Est. March 31, 2000 34,600 Previous Hits February 3, 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, Cherri Polly Massey, Paula Spencer Kephart, Rainer Klauss, Bobby Cochran Staff Photographers: Fred & Lynn Sanders Contributers: The Members of Lee High School Classes of 64-65-66 |
We Are FamiLEE! |
Est. March 31, 2000 34,600 Previous Hits February 3, 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, Cherri Polly Massey, Paula Spencer Kephart, Rainer Klauss, Bobby Cochran Staff Photographers: Fred & Lynn Sanders Contributers: The Members of Lee High School Classes of 64-65-66 |
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Since the editor is on vacation this week but still realizes that so many of you are dependant on the weekly inputs from Lee's Traveller, we will still have an issue only it will be smaller than the last few weeks. This is primarily because I am having to publish it via a dialup connection which takes a long time to publish the website. The week has gone fast, but we have had a few good e-mail inputs. Here is the idea that I had last week that I told you I would share with you. I came upon this thought one day while looking at the hourglass my daughter Tiffany gave me for Christmas last month. I got this great relevation that our lives were like an hourglass (no this is not the start of a soap opera). All of this talk about our Pre-Lee school days is like us being the sand in the top of the glass. We were all scattered around and all of us did not come in contact with all the others. As our lives progressed, we all came together at Lee, like the sand comes together when it passes through the middle of the glass. We rushed through Lee together, and then after Lee we have been scattered again, like when the sands hit the bottom of the hourglass. Some of us landed close to others in the center. Others were pushed out to the edges, where we are only in contact with a few other grains of sand, and our lives are only in contact with a few of those that we came through the center of our lives with. The website is changing all of that and the hourglass is being turned upside down again to where we are all coming in contact with each one again. Deep thoughts. T. Tommy _______________________________________ |
Rison Today by Fred Sanders This is about the best shot I could get of the site of where Rison School used to be. I took this from the far western end of the baseball field, Optimist Park, which is in the northeast quadrant of the intersection of Andrew Jackson Way and Oakwood Avenue. I was facing due west when I took the picture. Where the school use to sit, is now directly under the elevated portion of the interstate spur, I-565. On the other side of the (approximate) city block that is now vacant land where the school was, is a new Fire Station, and you can just make it out on the west side of that land. My Rison Memories by Ben Still benstilljr@aol.com Class of '65 I remember Rison with some fond memories. My first thoughts back were the smell of the pine sawdust on Monday mornings, as I clomped across the wooden planks. The sounds of the all the students on that floor when the first bell rang, knowing you were late was when the teachers starting to close the doors ,like dominos each sound, as I too had Mr. Kennemer the last door on the west wing, closest to the rear door which was good (for recess and lunch). My first Halloween scare came at the annual Halloween carnival. All the rooms were dark as well as the hallways, into the ghost room, I was launched by my dad...boy was I ever glad to get out of there. The holidys were fun, I can remember myself and Roger Beck doing the scenes of Santa, the Thanksgiving table. I rember Michael Vaughn, being the best hitter and runner in our class. My how time flies. _____________________________________________ Rison Memories And More by Mike Boggs Class of '64 What a flood of memories the last newsletter set free! I was amazed at all the connections I had to the schools, places, and times mentioned in the articles. First, I attended Rison thru the 6th grade and well remember all the teachers that were mentioned. Especially Miss Munroe...though I wasn't in her class until I got to Lee. The first day of class she was calling the roll and when she got to me she asked if I was related to.... and listed my father and all his brothers...she had taught all of them while at Lincoln. While I went to Rison and lived just down the road at 210 Lee Highway (Andrew Jackson Way), since both my parents worked, I spent the after school hours and most weekends at my grandparents house.It was at 805 Meredian Street in the heart of Lincoln mill village. At one time or the other all of my family had worked at the mill. My best friends in the village were Danny Sons , Terry Cobb , Wayne Frasier and the Cristy boys. Danny and I were allways getting into something and hanging out down on the creek that ran by the railroad tracks. As others have said, it was a rough neighborhood. Danny had a wicked throwing arm. I can remember, like it was yesterday, him hitting some poor kid in the forehead with a dried peach pit at about thirty yards. I just don't remember why he did it. I do remember having to run for my life when the kids older brother jumped the playground fence and came after us. I was pretty fast in those days! I remember the summer night that Terry Cobb and I were sitting on the corner of King St. and Barrell when two kids came up on bikes and one of them offered to "whip my a--" with a chain. We didn't know either one of them and I told him" no thanks, I didn't want to fight", but he was dead set on it. After a few more threats I saw there was no chance of talking him out of it , so I reached into the shadows behind me and pulled out the World War I bayonet I had lying there. He decided that his mother was calling him and it was time to go home! I ran into this kid later at Lee, and he still wanted to kick my butt, but I talked him out of it again. Never did know who he was. My grandfather owned a house across the street from the McCormick house. It's on the corner of Oakwood and is a stained glass business now. I lived there for a while when I came out of the Air Force in '71. My parents rented an apartment in the basement of the McCormick house for a short time before I was born. At Rison , some of my friends were Joan McCutcheon, Bobby Squires and Roger Penticost. I also went home for lunch a lot. No one was home so I fixed my own lunch and watched twenty minutes of the noon movie on TV. Yes, we had a TV, and I knew we were very lucky. I know now that I was very lucky to grow up where and when I did and to have the memories of those times. ________________________________________________ |
