Lee High School - Huntsville Alabama Alumni

We are saddened once again to announce the loss of another member of our group. Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly notified us Friday of the loss of Gary Wilburn.

The results of the poll on e-mail announcements was tarnished by the ballot-box stuffing by at least one visitor to the site. The high count of page hits was in direct proportion to the number of "no" votes in the box. Prior to that, the majority of viewers had asked to continue being notified each week. Obviously one person felt that his/her opinion was worth 50 votes by other friends - you know, the rules aren't made for everyone. So, as a result, we cannot determine an accurate vote. We did have two people write and ask to be removed from the mailing list, which we did without hesitation. If that person also wanted to be removed, all that was needed was a request, and the rest of the readers could have their vote. As if it isn't enough work to try to publish interesting stuff each week, now I am going to have to create a new program to collect a mailing list soon, that will allow those that want to receive the weekly update to do so and those that do not will not. I guess no good deed goes unpunished.

T. Tommy

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Three Generals

Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly, Class of '64

The mystery classmates are really easy! The middle one is C.E. Wynn -- he could never hide from anyone who knows him, could he? The one on the left, I think, is his brother, Don, and the other one is their younger brother.

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Don Blaise, Class of '64

I don't know who the two younger guys are but the one in the middle looks like C. E. Wynn

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Ron Blaise, Class of '65

I think the older kid is C.E. Wynn, don't know about the other two. One thing I can remember about C. E. was his ability to croup cough anytime he wanted. I think he did it mostly to exasperate the teachers we had at Lincoln elementary. Best I recall he was the only guy I knew that brushed his teeth with Ajax cleanser (at least that's what he told the teacher). All-in-all he was a fun guy to have around, always into something.

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Walt Thomas, Class of '64

I spent many hours with these three Generals while growing up. Also worked with Don at Motorola for several years in the '80's.

From left--Don Wynn--'67; CE Wynn--'64; Tony Wynn--year not known, but maybe '71?

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The photo is from 1955 and is of three future Generals - classes of '64, '67, and '71. The identities are (L to R) Don '67; CE '64, and Tony '71 - Wynn's all. - Collins (CE) Wynn

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Okay, All Things Were

Not Really Perfect!

by Tommy Towery

Class of '66

I’m going out on a limb here. We’ve written and preached about all the great times we all had at Lee and have told our tales of all the fun we had. It’s time for the editor to speak up. It wasn’t all good. There, I've said it! I feel that I was cheated out of a few things I wanted from my high school experience. I’ve kept relatively quite all these years, but it’s time for someone to have the guts to speak up. I’m getting ready to rant and rave!

I feel cheated that I only have one yearbook to document my three years in high school. Those of you who graduated in 1966 or later don’t feel this loss the way that my classmates from 1964 do. It’s not fair. The story we were given was that only full-fledged high schools were allowed to sell advertising and publish a yearbook. That’s crap! So we look back and all we see is our senior year. We miss the sports and the plays and the teachers, and even worse, the classmates that came and went before we graduated.

And while I’m on that subject, why couldn’t I have a yearbook when I was in the 9th grade? I don’t have a photo of Gloria Mathews. I don’t have a photo of Linda Pell. I remember them in my memories, but no photos. Gloria was in my science class taught by Mr. Blackburn. She wore low cut blouses and I and a few other males would practice basketball shots with paper wads down her cleavage. Okay, she was only 14, but she was big for her age. She’d giggle and act embarrassed, but we all knew that she loved the attention. Thank goodness that was before the days of sexual harrasament rules and we were allowed to just be kids! That was fun, but I don’t have a photo of that cleavage to remember.

I don’t have a photo of Linda Pell. We skated together at Carter’s and I saw a lot of her because she dated Gene Bailes, a friend of my brother. One of my bragging rights was that I kissed her in a play in Mrs. Parks English class because the script said to. I kissed her, but I don’t have a photo of her in the 9th grade.

I’m still mad today because we didn’t have a senior trip. What was the deal! Everyone before us had senior trips at the other schools. My brother even went on a trip when he was in the 9th grade (the first time). That was part of the ritual of becoming a senior. You went to places like Washington D.C. or New York, or at least to Gatlinburg, TN. Yea, I know that segregation and integration movements scared the parents and the school board into not letting us go on a senior trip, but we were cheated!

