Est. March 31, 2000 31,556 Previous Hits November 18, 2002 Editor:Tommy Towery http://www.leealumni.com Class of 1964 Page Hits This Issue e-mail ttowery@memphis.edu Staff Writers : Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly , Joy Rubins Morris ,Terry "Moses" Preston Cherri Polly Massey, Paula Spencer Kephart Staff Photographers: Fred & Lynn Sanders Contributers: The Members of Lee High School Classes of 64-65-66 |
Move you mouse over the photo for a look into the past. Downtown by Tommy Towery Class of '64 Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty How can you lose? The lights are much brighter there You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares And go...Downtown Don't hang around and let your problems surround you There are movie shows... Downtown Maybe you know some little places to go To where they never close... Downtown Those are the words of Petula Clark's song that came out in December of 1964. Do you remember how true they seemed when we first heard them? Back in the summer of 2002, when in Huntsville to attend the July Mini-Reunion, I went downtown to take some photos. Above is a street scene that I took. This is Washington Street, looking North. This photo was taken at 8:35am on a weekend day. No, it was not on a Sunday morning when all the stores were closed. It was a Saturday morning. If you point your mouse at the photo, it shows what the same street looked like in the 60's, when we were students at Lee. When I was in the second grade we moved to East Clinton Street, and I would walk to town almost every day. On Saturdays I would go to at least two movies, sometimes three, when the Grand Theater was still there. I'd go into the dime stores and look at the toys, and drink from the White fountain. I'd sometimes eat at Krystals or Sno-Wite, or sometimes at the Twickenham Drug Store. I ate a few times at the snack bar at W.T. Grant. I got my hair cut at the Twickenham Barber Shop, and read comic books and bought plastic models at the Grand News Stand. Sometimes, it would be almost 10pm before I walked home alone. The photo above shows the street that in our youth was home for the Lyric Theater, Martin Theater, Kresses, Woolworth's, W.T. Grant, McLelland's, Belk- Hundson's, Wallgreens, and others. This is the street that you could hardly move on because of all the people on the sidewalk. I walked all around town, and only saw one other person walking. I think Cherri has some valid comments on the loss of the Huntsville that we knew, no matter what reasons that brought the changes. _________________________________________ |
Subject: Mini-Reunion Date: Tue, 19 Nov 2002 15:17:45 -0800 From: "T Preston" <terryleesmail@earthlink.net> I hope that everyone that finds themselves anywhere near Huntsville on November 29-30 will attend the mini-reunion festivities at Carol Jean's house, Mullins, or the Odyssey Skate Center. I wish that Jan and I could be there, but it is impossible. I assure you that we will be there in spirit. I believe (could be wrong) that the mystery classmate is my old friend David Mullins. Whoever it is, he sure has an enviable head full of hair, doesn't he Tommy? But then again, I guess that hair is no big deal. If you and I really wanted it we'd just go out and buy some. Speaking of someone with a head full of hair, George Lehman Williams and I played golf together Thursday at Menifee Lakes Country Club in gorgeous Southern California. Ho-hum. Just another day in paradise. Take care and be cool everyone, Terry 'Moses' Preston Class of '64 _______________________________________ From: Spence Thompson To: cherylmassey@attbi.com Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 2:40 PM Subject: YOUR ARTICLE ON THE WEB PAGE THIS WEEK Hi Cheryl: I wanted to thank you for a great article. Spence Thompson Class of '64 ________________________________ Shannon Parks Tuesday, 11/19/02, 5:40 PM Hello T. Tommy: Congratulations on a great web page. I am with the Alabama State Department of Education, Technology Initiatives, so I see a lot of web pages. I just finished a state review of Huntsville City Schools and visited Lee. Boy, it was different to go back and see how things have changed. Mother (Mrs. Jane R. Parks) is quite the savvy internet searcher. She books all my travel arrangements online, does research for me, etc. She is so proud of you. She told me about the nice note you sent her, too. Shannon From: Birmingham E-mail: Shannon100@charter.net Year of Graduation: 1972 _______________________________________ Subject: Mini-reunion Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2002 15:03:24 -0600 From: Carol Carrol <jdcaroljosh@comcast.net> Just wanted to remind everyone that is in town on Friday night to try to come to my house around 7:00. We have done this for a few years now and have a great time. Everyone usually brings a snack of some sort and we just sit around and reminisce. I would like to hear from any that may be on coming so that I can plan accordingly. I would love to have everyone come. Call at 256-534-5284 or e-mail me. Carol Jean Williams Carrol Class of '65 |
