Does anyone remember Helen Spotswood?  She was our music teacher at Jefferson.  Always dressed like Donna Reed, nice dress, pearl necklace, high heels.    She was really nice, I wonder where she is now.
I thought she was the art teacher and Dennis Bowen was music (this is Ann)

      Also, I remember an art teacher from grade school, she had glasses, she was slender, I think her last name started with a "G" but I don't remember her name.  Glasko?  Glaske?

      Back then they came to your classroom once a week, or once every two weeks.  

 Does anyone remember Charles Krieger, 5th grade teacher at Jefferson?   He had lungs and body parts in big jars in the little room in the back of the classroom.  

 Does anyone remember Mrs. Bard the gym teacher?   Heavyset woman with white hair in a bun, had a cane.  She played records alot, and we would do square dancing and she would direct and wave her cane around.
Ann again -- I LOVED Ms. Bard.  She taught us partner dancing and encouraged the boys to cut in by using the phrase "Pardon me, old bean."

 I should write these things down. 

 Betsy

This is from Dorothy (Dottie) Mackie,

I went to Lincoln, & I do remember Helen Spotswood and Ms Bard-Yes, the famous square dancing, and none of thought it strange that she was the gym teacher and used a cane!  In retrospect, she must have taught at several of the schools and just "floated", depending upon the day.  Remember Mrs Olhoff, Ms Jones, and Miss Moore-the principal?  Boy--are we testing our memories!

Wasn't Mr Bowen the music teacher when we were in HS? I recall taking clarinet in 5th grade, but do not know who the teacher was.

Dottie Mackie

PS--I agree--we should ALL write these things down, because in a couple of years, we won't remember any of it!

This is from Julie Fanslau
Bob Brown used to come to Lincoln on Fridays for our band class. I took clarinet, too. Bowen was the music voice teacher

This is from Dick Randall  (who I went to visit a couple of months ago -- he has the prettiest wife and darling kids)
I remember Dennis Bowen in High School...Choir and Chorus

This is from Sharon Nemethy
Hey Ann this is a fun thing!! It is so fun to  get together in someway or another and just remember some of the wonderful past.  What we can't find out when we ask about a hidden treasure.   We may never find out what ever happened to the time capsule.  I had five people that remebered the thing, but Mr. Mcdonald has since passed away.  Now I wish I had come to the mini.   Here is one.  How many of you can remember Brown School being only a two room school before the huge addition was added to it?  And one of the rooms had a Big plastic curtain that could make the two room into a three room school house.  See now what great memories you all can have if you really dig down deep. And get to know one another in many many way.  This is better than remembering all of the nasty junk people did to or said about us.
This is Ann -- Oh I like hearing about the nasty junk too, since chances are it will involve me

This is from Steve Barsuhn

The art teacher's name was Ibba Glaske.  I was involved in a Bible Quizzing league that she and her husband ran and I still get mailings from their organization.  I believe she is still living in Benton Harbor.

This is Ann again.  Whomever volunteered to ask our favorite teachers to the 40th -- please remember this!

This is from Dave Tower
Betsy Kerr is one of my favorites.
This is absolutely charming. Yes, I remember Helen Spotswood, though I had forgotten the pearl necklace and high heels. One of those man/woman disconnects I suppose. That you would write and ask these questions, Betsy, is nothing less than a mnemonic device on this end.
"Miss Spotswood," as I remember her, would show up every week during my middle years at Jefferson School equipped with 3 or 4 songs for all of us to sing. Yes, she was very pretty, but I was more worried about being chosen for a Little League baseball roster at that point as guys like David Hedstrom and Dennis Patrick were always chosen ahead of me. Gosh I wonder why.
Still, she engendered in me a certain love of American folk tunes (think, Oh Shenandoah) that stays with me to this day.
I don't remember a "G" teacher (Glesko?) but still hate Mr. Krieger for embarrassing me at Jefferson School in front of my 6th grade class about a pencil drawing. Funny what we remember, eh?
Very fun and possibly therapeutic to share these recollections.
DJTower

This is from Hella Grams

Mrs. Glaske taught art at most of the grade schools in the St. Joseph system.

I also thought Dennis Bowen taught music at the high school level ... maybe JR High ... but definitely High School.

Ms. Bard ... a legend ... after grade school I met her as a friend of my "grandmother" .... she used to keep us in stitches with her stories!

I went to school at Washington!

This is from Pam Green

I do remember Miss Moore and yes, I believe Mr Bowen was the HS music teacher.  Do you remember that scary as all get out principal in Jr High's name?  That guy used to make fun of me and my bangs all of the time!

