WI CLASS OF 1959 NEWSLETTER
| Editor: Roleta Smith Meredith | Issue 16 | December 2000 |
We hope that all of you have a safe holiday season. Please remember during this blessed season to thank God for that one and only most important gift--his son, Jesus.
May you and your family experience a Very Merry Christmas and a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year.
From Roleta and Judy
Recommended reading this month is one I am sure you have read before but read it again, "T'was the Night Before Christmas".
Recommended music for the month is ..."Little Drummer Boy", "Silent Night", "It Came upon a Midnight Clear", "O! Holy Night", "Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem", "We Three Kings", "White Christmas", " I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", "Jingle Bells", "Jingle Bell Rock", "Joy To the World", "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen" and all the other holiday tunes.
submitted by: CHERYLL D RASMUSSEN
WOW41@casco.net
As for Christmas memories...
Hanging silver icicles on the tree...one by one by one by....
Aluminum Christmas trees with a rotating spotlight. We would all ooh and ahh as the colors changed on the tree.
Catching snowflakes on your tongue.
Crunching snow underfoot.
Snow angels.
Midnight Mass at St. Mary's.
The animated Christmas scenes at the furniture store. Was that Parson Sauders???? Can't remember.
Snow forts and snowball fights.
Riding my sled down Broadus Ave.
Calling friends Christmas morning to see what Santa brought.
My first "stereo", a 45rpm.
The BIG snow we had in the 50's. All of Clarksburg was shut down for several days. I think we had about 3 or 4 feet of the white stuff. Narrow paths snaked the way to up-town.
Oh yea...the most important memory of all is a big cup of hot chocolate and home made cookies!
Sheri
submitted by: Roleta Smith Meredith
Roleta1@aol.com
Christmas was always a favorite holiday at our home. The secrecy, hiding presents, colorful wrapping paper, Christmas mail delivery--twice a day, bringing in the fresh live tree (and the fussing to get it straight), decorating the house with all the lovely smelling fresh pine, my parents home for a couple of weeks (they were both teachers ), Christmas caroling with the people from church, and the delicious smells of the season are all great childhood memories. I will always cherish the memory of my father hanging the pine and the colorful lights around our front door.
One Christmas memory sticks out above all the rest, I was about 5 and on Christmas eve my family went to Bridgeport to visit my Aunt Annie and my Grandmother. When we arrived home, Santa had been there---he must have thought we were asleep I was told, it was so exciting and made me believe even stronger that there was really a Santa. The presents couldn't have been left by my parents as they were with me. Under the Christmas tree was the most beautiful redhead doll in the world. I named her "Judy". She was precious to me and one of my favorites until I outgrew dolls. (Wonder where she is now?)
The best Christmas has to be during my sophomore year my baby sister, Jalon, was born November 29 and that Christmas---I got to play Santa for her.
As far as family traditions, every December my mother made a variety of the most delicious homemade candy in the world. Divinity that would melt in your mouth was my favorite. I wish I had gotten the recipe. ( And remember ribbon candy?) We always went to Stealey Methodist Church for the Christmas Eve communion service .
My family moved to Ohio in 1960 into a ranch house and I will never forget my first Christmas home to Ohio from Fairmont State College --- remember those ugly foil trees with that horrible spotlight with the wheel that went around and cast different colors --- yep -- my parents were in the modern world - (I am so tradition oriented) I cried I was so hurt, everything in my life had changed. An artificial tree, a little ranch house with no stairway decorated in fresh pine, artificial everything I thought, my secret marriage (and in Ohio for Christmas without my husband), the home as I knew it in Stealey was no more--a sad homecoming for me. Well, that isn't a great memory but a strong one.
About 1968 I started a family tradition, everyone in the family comes to my house for a candlelight dinner on Christmas eve. The dessert for our traditional Christmas eve dinner is always a birthday cake with 1 candle and written on the cake is HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS....We all sing "Happy Birthday Jesus" and a selected person gets to blow out the candle...the family loves this tradition. We also go to church on Christmas eve.
submitted by: Thomas A. Marshall II
marshall@robert-morris.edu
Christmas Eve: 1950
606 Milford Street
Clarksburg, West Virginia
I lived in Grandfather's house.
At dinner Grandfather said,
"See the snow."
I ran to the window to look.
He hid my dessert behind the centerpiece.
"This winter we'll have six weeks
Of sleighing snow."
Just as I decided to cry over my missing dessert,
It peeped around the centerpiece,
Mysteriously propelled, it seemed,
By Grandfather's laugh.
We both roared at the joke.