Teacher Quest Report Card by Cherri Polly Massey Class of '66 We are making some progress on our Teacher Quest. We have been contacted concerning two of our teachers. Mrs. Wikle's son, Art, was kind enough to email me the following: "I just received your letter of inquiry into my mother, Jessie Wikle who taught at Lee High School during the 60's. My mother passed away on August 25, 2000. Thank you for your inquiry and I am sorry Mom is not here to help you with your trip down memory lane." Paula Kephart Spencer remembers Mrs. Wikle as a wonderful American History teacher. She had a great deal of class discussion and was very knowledgeable about her subject. She was a small, short lady with short hair and always dressed very well. Paula really didn't know anyone who didn't like her. We also are delighted to hear from Mrs. Jane Parks who taught Journalism, Typing, and Shorthand. She wrote: "Tommy, it's so strange. I was doing research at the Huntsville Library and somehow, some way, I found a copy of your book. As you probably can assume, the research was forgotten and the book was read--all of it. Needless to say, I was filled with pride. After your class graduated, we learned more about newspapering (editorial we) and were sweepstakes winners for Lee's Traveller in the newspaper division for several years in Alabama. Then we were named All-Southern in the Southern Interscholastic Press Association competition. At the same time we were named All-American in the newspaper division of the National Scholastic Press Association. We were on a journalistic high. Anyway, I resigned at Lee, went into real estate for six years, moved to the Bahamas and researched for a book about Dr. Lawrence Burton's immunilogical approach to cancer control. The book was published in 1985. Also in 1985 I went to Colonial Hills as an elementary school counselor. After ten years, I retired. Whew. Now I travel with Sharon Parks, PhD. to sites through- out the United States. She is with the Alabama Department of Education. We will be in New York City next week. (I'm just a tagalong)." Mrs. Parks attended a meeting recently with some of our other teachers and, hopefully, can recruit them to join us on the website. It could be very interesting to hear our teachers' perspective of Lee High School (and maybe some interesting stories about some of us). If you know how to contact any of our teachers, please invite them to participate. Or you may e-mail the editor with their information and the staff will send a letter. ________________________________ |
From Our Mailbox Subject: Veterans Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 09:59:55 -0600 From: "Jim Stephenson" <jim2@hiwaay.net> Hi Tommy, This is just a little late but I wanted to add my husband to the list of Viet Nam Veterans of Lee High School. He did not graduate until '67 but he is a Lee graduate. He served in the Army from 1969-1972. His name is Jim Stephenson and he served in Chu Li and Da Nang in 71' and 72'. Thanks for the great tribute to our veterans. Dianna May Stephenson Class of '64 _____________________________________________________ Subject: Re: This Week's Lee Traveller Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 09:13:39 -0600 From: "Ronald Swaim" <ron80rc@hotmail.com> Ronald Eugene Swaim was also a Vietnam Veteran. Ronny was supposed to graduate from Lee in '65 but he quit school and joined the Army. Spent time in Germany and then from there he went to Vietnam in December of '66. Ronny was injured in September of '67 and spent almost 2 years in the hospital in Ft. Gordon, GA. He received the Purple Heart Medal and never regreted fighting for his country. Ronny went back and got his high school diploma and went on Drake Technical School and eventually A&M College. He worked at Redstone Arsenal (testing rocket motors no doubt) for 34 years and retired in January '99. I am very proud of him - because he has accomplished alot... Beverly Taylor Swaim Class of '66 _________________________________________ Subject: Mailing List Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 09:14:10 -0500 From: "Dowell, Mike" <DowellM@polysius.com> Please add my email address: dowellsga@msn.com to the mailing list. I spent very little time at Lee (10/65 - 6/66). I am originally from Illinois, but I figure anyone who graduated from Lee High School in