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of our Halcyon Days of Yore |
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| Send us your recollections of your high school days! | |
| What do you
remember about the years, 1952 to 1956? Share with your
classmates some of your memories of Sheffield High--the things you
liked, the things you didn't like, your candidate for best teacher,
your proudest moments, humorous events, things you would like to have
done differently! Don't bother to write a complete history, just
a few short bits and pieces that stand out in your memory.
E-mail them to Louis Buettner.
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| Louis Buettner (I'll go first!) | |
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Glimpses of My SHS Past As I recall, Sheffield High was a gleaming, white modern architectural asset to the little town of Sheffield, Alabama, in the 1950's. You wouldn't use an illustration of an antiquated building to depict our alma mater. It seemed to me that the faculty was small, and our graduating class was only 117, woefully short of the size of the classes in which our children graduated a generation later. But, I don't recall feeling deprived when I think of the school I attended back then. And, the building looks unchanged every time I drive past it today. My memories of those days are fading, sketchy and probably very selective. I remember a few miserable times marching in freezing rain which soaked our heavy woolen band uniforms. We "lesser mortals" defied the elements with the attitude that if the football team could play in this type of weather, we, in the band, could cheer them on. I remember several lonely, embarrassing days when Coach Curry told me to practice the broad jump in preparation for track & field tryouts, and, being a scrawny sophomore, I didn't want to look bad in front of the upperclassmen of the team. Mostly, I remember good times, like the election returns for student council president or finishing the short run of the class play, Lost Horizon, and the exuberance and close togetherness of the entire cast, the director and the audience. Trips to a journalism convention in Bessemer and Boys' State in Tuscaloosa were notable for the acquaintances I made from other little and big towns around the state. Sheffield did not pale beside those other schools, and I was and am proud to be from SHS. Our teachers encouraged us, pushed us, rooted for us and disciplined us when necessary. Miss Hammond was literally my mentor, and I remember her as my favorite high school teacher. Mr. Boley, though, became my hero because of his quiet firmness, strong concern for students, his fairness and the time he took to encourage and stimulate individual students. I wanted to look like him, dress like him and talk like him. Coach Wright gave me my first "C" in math and probably did more to intensify my efforts to make good grades than did any of the teachers that gave me "A's" and "B's." It was the teachers and their dedicated efforts that made SHS the producer of young men and women of character, not the buildings. Glimpses of My 'Way Back Past
A while back, Sandra Foreman Morris sent me a photo of Mrs. Fox's First Grade class at the Atlanta Avenue School in 1944 (if my math is correct). My birthday, September 2, was fortunately about a day or so before the first day of the school year, so I didn't have to wait another whole year to qualify. I had looked forward to being in school so much. I can recall my mother taking me into the school building on that first day. She carried my "sleeping mat" that was required of all first-graders who were required to take a nap on the floor of the classroom right after lunch (which was a brown bag or lunchbox meal brought from home).
My sleeping bag got me into a heap of trouble! You can see how small the class was in the photo above (click on it to get a larger photo). At nap time, we were supposed to lay down and be quiet--and hopefully go to sleep. After getting to know my classmates, I started moving my sleeping mat from my assigned sleeping place to a position over next to Ruth Barksdale. When I didn't respond to the teacher's verbal admonishment after a week or so, Mrs. Fox sent a note home to my parents who saw to it that I clearly understood that whatever Mrs. Fox told me to do was the law. I had the biggest crush on Ruth from the beginning of school, and it was with terrible disappointment and a feeling of abandonment that I learned that she was going to skip the second grade (or was that the fourth grade) and move up into the Class of '55. Another vivid memory of the Atlanta Avenue school is the morning assemblies. I remember trooping into the big auditorium with the perpetually freshly-oiled dark wood floors and sitting on the folding chairs all lined up like a real theater. It seemed that we sat by grades--lowest in front and highest (Junior High) in the back. There was always a morning devotional program, a prayer which, many times, was said extemporaneously by a student, recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and a salute to the flag afterwards. A part of the devotional was sometimes the singing of a religious song--I remember Connie Johnson singing Ave Maria (in English, of course, not Latin) a capella. My weirdest recollection is that of a lady who spoke to us on personal hygiene, toothbrushing on this occasion. She said always brush your teeth up and down, not side to side--even on the back side of the teeth. Fifty strokes would do, she said, and "Always brush the back of your tongue to keep down bad breath." To this day I remember this instruction and I try to follow it faithfully to avoid the shame of halitosis. A real shame I have now involves following the instruction my Lutheran minister gave me about practicing religion with people of other faiths. He said that a Lutheran couldn't pray with a Baptist or a Methodist for fear of eternal damnation. I was counseled to stare at my shoes and to try not to listen to what was being said during a prayer. But, I couldn't help but hear and admire the ability of other kids to say wonderful, thoughtful, reverent things without even reading it from a script, and I envied them.
Louis Buettner
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One of my personal memories of our high school years is how I changed the course of SHS football in 1954. There were two ways that I contributed; first changing the team to the T-formation and second the use of face masks. Looking back in time, I am amazed that I played football at all. At 138 pounds that year I was the smallest person on the starting team. To test me Coach Wright liked to have folks like Sonny Powers and Jimmy Delano scrimmage against me. These guys outweighed me by at least 40 to 50 pounds. Being not very bright and stubborn, I held my own, but really took a pounding. I played center and most of the plays we ran were from the single wing formation. We would start in a T -formation and the backfield would shift left or right. Most of the action revolved around the tailback who that year was Buddy Willingham. Buddy was a gifted runner. In scrimmages the times I played defense and hit him when he was carrying the ball, were like running into a Mack truck. But I digress. To
snap the ball to Buddy I would have my head down looking between my
legs at him to send the ball to his hands.
In The next week we went to the straight T-formation where I handed the ball to Ronald Gene and was able to see who was coming at me except on punts and extra points. Of course those were the plays where I had my nose broken several times and became the first player to have a face mask. That came about because Ronald Gene complained to Coach that blood dripping from my broken nose made the football too slippery to hold. To solve this problem Coach ordered a Plexiglas face mask to protect my nose!
No
more blood on the ball and I could see most of the time who I was
playing against. Ah, sweet memories of youth!
Lessons of Life on the Atlanta Ave. Grade School Playground
The gravel playground at Atlanta Avenue is interesting to remember.
We would choose sides to play softball by throwing a bat and the team leaders would place one hand over the other until the winner had the last hand hold at the end of the bat. He would get to choose the first player ant then they would alternate. The playground was surrounded by a chain link fence and the first one to hit a ball over that fence was John Collins. I remember thinking he was the Babe Ruth of our class when we were about 7 or 8 years old.
Soon after that I recall being very angry at Coach Collins when we went out to the playground and he had us choose up sides with a balance of girls and boys. I could not understand why, since girls could not hit, run or throw as well as the boys. Ah, at such a young age I was truly a male chauvinist pig!
Buck Locke
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| Patsy Bell Congleton | |
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Sheffield Musings
The main memory of SHS was from a teacher, I cannot remember her name, but she had us write an essay when we were either Juniors or Seniors and she was going to send it to us 10 years later. We wrote about what we would be doing 10 years from then and I could not wait to get this but I heard that her automobile burned in a garage and our essays were in the automobile. Don't know if anyone else remembers this but if they do, please let me know because I remember spending so much time and thought on this essay only to have it burned---but life went on!!!
