St. Patrick's Day

These are the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Ireland. I have an Irish friend whose great-great grandfather sailed from here in 1849, running from the famine to a new life in America. As their ship passed the great cliffs, his mother turned to her 10-year old boy and said, "Look at those and remember, for you'll never see them in this life again." He died at 100 in 1939, and he never returned to Ireland.

To many of us, St. Patrick's Day is shamrocks and green beer, but to Irish-Americans, it's a day to celebrate exile and survival. It's a good day to remember that we're a nation of immigrants, some arriving early and others late. We have a lovely greeting card from Harriett and Rom Sidoli on this theme. Please enjoy St. Pat's Day, and also the approach of spring!

Reunion Packet

You have received a Reunion packet in the mail, but we now have an updated and corrected version available on the Web. To download it, click here. You will need Adobe Reader, Apple Preview, or a web browser to read and print it. The links in the file are live, just click on them.

If you have questions, leave a comment and I'll reply ASAP.

The Envelope, Please

Our stalwart Committee journeyed through deep snow and bitter cold on February 25 to advance plans for our 50th Reunion in September, 2008. They made assignments for creating favors, name tags, gifts, and hosting activities. Here you see them folding letters and affixing labels to the envelopes that will soon reach your door. Be sure to write back soon and make reservations! (Click on the picture to enlarge.)

Left: John Dunn, John Brownback, Mary Houghton Elberson, Carolyn Baldwin Quinlan, Keith Schnepp. Right: Roy Borg, Janet Beardsley Johnson, Janet Frederick, C. E. Welch, Ron Wilson.

Photo: Judy Vicars Van Hagen (just visible in mirror).

Chicago does Springfield

Ben Franklin once wrote that New Jersey is "a barrel tapped at both ends," by New York and Philadelphia, and Springfield has a similar relation to its two giant neighbors, St. Louis and Chicago. When writers from those urban centers deign to visit, they usually find only Abe Lincoln and road food.

Alan Solomon, a writer for the Chicago Tribune, has a piece in today's paper that repeats the familiar claim: visit Springfield only if you love history or the horseshoe sandwich. He invites readers to tell him what he missed. Maybe some of you can, or else enter comments here.

Where's the beef?

Eleanor Green

Eleanor Green '58 died on Tue Jan 29 in Springfield.
She was a homemaker and raised two children,
plus six grandchildren.

Memorial services are Sat Feb 11.
Details are in an obituary notice in the SJR.
Friends may sign a Guest Book there.

Eleanor's home was at 2702 South Glenwood,
but we don't know if she attended West Grand or Butler schools.
Thanks to Judy Vicars Van Hagen for this information.

Mel-0-Cream

Springfield is the birthplace of many foods: horseshoe sandwich, Cozy Dog, Maid-Rite, Ray's Chilli, and Mel-O-Cream doughnuts. For a complete history of this delicacy, and a tour of the modern plant, visit the company's home page.

One item left off its News page: according to today's SJR, the M-O-C shop at 217 East Laurel can't get a full health code clearance. It's had 18 inspections in the last 6 months. Little matters like poo left by rats, cockroaches, ants, flies, and mice. I'll pass on the chocolate-dippers.

Remembering Tom

Jack Downs sent pictures from his trip to Georgia
for brother Tom's funeral, Jan 18-19.
Above is Lumpkin Campground,
Tom's pet project and favorite place to visit.

Tom's church, to which he devoted many years of service.

A church tribute, on the day of services.

Tom's brother and sons:
Jack, Todd, Tommy, Scott

Pictures by Jack Downs

Committee

Stan Thomas, John Dunn, Ann Tobin Hart, Mary Houghton Elberson,
Judy Vicars Van Hagen, Janet Beardsley Johnson, Janet Frederick.
(click on pictures to enlarge)

As we draw closer to a 50th Reunion in September, the Reunion committee meets more often to plan events and check pulses. So far, everyone seems fit and willing to face the rigors of a 3-day invasion from all of us outcasts who left Springfield long ago.

New faces at the table include Stan Thomas, who spent the last few years in Las Vegas and St. Louis, now returned with Mary to live near their daughter and 19-month old grandson. Also appearing is John Dunn, who has recovered nicely from lung surgery six months ago.

Ron Wilson (red sweater), CE Welch, John Brownback, Keith Schnepp, Janet Bailey Kerner, Roy Borg.