Huntsvulle, Alabama (note the vulle and not ville), and Florida State University and married an Atlanta native and has lived in Powder Springs, GA since 71 has earned the right to be called a Southern Boy (and damn proud of it). I am especially interested in finding an old classmate, Charles "Chuck" Manley. So if anyone knows of his whereabouts, I sure would like to get in touch with him. As far as the Veteran's list is concerned, I sorta qualify. After being in Army ROTC for four years at FSU, and getting my commission, the Army decided it didn't need any fresh LT's (Vietnam was pretty much winding down and almost over in 1971), I was assigned to Active Duty for Training and then 6 years in the Army Reserves. I ended up staying 8 years in the Reserves and finished up as Captain. My only real active duty was at Fort Benjamin Harrison where I went to Officer Basic for a little over 3 months in Personnel (Adjutant General Corps.). My Dad was in the Army for 25 years, so if I add up all my time as a Army Brat that puts me over the top. I am always saddened to look on the Lee site and find that one of my fellow classmates has passed away. I didn't know Sandy hardly at all but I do remember her because she was a cheerleader. Back when we were in school, being 50+ years old seemed ancient. Now that we are all there, it seems so young. My condolences to Sandy's family. Thanks for a great web site. Mike Dowell Class of '66 _________________________________________________________ Subject: Quiz Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 15:33:43 EST From: Barbdonn13@aol.com Hey, Tommy! Thanks for the quiz. I used this one for quite a while, and everyone thought I was either extremely smart or very, very weird! I was just trying to remember how it went the other day, so I could impress people again. I know why it works, just couldn't remember the order. Thanks again. Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly Class of '64 _____________________________________________ Subject: update Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 11:05:42 -0600 From: gc720@comcast.net Commentary: As I read the article from Cherri Polly Massey my heart couldn't help but feel her pain. The Huntsville I knew and grew up with has changed. Some things are worse-but some things are better. My book writing partner, Fred Simpson and I have just finished "A Walk Through Downtown Huntsville Then & Now," and are receiving them off the truck as I write this. It is a look at Historical Downtown Huntsville for the past 140 years. We culled through "HUNDREDS" if not thousands of photographs to pick out the 370 that we used in the composition of this book. As we looked at these photographs we could see and realize the change that our wonderful city has gone through, and since all of us are 50+, visulize it during those last 50 years. The photographs help us see the positive changes and mourn the negative ones. The real shock was that before I started this project my view was leaning toward the negative as far as change was concerned. Being a history buff and genealogist I love most things old and from times past. But consider for a moment that we change. We move on to new and sometimes distant places. We have new and different jobs than we did fifty years ago yet, we want our hometown to always remain the same. It can't. New jobs require new environments. No longer can we just be concerned with the architecture of the courthouse square, we have to be concerned with document preservation and conservation and will that building meet that need-and as important will it meet it for many years to come. Today, we service many more citizens with our public facilities. Yet we want them to remain the same. We "all" have cars that need to be parked. All of these things take a new approach. We have more businesses serving our beloved Five Points area of Huntsville-yet...we go to the mall (and I might add out-of-town owned businesses). The businesses that survive in our small community lose out (as well as the city's operating budget that is based on our sales tax revenue) when we take our Christmas and everyday business out of town and out of state. So my point is for everyone reading this commentary to consider making a committment to live in Huntsville----become a concerned citizen of Huntsville, and shop in our area instead of taking it to the bigger-larger cities. Build up that which we cherish! That is the best way to insure that the Huntsville we love and respect stays not as we remember it but better. Thank you, Gay Campbell (Editor's Note: I saw information about Gay's book and wrote her about it. I will be reviewing it sometime in the future. I also asked about her Huntsville background and she