Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly, Joy Rubins Morris, Rainer Klauss, Bobby Cochran, Collins (CE) Wynn, Eddie Sykes, Don Wynn
Advisory Members: Paula Spencer Kephart, Cherri Polly Massey
Staff Photographers: Fred & Lynn Sanders
Contributers: The Members of Lee High School Classes of 64-65-66 and Others
Since the Rison population has once again thrust their memories upon us, it is time to have equal billing for one of the other schools. My story this week is on the playground of one of those schools.
Glenn James has suggested a Mini-Reunion sometime this summer,and Carol Jean says it is time to start working on plans for next year's real reunion. I would like to suggest an Ice-Cream Social on the mountain (bring your own ice-cream maker) to kick it off, then perhaps meet somewhere to start dividing up the reunion duties to our classmates. We're looking for a time to do this - any suggestions from the rest of you? Perhaps someone from afar is planning a summer trip to Huntsville and would like to suggest a date?
T. Tommy
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From Our
Mailbox
Last Week's
Lee-Bay Item
This Week's
Lee-Bay Item
This was a necessity for the editor during certain days of his life. Do you know what it is, and how it was usually obtained? Do you have an old one stashed away in a drawer and if so, does it say anything on it? Any stories?
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The Commando Creed
by Craig Bannecke
Class of 1965
After collaborating with Skip Cook and Bobby Cochran on the "Kwik Chek Commando" story I got to reflecting back on those day's of working at Kwik Chek and growing up in Lakewood. There were a number of us Lee High Alumni that worked at Kwik Chek and resided in Lakewood. Several of us grew up together playing YMCA football, Little League baseball and attending Boy Scout meetings. We fished and swam in the mighty Pin Hook Creek, we bonded as only young boy's who would become men can. ( In later years referred to by women as "It's a Guy thing ? " ) Those of us who worked at Kwik Chek were even closer. It must have been the sacking of groceries and the stealing of cashews off the snack isle that made us tight and we had a motto..."All for One, One for All, and Every Man for Himself "
The Commando story reminded me of another Skip Cook dating experience. I'm not sure if this was the summer of 1964 or 1965 but it was somewhere within that time frame. During the summer breaks of our high school years it was not uncommon for many of us to have part time jobs. Usually at the Kwik Chek on North Memorial Parkway. Evenings after work we would frequently load up in someone's car and drive through Jerry's and Shoney's on the parkway looking for girls and eating cashews stolen off the snack isle back at the store. Often we would get together for parties. One of which I'm sure was the party Skip spoke about in reference to PW.
Getting a date for those parties was constantly a challenge. Even though there was an abundance of beautiful ladies in Lakewood, WE weren't the only ones that knew it and the competition was fierce. Additionally many of the girls had part time jobs, attended cheerleader camps and went on vacations with their family and were not available. So with all these obstacles and challenges you then add the male ego that was very fragile and apprehensive about "hearing the word No". The particular reflection that came to my mind was a party that I believe took place at Terry Lee's house. Terry's family was going on vacation to visit family in Charleston, South Carolina. Terry, a Kwik Check Commando had to work and would be unable to go. He would have to stay home alone. Terry had a new girl friend by the name of Sandy that was a Junior at Butler High School and she was a knock out. The three of us figured this was a great opportunity to have a party and to show her off. We just loved it when two plans collided.
So the party was on and the hunt to find dates. Often on these occasions if a guy couldn't find a date he came stag. Now there's an expression you don't hear anymore. However coming stag also meant you were a loser, "couldn't get a date huh ?" The excuses were endless and nobody ever believed you. Now I always had a backup date. Not because I was some great Valentino but I was not going to show up at one of these parties without a date. That backup was a Lakewood and Lee High lovely that lived across the street from me and for the sake of this story, will be referred to as JM. JM was quiet and shy and I had known her since the very first day our family moved to Lakewood in 1957. She was a nice girl and very attractive but because she was quiet and shy JM tended to be over looked. However not by me. I said I'd known her from the first day we moved into Lakewood and I'd watched her blossom into young woman hood or 17 which ever comes first. I'd also seen JM in short shorts and she did nothing that detracted from the well earned reputation short shorts had earned. Seeing any of those Lakewood lovely's in short shorts could make a young man ache. But I digress....