Another fond memory of SHS though was our Youth Center (which was in the basement of the Sheffield Municipal Building)-under the jail but thankfully, I don't remember any of us graduating to the upstairs, but we learned to "bop", among other things in this building to the great 50's music which I still love.
Patsy Bell Congleton
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| Mary Ann Byars Lenz | |
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Our Teachers Had Fun, Too
I especially enjoyed the way she taught us about plants and animals. She let us use her colored pencils on our drawings of protozoa and amoeba that she required for our folders.
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Teaching Harold Chambers a Lesson In Mrs. Vines history class, we sat with our desk in a semi-circle facing her. Each day she gave a reading assignment for homework and had us make notes in a notebook. We were allowed to use our notes but not our history books to answer her oral questions the next day. Harold Chambers sat to my right. He would strain his eyes and read my notes to answer Mrs. Vines questions. When I fussed at him for not doing his homework, he played on my sympathy saying football practice took too much of his time. "You're going to get caught one day," I told him. "And, beside that we will have a test soon and you're sure not copying my paper." Harold and I were also in typing class together in the morning. He learned one day that I was dating Don Lenz from Leighton. Harold teased me and said he saw Don out with a redhead on Friday night. I didn't believe him but he aggravated me about it the whole class period. That afternoon in Mrs. Vines class, I moved my notebook to the far side of my desk. Harold didn't notice until Mrs. Vines asked him a question. Obviously, he couldn't answer her since he had no notes of his own and couldn't see mine. "Harold Chambers, did you do your reading assignment?" Mrs. Vines asked. "No ma'am," Harold answered. Mrs. Vines promptly wrote in her gradebook. After class, Harold asked me, "Why did you put your notebook on the other side of your desk? Now, I've got a bad grade." "You shouldn't have teased me about seeing Don with a redhead when you know good and well you didn't," I said. Well, in a few days I got over being aggravated at Harold and put my notebook back where it usually stayed. Mary Ann Byars Lenz
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| Gayle Steverson Kent, Ph.D. | |
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SHS, The Best Sheffield was a great place to grow up in the 1940's and 50's. We felt safe, secure and most of the time they were "happy days". I really enjoyed the teachers and feel blessed that I had the privilege to attend SHS. So many memories start to come back as I look forward to our 50th reunion.
In chemistry class, we all were frightened as to what Harold Fell was going to blow up! We survived that experience, not knowing he was simply preparing to become an engineer and to work at Oakridge.
We were privileged to have lived in Sheffield and to attend SHS fifty years ago. The teachers cared and we grew up without drugs and Aids to worry about. I think the adults was so happy that World War II was over and we were in a time of relative peace that our parents and teachers could help us to develop into our potential. We have such a variety of occupations that we have retired from or are still enjoying! God bless our class and may we have the greatest reunion ever in June! Gayle Steverson Kent, Ph.D.
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| Bette Anderson Pickin | |
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An Open Letter To an Upwardly Mobile SHS English Teacher Mr. Boley,
We
had been giving some kind of speeches for several days. Who knows what
they were about! Evidently, the assignment was to help us with public
speaking and not necessarily
about content. After everyone had their turn, you proceeded to tell us
all the things we had done
while standing in front of the class. Oh, my! How we laughed as you
demonstrated our behavior. Some never looked at the class but out the
window instead. Boys kept their hands in their pockets and rattled
change. Some added the famous "You know" after each
sentence. Well, you had a long list and
we all howled. And, then, to conclude, you told of one person who
stood up there and took off a shoe and kept feeling around for it with
the shoeless foot. By
this time, we were all really having a good time and everyone wanted
to know who it was. No, you
were not going to tell, but we kept on until you added that the person
probably was completely unaware of taking a shoe off. Finally, after
we would not let up, you disclosed
who. Guess what? Until you said my name, I honestly
had no idea and to this day I can't help wondering if I was the brunt
of a joke. Nah! Now, I have
never conquered my dislike for speaking in front of a group but
for sure, I have never taken off a shoe again while doing so. You
taught us well, Mr. Boley. You taught us good, Mr. Boley. (I don't
think I ever learned this grammar rule.) Both apply as they express my
sentiments!
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Don Burleson's Prank Goes Awry! Don
Burleson could get by with anything and come out smelling like a rose!
This statement reminds me of our Senior year working in one of those
coveted positions as Office
Worker. Nancy
Snyder, Don and myself had the lunch shift; therefore, Mr. Boley and other
administration staff often left us three very
responsible students to man the office. After all,
not much happened during that time of day as everyone was in class or
eating lunch. But, on the other hand, boredom can set in and what is
the old saying about idle
minds? Well,
I guess doing nothing got to Don so he meandered into the room with
the intercom and decided to announce to Mr. Hammond's science class
that we were having a 15 minute break. Not only did the announcement
go out to all the classrooms
but to the cafeteria as well. Nancy and I were petrified as we walked
in and saw Don frantically trying to turn the thing off. About that
time, here comes Mr. Boley and a few others behind him. Don
looked up and so innocently said, "I don't know what happened but
I've been trying to turn the thing off." Come on, Don, fess up! Bette Anderson Pickin
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| Jim Holland | |
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I've
been so blessed.
Do you all remember when we were in the 6th grade in
Mrs. Wilson’s class (the teacher with excellent posture)?
Anyhow, that’s the year I was on the bluff directly in front
of the L.E. Wilson Elementary School exploring for caves.
I was going to come from the top of the bluff down.
My feet slipped off the mossy ledge; I held on to a tree limb
out over the bluff, but I had
to drop after a while. My
fingernails were torn off as I tried to catch on the side of the
bluff. Then I saw stars! Two fishermen came up to me; I was covered with blood.
I saw horror in their eyes; they thought I was dead.
The Doctor Ray they carried me to said I had no broken bones
even though I fell over 100 feet.
I suffered from shock and was bedfast for 2 weeks.
I remember Irelle Dunning and many other classmates bringing me
a carton of Cokes, and a big ole box of different candy bars.
I remember Irelle because she was my sweetheart.
I introduced her to Donnie Vonschoiack on Shirley Downey’s
front porch. That was
dumb on my part; you see who won out on that.
Ha!
My Aunt Almedia, from Finger, Texas, came to visit our family
in the summer after my fall off the bluff that winter.
We were playing football in the street in front of our house at
1204 Annapolis, when I sat down on the curb.
Aunt Almedia sat down beside me, put her arm around me and
said, “Jim Holland, you are a walking miracle.
God saved you from certain death for a reason.
You need to find God’s perfect will for your life.”
The seeds were now planted in my heart for the next fall
revival. The preacher was
Dr. C.C. Owen (“Carrot Top”, they called him).
He preached about the cliff dweller Indians out west and how
they took globs of red clay, plopped this clay on a little spindle,
dipped their hands in water and molded this glob of clay into
beautiful, useful vessels. He said this is what God wants to do with ole sinful man.
Then they asked us to sing a hymn.
“Have thine own way, Lord, Have thine own way, You are the
Potter, I am the clay, Mold me and make me after they will, While I am
waiting yielded and still.” About
this time, I moved my right foot toward the aisle and the left foot
followed. By the time I
almost reached the altar of the church, I felt tears streaming down my
face. I have never felt
so clean in my heart; the most important thing that can happen to any
of us.
I was coming down the steps by the Chemistry Dept. at Sheffield
High School and I noticed this beautiful little black haired, dark
complexioned, brown eyed girl. She
was looking straight into my eyes, too.