wrote: "I am a 1969 graduate of Kate Duncan Smith DAR School at Grant. I did come live with my grandmother for a year in 1968 (after my grandfather's death) and attended Butler High (sorry) for one year. My dad, Huston Cushing owned S&R Sewing Machine Co. downtown, my uncle owned Morrison's Mens Wear, downtown, my aunt the Elk's Theatre Sweet Shop and my other aunt worked for Dr. Bill McKissack-downtown. So my roots were deep in downtown Huntsville-thus my passion for it.") _____________________________________________________ From: Martin Phillips To: Cheryl Massey Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 9:34 AM Subject: Re: paying respect Cherri, I think your comments regarding your feelings about visiting Huntsville said a lot. Our teenage years in Huntsville created some very special memories of people, places, and events. As we moved away to begin our 'adult' lives to attend college, join the military, get married, raise families and the like, we kept the thoughts of Huntsville as we lived them at the time. As I see it, the folks that live in Huntsville live with small changes going on about them, on the other hand, when we return after many years we see the culmination of all the changes. What a difference 40 years can make. Stay sweet... you are just as I remember you! Marty Phillips Class of '66 ________________________________________________ Subject: Joining the mailing list Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 12:21:39 EST From: merlkatt@aol.com Please add my name to the mailing list. I was Sydney "Merle" Huff, Class of '64. My name is Merle Helms, these days. My email address is Merlkatt@aol.com. Sydney "Merle" Huff Helms Class of '64 _________________________________________________ Subject: Veteran Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2002 17:09:30 -0600 From: <counselor-al@msn.com> Wow - you guys just keep on knocking out great stuff. I too want to respond to your veterans issue (better late than never). It's amazing to me how many of our classmates were in the military. I served in the USAF from 1965 to 1969 and sometimes feel vaguely uneasy because I wasn't tapped for NAM. I was stationed at Chicksands AFB in Great Britain in 1966-68 and then spent '68-'69 in Peshawar, Pakistan. Also, please add my brother Bob's name to those who did serve in Vietnam - though I can't remember his tour dates. I'll try to get him to write it in. A great big THANKS to those of you who did catch time in Vietman. Jim Pierce, Class of '64 _________________________________________________ Subject: Re: Updates on Classmate's Death and Mini-Reuion Date: Sat, 23 Nov 2002 17:38:55 -0600 From: "CTS" <cts@hiwaay.net> Please add me to your list of those who proudly served in Vietnam.... US Army Security Agency, Central Highlands, RVN, 1969-1970. Also, there is a picture of DeAnne Seales in the 1965 year book. If you have time, please add it. If you would like me to scan it and forward it to you, please let me know. Those of us who really knew her would really like to have her remembered. Thanks for the great job you are doing with the web site. Best Regards: Steve Bennett benn@hiwaay.net Class of 65 _____________________________________________ |
Subject: The mystery classmate is Mike Acree of course! Date: Sun, 17 Nov 2002 10:37:00 From: "Ed Paulette" <Ed.Paulette@teol.uu.se> Hi folks! Yes, that is Mike Acree and woe be it still to anyone who thinks they can out-hike or out-climb that "kid". Since he now lives in S.F., he's a great guy to get to know. The best guide and the best company there is! One of my most memorable memories of Mike from our school time was when he got up on the podium at the Senior Banquet to present what was advertised as a "flute solo" instead he sang the old classic, "Poisoning the Pigeons in the Park" by Tom Lehrer. (For anyone not having committed the song to memory here are the last two verses:) So if Sunday you're free, Why don't you come with me, And we'll poison the pigeons in the park. And maybe we'll do In a squirrel or two, While we're poisoning pigeons in the park. We'll murder them all amid laughter and merriment. Except for the few we take home to experiment. My pulse will be quickenin' With each drop of strychnine We feed to a pigeon. It just takes a smidgin! To poison a pigeon in the park. I am not sure how the staff reacted, but if ya' got the grades, ya' can get away with murder. My main beef with Mike was that he cheated in school in pursuit of grades it can now be revealed! he studied from time to time! I thought that that was grossly unfair to the rest of us trying to keep up with him. Regards from Sweden! Ed Paulette Class of '64 ______________________________________ |
