miss Eulala Martin. This year we welcomed three newcomers to our class, June Wilson, Joan Mack, and Jay Ybukey, the latter of whom came from Wayne Haven in Allen County. There were three exciting events which we looked forward to this year as every year. The first of which was the Halloween parade and everyone dis- guised themselves as some strange character. The next event in line was the visit from good old Saint Nick when everyone received a gift and a treat from him. Then in February, the exchange of Valentines created a lot of suspense in the hearts of every fellow and gal. Before long, spring was here and semester exams and then summer vacation. In the fall, when we returned for our fourth year, our teacher was still Miss Eulala Martin, and we were in the same room as in the previous year. When we assembled, we noticed there were three changes ih the class. Harold Bumgarner who had left us during the summer for Markle, returned to the class from Allen County, but Richard Thomas and Joan Patty left for Ossian. This was the year of the l9kO presidential election. The pros and cons of the two opponents were discussed in heated arguments among many of the classmates. Upon returning for our fifth year, we expected a new teacher since we were moving on to another room, but when we arrived we were surprised to find our new teacher was none other than Miss Eulala Martin. The only change in the class this year was Richard Crist who left to go to Warren. 11

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GENE CARL. Badger Bugle 4- Basketbell 1,Z,3,4 Chorus 1,Z,3,4 Class Plays 3,4 Softbell 2,3 Reflector 4 Truck 3 Curly RU TH LIEMENSTOLL. Badger Bugle 4 Band l,Z,3,4- Chorus l,Z,3,4- 4--H 1 Orchestre 1 Reflector 4 A 'Ruthie RONALD FISHER Badger Bugle 4 Basketbell l,Z,3,4 Chorus 1,2,3,4 Softball l,Z,3,4 Track l,Z,3,4 Speed BETTY FERGUSON Badger Bugle 4- Band l,2.,3,4 Chorus l,Z,4 Treasurer 3 Reflector 4 Cookie JOAN MACK Badger Bugle 4 Chorus l,Z,3,4 Reflector 4 ..-Io. . MANFORD CAYOT Badger Bugle 4 Chorul Z,3,4 Softball 4 Student Manager 4 Man JOAN PATTY Badger Bugle 4 Chorus 1.2.4 Or che ltr: 1 Reflector 4 .. Pat. . MILDRED EARNEST Badger Bugle 4 Chorus 1.2 4-H 1.2 Reflector 4 Midge

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An exciting occasion took place in our teacher's life that year. She was married to Robert McLean from Massachusetts. To celebrate the occasion she invited us to have a class party at her new home in Markle. Having struggled through our fifth year everyone was amazed when they received their report cards on the last day of school-everyone was promoted and we could enjoy another happy summer vacation. Again on the 27th of August, a familiar yellow bus arrived in front of our homes to carry us through another year of school. The same familiar faces, teacher inclusive, assembled in the same room this year. Some interesting anecdotes from the activities of the year were the memorizing of the Gettysburg Address by Don Caley, Pete Carey, and Dick Thomas who carved their names on the front of the school house with their pocket knives, and had to take it off with sandpaper. Having completed the first half of our education, we entered the seventh grade in l9h3. Our new teacher was Mrs. Nadine Hammond from Bluffton. The new students included Joan Fishbaugh from Rockcreek, and Joan Patty, who returned from Ossian. Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months and this school term had ended. The eighth grade found us on the upper floor with the high schodl This was the class of preparation before entering high school. Our teacher was none other than Fred D. Wall, who had taught at Union for a number of years. We had lost one member of the class during the summer, Mary Lou Roebrock, who moved to lest Union. But we gained two members, they were Ronnie Tucker and Dick Moore. Everyone seemed lost without the fifteen minute recesses before and after dinner. ' Some of the new subjects we had to enccunter were, general science and Indiana government. lhen we received our report cards and passed the assembly door upon leaving the school house for summer vacation, we realized we would soon experience the excitement of being green freshmen. The first day of our freshman year found the students outside of the assembly door anticipating the ringing of the bell. On gathering in the freshman row of seats in the assembly we found we had lost two of our class members, Edwin Smeltzer and Ronnie Tucker. le were amazed and bewildered by the complex study of biology and algebra, and passing from class to class, being under different teachers, and how to reach the English room by the way of three flights of stairs from the biology room, without running, in 2:2 minutes. Although the days seemed awfully long, they soon passed and we were finally out of the freshman class and into the sophomore class. The new students who joined the class at the beginning of the semester were Beverlee Mcclenny from Denver, Colorado, and Norman Stahl from Markle. Ie lost one member during the summer who was June lilson. This year wasn't quite as complicated as last year and we did have a little choice in our subjects. Some of us were disappointed because we had to give up typing to the juniors and seniors. This year went quite a bit 12