This is from Ann. That was our esteemed Pat Ryan.  He and his wife became good friends with my parents after jr. high, but I never felt too comfortable around him.  I remember several times hearing him shout "Johnston!!" and I'd be sent home for wearing a v-neck sweater without a shirt under it.  

This is from Lynn Horlock

I had Mrs. Olhoff and Ms Jones too; great teachers.  I was scared to death of Miss Moore!  I remember having to take an Iowa test in her office once because I had been sick.  I think I shook the entire time I was in there.

I also remember having Mrs. Adams for 1st and 2nd grade.  We had a different teacher at the beginning of the year but I don't know what happened to her nor do I remember her name.  Mrs. Olhoff baked me a chocolate cake when my mother died; I will never forget that.  I won't forget that she had name cards that she would pull out of her drawer when we weren't answering questions.  If our name came up we would have to answer the question whether we knew it or not!  I also remember making butter in her class by shaking cream in babyfood jars.

    Miss Jones was good at reading us stories at the end of the day if we were good.  She was another June Cleaver with her matching sweaters and necklaces.  Mr. Bowan was a great music teacher.  I remember singing lots of patriotic songs back then when it wasn't taboo.  Do you remember going outside on nice days to say the pledge at the flagpole.  Do you remember being street crossing guards in 6th grade?  I remember being one and would always forget my watch and end up being late back to class!

    My husband, youngest son and I went to Europe a couple years ago to visit my daughter in the Air Force stationed in Germany.  During a trip to Italy we met a gal who had attended Lincoln school the same time we were there.  She was a transfer student waiting for the new school to be built.  Talk about a small world!

    I believe Mr. Tower was the music teacher in JH and I believe Mr. Bowen was the orchestra teacher.  I had Mr. Ernst for band.

    Do you remember those awful one piece white gymsuits we had to wear in JH?  I remember rolling up the legs trying to make them look a little more fashionable.  Also, we couldn't wear pants or even culottes.  I think, finally our junior or senior year we were able to wear jeans to school.

    One final note; I remember having a lot more driving instruction back in the day than the kids do now.  We would drive around the parking lot forwards and backwards; practice parallel parking; change a tire.  We had the opportunity to drive a standard transmission or a stick!  Remember the old rickety bridge that took you down to the beach?  I was always afraid of having to come up that steep hill over the bridge and stop at the top.  Fortunately they put in a new bridge before I took driver's ed.!

    I don't remember really liking school but it has been fun reminescing.

    One other thing, as I saw Wendy Simons name on the list.  I remember that her dad would flood their backyard in the winter and have an iceskating rink!

For those of you at Lincoln, to add to Lynn Horlock’s comments, Mrs. Adams replaced Mrs. Rowley in first or second grade.  I loved Mrs. Adams!!!  And I also remember Mrs. Olhoff and Miss Jones.  I remember going to Mrs. Olhoff’s house for something – some kind of class outing.  Do you all remember coming to my house and having lunch on our back porch/shuffle board court in the spring each year of elementary school?

 I also still have a copy of the dress code from one of our years in high school.  I’ll scan it and send to Ann – it’s hilarious!

Who got to drive with me during Driver's Training?? All I can say is..."I'm SORRY!" I hope you all overcame your fear of entering a car after that. My own kids like to share their horror stories now, BUT they sure know how to pray in an emergency!!

Dear Mates,
   I know this has already been a busy email week, but there is news (brought by Pam Perin and Betsy Kerr).
The high school is under attack.  Read about it
http://heraldpalladium.com/articles/2010/10/19/local_news/2199818.txt

Here is your reward
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKpyBjBNZ38&videos=Jd8umypdtYI&feature=BF

And no more from me for awhile!

Hi!

 I'm reminded by Dick Randall's comments about Choir class...

 It seems to me, Dick, that Mr. Bowen used to kind of pick on you, in an "I like you" sort of way.

 Do you remember the year you sang a solo to the class (I think it was on your birthday?) of the Three Dog Night song "Celebrate"?

 Also, choir members--girls remember hurrying into our black crepe floor length skirts and those white lace shell tops, plus the over-the-elbow white gloves, and guys hurrying into tuxes to hop on the bus and go give "during regular class period" concerts at Gard School, old peoples' homes, etc.?

 Also, Mary Jane, Vicky Johns and others plus "guy dancers" like Mark Rohm:  Do you remember dancing parts in musicals and variety shows...and Mrs. Cassidy who was such a positive and wonderful person!  And she always found a way to work with us, whether we really knew how to dance/do the lifts, etc.  What a great lady!