Anyway in the day's leading up to the party Skip and I had numerous opportunities to talk and plan. In the course of conversation we would often ask one another "Got a date yet ?" And just as often the answer was not yet, but working on it. Well in a moment of weakness I happen to divulge my secret about JM as my backup date. I told Skip if I couldn't find anyone else I would always rely on JM. I could see the light come on in Skip's mind and that look of genius in his eyes that he surely was crediting me with. It flickered for a moment and then went out. However I had misread the signal, and the flickering light.
Sure enough after striking out all week I was going to have to go to my backup plan, JM. She was always a fun date and I could just see the look on the other guys faces when I would come in with her. Like Oh yeah ...why didn't I think of JM ? Well I made my call the night before the party knowing full well she wouldn't have a date. Wrong. "Sorry Craig but I have a date tomorrow night. Wish you had called sooner". Oh no ! My sure thing, my steady backup, my old reliable had a date ?
Well that next evening I show up stag. Alone, a loser, oh the shame, oh the humiliation. But at least I'll have Skip and some of the others to talk to. It was not uncommon for there to be several guys at our parties without dates. Several had girl friends who were i.e. out of town, on family vacation, cheerleader camp, had part time jobs. But I digress .... After having arrived and making the rounds and finding where all the lose....err stag guys were hanging out I noticed Skip had not arrived yet ? The reply was, he's picking up his date. Skip's got a date? Sure enough a few minutes later someone say's Skip's here and I look towards the door to see who he was able to get a date with ? PW ? Nah, not since the Commando Raid. As he steps through the door, his lovely date on his arm and it's, it's, it's, gasp... JM. And it's Skip Cook. Grinning at me like a mule eating briars through a picket fence. After that party I could no longer call JM my backup. If you wanted a date with her you called early and you stood in line. It's not that the party was her coming out party or that being on Skips arm all of a sudden made her more desirable. It was Skip making sure he told everyone what he had done. We Kwik Chek Commando's were a tight lot. We believed in God and Country, the Flag, the American Way and in our motto. "All for One, One for all, and Every Man for Himself !!"
Boy did that bring back memories...the ole 'Pot Holder' maker. I had a lot of fun making different designs with different colors then sold them to my mothers friends for five cents each or three for a dime. My mother still has some of them and still uses them. The pot holder looms today are cheap light-weight plastic..the one I had was a heavy metal. Wish I knew what I did with it...it would probably be worth a lot today.
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Linda Kinkle Cianci, Class of ‘66
This week’s Lee-bay item is a potholder loom. We first learned to make potholders around 1954. Our family lived in Bridgeton, NJ, and we had a neighborhood playground just up the street from our house that provided all sorts of “free” activities all day in the summer - making potholders was just one. We originally used metal looms and hooks, but the last one I saw was plastic and had no hooks at all. I guess they have been deemed dangerous, like everything else we did growing up! The original ones were made from thick cotton bands and provided great heat barriers, but later these were replaced with some sort of thin nylon bands, producing a thinner, smaller potholder. I have one such red/white potholder in my drawer. My son made it for me at VBS many years ago. I don’t use it very often because I have been known to catch a few potholders on fire over the years, and I want to keep that one. These woven potholders are the only type I remember my mom using for many, many years.
Speaking of the neighborhood playground, it was great for parents - just put the shoes on the kiddos and send them off; no supervision required. Everyone knew us, and our family pediatrician was right across the street from the playground - couldn’t get any safer than that! And, we always went home when we got hungry enough. I’m sure the City of Bridgeton had some sort of organization to staff the park and plan activities. However, today I suppose that would require much more regulation and licenses and probably be called a summer day camp, which would require bussing and a meal program, and probably even some kind of federal grant. Rules and regulations in our country, I fear, are resulting in raising up a generation of wimps.
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Jennifer White Bannecke, Class of '66
The Lee-Bay item this week is a loom and needles used to make pot holders. I must have made thousands of them (seemed like it back then) when I was about 10 or 11 years old. I didn't use the needles because it took longer. I just wove the loops of material through with my fingers and spent hours doing this. I sold them faster than I could make them for $.25 each. As soon as I had enough money I would go and buy another bag of material and start all over again. After some time the fabric went from cotton to rayon or polyester and that was the decline of the quality of the potholder. I have great memories of making these and selling them to my mother's friends and neighbors and my grandmothers. I loved all the different color loops you could use to make very special ones for special people.