I thought, “Wow! She
might date me.” Two
days later, Johnny “Bug” Neyman came to my back yard where I was
putting brake lines on my 1947 Chevy.
I had grease up to my elbows.
He said “Jim Bug, Mary Katherine Perry said to tell you to
come to the FHA picnic at TVA Park”. I got the Bab-O soap on my hands, made a quick change of
clothes and headed to TVA Park. After
the softball game, I asked Mary Katherine if I could drive her home.
She said she’d ask her teacher.
She came back and said “Can I drive your car?’
I said to her, “Do you have your driver’s license yet?
She said “No”. I
said “OK” and I let her drive about 100 yards up the paved road.
I then , took over. This
led to the second love of my life. I threw newspapers at 4:00 A.M. along River Bluff Drive, where Bill Olim lived. I said many times, “Lord, I sure would love to live on this bluff, someday.” After 20 years of prayer, the Lord gave us property on the bluff. WOW! I know he owns all the cows on the hills and the hills thy stand on, and I know He owns this where we live, but I know it’s so temporary, and I thank Him every day.
Who would ever believe all the miracles and blessings from the
Lord, Himself. As Mrs.
Daves said, “Jim, you are an average student.”
I think she was right about that, but may have misjudged the
“fight in the dog”.
I made up my mind under Coach Wright’s influence, that I
would be loyal to my Sheffield Bulldogs; I would live in Sheffield,
die in Sheffield, and be buried in Sheffield.
The Lord fulfilled my dream of living on the bluff, and I thank
Him every day for all Hiss blessings of my family and my home.
I know 100 years from now, all that matters is “What we
did with Jesus”. I
pray that all our classmates will be together in our Reunion with
Christ in the Hereafter. Your Ole Friend, in Him, Jim Holland P.S. I sold life insurance for 45 years….But “Jesus is Life Insurance, He paid all the Premiums”.
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| Barbara Laughlin South | |
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I Remember. . . . Homeroom How unusual is it to have the same teacher for homeroom all four years of high school? Well, I was in Miss Mary Ella Hammond's homeroom all four years I was a student at Sheffield High School. Mr. Poe was "Acting Principal" between the time Mr. Black left and the time when Mr. Boley took the job of Principal. I remember late in that school year our homeroom was the only one that had not elected officers. I don't know why we had not held those elections. Maybe it just wasn't at the top of Miss Hammond's priorities; maybe she forgot--it wasn't like her to be an absent-minded professor, though. One morning, Mr. Poe, himself, came to our room and held our election of officers. Miss Hammond would not come in the room while Mr. Poe was there. When he left with his list, she returned to class without a word about what had happened. We didn't bring it up either! For some reason this highly unusual episode has stuck in my mind. Four years in the same homeroom with the same teacher, that must be some kind of record.....my claim to fame. I was just an ordinary student. I never did anything outstanding, but I enjoyed school. Everybody can't be a chief--we have to have some Indians--I mean bulldogs.
I Remember. . . . Where I grew up I was just reading what Buddy Thrasher wrote about living on Dover Avenue (see below). I, too, was briefly a "Doverite." My grandfather built and we lived at 211 Dover Avenue until the summer after first grade for me. We then moved to 801 Austin Avenue (two blocks north of Alabama Avenue School). Austin Avenue was where I really "grew up," and there was a crowd of us "Fifty-sixers" who lived in this neighborhood. The Bundys and Bob Proctor lived in the seven hundred block. Alan Hyde and the Martin girls lived on Park Blvd. Connie Johnson at one time lived at 805 Austin Avenue and later behind us on Alabama Avenue. Stanley and Barbara Brook lived in the five hundred block on Austin Avenue. Joyce Horton lived on Raleigh Avenue. Ronald "Blackhawk" and Donald Martin lived right across the street from the Fire Dept. and Mary Ann Byars and Norma Jean Neugent who both lived in the eight hundred block of Raleigh. Wayne and Keith Collier lived in the block of defense houses (nine hundred block of Austin). I was wondering if anyone remembered the Swanson family who also lived in that block. There was a boy my brother, Gene's, age, named Jimmy and a boy younger than me named Jackie. The girl was the oldest and I think her name was Norma (for some reason). We all swapped funny books. We had rules.....one with a cover for one with a cover or..... one without a cover for one without a cover. (the Colliers were hardnosed swappers. . . .hahaha) All of the kids walked home so every day when school turned out there would be a bunch of kids heading out in all directions. We talked, laughed and chased each other; we all looked out for each other with the older kids looking out for the younger ones. I ran into Ron Newborn recently, and we were talking about how blessed we were to grow up in a small town and during the time that we did. They were truly..... Happy Days. Barbara Laughlin
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| Joanne McMoran Jeffreys | |
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Why, No, Mrs. Vines, I
Didn't Get Married During Summer Break!
I was the last student to join our class. I arrived from Atlanta in the year of 1953 in the tenth grade. I was "Joanne Hestley" when I was a sophomore at SHS. Jim Holland adopted me as his new "Help With Homework" partner. When school was out that year, my new dad adopted me, and I arrived in the eleventh grade as Joanne McMoran. Mrs. Vines thought I had gotten married! My high school years were enjoyable. I had many friends. This was NOT the case in Atlanta with the big schools. I loved my experience at Sheffield High. Joanne McMoran
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| Aaron ("Ron") Newborn | |
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Food on My Mind Somewhere on the web-site I read something about the lunches being 25 minutes, I'm sure that's right
but
I can't believe no one has mentioned walking from the high school to
Annapolis Ave. and going to
Odell's
grocery (owned by Buddy Willingham's dad) and standing in line to
get 2 hamburgers, a drink
and
a bag of chips and eating it on the way back to school. Seldom
was anyone late for class which
is
a tribute to our agility and their fast service. They were faster
then than McDonalds is today.
My
favorite meal at the cafeteria was what they called "Red Beans
and Rice". We would have it about
every
two weeks and the entree cost 12 cents. I would always get two
orders. I have tried since to find
that
wonderful taste and thought I had found it in Louisiana years ago
but it wasn't even close. I really
think
our cooks made it with a very good chili over rice. If
anyone knows the recipe please share.
Hamburgers, The McNewborn Way Growing up in Sheffield was a great experience. I spent a lot of my spare time as a teenager at The Pastime Poolroom. In the front of the poolroom was a small cafe called The Big-E-Nuff. A lady named Nancy fried the burgers and made the chili that kept us growing boys from starving. Hamburgers were made one of two ways, regular had mustard, onions & pickle, or a deluxe had lettuce, tomato & mayonnaise. I did not know then that hamburgers could be made any other way. I really did not see any reason for them to be made any other way.
I ordered two hamburgers, fries and a coke. As the little girl was making my change I opened one of the hamburgers and peeped inside. There was mustard, onions, pickle AND KETCHUP. I went ballistic. I remember telling the little girl, "Honey the ketchup goes on the french fries, not on the hamburger." Her reply was, "That's the way we always make them". I was so disgruntled that I told her emphatically "Well, you people have a lot to learn about making hamburgers". Can you imagine where McDonalds Corp. could be today if they had only listened to me in January 1957.
The Newborn Retort "I'm tough as nails, hard as bricks, Sheffield High, Fifty-Six." I've used this slogan many times over the years to my snooty acquaintances who look down their aristocratic noses at me and ask, "And where did you go to school?" Feel free to use it yourself. No royalties necessary.
Watermelon, Anyone?