Classmate Loses Wife We regret to inform you of the death of Mary Fulda, the wife of John Fulda, Class of '65. Although this happened on September 30, we were just made aware of it and our sympathy goes out to John and his family. It was reported by one classmate, and confirmed by another one. We are sorry that we could not let you know sooner. Mary Fulda Oct. 4, 1945 - Sept. 30, 2002 Mary Dodgen Fulda of Huntsville died Monday. She was 56. Mrs. Fulda was a volunteer and advocate for assisted living. She was a former music teacher at Ed White Middle School and a substitute teacher. She was also a library volunteer. She was preceded in death by her father, Marion Dodgen. Survivorsinclude her husband, John C. Fulda; one daughter, Melanie Fulda; mother, Willbur Dodgen; two sisters, Martha Dodgen and Marilyn Kirkland; three nieces and six nephews. Burial will be in Valhalla Memory Gardens. Memorial donations may be made to Unity Church or the American Cancer Society. Published in The Huntsville Times on 10/1/2002. ____________________________________ |
Still Crazy After All These Years |
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Sayonara Madison County Coliseum! A Landmark Crumbles To Progress by Paula Spencer Kephart Class of '66 This week we will continue with the theme of changes in Huntsville that we started last week. In the words of the popular 1970's band Queen - Another One Bites the Dust. Progress sometimes takes history with it as the Madison County Coliseum is no more. As I remember, the coliseum was built in the late fifties or early sixties. It was used for county events like livestock shows, wrestling events, and the most and best, the Jaycee Fair for Madison County. I am sure many of you blew many dollars there, as I did. It was usually a good one, with ferris wheel, scrambler, tilt-a-whirl, and some weird gravity ride I would not get near. The coliseum has gone the way of many of the places we frequented as teenagers. It is sad to see old things go, but the future does that to things. The county commissioner when it was built was James Record, if I remember correctly. The building at the time was very modern, with the rounded top and supports on the sides-blue gray in color. It was also out in the area outside town and now is in the middle of everything. How many of you rode the rides? Was it with your boyfriend or your buddies? It was a fun fair and I remember going about three times, I believe. The fair stayed there until they moved it to John Hunt Park. Never been to that one. I have to admit I miss many of the old stomping grounds, but time moves on, and so we must. Hope all of you have good memories of the place like I do. Interesting question for future reference--where did you go and smooch with your sweeties at dear old LHS? Where else did you like to go? Tommy Towery also has his own memories of this building: I never went to the fair there. My personal memories of the Coliseum centered around boy and girls and their interactions. The boy side of it is the memory of a Scout-O-Rama that we held out there in about 1962 or so. Someone had introduced our troop to repelling with ropes. I don' t know who taught us, but Jim Ramsey (Class of '66), was good at it and someone suggested that he free-repell from the roof of the Coliseum as part of the exhibition. Without hesitatation, he agreed and a little while later we looked up and there was Jim coming down from the top of the arches hanging on a rope. I don't know how he got up there, or who let him do such a fool hardy trick, but he did and it was done. And as far as the girls' stories go - that was the time of our dances. I remember going to see Jerry Lee Lewis there with tickets going for two bucks each at the door. They had been sold for one dollar if bought in advance. We stood in front of the stage and all started dancing in the aisles. No one cared and we danced to all of his songs. I also remember a night of a major "Battle of the Bands" there and our own favorite band, The Continentals were going head-to-head with a group brought in from the big city of Nashville. The Nashville group went first and they put on a great show. I was feeling like my team was behind by two touchdowns with one minute left in the game, knowing that The Continentals were going to lose the battle. Then they started playing. In the middle of one of the songs, they started swapping instruments. Jerry Brewer went from the drums to some other instrument. A guitar player went to the drums, the bass player went somewhere else. They all kept swapping and the crowd went wild. When they finally got back to their own places, the guitar players could have written the script from "Back To The Future". They put the guitars behind their heads, laid on