 Wow!  Memory lane here we are!

 Lyn Miller Sennholz

From Dick Randall

hey...My favorites in High School were Mrs. Webster in English and of course Mrs. Bingham for art.

There was a Social Studies teacher, younger guy with dark hair who was pretty cool too. He showed at a friends party one time in Benton Harbor and joined in the smoke fest...NOT that I would know what that was mind you!!!

It was so nice to see Mrs. Bingham years later and tell her how she influenced and inspired me. At that time I'd won a bunch of publishing awards for magazine work in Chicago. Just to see her face when I got to tell her was a gift in itself.

Funny thing when you talk about old teachers.   They seemed so much older than us back in high school.  Come to find out, now we aren't all that much younger than they are.   We've caught up.  Around SJ, you still see many of the retired teachers who seem to know how to enjoy life….Lloyd McTavish, Jim Harmon, Connie and Dale Kubicki, Bart Kruse, Tony Bruno, Dennis Bowen, Alex Ramirez, and Ike are all still around.   Ike is now an assistant football coach for SJ.  Dennis Kniola is still in administration out at Lakeshore, and maybe Chuch Salvano (Jr. High).  I even saw Betty Theisen not all that long ago.   Betty Bingham remarried and was around for a long time until her second husband died.  She went to my church, but I'm not sure what happened and haven't seen her in a long time.   Maybe she moved away.   Miriam Pedde is still around too. 

Robert J. Ehrenberg

hahaha...Mr. Bowen was alright. Yes I remember "Celebrate"...sorry that I damaged people for life from that.

Yup and dancing in the musicals was fun...got to hang out with all the hot girls! Thank you Soul Train.

Totally forgot Mrs. Cassidy!!! She was great!

In senior year things shifted a bit when I started doing Twin City Players stuff and some other theatre out of town...Miss Theisen was furious!!! Her and Mr. Bowen decided if I did that I shouldn't do school stuff.

I had a nice shouting match with her in the hallway once over that. Was there a teacher somewhere I didn't argue with? Don't thiink so... 

there was the Philipino algebra teacher that kept saying "do you get it now?"...used to drive me crazy!!!

I remember counting something like 72 "do you get it now?"s during one period.

That was Mr Ramirez! I still remember how confused he got when we all giggled at him for calling us a bunch of 'maroons'!!! Something certainly got lost in that translationL)

All these elementary school stories from you "townies" are fun, but how about us "country" kids who went to North Lincoln and EP Clarke? This spring when my mother passed away I got a note from my 3rd & 4th grade teacher, Miss Pittman. Anyone remember her? She definitely is on my short list of great teachers - and I'm amazed she even remembered me - 50 years later!
- Denise Kalin Tackett
 

....and this is Beth (Lee) Mack.

 Thank heavens we have now moved on to High School teachers!  You people who remember our teachers in grade school amaze me.  Either my brain is so stuffed with useless information that some of it had to be deleted or early dementia has set in.

 All I remember from Jefferson school was that Dave Tower was, indeed, very cute.  I may even have been one of those girls chasing him in front of the Congregational Church with Betsy.   Oh, and I remember that one teacher (Miss Nelson?) turned over Glenn Jackson's desk.  That seemed really scandalous somehow.  And there is a vague memory of dancing.  And walking to school with some kind of leggings on under ours skirts which got so wet in the snow there were puddles on the floor under our desks.

 In Jr High the scandal was Ann wearing v-neck sweaters without blouses (hey, we all noticed, Ann!). Mary Stauffer's really short skirts (she was so far ahead of us, fashion-wise) and of course Dorothy Mackie dating a younger boy (someone in 7th grade when we were in 8th?).  And Mary Jane always beat me out for 1st chair alto sax (but in HS I beat her in Jr Miss - although Lu Ann reigned supreme!)

 Then in HS the memories start to flood back, I have fond memories of so many of you, and also of some who are no longer with us.  And the great teachers (the younger guy with the brown hair was Mr. Harmon) and yes, Lyn, the over-the-elbow gloves for choir and the wonderful plays where we got so close and the Variety Shows and the year a bunch of really cool guys deciding that dancing was fun, the saga of the HoneyBears and Bernadette Salvadore and much more.  How talented people like Lynn S and Lu Ann and Mark B and Anne H and Eloise and Janis and Janet and Bob E were (and probably still are) and Autumn being Homecoming queen and of course my best friend Ann and best boyfriend Craig.  And Dave H could not stop talking about Julie.  Ever. 