And what’s all this crap about having our senior prom in the stupid lunch room? Tell me! Is that anyway to hold the most important dance any of us had ever attended? What kind of idiot thought that up? And who hired that band that the Class of ’64 had to listen to? What happened to The Continentals? I sure didn’t get a vote. Was it J.R.? He was class president. Did he do that to us or did he just not say 'No' when he was asked? The stupid lunchroom! Duh…anyone but me ever think that was maybe a dumb place? I sure did!

And while I’m on that subject, who talked me into going on a first date for my senior prom? That really is not a good idea. I blame Tommy Thompson and Judith Keel for that. The girl was nice, she was cute, and I loved being with her – but what kind of idiot besides me takes a girl for a first date to the senior prom? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! If I had gone out with her a few times before, or if I were a little more advanced in my dating skills, then perhaps that would have been different.

And while I’m on that subject, why is it that whenever I heard that a girl was “easy” that it never turned out to be the truth? No, I'm not talking about the girl I took to the prom, I'm talking about all those other girl's that had that reputation back then. The stories in the locker room say that any boy that breaths can at least get to third base with a particular girl. I ask her out and what happens? I strike out at bat! I don’t even get to first base on a walk! What kind of deal is that? She didn’t have to be the most popular girl to get dates; she just had to be “easy”. Maybe that's why I'm still editor of a high school newspaper 40 years later, I believed all those stories.

And what was wrong with us having Cokes and candy at breaks like the kids do now? The teachers got to have Cokes in their lounge. I know because I usually went down and got Mrs. Parks’ for her right before the break. I’ll let you in on a secret! Sometimes I got one and chug-a-lugged it real fast before I took her Coke to her. Boy did that give me a headache, but it was an act of defiance for an Eagle Scout.

And what was wrong with chewing gum in class? Or with holding a girl’s hand when you walked the halls? Or sleeping in study hall? Who did it hurt to pass notes in class? Okay, so we may have learned to live by the rules, even if we didn't agree. We may have even learned some dicipline along the way, but that didn't mean that we had to like it.

There are lots of things that I know will come to me, and a lot that I am sure that many of you can add to this list, but these are the ones that come to mind the easiest. If others dig their way out of my past, then I’ll list them later. But I’m happy to finally get these things off my chest! I’ve been living with all this pent up inside of me for 40 years. I’m mad as hell and I won’t take it any more.

Other than that, I had a great time with a great bunch of folks I am happy to call my friends and were taught by a great bunch of teachers who really cared if we made the most of our opportunities to learn.

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We thought some of you might be interested in the following e-mail Rainer received. It is interesting just to see the list of names from the past. Pass this along if you have any HHS Class of '64 friends.

Subject: Huntsville High School '64 Reunion

We are so excited about the response to our initial letter for our class reunion! We have a wonderful group of clasmates coming from all over the country.

Your Reunion committee has planned an elegant, fun-filled evening. We want you to be here with us! Please let us hear from you by July 10.

Your Reunion Committee

The people who are coming to the reunion are: Betty Jane Abercrombie, June Allen, Dick Allison, Debbie Barr, Ginnie Battle, Tommy Beason, Marylee Becraft, Charlotte Bentley, Peggy Bermender, Susan Blatchford, Jay Bright, Lewis Brinkley, Sue (Broadway) and Wade Sadler, Joe Broome, Nancy Bryant, Gary Campbell, Ronald Carter, Pete Cerny, John Clanton, Dennis Clowers, Patsy Cockrell, Sheila Denholm, Paula Deschere, Flea Dyar, Sandra Fanning, Terry Garber, Charles Gattis, Diane Godman, Connie Gray, Robert Hawkins, Nan Hervig, Priscilla Hinkle, Eleanor Holmberg, Perky Hooker, Chuck Hummel, Sarah Hunnicutt, Ronny Johnson, Nancy Kelley, Karen Kent, Norma Korb, Mike Landes, Mike Langley, Paul Haley, Mary Jo Lung, Doug Lyle, Martha (McClure) and Kenny Mercer, John McClure, Mike McKinney, Sandra McLemore, Bucky Monroe, Pat Morrison, Dwight Norris, Suzanne Pettus, Charlie Pike, Jim Pockrus, Linda Powell, Wayne Price, Carol Redd, Ellen Robinson, Alan Rodgers, Charlotte Rush, Blake Rymer, Sandra Sandlin, Mike Serio, Nancy Smith, Diane Sorenson, Linda Spencer, Squirrel Squire, Stan Steadman, Sallye Tidwell, Terrell Touchstone, Jo Vassar, Bernard Vatz, Norman Waldrop, Sylvia Walker, John Webster, Bill Weiler, and Carol Ann Weir.