I remember Billy Wix, Hooty, Ralph Emmons, George Dixon, Duck Douthitt, myself and quite a few others in the caravan. We parked behind Deshler Main St. School and sneaked much like a herd of elephants up to the trucks giggling like idiots. Imagine our surprise to find that one of the drivers had been sleeping on a pallet under his truck and the other driver was up in the bed of his truck sleeping on the watermelons. Needless to say this diminished our interest in their watermelons. Then someone remembered seeing watermelons behind the Fruit-Box. There must have been 200 melons pyramided out back. We loaded the back seat and trunk of George Dixon's convertible with probably 30 or more melons. We took them to the Stand-Pipe where we intended to devour them. The first one we cut had a very acidic taste and didn't smell right. Upon further inspection, it became obvious that we had a car load of rotten watermelons. The folks at the Fruit-Box probably appreciated our hauling them off. We then loaded up and caravanned to Florence (since they had power) and made our rounds through Dusty Joes and the Pig-Trail. I can still remember how weird it looked crossing the bridge, the only lights in Colbert County were car lights. We kept running into the Sheffield Police that night, but all they told us was to be careful and get on home. We were back on Montgomery Avenue when the power came back on and that just took all the fun out of our mischief. Since the statute of limitations has run out, does anyone else want to admit being there? Ron Newborn
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| Bud Thrasher | |
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The Street I Lived On I spent my school years living on Dover Avenue, about 6 blocks from SHS. I lived on Dover and 4th Street which was called 5 points. Where the 5 Streets met was a small triangle in the middle of the street where all the kids played. Sometimes we had 10 to 15 kids playing at the same time. When I go by and see it today it seems so small, but back then it seemed very large to us. Seven of our classmates lived on Dover Avenue, they were Jesse Baker, George Dixon, Johnny Neyman, Ann Shook, Barbara Patterson, Robert "BUD" Thrasher, and Sara Tidwell. Bud Thrasher Ed. Note: Sara Tidwell wrote an essay about living on Dover Avenue that was published in Ink Trails, our literary magazine published (mimeographed form) in the spring of 1956.
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Water Bombs Away! I remember Mrs. Cantrell (our 7th Grade American History teacher) taking a group on a trip to Nashville and on to Lincoln's birthplace. Somewhere we spent the night in an old hotel, and the boys dropped water balloons out the windows onto the street below. The hotel manager had to speak to Mrs. Cantrell about their behavior.
It's the Quiet Ones You've Gotta Look Out For! Bette Picken told me to relate this little story. It made her laugh, so she encouraged me to share it with the class. This took place I think our Junior year. It was in Mrs. Penland's French class, which at the time was right down the hall from the principal's office. We had a male substitute this particular day, and the boys in the class were giving him a hard time. They got everyone to agree that at a certain time, say 10:07 am we would ALL knock our books off our desks, into the floor, making a big noise, disrupting the class.
10:00 a.m. RRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGG! (School bell sounds to start class)
10:01 a.m.
10:02 a.m.
10: 03 a.m.
10:04 a.m.
10:05 a.m. Substitute teacher calls class to attention and starts talking about the day's subject.
10:06 a.m.
10:07 a.m. <<<crash!>>> Wouldn't you know.....I was the ONLY one that took the bait and pushed my books off onto the floor with a bang. It disrupted class alright. Everyone was laughing but me and the substitute teacher. What is funny is that I was usually one of the quieter ones in the class....not one to make trouble or get into trouble. But I did get into trouble that day. He didn't see any humor in that incident at all.
10:10 a.m. Knock, knock! Knock, knock! (Me, knocking on the principal's office door) Peggy Wynne Taylor Ed. Note: This confirms it. Southern chivalry is, indeed, dead! Who among the "boys in the class" would play such a cruel joke on such a fine, genteel, demure, quiet young lady? Who said we didn't practice gender equality? The girls were the butt of jokes as much as the boys.
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| Wallace Driskell | |
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The Buzz in Chemistry Class Perhaps some will recall the beehive inside Ms. Hammond's chemistry lab. She asked if I could devise a method by which her science class could observe a working bee colony. I constructed a small wooden structure with sliding doors that covered observation windows and a runway to the outside for the bees to come and go. This was in 1955. The device worked great until just before we were to graduate in '56. I removed the hive late one evening, locking the entrance to keep the bees in. The next morning, I got a frantic call reporting hundreds of bees were on the windows and in the lab. Many honeybees spent the night in flowers. Some made their way through cracks back into the classroom. Anyway, I rushed over to the school with another empty hive and a piece of honeycomb from the original hive and coaxed many of the strays inside and took them home. That day there was quite a "buzz" at SHS. I hope no one got stung.
Boys' State A number of guys from Alabama high schools were selected by their teachers to go to something known as Boys State to act as state senators and representatives. We, at Boys State, voted on a few amendments and proposals to the Alabama Constitution. At that time a national concern was that the Russians could "nuke" us. (Lots of folks built and equipped underground bomb shelters.) One group's proposal that I recall being made was to require every Alabama citizen somehow be "marked" (tattooed) giving his/her identification, blood type, etc. That proposal was voted down. We knew nothing then of computer chips, P.I.N.'s, or even the other identification uses to which our social security numbers have been put. One wonders if now such a national identification program implemented at birth may someday come to pass. Maybe that proposal, in a different form, was not so far fetched after (shades of George Orwell's 1984 ?) Another thing I recall is the guys from SHS, Huntsville, Decatur, etc. showing each other pictures of their girl friends while bragging about whose was the best looking. P. S. Does anyone know if SHS had anyone chosen to go to Boys Nation in Washington that year--or any year since then?
CORRECTION AFTER 50 YEARS
 Words
are for women, deeds are for men.
I've found that the saying under my
picture in the annual is somewhat ill-considered.
I've come to learn that, "Women
perform as many or more good deeds as men."
Wallace Driskell
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| Jimmy Kimbrell | |
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A fun day in English class This happened in Mrs. Sherrod's class.. I purchased a gag book with tinfoil covers, that when opened, gave a small electric shock. The title printed on cover was "Dr. Linsy's Female Secrets". Before class started I placed the book on her desk. Miss Varnell a student teacher was setting in for Mrs. Sherrod, well she picked up the book, put it down behind the desk and opened it. She let out a yell and book went 10 feet in the air. Class rolling with laughter ...Who did it? with fire in her eyes... I didn't want to lose my book, so I put my hand up. She said" Take this to Mr. Boley!!!" Well I did as told..I went down to his office and handed him the book and said Miss Varnell ask me to bring you this.. Should have seen his eyes when he opened it!!!
How many remember looking at that Book?
Odell's Grocery and Game Arcade
While reading Ron Newborn's remembering Eating at Odell's, it
brought back another thing that happened to me there.
My Dad collected old coins which he kept in a safe place, so he
thought. Odell had some game machines installed, not sure what they
were now, but they took coins to play. For most kids that lived on
Annapolis Ave. it didn't take long to find them and try them out.
Not having many coins of my own, I borrowed a few of Dads old
ones.
Boy was I surprised when Dad called me front and center to explain
how they got in Mr. Willingham's machine. I didn't know he
knew my Dad.
I think Odell looked out for all the kids that came in the store and
loved them all.