He was happy, for he loved
Cold, clear winters.
He loathed slush.
In my room, I awaited Christ
And Santa Claus, those joyful conspirators.
Santa, I knew, wouldn't deliver toys
Until Christ was reborn
In some snow-covered stable
Amid a stand of birch and fir trees.
Outside, the angels, riding on Northern Lights,
Sang. No one could persuade me
That Jesus was born near a desert.
Through my window I kept watch.
That night the sky clung to the earth
Like a crystal scarf embroidered with needles
Of starlight. Across the yard,
Was a tall, white birch,
Its branches arcing chaotically
From the trunk. In the streetlight,
The trunk shone like flawed ivory.
The shadows of the branches
Linked luminous patches of snow
As leading in stained glass windows--
The intricate patterns of anonymous craftsmen.
Cold
...........Clear
....................... Undisturbed
Permanent.
I studied the stone and wood house beyond the yard;
It was besieged by blue spruce and evergreens.
Occasionally a car passed, its chains
Tattooing the snow, yellow headlights
Staining the whiteness.
Water drops condensed on the window pane,
And I saw the winter through the moisture.
Suddenly the shadows beneath the birch blurred
As the white globe of the streetlight burst into a million slivers:
Red, green, violet, yellow, blue.
I put my tongue to the moist pane:
It was cold and tasted like a nickel.
I wrapped myself in a huge red comforter
And, listening for angels and sleigh bells,
Fell asleep.
Christmas Eve: 1975
I am moved far from Grandfather's house
And the world I then grasped:
Our section of town was once
Grandmother's family's farm.
On the far side of the street
Lived Uncle Roy, the Levines, the McCuskeys,
And Cousin Pauline; and then the Andres, the Whites,
And the Stevensons. On my side of the street
Were the Merediths, the Thrashes, Aunts Leila and Laura,
The Riddels, the Engles, Uncle Charlie,
And Grandfather--
I knew them all when I was a boy,
Or what's better,
They knew me.
This Christmas Eve
I live in a city
In a different state.
I move among strangers,
Some of whom are my best friends.
The winters are too often slushy.
At dinner tonight I told my son,
"See the snow."
He ran to the window and saw the fir tree
In the yard of the wood and stone house
Across the street catch the snow.
I hid his dessert behind the centerpiece.
Just as he decided to cry over his missing dessert,
I pushed it around the centerpiece.
We both roared at the joke.
submitted by: Helen House Fleming
jfleming@citynet.net
I have one fond Christmas memory I would like to share. After opening the gifts and seeing the Santa stuff, we would sit down to breakfast, and just as we finished eating, my parents would suggest another place I should go to look for a present, such as a closet. There was another doll or toy, just when I thought it was all over with. Quite a treat for a small child.
My most memorable Christmas came later, when our daughter was born on Christmas Eve. Talk about getting a "doll" for Christmas!
Sending to all of you my wishes for a blessed Christmas and the best New Year ever.
submitted by: Connie Bailey Casto
CASTOCA@aol.com
I'm trying to think of a special memory other than every year our family went to the 11:00 PM Episcopal Mass. To this day I just don't feel like Christmas is here unless I attend that late night mass.
Of course decorations were a big part of our celebration each year and my dad always worked very hard to make them special. The stuffed Santa on the door of our Milford Street home every year was a long tradition for us and we also had a large Santa mounted over our mantle over the fireplace. There are always foods that bring memories too such as paper thin Christmas cookies from an aunt and yearly gullets from a neighbor down the street. There are really many too numerous to mention and I am so grateful for all those memories. We have tried to bring many of those traditions into our family and add some new ones.
submitted by: Carol Van Horn Dean
DBLU2@aol.com
CHRISTMAS IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Over the years many of our family members have moved to the Greenville, SC area. Until my brother-in-law Jack died five years ago, all of us (families) spent Christmas eve at his home. There were at least five families of us and sometimes more including friends. Each family would take a covered dish to share with the rest. Jack and Margi furnished the meat ... turkey and ham. After the dinner was over and kitchen cleaned up, we would all congregate in the living room where we sang Christmas carols until 'Santa' came. Santa would call each of us to come sit on his lap and tell him what we wanted for Christmas. He gave us a gift and we had our picture made with him. Then he would leave. We would have our family gift exchange and at 10:30pm, Roger and I would take our children to the Christmas eve service at church. Special music sung by the choir and Roger's solos made our celebration of Christ's birth most memorable. After the service, we would return home to find Santa had been there.
submitted by: Judy Daugherty Kimler
jkimler@ezwv.com
I have so many wonderful Christmas memories it would be hard to choose a "most memorable". I was the only grandchild on my father's side and one of only two on my mother's side. So I always had a very nice Christmas.