their backs, and I don't know what all else, but they put on a show like we had never seen before and won the battle. The crowd went wild. I also remember that this was the time I was trying to make time with a girl from Butler. Her name was Marilyn and I thought she was the end. I took her to a dance there one night and we were having a great time, then her Butler crowd showed up, and I kind of got lost in the crowd. She started hanging around with them, and dancing with them, and I just didn't fit in. That's when I learned that you should never date outside your own school. Although some of my classmates felt just the opposite, thinking they should never date anyone they went to school with. My final memory of the Coliseum was that one night at one of the dances, Beatlemania was strong. The Continentals were doing a Beatle set when they all turned their backs to the audience, bent over, and when they stood up and turned around, they all had on Beatle wigs! It was great. _______________________________________________________ The Madison County Coliseum by Terry "Moses" Preston Class of '64 In 1965 the Madison County Coliseum was Huntsville's premier site for musical concerts. It was not a particularly good site, because the best seats in the house for a concert were folding chairs placed on the parquet (basket court) floor, and the remaining seats were the bleachers on either side. But it was Madison Square Garden to us! The Coliseum was the venue for some really awesome performances. Jerry Lee Lewis put on a show that wasn't just a performance, but an emotional experience! Paul Revere and the Raiders practically brought the house down with their rousing (and acrobatic) performance there. Who can forget the guitar player on top of the huge speakers, rocking back and forth dangerously close to falling totally from the stage, but never missing a note? My fondest memories of the Madison County Coliseum involve music, my mustang, my band, my former band, Conway Twitty, Sonny Limbaugh, a WAAY Telethon, Bobby Stapler, and a lost guitar. The parking lot was a huge field of gravel and was a perfect place for cutting doughnuts with my red mustang, especially after having too many screwdrivers (the liquid kind). But the place was primarily about music. During our senior year of high school Johnny Harbin, Butch Rolfe, Ronnie Landman and I had formed a band that we called The Roadrunners. Johnny was our lead guitarist, Butch played rhythm guitar and did vocals, Ronnie played bass (on a standard electric guitar), and I played drums and did vocals. Having a singing drummer in the group made us unique, but Johnny and Butch really produced the sound that made us special. I left for military duty one week after graduation and so the Roadrunners broke up. Johnny and Butch recruited Dominic Cartelli to play the drums, Randy Duck to do lead vocals, added two saxophones, and called themselves The Rocks. With Sonny Limbaugh as their producer they recorded several records, including Love City, Rock Pretty Baby, Making Money, and Terri (written for Randy's former girlfriend Teresa Neely). After I returned from my active duty I revived the Roadrunners with a different cast (Stanley Preston on lead guitar and vocals, Danny McDaniel on rhythm, Mike Jones on bass, Doug Young on keyboards, and me on drums and vocals). The keyboards blended well with the guitars and provided a full, rich accompaniment to the two-and three-part vocal harmonies that we became known for. As our popularity began to spread the group wanted its own identity so we renamed it Terry & The Shamrocks. We competed in the first local battle of the bands, and as winners we were asked to front for Conway Twitty 's concert. I will always remember the thrill that we had performing in the coliseum with Conway Twitty watching us. I was so proud of our band because I don't think that we missed a note during our entire performance, and the harmony was beautiful. Like almost all of the other bands, we felt a strong sense of community and performed faithfully (for free) on the Johnny Evans telethons for Cerebral Palsy. We had a starting time of 2:00 a.m. for one of them (a convenient time if you are playing somewhere else from 8 till midnight). I'm not sure that anyone was actually watching that late, but we performed anyhow. The wildest celebration of local Huntsville music that I ever saw was for Sonny Limbaugh's birthday celebration at the coliseum in 1965. Almost every band in the city was there and it was chaos getting onto the stage, setting up, and then getting off for the next group. Somewhere in the confusion Stanley's Fender Stratocaster guitar disappeared. We called HPD, who advised us that we'd probably never see it again. But