Jim Kimbrell
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| Sam Malone | |
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Our Boys' State Adventure On this Boy's State adventure, my most vivid memory is one you (Sam is writing to Louis Buettner, who ended up being a pathologist and, among other things, did autopsies) should remember for sure. One night, the group met in an auditorium on campus for a lecture by the Alabama State Toxicologst. He told what his group did and showed a bunch of color slides of autopsies they did. They had one death that turned out to be a murder, after they found the guy had been stabbed in the eyebrow with an ice pick. I remember that we thought the session was gruesome, to say the least. (But so was anatomy, huh?)
Some of the guys in our city (Note:
We were grouped in different dorms an each floor was designated a
"city.") were from
Opelika, and I later on went to Auburn with them. (Charlie
Weissinger for one). Also, Wayne Swindall and I ran around
together at Auburn.
My girlfriend's (from Decatur) father
was State Docks Superintendent, and I wanted to get appointed to his
office. We supported "Big Jim" Thompson from
Tuscumbia for Governor, but he lost to Anthony Carmona from
Birmingham. Billy Ham also ran for governor, from Auburn.
Billy is now the mayor of Auburn.
So much for Boy's State.
Sam Malone
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| Nancy Pugh Wilson | |
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LOCAL HISTORY JAUNT In the website section, "Peggy's Pics," there are pictures of some of us on a school trip. Actually, you might not know it by looking at the pictures, but they were taken while touring some local sites. On Saturday, April 2, 1955, one of our Alabama History class student teachers, either Mr. Fikes or Mr. Hawkins, (not exactly sure which one) sponsored a field trip to see several interesting historical places in our area. Everyone met at the high school by 8 a.m., bringing sack lunches. (There were no McDonalds or Burger Kings in those days.) The student teacher had his car for students to ride with him; Stan Brook had his car in which Buck Locke, Peggy Wynne Taylor and I rode. Of course, we had a chaperone--my Mother (but she was a good sport--she was quiet and sweet as can be; she was experienced and knew how to be a good chaperone). Remember, this was 51 years ago when a chaperone was a social requirement in these types of outings. (Ed. Note: How big was Stanley's car????) Here are the places we toured:
Click Here for 44 photos in the Historic American Buildings collection.
(Photo from the book, Life and Legend of Lawrence County Alabama, by Dorothy Gentry and placed on the Internet worldwide web by Tommy D. Wiggins) Click Here for 8 photos in the Historic American Buildings collection.
Click Here for 15 photos in the Historic American Buildings collection.
Joe Wheeler Park (now State Park) where we ate our lunch and also where pictures were made auctioning Buck Locke off on the slave trading block.
Click Here for 24 drawings and 27 B&W photos (mostly interior shots) in the Historic American Buildings collection. I appreciate Peggy's collaborative efforts in telling about our fun trip in 1955. The bulk of the information came from Peggy's Diary (thank goodness it was still available). If there is anyone who went on that trip and would like to add to or offer any comments, please contact Louis.
Skipping Class Some students had been skipping class and hiding out--like behind the back of the stadium wall and other places. I think it was our senior year, because Mr. Boley was Principal. Anyway, Patsy Green and I got the idea that we were going to be real daring and skip an afternoon class (at this point, I cannot remember what class). We had to think of a place to hide out. So we came up with this great idea of hiding out in the auditorium in the center of the back row up against the back wall. I remember it being rather dark, and all we did was just sit there with some books in our laps and whisper for awhile, until we heard one of the doors open. When we looked, there stood Mr. Boley saying, "Okay, girls, come with me," as he motioned with his hand. So, we meekly followed him to the office and got a "talking to." That was daring at the time, but now it sounds so silly Nancy Pugh Wilson
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| John Collins | |
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Snakes Alive--Or Otherwise As many of my class mates know, I used to take snakes to school in grade school. We played marbles a lot and I had a cigar box with a hole in the middle of the top of the box, and if a player could drop a marble in the hole from his nose, he won two marbles. I had a 12 inch garter snake, I named him Oscar, and I kept Oscar in the cigar box with a piece of tape over the hole in the class room so Oscar could not get out. I went to study hall, and I had to go to the bath room, so I put the cigar box on the floor by my desk. I came back from the bath room, sat down and pretended that I was studying, like the rest of the class. The teacher came in (I can't remember her name) sat at her desk and all of a sudden she stood up and " screamed ," grabbed the encyclopedia on her desk, and started hitting the middle drawer of the desk. Nobody had a clue as what caused the teacher to act like this. She ran from the room and in a short time came back with Mr. Threadgill. Mr. Threadgill came straight to my desk, grabbed me by the ear and said, " Come on, boy." He dragged me to the desk and pointed to poor Oscar on the floor cut in to two pieces. His tail was wagging and his mouth was opening and closing, as if to say " this is all your fault John". I never did find out which one of my "good friends" took Oscar out of my cigar box and put him in the desk drawer. The teacher not only massacred Oscar, she also demolished the desk drawer also. Pencils, erasers, calculators and all kind of debris was scattered all over the floor by the desk. I never did find out which one of my so called friends did this dastardly deed that killed my pet snake OSCAR. John Collins
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| Lydia Moore Almand | |
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Kept Straight by a Crooked Finger My most vivid memory of an event that occurred in high school is that day in Coach Wright's class when he asked me a question, pointing that famous index finger at me waiting for my answer. He kept on pointing as I fearfully gave my answer, knowing his next question would be, "Why?" That finger continued to be aimed at me until he was satisfied that I understood. Coach Wright is the teacher that had the most influence on me because he stressed the importance of obtaining a thorough understanding of the subject matter in order to apply it to everyday situations. Lydia Moore Almand
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| Bob Proctor | |
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Pie Are Caught Prior to our geometry exam, Mrs. Gaines told us that we would have to do the Pythagorean Theory--you know, the "Pie are round; Cornbread are square" thing. Well, someone did it before the test and put it in their notebook. After 90 seconds into the exam, "Dummy" asked her about Question Number 3. She responded by asking if I had finished Question Number 1, the "Pie Theory." My answer was, "Yes." Mrs. Gaines came over to my desk and said, "Maybe you should do it again," taking the copy out of my notebook. Bob Proctor
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| Floyd (Winston) Carter | |
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My Fishy Excuse My Dad always took me out of school in the Spring for "male bonding/fishing." He and Principal Threadgill had an "understanding." When I got to high school, no such understanding existed. So. . . we combined the trip with a visit to see my sick uncle. Unfortunately, we caught a 63 pound blue catfish, and the word got around. I checked in with my excuse. . . (Coach Wright). All was well until he asked about the uncle, and "Oh, by the way, did you have a hard time with the big fish??" Floyd Carter Ed. Note: Floyd teased us with his response to the request for stories of events during high school by naming two, the one related above, and one called "The Great Alarm Clock in the Lockers Caper." Let's get him to get up and tell us about it at Jean Gardner's event during the reunion!