I do remember one time I really wanted a toy box that I had seen in a local store. It was made of patterned wood and was really special. I didn't think "Santa" knew I wanted it, and was surprised to find it under the tree on Christmas morning. It was one of the nicest presents I ever got. I kept it for years and eventually used it as a storage chest.
Another time, in the 5th grade, I wanted a bicycle. By that time my grandparents were no longer able to indulge my every whim and I thought a bicycle was out of the question. Well, somehow they managed and I found a 26" Schwinn under the tree. I thought it was the prettiest bicycle I had ever seen.
Other than these special memories, I remember lots of dolls, doll furniture, doll houses, tricycles, scooters, wagons and the usual Christmas gatherings with the whole family.
My grandmother Daugherty fixed Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner for the homeless men in her neighborhood. There were always a lot of them around her huge dining room table. She never turned anyone away.
Thinking back, I guess what I remember most was my father not being there. He was a young policeman with no seniority and always had to work Christmas Day. When I was older, he volunteered to work Christmas so some younger man with small children could have the day off. He remembered what it was like not spending Christmas Day with your family.
submitted by: Bob and Carolyn White Rector
CRECTOR1@aol.com
My mom worked at Parson-Souders all the years that I was growing up, from elementary school through high-school. Each year my dad and I would pick her up at 5:00 on Christmas Eve and go out to their Italian friends for Christmas Eve dinner. Of course , they had fasted the entire day and had been cooking for at least two weeks. The smells of pasta and fish still linger in my memories, along with the mountains of pastries. When Bob moved to Clarksburg, he also became part of our Christmas Eve celebration.
Until I left home and had a family of my own, I never realized what a rich heritage had been instilled in me over the years. We have spread some of those Italian traditions in many states, and many of them have become part of our family celebration each year.
So, a little bit of Clarksburg has traveled with us over the years and those are our some of my fondest memories.
Have a wonderful holiday remembering the past and celebrating the future.
Merry Christmas from the Rectors.
CORRECT E-MAIL ADDRESS
Hank Ross
rossrh5@msn.com
jashley@erols.com
I had promised you an update on my bone marrow recipient, but I am sad to report that the young man did not survive the transplant. As I had told you earlier, my interest in the bone marrow program was based on my memories of Melanie Aspy's loss to leukemia so many years ago. If I could, let me take this opportunity to ask everyone to take a moment to think about doing one of the following as a way to honor all of our friends who are no longer with us:
1) Become a regular blood donor; start by giving your first pint as a Christmas gift to your community.
2) Check out the following site to learn about the Red Cross Apheresis Program which provides platelets to cancer and leukemia patients (it takes a little longer than a regular blood donation, but you get to watch a video of your choice while you're doing it....saves you a visit to the movie rental store......what a deal!!)
http://www.redcross.org/800giveblood/Apheresis/
3) And finally, also check out the following site to learn about the National Bone Marrow Donor Program. The odds of ever matching anyone are very low, but you might "hit the lottery" and have the chance to give someone with no other hope for survival the chance to live. There seems to be a great deal of concern among potential donors about the minor surgical process needed to extract the marrow. Let me say that I am probably the most doctor-adverse person you would ever find. I made three bone marrow donations......'nuff said?
http://www.marrow.org/
And on a seasonal note, let me wish everyone the most joyous of holiday celebrations and a New Year filled with health and happiness. My family and I are going to spend Christmas week in London where my two young sons and I will be enjoying the Millennium Dome while my wife patiently humors us (and then we will do the same for her when we go to a play that she has picked out).
December 22-29,2000
Hanukkah is an eight day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem after it's defilement by Anticohus of Syria.
The menorah is used in Jewish holiday celebrations.
RKHANIFAN@aol.com
Increased activity at the synagogue led the Jewish congregation to construct a community center in back of the building. This major event involved all the resources of the community in planning and fund raising. The center had its own board made up of representatives of the various Jewish organizations. This meant that for the first time, women and men served together on the same board. The center, which contained classrooms, a kitchen, and a gymnasium/dance hall, was dedicated with a special ceremony on October 16, 1955. The first event held in the hall was Gary Weiner's bar mitzvah. Remember Gary?
Since the 1960s the Jews of Clarksburg have faced challenges that no amount of communal adaptation can surmount -- the shift of opportunity away from small towns to larger metropolitan areas and the economic decline of their own town. Gradually the industries that created Clarksburg's growth died out leaving little for young people to do. The third generation the children of Albert Rosen, Harry and Don Berman, and Gloria Lees, has all but vanished. Like the rest of Clarksburg's population, the Jewish community is aging.