they failed to recognize the bond that exists among musicians. The next afternoon Bobby Stapler drove up to our house in his convertible and delivered the expensive instrument to us. In the confusion one of his musicians had taken it by mistake. Stanley felt much better, and he and Bobby are still good friends as well as fellow musicians today. I can also recall attending an unfortunate political rally for George C. Wallace with my brother-in-law. It was scary. I couldn't believe how all of those poor misguided people supported such a despotic racist. But all of my other memories of the Coliseum are positive ones, with good music, good friends, and good times. Ah yes! Such good times! ______________________________________________ |
Block walls are going up and site work continues on the new Sam's Club building at the site of the old Madison County Coliseum on Sanderson Road in Huntsville. It will be the city's second Sam's and at 130,000 square feet it will be 30 percent bigger than the store on North Memorial Parkway. |
Est. March 31, 2000 31,556 Previous Hits November 18, 2002 Editor:Tommy Towery http://www.leealumni.com Class of 1964 Page Hits This Issue e-mail ttowery@memphis.edu Staff Writers : Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly , Joy Rubins Morris ,Terry "Moses" Preston Cherri Polly Massey, Paula Spencer Kephart Staff Photographers: Fred & Lynn Sanders Contributers: The Members of Lee High School Classes of 64-65-66 |
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Musical Memories of Smoke Gets In Your Eyes Our offer to collect some musical memories last week resulted in the following submissions. We have no way to tell who sent them if they did not include their name, so it does no good to ask. I think you will see that some strong emotions were stirred up with this trip to the past. I especially feel for the Classmate who confessed to giving his heart and would love to offer an ear if he wants to talk about it. Some of us can truely identify with his feelings. They say you never really get over your first love. ____ How neat! This one I think we played at all the parties to dance and/or play "games!" Then again, I believe this was always the one to play when you broke up with your one "true love." Thanks for coming up with this idea. How easily entertained we were in those days. - Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly, Class of '64 ____ They just don't make songs like this anymore. Just makes my heart beat a little faster than usual. ____ This is one of the records my mother owned, but I would carry to the early mixed parties I went to. Remember how we played the same songs over and over, because we only had a few records? I remember a Boy Scout party and a couple of church group (Westminister Fellowship) parties. One such party that I remember especially well was in a basement, dim (really dim) lights, swishing skirts, raging hormones, chaperons upstairs watching TV and not us, slow dances for the first time that it wasn't the two step - dancing with the girl's body right next to you, touching even. The sensual feel of brests pressing against me. I remember that night the teenage hostess kissed all the boys goodnight as they were leaving - not on the cheek but on the lips. She was not that cute, but not that bad either, and it was an interesting ritual. This was one of my favorite songs for those parties and will always take my memories back to that time. ____ This was one my favorite songs when I still played the piano. I loved the change of key right in the middle and since it keeps it itself mostly to the middle of the register, I could manage to sing along to most of it. ____ I used to sing to my children at bedtime (until they asked me to quit!) and this was part of my repertoire, along with Waltzing Matilda (the kids thought that one was too sad) and On Top of Spaghetti. ____ The first time I remember hearing it was as I was turning in to the Shoney's parking lot of the Parkway - on the way to get some cherry pie, I think. ____ I was only 11 when this song was popular. I remember my dad when I think of this song, because he had a wonderful record collection, and this was one of the songs he played. - Barb Biggs Knott ____ Parked in one of the little turn outs coming down from Monte Sano mountain wishing I didn't have bucket seats and a gear shift to contend with - then - used my imagination - and you all know the rest of the story. ____ When I hear these oldies, I miss my love so deeply and dearly. No longer here, in a better place, but so gone and so left me with only sweet memories. ____ Tommy & The Traveller Staff, you certainly know how to awaken the sleeping emotions that slumber deep within the long ago