Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly, Joy Rubins Morris, Rainer Klauss, Bobby Cochran, Collins (CE) Wynn, Eddie Sykes, Don Wynn, Paula Spencer Kephart, Cherri Polly Massey
Contributors: The Members of Lee High School Classes of 64-65-66 and Others
Okay, I got on my soapbox a little for this week's story, but it means so much to me that I cannot remain silent about my feelings.
Please include your name and class year with your e-mail to me.
T. Tommy
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Last Week's
Lee-Bay Item
From Our
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The Official List
of Missing Classmates
Click on the button below to view all of the Classmates that have been identified as "missing" by the Reunion Committee. We know that many on this list are not really missing, since at least one of the ones identified is a staff member of Lee's Traveller. The list is made up of those that the committee does not have current information for in their files. They would like for everyone to please check the list. See if you have friends, sisters, brothers, cousins or anyone else on the list that you can contact and get them to send in their info.
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Mystery Classmate
Vintage Photo
Linda Kinkle Cianci, Class of '66 - The TIC in the middle is Jerry Brewer. I think the second from the left is Larry Byrom. Seeing this photo, after visiting my brothers and mom in Florida this week and reminiscing about Jerry and some others in our old neighborhood, reminds me of the song lyrics "Sittin on the dock of the bay, wastin' time".....Jerry and Gary fished from the dock on the bay at the end of Gary's street just before Hurricane Ivan hit last fall.
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George Vail (Drummer of the "IN") Class of '66 - Answer: From left to right, Charles"Toot"Snoddy, Guitar, Bob Claycomb, Keyboards/Guitar, Jerry Brewer, Drums, Bobby Grant, Lead Vocals , and Johnny Parker, Bass-Guitar. The best group in town bar-none(my opinion). Peace.
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Sarajane Steigerwald Tarter, Class of '65 - The person in the center of the picture is our very own Jerry Brewer, drummer. You'll get to see him in person if you go to the reunion 2005!
Jerry is as good as he was back in the 60's (maybe even better) as many of us realized when we got to dance to his band's music last fall. As always, fun was had by all.
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Escoe German Beatty, Class of '65 - Mystery Photo...#3 is Jerry Brewer and #5 is Johnny Parker. I could guess about 1 and 2 but have no clue about 4. Question: does anyone remember the "Tiks" name before they were called that and what was the occasion that called for the new name???
Thier name previously had been the Fantasticks..they went to play at a state fair up in Kentucky (I think???) and had to shorten the name to be simpler and easier to remember. At least that's how I remember the story.
(Editor's Note: I thought it was so they could have a "bug" name like "The Beatles" had!
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Karen Tucker Oliver, Class of '65 - The mystery classmate is Jerry Brewer (the guy in the middle) who was the awesome drummer for the Tiks Jerry was a friend not only from school but we were in MYF together at Epworth United Methodist Church. I can now admit to having a crush on Jerry many long years ago.
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Barbara Wilkerson Donnelly (a.k.a. "Golda"),
Class of '64 - The one in the middle is our own Jerry Brewer, Class of '64. Jerry and I literally grew up together, starting at around age five, six or sever, when his family moved across the street from my grandparents. Our first encounter was through a slingshot war! We penned each other from across the street for the better part of an hour. (Of course, it could have been five minutes.) I remember when the Tiks were the Continentals, and their music was fantastic then. So fantastik that they became the Tiks! My favorite memory of the Tiks was of dancing to "Wipe Out" at Bradley's. The Tiks would usually just wear you down untill nothing was left but that drum solo. One night in particular, this guy (don't think I ever knew his name) from a different school asked me to dance to Wipe Out. We had danced to it previously on more than one occasion and had almost beat the band once. We finally were the last ones standing that night, but it was at a high price. My side was killing me for a couple of days! So there you have the rest of the story. Tiks rule!
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Marty Phillips, Class of '66 - This is the Triplicate patch awarded by the American Bowling Congress for bowling three games of the same score during league play.
I received one in the summer of 64 or 65 from the Pin Palace.
As I recall the infamous “Boo – Hiss E-mailer” Bob Cochran was in the same league. Semper Fi.
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Thanks For The (Future) Memories
by Tommy Towery
Class of '64
My first attempt to come up with a subject for this week’s Traveller was to do one condemning those of you who live close to or right in Huntsville and never bother to make the effort or take the time to drive across town to attend any of the activities planned for the event. You will never know how much that hurts those of us who come from out of town for you not to take the opportunity to visit with us.
But, that is a negative way to approach the subject. What I really decided to do was to take a moment to thank and congratulate those of you who live in or near Huntsville and do take the time to come visit with your classmates at the reunion.