More Pre-Lee Schools Pulaski Pike Elementary by Craig Bannecke LHS Class of 65 We've been hearing and reading allot the past year about the folks that went to Lincoln and Rison that lived in the Lincoln and Dallas Mill area. I've enjoyed reading the history of so many of our classmates and their family background. I thought I'd mention that there is an entire contingency of Lee Alumni from the Northwest side of town that lived in Lakewood, Meadow Hills, off of Oakwood Drive and Pulaski Pike and many of the surrounding areas. Sara Jane Steigerwald, Judy Scarborough, Greg Dixon, Nancy and Anna Lee Milburn, the Shift twins, Linda Collinsworth, Jim Harris, Skip Cook, Linda McCormick, Tommy Bush, Ronnie Eally, Elbert Balch, Linda Creek, Brian Pfeiffer, Tommy Faulkner and on and on. Many of us are Pulaski Pike Elementary alumni that shared the same teacher in one classroom. Mrs. Sheppard taught the 4th and 5th grade together. One of my most appreciative memories of that school was the fact I started the year in October instead of September after having moved from Pennsylvania to Decatur and then on to Huntsville after our house in Lakewood was finished. The reason I was appreciative was two fold. One, I no sooner got there than we got out a week for "Cotton Pickin". For a kid from Pennsylvania that was a first time experience. I knew then I was just going to love living in Alabama. Second, Everett Brulette was in my 5th grade class and had started the school year ahead of me. This minor delay resulted in Everett getting the name "Yankee" hung on him rather than me. For which I have always been eternally grateful. (There are two names a young boy trying to evolve/survive into manhood in a new school, does not want to be called.... Yankee or Booger. ) Besides Yankee seemed to fit him better and he didn't seem to mind. I could go on about Pulaski Pike Elementary as it was a unique experience for all of us that attended this little country school. For those I have spoken to over the years about the school it has become a common bond we share. Matter of fact at the 1985 or 90 re-union, the last one held at the Sheraton on University, we had a group photo taken of all of us that had attended Pulaski Pike. I've looked high and low for that photo as I know I have it some where and would love to share it with everyone. _________________________________________________ |
From Our Mailbox Subject: Lists/email Daniel Hurt Class of '65 Tommy, Thanks for advising me of the web address for our alumni. Good work you have done putting this site together. Brings back many memories. I graduated from Lee in 1965. My e-mail address is icucme@cox.net When will be viewing the mailing list be available? PS- I was (until now) one of the lost souls on your "missing" list. ______________________________________ Subject: Booger Town Joan McCutcheon Baber Class of '64 I remember going to booger town as a young child. My folks, I think wanted to know what it was like. Even young I remember how very terrible it was ! That people could live in those conditions was unbelievable. Very little water and no indoor facilities. Cracks in the floors and walls. I am proud to say that my Great Uncle Senator John Sparkman started public housing in Huntsville and was there when Booger Town was burnt down. ___________________________________ |
Last Week's Myster Classmate That happy old codger is Burl Ives, class of '21. No? OK, then maybe it's Rick Edmonds. A gentleman farmer and sturgeon breeder now, he's also a Hall of Fame member of the East Huntsville Baptist Church League, the multi-talented veteran of HUNDREDS of football games played on the hallowed field of that churchyard. "Watch out for that dip!" Other members of that small, stalwart group are Rick's brother, Jonathan, Ben Still, Gunter Klauss, and me. In 1963 and '64, word of the games spread, and players came from far and wide to show their stuff. We got serious and started playing tackle. Sunday afternoon contests featured players like Vern Lucas, Gary Kinkle (and his brother, Danny), Jerry Brewer, and Pete Beier. Pete Freeman, Wayne Shelton, and Jed Stephens, authentic jocks, even put in a guest appearance or two. There were lots of others, of course, that I can't remember anymore. (Brain trauma brought on by fierce tackles?) Anyone else recall those youthful, holy battles? Rainer Klauss Class of '64 The mystery guest is Rick Edmounds Ben Still Class of '65 |
Last week's sign is in front of East Clinton Elementary School. Any stories now? _____________________________________ |
________________________________________________________ This Week's Trivia Look at the photo below and see if you can answer these questions: Who are the players that later went to Lee? (Give jersey number with name) What is the team? What year was it taken? Bonus Questions: What was the name of the YMCA bowl game that was played each year on Thanksgiving day to determine the City Championship. Where was it played? |
Sharron Smith Beck sharronbeck@bellsouth.net Atlanta, GA Class of '66 Signing in for the first time. It's been such fun to read your various comments, catch up on the news via The Traveller, and reconnect with a couple of you. I would love to hear from you and be in the loop for the next reunion. Hugs to all - Sharron. |