We want to add your name to this list, so please let me hear from you!

Suzanne Pettus Thomason

5610 Woodridge Street

Huntsville, Alabama 35802

(256) 881-1263

suzyt68@aol.com

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Subject:E-mails

Rainer Klauss

Class of '64

I've received two emails from my old friend Peter Finzel today (he and I came over on the same boat from Germany). He went to East Clinton; maybe you remember him. Anyway, you might find the attachment interesting. The only names among the deceased class members I recognized were Jimmy Walker and Bill Lowe. It doesn't look like Olivia Williams will be at the reunion, so I guess we shouldn't bother crashing it.

Speaking of East Clinton: thanks for the nostalgic tour of the playground and your memories. I enjoyed it. Even though I played on it a lot, my memories of it are pretty dim. I suppose that's because I left after the third grade. The same area at Rison is much sharper for me. We didn't have a Jungle Gym at Rison, though. Some other memories I have of East Clinton: the lunchroom and the sorry sandwiches which passed for hamburgers there.

Peter wrote:

Our class is having a 40th reunion class this summer. I thought you might be interested in some of the deceased members who will not be able to be there:

Jimmy Walker - I remember him way back to East Clinton, Ronald Baerg, Lyndon Faulkenberry, Martin Phillips, Del Tyson, Tommy Reagh, Bill West, Tommy Enoch, Bill Lowe and Betty Strong. You seem to have a good memory for old names. Do you recognize any of these?

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Subject:East Clinton Elementary

Dianne Ralston Lashbrook

Class of '65

Your memories of East Clinton jogged some of my old brain cells. I began school there in the fourth grade after moving from a small town in Tennessee. I also remember the playground and playing dodge ball and softball. It was there that I joined the Brownies and learned to tie knots of various kinds to earn a patch for my uniform. It was a useless skill but we all had fun learning. I remember a particular teacher that had a heart of gold. Her name was Mrs. England and she taught sixth grade. In the afternoons she would read to us from The Little House On The Prairie books. I loved listening to her and using my imagination as the little family's story would unfold. I understand she passed away many years ago but she lives on in my memories as one of the kindest ladies I have ever met.

There is something else about East Clinton that I have often wondered about and maybe you can help me. It may be an urban legend but while going to school there I was told by other kids that there had been an accident at the stop sign on the corner where the sandbox stands. They said a teen from Huntsville High ran the stop sign as part of an initiation into a club and she wrecked her car and was decapitated. After hearing that I couldn't play on that side of school without being scared because one of the boys said he found her finger in the sandbox and had to give it to the principal. Yuck!

After I was grown I went back to visit the old school and was surprised the halls were so much smaller than I remembered. I hope all the other children that attended that great old school would have the fun I had there.

(Editor's Note: Dianne, I seem to remember the "wreck" you speak of, but have never heard the story of the finger in the sandbox. Perhaps some other alumni might.)

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Subject:Jewell Tea

Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly

Class of '64

I have been in Huntsville, and didn't get a chance to write about the Jewel Tea "Autumn Leaf" item you listed. I have two pitchers that were my mother's in the Autumn Leaf pattern. I looked on the bottom on them for Ginger, because I thought I remembered "Mary," as well. It says "Hall's Superior Quality Kitchenware" and inside a circle, it says, "Tested and Approved by Mary Dunbar, Jewel Homemakers Institute." I remember the Jewel Tea man coming in the brown vehicle, but don't remember the orange one. (Perhaps that's what they used in Auburn?) There were several more pieces at my house -- a pitcher which looked like Aladdin's lamp, and the 3-piece set of mixing bowls are a couple I recall.

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Johnny Sharp, Class of '64

Congratulations to you, the entire staff of writers and all contributors for another great edition. I've been visiting the site every week but, haven't contributed in awhile so here goes!

