Lee High School - Huntsville Alabama Alumni

Basketball Days

by Tommy Towery

Class of '64

With March Madness approaching, those of us who enjoy basketball are stocking up on snacks and drinks for some of the best games the season will offer. I got to thinking back about the basketball games I went to while at Lee, and as much as I hate to say it, I have few memories of many of those. I don’t think we put the same importance on basketball back then as people do today and that is sad to say.

I do remember going to the games, but I remember more about watching the cheerleaders than the players. Comparing the outfits that our cheerleaders wore and the basketball team wore then, the dress styles have reversed. Back then the players wore very short pants and the cheerleaders wore long, below the knee dresses. Today’s players wear some of the baggiest shorts anyone could ever imagine, and the cheerleaders wear bare midriff outfits. The dance teams dress even skimpier.

But I let the memories of the cheerleaders make me digress. The point I was trying to make, was that there were few basketball games that I really remember. I guess the one game I remember the most was our last game played against Butler on their home court. I remember that game the most for what happened in the parking lot after the game than on the court. As we were leaving the parking lot, a group of Butler students and the carload of Lee students I was with got into an argument. One of the Butler punks came over to our car and took a swipe at one of us through the open driver’s window. I don’t remember if it was me that was driving or if it was David France or Bob Walker or maybe even Lewis Brewer. Somehow I want to remember it was me but my male ego makes me want to think it was not, because whoever it was that took the glancing blow on the chin drove off without retaliation. I know that at that time in my life I was not anxious to get into a fight with anyone, so it probably was me.

I think I liked sitting in the warmth of a gym and watching Lee play more than I did sitting outdoors in the rain or cold, although there was a lot to be said about the snuggling up under the blankets in the stadium. Can anyone ever forget the smell of a high school gym? I certainly can not.

Anyway, if J.R. or any of you players want to share some basketball stories with us during this season, I think some of your classmates would love to hear them. How about the band or the cheerleaders? How about things that happened on the road trips to the out of town or across town? Pep rallies? It’s time for some of you to share.

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Sarajane, Class of '65 - Could it be Toppie the Elephant? My job in the family was to put the green stamps in the book. If I remember correctly (which is a challenge) I would use a ball of cotton and a water filled coffee cup to complete my weekly chore. When a book was complete the family decided what we would order. We never ordered any thing like the elephant because a family of 6 had much greater needs. Thanks for the memories.

The ad I found said:

Top Value Stamp Premium

Toppie the Elephant

Measures: 14" long 11" tall 4 1/2" wide. Back in the olden days, people would all sit around the kitchen table and lick stamps and fill stamp books. This elephant doll is one of the items you could receive

when you sent your filled books to the company.

Made of vinyl and stuffed. The vinyl is red, white and gray plaid Blanket is made of thin plastic and reads Toppie on each side in yellow. His hat is made of flannel.

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Harold Shepard, Class of '67 - This weeks trivia: Tommy, I'm not sure if it's "Toppy" or "Toppie" but he (or she) was the Top Value Stamp mascot.

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Jeff Fussell, Class of '66 - That little guy is "Toppie" the mascot for Top Value Stamps. I remember turning in piles of dog-eared books for treasure at the redemption center in the old Kwik-Chek shopping center on North Parkway.

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Ron Hingenitz, Class of '64 - Since I was the one who ended up sticking all of those green and yellow stamps in the various books depending if they were singles, tens or fiftys, I am going to guess Top Value Stamps. As to the name of the elephant, I seem to remember Toppie or Toppy or something like that. Seems like I can't remember what happened last week but then I can remember something like this from fourty years ago.

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Judy “Fedrowisch” Kincaid, Class of ‘66 - The first thing that popped into my head when I first saw the item was “Plaid Stamps”. It’s just a wild guess because I can’t imagine why the mascot would be on a matchbook cover. Oh well.