RAD29063@aol.com
I joined the Navy in July 1959 and after boot camp and training as an Electrician's Mate, I went aboard the USS Corry, DDR 817. We left for the Mediterranean Sea area in May 1960. I was only making about $90 a month and was saving to get married so I drew only $14 a month. This greatly reduced my traveling while on this cruise. The enlisted men had "Cinderella Liberty" and had to be on board by midnight.
My memories of this cruise include the 1960 Olympics in Rome. We went to the Olympic Stadium--it was enormous, like a 20-ring circus with track and field events occurring everywhere. Wilma Rudolph won a gold medal that day. Afterwards, I walked around the area searching for a restaurant. The sailor with me kept asking everyone we met, "Who do you think will win the Olympics, the Russians or Americans?" I explained to him we were not downtown USA and the people did not understand him, especially his Alabama English.
The restaurants had three walls and were open to the street. At the restaurant we chose, the whole family got up to serve us - one problem, they did not speak English and we did not speak Italian; but with my two years of Spanish with Miss Tiennebrunne, we got along fine.
submitted by: Jane Stout Galvan
jognjsg@aol.com
Happy Holidays to all my West Virginia friends, living there and elsewhere, and their families. We've had a wonderful year. Our six week trip to Africa this summer was very exciting. We went white water river rafting on the Zambezi River, saw Victoria Falls, and went on many walking and riding safaris in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana, where we saw lots of African wildlife. It was incredible! We stayed with Ed's sister in Lusaka, Zambia and really got a feel for what it is like to live in Africa as a resident rather than a tourist. These people face tremendous hardships everyday yet still have a smile on their faces. We loved it and hope to go back again one day.
I'm back teaching at Malibu High, with this year and one more to go before retiring. My daughter, Laurie, is a real estate agent, living in Temecula with husband and raising two fantastic sons. We spend as much time with them as possible. Ed and I still live in Ventura and would love to see any of you who venture out west to California.
Have a wonderful holiday season.
Love, Jane
submitted by: Jim Brown (WI 57)
jbrown@gabrown.com
This newsletter is really catching on. Every month we find someone we once knew or there is a picture that brings back memories. Keep up the good work. I'll write some more after we return from vacation later this month.
Also, you mentioned a possible get together in Florida. When and where might it be? Pam and I will be there in Jan-Feb, mostly in the Keys and Fort Myers Beach.
submitted by: Karen Combs Miller
millerkc@mail.milwaukee.K12.wi.us
This is the first time I have read your newsletter or part of it. Good Job!!!!
Someone asked if that was me in the tap dance picture in your Oct 2000 newsletter. I don't think so. My mom would not let me take lesson from that sleazy man (her words), so you can count me out on this one.
Again, good job. Maybe I will try to read them more often. Hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Thought I would get them all in at once just in case I don't get back to you for awhile.
submitted by: Bob McDaniel
rgm@U.Arizona.EDU
Thanks for the note on the chat line. I finally got an opportunity to look at the last newsletter; and at the veterans pages; very interesting. It is a lot of fun to see where everyone went, and a bit about what they have been doing.
submitted by: Joy Gregory Stalnaker
hcpd@hackerscreek.com
My 10 year old grandson, S. Charles Boyer, won $50 and a large American flag in an essay contest sponsored by the Sons of the American Legion Post 92, Millersburg, OH - November 2000 with the following:
"Veteran's Day honors men and women who have served in the United States armed services. Veteran's Day celebrations include parades and speeches (sic). Veteran's Day is a day of honoring, caring, loving, thanking, and remembering those who fought for our freedoms. We share our feelings with the living Veterans because we are thankful and we care."
Charlie is the son of Jane and Jim Crider of Millersburg, Oh. His grandfathers were veterans of WW II, one uncle who is peace time veteran, one uncle (still in military) who is veteran of the Gulf War, and a half-brother currently in jump school in Georgia.