This week's Lee-Bay item is an old "EZ-ON" "shoe horn" which is used to slip your foot into a brand new pair of shoes to minimize the initial pain. It also helped if you put on a new pair of socks first! I had to use shoe horns quite often when I was working part time for Union Dry Goods Store on Jefferson Street in 1957 and 1958. The owners of the store were Mr. Lou Harrison and Mr. Ogden McAnally; two of the best bosses that I've ever known! There were actually two separate stores with a passageway between them about halfway. The north side was the men's store and the south side was the women's store. I worked on the men's side and sold everything from shoes to hats. When I saw the picture of the shoe horn, the combined odors of new leather, sweaty socks and oil soaked, hardwood flooring immediately popped forth from the cobwebbed catacombs of my diminishing fifties memories.

Bye for now and I wish everyone another great week!

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Linda Beal Walker, Class of '66

This looks like a shoehorn that the shoe salesperson used to help you tryon a new shoe by placing it in the heel of the shoe so your foot could slide in easier. I don't think I have one in any of my junk drawers but I haven't needed the use of a shoehorn lately.

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Chip Smoak, Class of '66

A lot of guys carried this week's Lee-bay item in their hip pocket in junior high and high school. Like so many things shoehorns which, as the one in the picture, were metal are now plastic and do not hold up. I don't carry mine in my hip pocket but I do keep it handy.

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Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly, Class of '64

The mystery item for this week is a shoe-horn. I think there are at least two here which look like that. I believe Ed got one while in the Army to aid with putting those stiff-backed shoes on, but I also think I remember him getting one when he bought his wing-tips! I think I have another from my dad from the Navy. At least one has writing on it, but can't put my hands on it right now.

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Tommy Towery, Class of '64

I remember that you could get one of these free when you bought a new pair of shoes, if you asked. I also remember how much I needed a shoehorn when I bought a new pair of penny-loafers or Sunday shoes. With today's casual soft-leather and canvas shoes, the need for a shoehorn has diminishted.

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A Grocery Bag of Memories

Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly

Class of '64

Craig's "Kwik Chek Commandos" articles was really cute! Ed remembers the mountain escapade and also remembers driving the Greenbriar during the event. However, he remembers driving the Greenbriar back up when the police were there. The second article mentions Terry Lee's house party when his parents were in Charleston. Craig says that Terry's new girlfriend, Sandy, was a junior at BHS and a knock-out. Yes, she was. I met Sandra when Ed and I started dating, and we became fast friends. In fact, Terry and Sandy were our best man and matron-of-honor when Ed and I were married. The last time I saw her, Sandy was still gorgeous, and Terry Lee looked pretty darn good, as well! They have two beautiful children, Andy (now a doctor and a Terry Lee doppelganger), and Lori (I am not sure what Lori is doing now.) Terry is remarried and lives in Alpharetta -- I spoke with him by phone just before our last reunion.

The memories from Gary and Linda Kinkle about their dad making the homemade ice cream using the car brought back some memories! I remember Mr. Kinkle doing just that. It was really a trip to see that car making ice cream. My grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins, lived across the street from the Kinkles on O'Shaughnessy Avenue (Try to learn to spell that when you're a little kid!) and we all used to play together, along with Jerry Brewer, Linda Brooks, Dennis and Kenneth Tribble, Dwight Mullis, Doug Hall, Linda and Gary's brother, Danny, and a multitude of others. These were a mixture of East Clinton, LJHS, HJHS, HHS people. This was the kick-the-can, hide-and-go-seek, capture-the-flag, tag, football, baseball bunch. Different ones played different games, but I was active in all of these. I remember being given the football on more than one occasion and simply tossed over the line.

Thinking about the Kinkles made me remember a Halloween party at their house. Mrs. Kinkle had really gone all out to scare the life out of us. (I remember her being so pretty and so sweet!) The house was pretty dark, with candles lit in a few places. We were blindfolded at the door and taken into the dining area. Then we had to feel an assortment of yucky items from Frankenstein's lab. Among them were eyeballs (peeled grapes) and guts (spaghetti). Even though I knew Mrs. Kinkle was there and that we'd be safe, I still admit to being a little bit frightened. There were many other things going on that night, but those are the things that immediately popped into my head. I'd love to hear anything that Linda and Gary remember about that party. The other memories I have are that Danny looked like a carbon copy of Mr. Kinkle, Linda and Gary had such dark tans every summer, and that Linda had such beautiful blonde hair!

(Editor's Note: Thanks to Linda Kinkle's recipe, I got hungry for homemade ice cream and last week made myself a freezer full - electric in the sink, not automotive in the driveway. Of course I had to use fake eggs and no-fat milk, but it was still good, and I've been eating on it all week. - Tommy)

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