In early March, they will send a reservation letter for the Reunion, held over the weekend of Sep 5-8, 2008. Please make space in your calendars to come back home again to see old and new friends.

Pictures: Mary Thomas
Camera: Janet Bailey Kerner
Captions: Judy Vicars Van Hagen

Sixties

After that sad message, it's time for more cheering news. Elizabeth Tinsley Alexander sent me a link for a website called Take Me Back to the Sixties. It's got music, images, and lots of nostalgia. Tom Downs often sent me links of this sort; so it's a little tribute to him, too. O Happy Days.

Tom Downs

Tom, Scott, & Tommy Downs: Christmas, 2004

Tom Downs died suddenly on Thursday, January 10, 2008, in Washington, DC. He had gone there to see his son, Tommy, receive promotion to the rank of Master Sergeant (E-8) in the United States Army. They went out for dinner afterwards and Tom had a massive heart attack.

Tom was widely known in the Class of '58 and will be sorely missed. He had a natural smile, a friendly manner, and he stayed in touch with friends over the years by e-mail, calls, and visits. He attended several Reunions and was looking forward to our 50th next September.

Tom attended Springfield Junior College and the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. He worked as an industrial engineer for Sangamo Electric, Magnavox, Abbott Laboratories, and NCR in Ithaca, NY. He married twice and had three sons: Todd Lee, Scott Allyn, Thomas Marsh, and one grandchild.

In 1979 Tom settled in Dawsonville, GA, where he worked for Scientific Atlanta, and later DCA, as Manager of Requirements Planning. He designed and built a rustic home in the Georgia mountains. He became active with church and community work and sang in several choirs.

After retiring in the early 1990s, he joined Home Depot and worked there up to the time of his death. A devoted alum of Harvard Park School, he contributed much to its memory page, and he was especially fond of his 4th grade teacher, Anne Laura Webster.

Funeral arrangements are as follows: Bearden Funeral Home: visitation Fri, Jan 18 from 6-9 and funeral Sat, Jan 19 at 2:00 at Bethel United Methodist Church, both in Dawsonville. An obituary appears in the SJR for Wed, Jan 16, linked to a Guest Book for friends to sign.

Tanzania Journey

This place is Ngorongoro Crater, in northern Tanzania. The crater has a high encircling ridge, forming a natural corral for wildlife. In this pool you see hippo, and nearby are zebra, impala, wildebeest, hyena, and lion.

Over the holidays I spent two weeks in Tanzania, serving as study guide for 25 Princeton alums and their families. We landed near Kilimanjaro, then journeyed in safari wagons to overnight stays at lodges and tented camps.

By day we hunted with cameras, and in the evenings we had fireside discussions. On Christmas Eve, two Santas showed up with gifts for the youngsters. On New Year's Eve, the camp staff danced and serenaded one of our birthday Dads, who danced right back.

The trip home took 40 hours, a journey from 94 degrees to 0. As always, I'm glad to be home, but the good memories will linger. I have posted some pictures of the trip that you may enjoy.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

Diane Gurgens Urbanckas, Keith Schnepp, Roy Borg, CE Welch, Mary Houghton Elberson
Carolyn Baldwin Quinlan, Janet Bailey Kerner, Janet Frederick, John Brownback.
(Missing: Ann Tobin Hart, Judy Vicars Van Hagen)

Here's our hard-working 50th Reunion Committee, out in an early Illinois snow and wishing all the '58s a very Merry Christmas and healthy, happy New Year! (Click the picture to enlarge.)

In February they will send us a letter with details of the fantastic reunion they've cooked up, so watch for it. They look forward to seeing us in September, 2008!

Georgia Gehr Luttrell

Judy Vicars Van Hagen writes that an obituary appears in the SJR today for a former teacher at Dubois grade school, Georgia Gher Luttrell, who died on Dec 8, 2007 at the age of 80. At Dubois she launched the 8th grade Sextet (see below), which sang in programs all over town, and several of its members joined the Singing Seven at SHS.

Mrs. Luttrell received degrees from SIU and Northwestern. She taught at Huntington College in Montgomery, AL and toured as a concert pianist in the Gulf states. As an music educator, she taught in Marion, IL and Springfield, where she also directed choirs for several churches. She was pianist for the Springfield municipal choir, opera, and symphony. She also sang in the Illinois Symphony Chorus and published poetry.

