50th Reunion

You should have received this in the mail by now.
Hope you will mark the calendar and attend.
(Click on the pic to enlarge.)

East Coast Trip

Suzanne Lee Boyd moved last year and found this picture in her basement. A little dusty and wrinkled, but what a souvenir: it's of the group that traveled to the East coast in June, 1957 to take in the American History sites between Washington, DC, and New York.

Itinerary: overnight train (with Vista Domes) through the Appalachians to DC, toured the town and Mount Vernon, then overnight boat via the Chesapeake Bay to New York and toured that town. Our leaders were SHS history teachers Ruth McKinnie and Irene Burnette.

Suzi says the teachers could out-walk us all. She recalls going to the NBC studio in NYC and standing outside the windows of the Today Show, with Dave Garroway and the chimp. Then she called her parents, who watched every day, and sure enough, they saw her on TV.

Here is our best rendition of the names. At present, 9 are missing. If you know the people marked ?, please tell in a comment. And add your memories, please. (Click on the picture to enlarge, and see also below.)

Row 3: ? Susan Olsen, ?, Nancy Fromm, Nancy McBrian, Bill LaForce, Harry Hyndman, Lois Gibson, Dana Furry, ?, Kay King, Lynn Prater, Laurel Loibl, Jean Taylor, ?, Sarah Temple, Stan Thomas, Richard Hollis, Bill Bruce, Norman Baker, CE Welch, Robert Carter, Ruth McKinnie, Rep. Peter Mack, Irene Burnette, ?, Jan Schemerhorn, Darlene Lynn, ?, Bonnie Bruce, Judy Guy, Betty Martin, ?, Miss McKinnie's niece, Sylvia Staley, ?, ?, Beth Biendarra, Pat Stein.

Row 2: Nick Graebel, Alan Schilsky, Charles Buchheit, Bob Schuster, Joe Manuele, Will Howarth, Don Savage, Charles Baumann, Kim Funk, Dave Barr, Tom Brydges, Bob Hails, Dennis Carroll, Bob Schmidt, Steve Dilts, Don Childs, John Harrison, Bill Ice, Fred Langenbach, Mike Newby, Lee Lochbaum, Bob Brunsman, Ralph Keiser.

Row 1: ?, Suzanne Lee, Sue Jacobs, Beverly Blue, Janet Hansen, Marcia Ruzes, Leslie Heineke, Peg McKenzie, Sandra De St. Jean, Elaine Feir, Ann Tobin, Nancy McKibbin, Donna Kaiserman, Pat Flamm, Janet Moody, Judy McCoy, Carol Schroeder, Louise Funk, Ruth Lance, Jeannette Davis, Nancy Swartout, Darlene Willi, Gay Logan, Debbie Baker.

For a really BIG view of the faces, click the NEW link on the SHS '58 site.

Mr. Wizard

Don Herbert, the "Mr. Wizard" of 1950s television, died in Los Angeles yesterday at the age of 89. He was not a scientist but knew how to make experiments and principles visible to kids, by using everyday objects from the household. He also featured 11 and 12-year-olds on his show, and his easy, respectful manner toward them was a model of good teaching.

Such a nice man was, naturally, from the Midwest. He grew up in Minnesota, went to college in Wisconsin, and broke in his TV show on WMAQ in Chicago. Many scientists today give him credit for inspiring their careers. He continued to appear on television long after the 1950s, and in recent years he reprised his original shows on DVDs.

A full obituary appears in the New York Times and many other online newspapers.

Neighborhoods

Elgin, Illinois: June, 1941

John Vachon of St. Paul, Minnesota, took photographs for the Farm Security Administration during the Depression and World War II. This image represents many early 20th-century neighborhoods built in the Midwest, along streets graced with American elms.

The picture is from an online site, Language of the Land, sponsored by the Library of Congress.

Just thought it might remind us a little of where and when we grew up.

PS: If you live in Springfield and enjoy history, please see the Iles House blog. The house needs to recruit 8 volunteer docents to help lead tours.

Jim McGeath

Jim McGeath attended Hay-Edwards grade school, graduating in 1954, and was at SHS in our freshman year, 1954-55. He was a Marine Corps veteran, worked in various factories, and was an avid fisherman.

He died on May 15 at his home in Germantown Hills, northeast of Peoria. He leaves four daughters, nine grandchildren, and two brothers. An obituary appears at the SJR site.

The picture above is an enlargement of the 8th grade picture from Hay-Edwards school. Jim is in the middle of the 4th row.

Thanks to Janet Bailey Kerner for a note about the obituary.