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| Joyce Horton Johnson | |
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A Thoroughly Sheffield Girl The article in our paper (the September 2, 2005 Colbert County Reporter in which Louis Buettner wrote about friendships that are strengthened by working together) was so, so true for the majority of us. My Dad had to call it to my attention to go back and read that issue. My Dad was Horace Horton who graduated SHS in 1937 and was a pretty good little football player under "Doodie" Brewster, and he was a dear friend of Coach Wright's. Mrs Wright is living at Park Place with my Dad (and about 80 or 90 other elder citizens). I speak with her at lunch on Sundays. Like you, Louis, I was at SHS to make my grades, not being athletic at all. I took D.O. in preparation for the job field and worked for Mr. Brewster's office. I was really into the D.O. convention, because of Mr. Poe. I could not have afforded to go to college, and Mr. Poe was fond of Duane and me, so he showed much interest. He even used to call me after we married and had our first child, Joy, in 1958. I missed him when he passed away. Nevertheless, you can see why I was coerced into entering the contest (for Miss D.O., State of Alabama), and I was shocked to have accomplished that one thing. So it does stick in my memory as does the trip and Mr. Poe. I have no bad memories of SHS--just no really stand-out ones, except the D.O. experience which blew my mind at winning Miss State D.O.--with Mr. Poe's encouragement. I do remember the only "C" I ever made was one in Mrs. Cantrell's American History class! As I reflect on how I lived my high school days, I remember that I was there to make my grades--no extra-curricular activities--go home--do homework--hang out with "my circle," Joyce Ford, Shirley Kimbrell and myself. I was close to June Holmes only because I lived close to her at one time and we spent the night together a lot. Our Dads worked together at EmCo. But, I do feel a closeness with many more now as a kind of family after all these years. Joyce Horton Johnson
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| Patricia Leath Laroux | |
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Patricia, Not You! One of my most vivid memories from high school days was climbing out the window of Miss Daves' study hall after lunch. Patricia Leath Laroux Ed. Note: Patricia is not the first to tell of this prank of cutting out of study hall. That must have been a popular sport.
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| Don Burleson | |
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What Other "Best Memory" Would I Have? There are just too many great memories to narrow them down to one. I guess the Coffee football game our Senior year has to be one of the best. The score was SHS 13, Coffee 6! Don Burleson
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| Jimmy Todd | |
| My most memorable event of high school was
being elected co-captain of our football team our Senior year.
Jimmy Todd
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| Bob Glover | |
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A Night to Remember I remember the night the tornado hit the school gym. We were playing Scottsboro, and they were ahead of us by over thirty points before Half Time. Bob Glover
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| Farley Vaughn | |
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The Mushroom Cloud It was cold that morning when I left for school, but I knew I had to get there before Miss Hammond. I wanted to try a new project to make clouds. While I was mixing the formula, I decided I needed to go to the bathroom. As I headed back to the classroom, I saw Miss Hammond coming down the far end of the hall. I beat her to the door, and, as I opened it, I saw this beautiful purple cloud hanging over my work station. It was awesome. Looked like the mushroom cloud from a nuclear blast. As Miss Hammond came through the door and saw my handiwork, she said, "Farley!!! What!!! have!!! you!!! Done???" After a lecture on lab safety, she did admit it was pretty. Farley Vaughn Ed. Note: Why in the world didn't Farley or Miss Hammond have the good sense to patent this formula and use it to introduce the Bulldogs onto the football field?
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| Claire Parsons Lansdell | |
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How to Murder a Chicken -- Home Ec 101 One of the most enduring memories I have of my SHS days is not a pleasant one. In Home Ec class one day, Mrs. Caddell taught us how to prepare a chicken dinner from scratch. She brought a live chicken (I don't remember how she got it there) and we all trooped out to the campus lawn with the chicken and a broomstick. Holding the chicken by its feet, she laid it on the ground, put the broomstick over its neck, and placed a foot on the broomstick on each side of the neck. She then yanked the chicken up by its feet..... can you imagine?? I will forever be able to close my eyes and see that headless chicken flopping around on the lawn. It was many years before I could eat chicken; although I must admit it was not all Mrs. Caddell's fault. My mother, too, started with live birds when she made chicken dinners. However, she used the "wring its neck" method which was not quite as horrifying as the other. I wonder how many of my classmates ever put that lesson into practice and how long it has been since anyone in this country bought a live chicken for dinner. Claire Parsons Lansdell P.S.:
I was in the Home Ec class that Claire wrote about. I remember
that if the hen had lived just a little longer she would have laid
an egg that morning. When we were watching Mrs. Caddell dress
the hen she had just murdered, she pulled out an egg. So, I
guess we murdered an egg (That's a one-cell baby chick!) too.
Barbara L. South Ed. Note: Barbara got into the business of raising those hens that are destined to end up in the grocery store meat counters.
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| Mary Lynn Blair Freeman | |
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Stink Bomb I remember the stink bomb they used to set off in Miss Hammond's chemistry lab. It smelled up the whole school. Mary Lynn Blair Freeman
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| Ronald Gene Pace | |
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Another explosion! A memorable event for me was the day Clay White put a firecracker in the toilet, flushing it down. It rocked the whole school! Ronald Pace Ed. Note: Since this was posted, Clay White, SHS '57, has written to defend himself and his honor. Clay fingers Ralph Emmons as the Cherry Bomb explosives specialist, claiming to be an eyewitness. He says that as soon as it went off, shaking every water pipe in the building, Mr. Boley was coming in the door. Maybe that explains why Clay was included on the "Perp List"--see Johnny Neyman's story below about why we don't have a "Best Actor/Best Actress" page in the annual. It seems our beloved principal's motto for justice was "Guilt by Association." It bore testimony to the adage that my dad always used to say, "Mit gegangen, mit gehangen!" (Translation from the German: "If you go with them, you hang with them!"). PPS: Here's yet another version of the "Firecracker in the Potty" story: I was reading (here) where Clay White had denied being the firecracker prankster. He implicated Ralph Emmons. Again, I was there.
It was Billy Wix who lit the M-80 (Cherry bomb) and dropped it in the commode and flushed it. We first thought the water had extinguished the fuse, but suddenly it blew water to the ceiling wetting many of us from head to toe, then the commode split in two perfect halves and fell over left and right.
Indeed there was a thorough investigation and Mr. Boley finally concluded that Billy was guilty. He was suspended from school for a week. Billy said he won $300.00 at the poolroom that week and then had the audacity to ask Mr. Boley for a one week extension of his suspension. I probably spent more time with Billy than I did with anyone else in our class. We had too much fun in school and worked on construction together for many years afterwards. He was one of my favorite people.
PPPS: This story doesn't have a end!!! The Newborn Commission on Cherry Bombs has uncovered startling new evidence. In a recent conversation with Carroll White, he confessed to me that it was, in fact, he who lit the Cherry Bomb that Ron Pace originally reported. As twins often do, he shamelessly allowed Clay to receive the blame. This new insight would lend itself to a "Two Cherry Bombs" theory. The other one being the one I witnessed thrown by Billy Wix. I rest my case.
Ron Newborn
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| Shirley Kimbrough White | |
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First Things First So many events come to mind, but I don't have enough room to relate! (ha) In high school, I was falling in love with James White. I should have had my mind on studying! We celebrated our 49th Anniversary this week--so I guess it's okay! (ha) Shirley Kimbrough White
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| Elise Hastings Lofton | |
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The Floodgates Opened Many things come to mind but a few of my memories are: Learning to water ski on the lake in Patsy Green's Cris Craft, The sock hops after the football games. The dances at the community center where Lindsay Nathan was the best dancer head and shoulders above anyone else. All the football games and band trips, especially when we went to New Orleans and marched at Mardi Gras. Skipping class at Kitty Stribbling's house and getting caught. I remember her parties and how much fun they were. The assemblies where we were sometimes entertained by Irelle Dunning or Connie Johnson singing. Don Burleson getting stopped by the police for drinking and driving------It was milk. I remember when girls wore skirts or dresses to school. One super memory is going to see Elvis Presley, and he took Carol Cahoon to eat ( his family was with them) Then he took her home. I was so jealous of her that night. Wow, the flood gates are open, I could go on and on but I won't. Elise Hastings Lofton
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| James Brewer | |
| There
are many memories that become more endearing as time goes by. One of
these involves Coach Wright . One
day while going from the gym to the main building, a fellow classmate
ran by, and in the friendly exchange, I used an off-color word.
