Whitesville High School - Wycenian Yearbook (Whitesville, NY)

Page 13 text:

CLASS HISTIIHY In the fall of 1940, thirty-four timid but well meaning youngsters crowded into the first grade room under the able leadership of Mrs. Coats. Those whom we best remember were: Jerry Graves, Jean Ordway, Margaret Deck, Paul Goodridge, Merle Nye, Gilbert Goodnoe, George Bledsoe, Muriel Smith Ellison, Cecil Smith, Joyce Langdon Chase and Wilma Hunt Robbins. During our next seven years, we had only four teachers, namely: Mrs. Clark, second and fifth gradeg Mrs. Keefe, third grade: Mrs. Hurlburt, fourth gradeg and Mrs. Bamey, sixth, seventh and eighth grade. Students who joined our class along the way were: Dale Coleman, Ardeth Harrison, Curtis Robbins, Willis McLean, Richard Graves, Richard Plaisted, Bill Webb, Lloyd Grover, Catherine Stives, Bruce Pritchard and Elsie Smith Knapp. After our graduation from eighth grade, we moved into the History room. Miss Young was our advisor. We had a hayride, a bingo party, and the class spent au aftemoon at a movie in Wellsville. At the end of the year we had a weiner roast up at Salt Petre. When we started our Sophomore year, we used the English room as our homeroom. Mr. Brewster was our advisor. We put out a calendar, sponsored several dances and ordered our class rings from the Metal Arts Company. Curtis Robbins entertained us twice on his parent's farm. At the end of the year we had a second weiner roast at Salt Petre. As Juniors we stayed in the English rooru and Mr. Brewster remained our advisor. Our first big thrill came when we received our class rings. We beat the Seniors in the Maga- zine Campaign by a good margin. Other high lights were the Junior-Senior Banquet, publi- cation of the yearbook and dances. Our Junior Prom was the biggest event of the year. We were the first class to have it in the new grade school gym. In our Senior and last great year we used the Laboratory for our home room. Mr. Brew- ster and Mr. Brown were our advisors. We started the year off with the Magazine Campaign beating the Juniors in a close battle. Soon after we held our annual Halloween Fair. We had a dance during January with music by the Hornarkans. We finished our yearbook layout mats in January. A committee was already appointed to work on the selection of the Senior Play but due to the early publication of the Wycenian we can not tell you further about it. Other things we were looking forward to, the annual Junior-Senior Banquet, a possible supper, and our long awaited trip to Washington. Merle Nye 9

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CECIL SMITH llzekell Major-Agriculture. Ambition-Farmer, Navy. Basketball 1, 2, Baseball 1, 2, 3, Football 3, 4, Jr. Prom 3, Sr. Pla' 4, Hall. Fair 3, 4, Yearbook 3, 4, a . Cp . 3, 4, 4-H l, 2, 3, 4, FFA 1.2, 3, 4, Pres. 4. RICHARD PEAIST ED Sam Major-Science, Math, Ag. Ambition- Farmer. junior Prom 3, Hall. Fair 3, 4, M . Cpg. 3, 4, Sr. Play 4, Chorus 1, 2,1 Baseball 1, 2, 3, 4, Basketball l, 2, 3, 4, Football 3, 4, Ath. Assoc. 4, Yearbook 3, 4, F. F. A. 1, 2, 3, 4, 4-H 1, 2, 3, Band 4. He that can travel afoot, keeps a good horse. SE IIJH PL Y f la xv, Y WILLIAM WEBB CIBEIIPP Major-Agriculture. Ambition-Me chanic. Hall. Fair 4, Sr. Play 4, Jr. Prom 3, Yearbook 3, 4, Basketball 2, 4-H 1, gf E. 45 FFA 1. 2. 3, 4, Mag. Cpg. 8

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CLASS PHIIPHEIIY While I was taking it easy one Sunday afternoon in June, Tom, the oldest of my three boys came over with a book in his hands. When he inquired about a certain picture, I immediately saw that it was my old yearbook. It will be twenty-five years ago next Sunday that my class had graduated. I had lost track of most of the graduates but with a little research I thoughtl could find out what had become of them. Since my vacation had just started, I could think of nothing better to do than spend it visiting with some of my former classmates. I told my wife of my plans and she thought it was a wonderful idea. The next morning we start- ed out from our thousand acre ranch in Oaklahoma which the boys now run. Since Whitesville was the town we all grew up in, I thought that would be the place to start. After two days driving, we pulled into a gas station. The kid that serviced us looked familiar but I couldn't place him. ,lust then I noticed the name of the station-Webb's Jiffy Service.I asked him if he was Bill Webb's boy. His reply was yes and he said that his father had just left the day before to supervise some race car construction in Florida. About four miles up the road I saw a big farm labeled Green Acres. The sign also said that the partner owners were Willis McLean and Dick Graves. We drove in the drive and sure enough there sat Willis with three towheads climbing over him. After we shook hands a dozen times, he and his wife invited us in to dinner. Sadly enough Dick was away on business. A little later we went by a sign telling us we were in the city of Whitesville. I went to the post office and there, sure enough, stood Jerry Graves. He had worked his way from office boy to post master. Since Jerry held such a prominent position, I thought he would know as much as anybody else about our old friends. He informed me that George Bledsoe and Lloyd Grover had both joined the army soon after they got out of school. George had raised to the rank of captain and Lloyd had become a major. Then jerry walked over to the large bulletin board in his office and pointed to an auction notice. When I looked closer I noticed that the auctioneer was Cecil Smith. He had final- ly got a job where he could let his mouth eam money. Suddenly another poster met my eye. It was advertising a series of boxing bouts in the New Whitesville Arena. The Star boxer being Puncho Plaisted who was none other than Dick Plaisted we used to know. Since it was nearing evening, we registered in the Twilight Inn. I didn't recognize the red- headed lady behind the desk but after a minute it came to me. It must be Ardeth Harrison and sure enough it was. After I introduced my wife she explained that she had quit her fashion designing job, which was her ambition in high school. After her husband divorced her, she used her alimony to start her hotel. Later in the evening we went to the arena to watch the boxing and ran into Margaret Deck who had become a Latin teacher. She looked so different at first but I guess the gray hair had some- thing to do with her position. We went to our seats and the sports announcer tumed out to be Paul Goodridge. After the bouts we went and talked a while with him. He had given up his hopes of being an engineerwhen tele- vision came to Whitesville. The next moming we went to the city of Hexville where Dale Coleman had just been elected mayor. He had taken up politics after his father retired a few years back. I asked him about Elsie Knapp. He said he had been to Washington a few days before and that Elsie and her husband, General Knapp, were residing in the capital city. The last person we met before we headed for home was Jean Ordway, who had married Leo Coleman and was now residing on the Coleman homestead. Well, we had really had a wonderful time. I suddenly wished that I could linger a while longer but we had to get back to the ranch. Surely in another year we would make the trip again and stay longer. Merle Nye 10