Judy recalls, "When we 8th graders first met her, Mrs. Luttrell was a most imposing person. She wore high platform heels, was quite a buxom lady, had bright red hair and was much in command. Actually, we were almost afraid of her."

Mrs. Luttrell was preceded in death by her husband, Claude E. Luttrell, and she leaves several cousins and surrogate grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her friends and students may leave messages of tribute at the SJR obituary. A copy also appears at this memorial site.

The Dubois 8th Grade Sextet, 1954
Elizabeth Tinsley, Lynda Bradley, Carolyn Baldwin,
Judy Vicars, Betsy Mylroie, Joanne Grove

State Fair Museum

Several of the '58s are State Fair buffs, so they may like to know that an Illinois State Fair Museum Foundation has formed in Springfield.

Currently located under the fair grandstand, the foundation plans to raise $5 million for a permanent building on the fair grounds. A full story appears in the SJR today.

History: in the 1860s, Springfield had a choice between the new state university and the "annual agricultural exposition." It took the Fair, and Urbana got the school. Far-sighted?

So long, SHS?

A story in today's SJR says that the SHS building at Lewis and Adams is obsolete. The principal and a committee are proposing a $200 million makeover for District 186 schools. The centerpiece project: replacing SHS with a $57 million high school on the west side.

Since that means raising bonds or taxes, look for much heated discussion of this issue in months to come. The principal says the current SHS, built in 1917, is outmoded. He may be right: after 90 years of hard use, we all get frayed at the edges.

My own view is that the building I knew 50 years ago has already vanished. The lawn and trees have shrunk, the new additions are ugly, and the neighborhood is Parking Lot City. About the only reminder of 1958 is the Maid-Rite shop, now on the National Historic Register.

Yet it will be sad if the old building has to go. I believe in preservation, not destruction, so I'd rather see SHS returned to its early footprint and turned into a center for adult education. It has one of the best auditoriums in town, and the only Orpheum organ.

Perhaps UIS would like to have a downtown campus, close to the State House. Perhaps a developer would convert SHS into condos for seniors. What would you do? Your comments are welcome.

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone.

Here's a nice card from Harriett and Rom.
May you all have a wonderful day with family and friends.

Explosion

Max Bitter, SJR

Big news in Springfield last night:
The CWLP plant at Lake Springfield blew up.

On a quiet fall evening, the plant exploded at 6:50 pm.
No one was killed. But the plant is a wipe.
Walls gone, holes in the ceiling, turbine and generator, kaput.

Even worse, the 1936 plant was full of asbestos.
Which has now seeped into the lake.
So, no one may go into the water
or drink it.

Talk about a crisis.
I hope that all the '58s in Springfield
are safe and able to get water and power.

Please send us comments
and let us know how you are coping.

Full story, pictures, and video are at
the State Journal-Register site.

50th Reunion for '57

3. Bill Coffinbarger, Gary Kerber, Gary Williams, Rod Delay, Dick Garfat.

2. Carol Fleming Morimoto, Judy Barton Williamson, Bob Schuster, Judi Critchfield Mullen.
1. Kay Anderson Arthur, Judy Bennett, Jane Lemme Wing.
(click picture to enlarge)

These SHS '57 grads, at their 50th Reunion this summer,
also attended Harvard Park School in 1944-53.
(Judy Bennett was at HPS, but not SHS)

Thanks to Judy Barton Williamson
for the picture and names

1957 Reunion

This image is of a 1959 Prom, held at the Abe Lincoln Hotel.
Hard to say if it's SHS '59--do you recognize anyone?

Some of you probably had friends in the Class of '57.
They held their 50th Reunion on August 17-19, 2007.
C. E. Welch sent me their list of attendees.
Perhaps you remember some of these folks.
Your comments are welcome.

Thanks to Sue Ervin and Judy Van Hagen
for clarifying this news item.

Route 66 Festival

For car-culture fans, Route 66 is the Main Street of America. Running nearly 2,500 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles, 66 was the highway for Midwest and Plains migrants seeking work during the Depression.
Each year in late September, Springfield hosts the Route 66 Festival with a parade of vintage autos. They cruise up Dirksen Parkway, circle the Old State House, and park along Gasoline Alley, on Washington between 5th and 6th. See the Festival site for film and event schedule.

These images show a few models that may be familiar to you. Can you identify all three as to make and year? (Another prize is available--leave your comments).

All pictures are copyright DS Digitals, by Dulany Sriner '64. Visit his site for a large set of festival images, available for a small download fee.