You can guess who was within hearing distance, Coach Wright,
who invited me into his office. No
punishment followed, just his famous pep talk.
I walked tall into his office but felt like crawling out.
I learned great respect for this wonderful man.
Jim Brewer
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| Peggy King Bishop | |
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Happy Days I enjoyed school and look back on the 50's as "The Happy Days." My mind's eye sees. . . Sock Hops. Sports events. Thanksgiving Day football. The rec center in the basement under the jail. Walking everywhere--my circle included Nancy Stewart King and Zecora Wilcutt Sanders. The class picnic on the lake--so much fun, but we could not do that today with so many different young people of today. And then there were the teachers. . . . Our teachers were old when we were in school, except for Miss Varnell and Miss Hurston and Mr. Boley. Especially, today's elementary teachers are young and so energetic. Mrs. Fayette lost it with us on one occasion. When the boy (Ed. note: Buck Locke's story says that this was John Collins, the "Babe Ruth" of our class) hit the homeroom and broke her window, she grabbed the ball and put it in her desk. Mr. Collins had to fetch it. She also wrapped the pencil sharpener with a scarf. Miss Hurston taught English, but I loved her shoes. She had a pair of every color--same style. When I started teaching, I followed her example with my shoes. I remember Miss Hammond's bees and the time they got out. She asked her study hall to catch them with glass beakers. We squeamishly turned the other way, but we did kill some. I did get Miss Daves letter, but it came about 8 years after I turned it in (2 years early). Peggy King Bishop
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| Betty Williams Byrd | |
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Not Intimidated My memory reaches back to that day when Coach Wright pointed that crooked finger at Johnny Williams and me, accusing one of us of cheating. Of course I stood up to him and didn't cry! Betty Williams Byrd
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| June Holmes Holland | |
| I remember when Mrs. Fayette, 5th Grade
teacher, threw some books out the window and threw erasers or
something at those of us who tried to use the pencil sharpener.
She needed "Therapy!"
June Holmes Holland
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| Johnny Neyman | |
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Rebel With a Cause My most memorable event during high school occurred in and after the Senior play. I had a line where I was supposed to say, "Damn her!" Mr. Ruby had changed it to "Darn her!" Some of the cast members dared me to say, "Damn," which, on the last night of the play, I did. Mr. Boley called me up Saturday morning to come up to the school. It wouldn't wait until Monday. I was told that there would be no "Best Actor and Actress" category in the Senior Favorite section of the Annual. I argued that I might not be chosen for that, but he said it didn't matter--the whole cast was behind the misdeed, and, to boot, we had made fun of the teachers on Stunt Night. I apologized, and we parted on friendly terms. I guess I thought I was a "Rebel Without a Cause." Such were the Fifties! Johnny Neyman Ed. Note: Mr. Boley made good on his promise. If you could say anything about Mr. Boley, he was consistent, and he had high standards for us. Although I am one of his most devoted fans, I am a bit disappointed that he used our Stunt Night frolics as a part of the reason for his decision. Looking back at the annuals from '53 to '56, the only year there were "Best Actor" and "Best Actress" was the year before this incident, so Johnny's bravado didn't break a very long tradition (or else, the seniors of the '52-'53 and '53-'54 classes misbehaved, too!).
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| Zecora Wilcutt Sanders | |
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The Twister of '56 I'll never forget that Scottsboro basketball game on the night of February 17, 1956. As a member of the F.T.A., I was staffing the concession stand in the gym when the lights went out and it rained glass on us. Click here to go to my story about that memorable event. Zecora Wilcutt Sanders
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| Carol Cahoon Hauser | |
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HOW 'BOUT A DATE? by Caroline Hauser
Carol Cahoon Hauser This is the Introduction. To read Chapter One in its entirety, CLICK HERE.
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| Billy Joe Gray, SHS Class of 1955 (Now a Californian and an Internet evangelist) | |
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Whippoorwill Hollow is a place of many childhood memories for me. In the 1940s, I remember my mom and her friend, Hazel Hall, taking my brother, Larry and Terry Hall, and myself on that walk down to Whippoorwill Hollow to swim. I recall times my brother and I went with friends to Whippoorwill Hollow to swim --- and, yes, I did jump off that cliff, although with many butterflies in my stomach. Whippoorwill Hollow is the place that Roy Green, my SHS classmate, and I went on that beautiful Spring day when we decided it was too nice a day to spend in classrooms. I remember that I was sitting against the big oak tree at SHS before school, and Roy came up and asked if I really felt like being in school on such a beautiful day. We both decided a swim sounded much better --- and off we went in his car to the park where we could walk down to Whippoorwill Hollow. Armed with an inner tube and no brains, we set out to swim the Tennessee River that day. Roy swam over and I paddled the inner tube; then we swapped for the return trip. I learned a lesson, almost a deadly lesson, that day --- the currents of the Tennessee can be very treacherous. Especially when you are trying to swim into a relatively small cove, such as Whippoorwill Hollow. When I was about twenty yards out, the current would not let me move. Swim as hard as I could, I could not move. Looking back I see those sheer cliffs below and know that, without God's hand on me, I would have been swept down river past Whippoorwill Hollow. Kind of reminds one of Jesus telling us, in Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." That day, on the Tennessee River, God delivered me into that narrow cove which allowed me to live. Since then, I have followed Him on that narrow path that leads to eternal salvation. Bill Gray
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| Larry Hall | |
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Our Teachers Never Forgot Us! Ok, Louis,
here we go! Your begging has moved me to try out my creative
juices in a story about one of our teachers in our former lives. This
is my story: I was a
big Memphis Chicks (a AA minor league baseball) fan in the late 50`s
and early 60`s. One night
at a game, my friends and I got a little excited, as the Chicks were
beating the Birmingham Barons, pretty bad, if I might say so thanks to
our high decibel vocal support. In the middle of the game, out
of the box seats below and up to the bleachers, comes Coach
Collins--big as life. To us,
his words were, " I heard all the excitement, and I knew the that
voice" He was referring to me, of course. It
seems, he had a family member in Baptist hospital, across the street
from the ball park and he was taking a much-needed a little break away
from the hospital. We had a good visit, and he sat with us the
rest of the game which the Chicks won. Another
time Carl Boley showed up about the same way. I believe his
child was in Baptist hospital for some time. We were a
pretty loud bunch at the time. The team
owner, Mr. Nat Buring, sent an usher for us, to join him in his
private box for the rest of the season. He thought we should be
down in the box where we could see better, but, you know, I missed the
bleachers Larry Ed. Note: This dates Larry. The Chicks, short for "Chickasaws," lost their stadium to fire in 1960, and if Larry was a fan like he said he was, his faithful attendance made up a healthy proportion of the total attendance for the year of 48,000. This dismal attendance and similar poor attendance throughout the league led the Southern League to shut down after the 1961 season, so Memphis was without professional baseball 'til 1968. I love this little story, because it carries many moral lessons. First, there's the reward for enthusiastic expression of your heart-felt support for your team--i.e., Larry and his friends were having the time of their lives getting so involved in the game. I envy that kind of fan--you know, the ones that can urge their team to victory by the sheer volume of their exhortation. They really have their adrenalin--and endorphins--going. This exercise, all by itself, is good for their health--both physically and mentally. The fact that the team owner recognized their rabid support by bestowing on them the prized seats is a secondary--but no less real--reward, also. No doubt, their sitting in the presence of "the big guy" did nothing to quench their spirit, and, I daresay, they had fun in the box seats, but, like Larry tells us, the great joy of a baseball game is in what you yourself bring through the turnstile with you, not what the team is doing or where you are sitting. The second great testimony here is that of the nature of our teachers in the Sheffield City Schools system. Who in the world was Little Larry Hall? Why, he was a real person! A kid that was, for a while, entrusted to the care and teaching of a person like Ray Collins, an adult and a Sheffield teacher. He was not a nameless face in the classroom or on the playground, a part of the vast herd of untamed animals into which his job was to try to inflict some fact or two, some knowledge and appreciation of sports or whatever the assignment he, as a teacher has been given. Our Sheffield teachers knew us as individuals. They cared about us, and, as others have told in these stories, they became our friends years after high school--if we let them be. A number of us never knew this, nor did we appreciate that this experience could be ours, too. We learned too late what great people our teachers were. Thank goodness, some, like Larry, had the good fortune to know that these great teachers could be great baseball fans (or great whatevers) and good friends.