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Mary Pat Riley, Class of '70
This week's mystery item is a child's loop loom. They are still used today by children who want to create those terrible potholders we all made as gifts! The darn things were hard to finish on the edges and took about two hours to finish a completed project, plus they never really worked very well for hot pots and pans....but our mothers and grandmothers could never throw them away because they were made especially for them.
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Subject:Homecoming 2004
Joy RubIns Morris
Class of '64
I have had two Lee alumni contact me regarding if we were going to continue the Homecoming event that we had last year. They were under the impression that this would become an annual event. Has anyone contacted you regarding homecoming this year? Are we going to try and have another tail gate party before homecoming or are we even doing homecoming this year?
(Editor's Note: The Traveller will be happy to publicize any event, but at this time we do not plan to organize any schoolwide party. I think it would be great for our few classes to meet for a tailgate social, go to the game, and then meet somewhere after the game to visit. We set the example last year, let's see if anyone else will do the same. With the change in Lee administration I do not know what the school plans to do. We will not be collecting money this year for any cause.)
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Subject:Rison-Dallas Annual Reunion
Ann Schrimsher Franklin
Just a note to say that we would be pleased if you were to visit with us the day of our reunion, August 7th, at Jackson Way Baptist Church..
The reunion starts at 10:00AM when we visit with each other, around noon we eat, and then at about 1:00PM we gather for our program.
So, come a part of the time or for all of it; you will probably know many of the people there and it would be nice for many of us to get to know you. If you can make it, please look me up. Check our website at:
If anyone would like our mom’s ice cream recipe Gary wrote about last week, here it is:
Mom’s Homemade Peach Ice Cream
2 cups sugar
2 cups fruit
1 can Carnation evaporated milk
3 eggs
1-1/2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
Whole milk - about ¾ of ½ gallon
Directions: Mash fruit with a potato masher. Beat sugar & eggs. Combine all ingredients except whole milk and pour into the freezer can. Fill the can with whole milk to ½” below the ridge of can.
Hook that freezer to the hub of the wheel of a ’57 Plymouth (or just plug it in), and before you know it, you’ll be hearings lots of uuums and aaahs. For those who didn’t read last week’s “Traveller” articles on ice cream freezers, you won’t have a clue about the ’57 Plymouth. Enjoy!
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Subject:Jewel Tea
Jennifer White Bannecke
Class of '66
I didn't get a chance last week to write in about the Jewel Tea pattern. I have a milk pitcher, soufle dish and tea pitcher with the Autumn Leaf design and I cherish them because they were my grandmothers. I purchased a set of the mixing or serving bowls at an antique shop on Amelia Island in 2000. I am always looking for pieces that are in good condition. I have great memories of my grandmother serving us Sunday lunch on these dishes.
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Subject:2004 Mni-Reunion
Judy Fedrowisch Kincaid
Class of '66
If ya'all are going to try to have a get-together this summer, let me know what I can do to help. My son has just started his second round of treatments for his leukemia, but there is really nothing I can do for him but prayer.
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Subject:Reunion
Lynn Bozeman Van Pelt
Class of '66
Tommy I would like to volunteer my house as the official headquarters for the Lee Reunion committee.
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To The Special People In My Life
submitted by Glenn James
Class of '65
People come into your life for a Reason, a Season, or a Lifetime.
When you know which one it is for a person, you will know what to do for that person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually.
They may seem like a Godsend, and they are!
They are there for the reason you need them to be.
Then, without any wrongdoing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered, and now it is time to move on.
Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons: things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
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Three Generals
Above is a photo of three Alumni from three different years. I'll bet the younger ones can't wait until they can grow up enough to get shoes and shirts too. Perhaps they will get the hand-me-downs from the older one. Can you name them and their years at Lee?
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With the amount of Spam we all get each day, and the increased usage of Spam blockers, many e-mail messages we send to you each week reminding you to visit our site are bounced back or blocked. This week we would like to know if you want us to continue sending out the messages. Because of the complexity of the mail list, we can't send to some and not to others, so we'll let you voters decide. We'll go with the majority vote. Of course if there is some late news, or big news, we can still e-mail the group with that info.