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Subject:NNLN Club

Escoe G. Beatty

Class of '65

Tommy, You are so clever to keep comming up with fun stuff. I too am trying this without aid of the annual cause it will be more of a challenge. The names of Sandra and Sara are fairly common but used together are unmistakable and one needed say no more, the twins were well known! Another girl that comes to mind would be Ricky, and then there was a doll named Darla. We also had a Dee Dee and a Deanne as well as an Annalee, a Candy and a Belinda. Who could ever forget Coby and one of my all time favorite friends Jed. Dag will always be the distinguished one and Miles was always so happy in my memories. I know there are many more but I'm done for now!! Can't wait to see everyone at the reunion!!

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Subject:Parkway City Mall Name

Jeff Fussell

Class of '66

The name "Parkway City" was there in 1961 when our family moved to Huntsville. The shopping center opened in 1957 and may have had another name. It expanded from 25 to 32 stores in 1959. The tornadoes of 1974 damaged much of Parkway City. It reopened in 1976 as Parkway City Mall.

I started my retail management career in the GC Murphy Store at Parkway City. The Murphy employees still get together every year for a reunion. Hard to imagine many of us these days feeling that way about a job.

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Subject:Parkway City

Dwight Jones

Class of '64

Maybe this lady is thinking of Heart of Huntsville. If my memory is correct Heart of Huntsville was called Donavant's Mall before Heart of Huntsville, but like you said, Heart Parkway City Mall was always that.

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Subject:Andy Cathy

Arnie Anderson

Suzette Yost just e-mailed that Andy Cathy passed away in Portland.

We had been e-mailing each other about three-four time a year but i hadn't heard from him since last Feb. In Dec, just before Christmas I got a short not that said Hi and my new e-amil is...." That was the last time I heard from him.I'm sure he attended Lee about 1958-59 and then I think he went on to Butler.

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Subject:Class of '66 Update

Judy “Fedrowisch” Kincaid

Class of '66

I’ve really enjoyed tracking down some wayward classmates this week. I’ve talked to & exchanged e-mails with several classmates that have never been to any of the reunions – which means this was the first time we have had any contact with each other in almost 39 years!! Others we had somehow lost track of and they were not aware of some of the past reunions and knew nothing about our wonderful website. Some had just never come to any of the reunions even though they had been invited. Most of those seem to think that no one will remember them. But as all of us that have been to several reunions know – that is not true. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. There is not a single classmate out there that has been forgotten. Someone remembers you and would love to see you and know how you’re doing. Just keep in mind that we’ve all changed. I just found out this week that I have been working with a classmate for almost a year. While we see each other almost daily neither of us recognized the other. While I was updating our information spreadsheet from her submission form I saw that she works at the Space & Rocket Center also. It still took me several minutes to figure it out as I tend to remember female classmates by their maiden names.

The Class of ’66 will be mailing out about 150 reunion letters next week that will contain a list of over 200 classmates that we could not verify a valid address for. When you receive the list, please see if you can supply up-to-date information on any of those classmates so we can get information about the reunion to them as soon as possible. And if you’re reading this and you don’t receive a reunion letter in the next couple of weeks, please fill out the submission form on this website so you will be accounted for.

Hoping to see LOTS of you folks in August.

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Subject:Reunion

George Lehman Williams

Class of '64

I talked to Jerry Brewer this morning - he wanted to know if I was coming to the reunion. Yes, I'll be there - I am trying to plan a two week deal so my wife and grandson can come because we need to go to New York for a week and see the Yankees play the week after the reunion. I saw the list of alumni that have responded from the class of 66, is there going to be a listing of 64 and 65 classes that have responded and are coming to the reunion? Any progress on the Drag Race, Golf Tournament and the Beer drinking contest. Look forward to winning all three. Jerry mentioned that Lynn Baeder has moved back to Huntsville - look forward to seeing him - it's been a long time.

(Editor's Note: Lehman, each class has a primary contact for the reunion planning and has their class's information. I have printed stuff from Judy in the Class of '66 because she has sent me updates.)

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