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| Jim Holland | |
| Ed.
Note: Jimmy called me this afternoon while I was driving by the
Talladega Super Speedway on the way to Atlanta to attend a
granddaughter's 7th birthday to notify me of Lee Ladner's
passing. Lee was a year or two ahead of us, and his sister,
Betty, was in our class, but many of you knew Lee as a friend. I
want to relate to you as best as I can remember it an amusing story
that Jimmy told me about Lee that involves several of you classmates.
Jimmy's story: In the mid-50's, Lee had a 1947 (or was that 1949) Pontiac, and was one of the few in our class with wheels. Lee loved that car, and eventually gave it a new paint job--bright yellow . . . . and he did it himself with a brush and a bucket of paint! As I recall it, gas was about 25 cents a gallon, but to a high school kid this was like the 3 buck gas we buy today. Those of us who really wanted to impress our girl friends would strike a deal with Lee to drive us around town. Johnny Neyman and I (or sometimes John Collins and I) would go together and put 4 gallons in his tank and we would go a'crusin'. All over town we would go, radio on full blast, windows down and yelling at anybody we knew. Most of the rental time was spent driving past the homes of our girl friends--over and over again. Sometimes we would stop and park at the curb in front of their houses, get out and lean against the fenders and act like the "cool cats" we were. Lee never got tired of this, even though we were silly younger underclassmen. I guess he knew what we were going through hormonally and psychologically, and he was too much the gentleman to tell us to go fly a kite. I will miss him.
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Personal
Reflections
Notice
the bookshelf behind the girls in the center of the photo. I was
startled to see a Curious George title, thinking this is a popular
children's book of today. They even made a movie with Curious
George as the star this past year. It turns out that George was
created by Margret and H.A. Rey in the early 1940's, about the time we
entered the first grade! This inquisitive little monkey has
certainly survived well over the years, entertaining and educating
children who are now of all ages. The title of the book to the
left of Curious George sounds provocative, but I couldn't find a
reference to a children's book that goes back to the Forties and
wasn't about hair style.
My
Nose and the Future of SHS Football
Since
I went to school in Paducah, Kentucky my Freshman and Sophomore
years, one of my best memories of Sheffield was our grammar school
days when a lot of us lived in Village 2 in Sheffield.
This was the "best" place to grow up as kids--I lived
across from the park which covered a block or more and we all
played there and had a club house close to the park where we had "formal"
dances. I had my first "hot date" there and my first
homemade formal made out of dotted Swiss (which was the material of
that day)--Many of our classmates will remember those good times
there.
I
also remember this teacher because we wrote other essays and one of
mine was about going to a dance when I was too young actually to go
but trying to play a "big girl", My dress kept falling
down in front because I was not "endowed" enough to hold
it up. She picked this fictional essay out and had me read it
to the class and I nearly died---yes, I can actually remember being
shy when I was in high school---don't know what happened when I got
out of school because I certainly changed. (Ed.
Note: June Holmes remembers this teacher: Miss Sallie
Daves.)
We
had such great teachers at Sheffield High School. Certainly one on my
favorites was Miss Mary Ella Hammond. It didn't matter to me that her
slip was showing half the time and chalk dust smeared her skirt and
streaked her hair. She taught with enthusiasm.
One
memory of Miss Hammond's class is more vivid than the rest. She used our class
time one day to make up my face and hair to look like an old woman for Junior
Play Night. I was cast as "Ma" in the play "Coming 'Round the
Mountain." Miss Hammond was gracious enough to let me leave school early
and not go to the rest of my classes looking like that. However, she
conveniently forgot to tell me Bill Mitchell, cast as "Pa," planned
to bring a string of real fish on stage that night and hand them to me to
clean. During play practice, Bill had always given me a stick or ruler or
something. When I saw the real fish, I almost forgot my lines. I learned later
that Miss Hammond and the others had purposely kept the real fish a secret to
surprise me on stage. I think Miss Hammond had as much fun with Junior Play
Night as we did. Other cast members of the play were Barbara Laughlin,
Bob Proctor, Kitty Stribling, Robert Scogin, Jane Flurry and Nancy Snyder.
In the ninth grade some of us decided to take Latin with Miss Sherrod,
why I will never know! Connie Johnson joined our class and as we
started to conjugate verbs, she was having a terrible time. So she
brought to the test a cheat sheet with several verbs we had studied
already conjugated. When she turned in her test paper, she
accidentally turned in the cheat sheet. She was crying and asking us
what she should do, we all thought she might be kicked out of class or
even out of school. The next day when Miss Sherrod returned the
papers, Connie received the cheat sheet with her test and Miss Sherrod
had marked the verbs that were conjugated but not on the test,
"not asked for". Connie was never accused of cheating and so
life went on at SHS.
I guess my favorite teacher was Coach Wright. When we started high
school in the ninth grade, it was expected of us to take Algebra I and
Coach Wright was the teacher that all of the freshmen were told to
fear. After the first week of class, I started looking forward to that
period each day. Something about the course and his knowledge of
algebra was fascinating to me. I worked hard on my homework and helped
others to do theirs. At the end of the first year in high school,
Coach Wright told me I was exempted from the final exam but he wanted
me to take it to see if it was fair. 1 was so proud but scared because
I did not want to disappoint him! I refused. To this day, I wish I had
honored his request. For over forty years I have taught mathematics
and a year never goes by without me telling my students that my ninth
grade algebra teacher is the reason I teach mathematics!
What
do I say? It's hard to begin since there are so many fond 
After
high school, I moved to Chicago to attend DeVry Tech Institute.
I also was in the National
I
think it was late summer or soon after the start of our senior year,
TVA made the mistake of announcing in the Tri-Cities Daily 
An
old Southern plantation home on the Russellville Highway which
was in disrepair; we did go inside and view the two-story structure.
In later years, it was restored and then just a few years ago was
featured in Southern Living Magazine.
An
old structure resembling a castle near Leighton which was in
disrepair, condemned and supposedly haunted. It is thought
to be included in the book "Ghosts of Alabama." 
Mrs.
Annie Wheeler's Home (Mrs. Annie was the mother of Fighting General
Joe Wheeler).
Leaving
the park, we crossed the Wheeler Dam into Lauderdale County and headed
for the last stop of the tour -- the