In a way, each one has a different part to play in making this thing work. The first thanks must go to the under appreciated folks who make up the Reunion Committee and who start to work months before anyone ever sees even the slightest hint of their work. I sometimes ask myself why they do it. All it takes is to plan it on the wrong night, with the wrong food, or the wrong place and the wrong music, and all they hear are complaints. People get mad, don't attend, and blame the committee. This year might be the worst, since we’re all getting old and set in our ways, and are not afraid to voice our opinions. There was one subset of classmates that wanted to have the reunion at one time and another group wanted to hold it at the same time we have historically held it. An unofficial poll that I put on the website did not help matters, even though it was never really meant to be a “vote” on when we would plan it to be. It was an “opinion” poll and no one month had a significant margin. Many were upset because they did not read the website in time to vote, and many more seemed upset that they did not get their choice.
But still, the committee stayed together, bonded enough to start looking for places, food, times, and things of that nature. They accepted that there would never be a plan that would make everyone happy, but that most people would have to compromise somewhat to make a group of this size and this varied geographical base happy.
I salute all of you. I appreciate all of your work. I wish that I was closer so that I could sit in on the meetings and do my part, and I will not complain (too loudly) about anything that does not meet my demanding standards.
I accept that you have done your best to hold the cost down, to have the right food and music. I accept that things are different financially than they were when we graduated, or when we had the 20 and 25 and 30 year reunions and all of the others. Hey! I make more money now than I did then too. Unfortunately I have not retired yet.
I have never had to try to plan a meeting for this many people with this many demands, and I appreciate the knowledge, drive, and efforts that you have all made to do that for us.
I appreciate those of you who live in town and will even pay to get a room at the hotel so that you can spend more time with us and less time driving back and forth from home. I appreciate those of you who live in Huntsville who will rearrange your own schedules so that you can spend the time with us that come in from out of town. I appreciate that many of you do feel that if we can make the effort and put up the expense to fly in from the west coast, then perhaps it is not too much of a bother for you to drive across town.
I appreciate those that write and mail the letters, make the nametags, and put out the publicity to make the reunion easy on the rest of us. I appreciate those that “man” the tables and give up your own social time so that you can insure that those of us who do attend get the attention and information we need to make this thing work.
I blew up balloons at one reunion and learned a great respect for what it takes to get ready. I especially appreciate those who decorate and get a program together to make our nights special. We can’t do that from Missouri or Tennessee, so we have to rely on you locals to second guess every thing that could happen and plan for the worst while expecting the best.
Hey, I appreciate those of you who are bald, gray, a little over-weight maybe, but still will bother to come celebrate with us. You are the ones who know that we have never really seen you the way that you see yourself, and we don’t care and sometimes don’t even notice the changes that have come over our true friends.
I have made so many new “old” friends at each reunion that I can’t wait for the next one to come around. I know how much work is going on each week by so many of my friends and classmates and I am happy that I have the opportunity and the means to tell all of you how much I do appreciate the work that you do for the rest of us.
To close, my appreciation will not be known by many who deserve it the most. I apprecate the classmates of my wonderful high school days, who took the time to come visit with me one last time at the last reunion. Neither they nor I knew that it would be our last visit, our last time to share stories of the past, and talk of our dreams for the future. We never knew that it would be our last time to say "I love you" or "I'm sorry" or "Thanks for being my friend all these years." I wish that I had know that it would be the last time, and I, like Forrest Gump, might have said a little more than 'Hey, Bubba."
If anything happens before the reunion, thanks to all of you who are trying hard to make this event special. I cherish and celebrate my life with you.
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Subject:Great Job
Bill Whyte
Class of '64
Everyone involved is doing a great job on the site.I Look foward to reading it every week. Looking foward to getting to know everyone again and some for the first time.
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Subject:Marriages
Carolyn Burgess Featheringill
Class of '65
I'm thoroughly enjoying the website. One aspect that I had noted with reunions but really had more opportunity to consider with the site is the number of classmates from '64-'65-'66 who are married to each other. First, is there a list of members of those classes who are married to each other? Secondly and more important, I think that we (certainly, the girls) would enjoy additional stories along the lines of Rainer Klauss's about how these couples met and married.
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Subject:Easter chicks
Dianne Hughey McClure
Class of '64
Thanks Jennifer, Class of '66 I will go tommorrow to Winn Dixie and hopefully still find some Easter chicks.
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This Week's
Lee-Bay Item
These were advertised on e-Bay as being 1964 vintage. Anyone have any stories to go along with their answer as to what the Mystery Item is?
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Dallas Mill Cemetery Article
Collins (CE) Wynn
Class of ‘64
Over the past few years we have had several rambling conversations about the neighborhoods where we grew up. Most of my comments have had to do with Rison, Dallas, Lincoln and Darwin Downs. Our readers and classmates with an interest in these neighborhoods might enjoy a look at http://www.rison-dallas.com/dallas_cemetary.html which contains an updated article about and some photographs of the Dallas Mill Cemetery. The article also includes a name for a section of railroad track near the cemetery (Little Rock Cut?) I had not heard before. I suppose what makes this so interesting to me is that my family lived only a hundred yards south of the cemetery for several years yet no one had any idea it even existed nor did we know the stretch of track there had a name.
Although the article carries my byline, I cannot honestly claim full authorship. My electronic friend, Ann Schrimsher, was the catalyst who did the legwork, completed the investigation and updated the article.