A PROUD GRANDMOTHERcastoca@aol.com
We have a another granddaughter. Her name is Madison Ann Chapman and of course I think she is a doll.
jkimler@ezwv.com
I'm sorry this picture is so fuzzy. I tried to locate a better one but this is all I could find. I bet it brings back some really great memories for all the guys. If you close your eyes and think back you can almost see "BEAT PITT" in the window.
submitted by: Herb Cottrill (class of '52')
herbc@vsba.org
I often share with my grandchildren how good the 50's were. Loved those dates at the Clique Club and going to Friend's on Bridgeport Hill. Wouldn't it be great to have a place like Bland's for the after-school coke or ice cream. I remember all those basketball practices under Earle Orme, Clay Hite and Tony Folio. Didn't realize our practice gym was so small. I can't think of a teacher I did not like or respect. This was certainly a very special time. WI, at least to me, was THE HIGH SCHOOL. Sorry that it still isn't there. But being in education for 46 years I know that changes take place and by far most are really needed.
Those Saturday dates to go to the movies (Robinson Grand or Ritz) and then to Daly's for the Boston cream pie ....... really living.
How about the summers at the Lake. (swimming and basketball). Sometimes even square dancing. Can you image!
No school buses for us......if we actually walked 3 miles to school -- it now has become 10 miles. It is always good to stretch a mile a little longer. Walks were pretty great in the winter after basketball practice. Then we didn't have to worry about being robbed or beat-up if you were out walking at night.
Nothing can ever take the place of the Stonewall Poolroom. Every day at lunch (no cafeteria at WI) I had chili con carne, pineapple pie, and milk. I think it cost all of .50 cents. All your friends were there and you could check the baseball scores (see how Ted Williams and the Sox were doing) and play the pinball machines.
Carmichael Auditorium was the center of the excitement on Tuesday or Friday night during basketball season. 2,000 screaming fans, lots of noise, and the WI band playing that "fight song." You didn't need much else to get "up" for the game.
There always seemed to be a party after every game somewhere in town.
Oh well ..... at 66 years old those seem to be the best of times .... but now with 9 grandchildren ---- wouldn't it be great to take them back in time ... they probably wouldn't want to leave.
Thanks for giving me the chance to recall those few memories.
submitted by: Bob Secret
RLSecret@aol.com
There will never be another decade like the fifties ... even though we would say "wow what nice ankles she's got" because that's all we could see. The strongest pill we took was an aspirin. When we turned on the TV we weren't taught how to commit the perfect crime, we still knew how to live and how to respect our elders ..... Gudekunst was the funniest and maybe the best ... remember the 20 cartoons at the Ritz every Sat. morning for 17 cents? How can we ever forget James Dean in "Rebel Without A Cause", or Kim Novak in "Picnic"? How about Little Anthony singing "Tears On My Pillow" and Billy's Meadowbrook or Willow Beach? ...can't ever forget the Prodigals who got lost in Philly and never made it to the Dick Clark show ..... oh those beautiful memories .... luv ya
ciao ...
submitted by: Patty Terrill Stealey
pstealey@shepherd.edu
I was thinking of a memory to share. Do you remember Be Square? This was an organization of girls who patrolled the steps to keep the lines orderly. They also had to do volunteer activities. The one I recall was going to the St. Mary's Hospital after school and feeding children who were too young to feed themselves. One child in particular stands out. I believe her name was Tudy, possible age three or four years old. She was a burn victim and covered with the blue medicine (maybe gentian violet?). Anyway my work there convinced me not to go into nursing. Perhaps others of that club will recall what else we did.
I also think the Newsletter is so nice. You and Judy are to be commended for a job well done.
CBhammer12@aol.com
The football season for the Robert C. Byrd Flying Eagles ended in the semifinal round of the AAA State tournament, on November 11. After leading the number one ranked Morgantown High School team by a 9 to 6 score at the end of the third quarter, the home team prevailed in the final segment to win by a 18 to 9 score. The game was played on Pony Lewis field in Morgantown.
The Eagles finished the season with a fine record of eleven wins and two losses. The other loss was by the score of 7 to 6 to the team from Bridgeport.
Here is another new section -- let me know how you like it. Hope you will send me the answers to these questions. If you want more trivia from month to month, let me know. Can you come up with a trivia question for others to answer? Send your answers to these trivia questions and any questions you want to submit to Roleta1@aol.com.
I hope to have the answers in the January newsletter --- so send me the correct answer so all can enjoy.
1. What house on East Main had a swimming pool installed in the back yard in the 1950's"?
2. Who is Phyllis Curtin and where was her house?
3. Where was the Cyrus Vance home located?
Thanks to all of you who contributed to the newsletter this month. I really enjoyed reading about your fondest Christmas memories. It makes it so interesting to hear from you. Isn't it wonderful that we have found a way to keep in touch with each other, not only to share our present lives but to share our memories too? I hope more of you will send me a note this month to use in the Jan. issue. Remember, without you there is no newsletter.
Please contribute---Roleta1@aol.com