teenage heart. .. The short of it ... Green Mountain one Friday night when the moon was full I gave a certain girl my heart. Although I've only seen her three times in the last 37 years she still has my heart. ____ I was 15, he was 16. I thought he was about the cutest thing I had ever seen!! He wore white jeans, burgundy shirt and burgundy socks. We met at his father's bowling alley and we reintroduced by Gene Bailes (our parents' were friends when we were babies and had put us into the same baby bed while they played cards). Anyway, we had spent some time talking when Gene found out that I was going to Panama City with the Tri-Hi-Y and they would be there at the same time. We made plans to meet there. Our first date could have been our last. Ricky Weaver, Judy Scarborough and I (I needed moral support) waited at the agreed upon site. He arrived on time, but within a few minutes some friends of his arrived and literally carried him off with them! I was so mad I was speechless and vowed never to speak to him again. A couple of days later, we ran into Gene on the beach. He told me that his friend was really sorry about what had happened and would like to go out with me. I finally gave in and Judy and I walked up the beach to where they were staying. The guy apologized and asked us to stay awhile. For some reason they had a Platters album and for the rest of our trip we all listened to it many times. Our first dance was there in their room to "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" with Judy and Gene as chaperons. It is so ironic that you would feature this song to try first, because I have danced to it many, many times in the years since and it has always been "our" song. You see I married that good looking guy in the white jeans thirty-eight years ago and through all the good times and bad, we have stuck together. It was none other than Dub. Carol Jean __________________________________________ |
The Generals Go To War We have received the following additions to our growing list of classmates who served in Vietnam. I salute all of them. Bob Pierce, Class of '64, Army Jim Stephenson, Class of '67, Army Ronny Swaim, Class of '65, Army Steve Bennett, Class of '65, Army _________________________________ |
First of all we regret to inform you of the loss of John Fulda's wife, which we just found out about. Please, if any of you who are still in Huntsville hear about things like this that we should share with our classmates, please let us know. Next week's issue will be published a little later than in the past, since we want to include information and some photos of the Thanskgiving Mini-Reunion. Check last week's issue for a full list of activities. A summary of them is: Bring snacks to Carol Jean's house on Friday night at 7pm. Call her at 256-534-5284 or e-mail her to let her know you are planning to come and for directions. Saturday at 9am (some will be there at 8am) will be breakfast at Mullins. Saturday afternoon at 2pm some brave souls will try skating at Odyssey Skating Rink on South Parkway. Saturday night has no plans but someone may cook something up. Sue and I will be rolling into Huntsville on Friday and will be staying at The Fairfield Inn off of University. Phone number is 256-971-0921. You can also reach me while there on Sue's phone at 901-438-2252. I can't use my university cell phone while in Alabama. In December we will be dedicating our writing skills to Christmas toys of our childhood. If you have any stories you would like to share with us, feel free to send them in. In last week's test, over 78% of you that actually took the test got the same three answers we offered, which was a pretty good percentage. And thanks to all of you for your participation in the "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" memories. Read the comments further down in this column. As a final note, we have added an easy way to e-mail any of The Traveller staff. It's called Easy E-Mail and you can click on it above. You can also send anonymous e-mails to us if you desire. The best part of it is that you can send it from any internet connected computer, since it has its own e-mail program built in. That means that when you are visiting a friend or relative or are at work, school, or in the library you can send your comments just by clicking on the link above. The Editor and all the rest of the Staff have their own links. T. Tommy ______________________________ |
Put Your Mouse On The Picture Above To Reveal The Mystery Classmate. __________________________________ |
Click record player to hear the song. |
Looking for Christmas presents? Don't forget to check out our Souvenir Shop for some ideas or you could give someone a Lee Brick and help out the PTA. |