We had a wonderful class in a simpler time and you are all such great sports!

 Beth

 A few memories from Laine:
I remember Mr Ramirez also saying, "You can all go to H-E-L-L" when we would giggle at him :)

I remember when some of us (Lynn Shersmith was one of us) would go into Mr. Adkin's office and read his love letters (which were on his desk:) to Sally before they got married...I shared that with him after I started teaching in St. Joe. He and Sally got a kick out of that!

Do any of you remember the great flag football games GAA had each year. We had a great team each year! GAA...our only sport!

Can you believe that we weren't allowed to wear jeans until our Senior year?? Boy, things sure have changed!

Anyone remember watching people swim - looking through the window under the pool?  Isn't that where the hypnotist got caught skinny dipping with Mrs. Salvador...it's the same guy who still comes to the Senior all night party!!  Heeehee!
 

I remember in jr.high going to the senior high pool and Mr. Adkins jumped in to show us something...I was traumatized because he was a total fur ball...Head to toe ...front and back!!!! And no man-scaping back then!  I was freaked out for a week wondering if that was going to happen to me. Wasn't his name Claire?

I tried not to laugh at him after I found out he had a girl name.

Hey, I was just going through my high school scrap book and came across a copy of the Reekly Weeder, the underground newspaper in the 1970-71 school year – any of you remember that?  I also found a copy of the student handbook and dress code, along with my graduation speech (wow, I wrote that when I was 18????)!

 What about those awful green bathingsuits we had to wear for swimming!  My husband, Dan Brege still has one; I guess the runners would wear them under their shorts...or at least he did.  I'm pretty sure it doesn't fit him anymore!

This is from Fritz Knauf:

Unfortunately I don't remember anything about all of this.  I think my memory loss is due to Bob Basselman being overly "friendly" in the showers after gym class at the old junior high.........I was traumatized then, and I believe I'm scarred for life..............thanks a lot Bob.
 

 I must say this all brings a smile to my face and of course congeries up many a laugh, but three names that made me howl from 9-12, Jeff Klapp, Tom Ryan, and Jerry Jones!  Annie J.- I know you can't even say Tom Ryan w/o a laugh coming out also

It has been a real treat to read these remembrances – so many memories when we were young and tender!

I suddenly remembered an incident in Jr High with a math teacher – maybe his name was Mr. Puma? One day he came to class obviously inebriated. His eyes were red and glassy and his speech was very slurred. A few minutes after class started, another male teacher strode into the room and lead him away by the arm. I don’t remember the class reacting in any way other than stunned silence. I recall later learning he was having marital difficulties.

Another memory I have is of boys in Jr. High being paddled for certain offenses – a practice that I hope died long ago.

I remember loving being in the marching band – as a flag carrier – a treat for those of us in orchestra – and going to Band Day at Michigan State. Mr. Brown couldn’t tell the difference between me and Susan Hatfield when we had our hair up under our hats. I remember him shouting “HATFIELD!” when I’d make a mistake – and getting withering looks from Susan.

Mary Donaldson

She did move away -- to Florida.  She was a doll.  I remember in art class that Bill Roth had made a very unusual hash pipe and had it stored in a cabinet, waiting for it to harden (an apt phrase, since it was shaped like a p---s...) and Betty was showing me something she wanted me to get from the same cabinet and I know she MUST have seen it, but she just kept her sweet serenity and we never mentioned a thing.  She didn't even ask who had made it, throw it away or call the cops.
Ann

I ,unfortunately being the clown that I was and still remain as Mr. Pjesky  has pointed out, did receive the paddle, the shoe and My favorite was Mr. Briggs. Any of you that remember him may remember his favorite form of punishment for acting up was to fire a book or eraser or what ever was available across the room at the guilty culprit. The problem with his method was he would not always aim well and whom ever was in the line of fire may have been smacked in the head for something they were not even involved in. Todays teachers would not only be fired they might be brought up on criminal charges. What fond memories. Jerry Jones

Remember those hair dryers in the locker room? Who put the baby powder in one of them and then asked Mrs. Salvador why it wasn't working as she turned it on??? Was that you, Ann (either Stickney or Johnston)???  How many of you had to iron John Salvador's tennis clothes in Home EC ???  How many of you bought a piece of clothing and tried to pass it off as something you had sewed??? Pat???
Laine

What kind of monster have I created?
I've got some more emails to pass along and some responses.
Laine, it was not me who put baby powder in the hair dryer.  I don't remember it, and you know how bad Anno's memory is (the maroon camero?), so we may never get to the bottom of that.  I DO remember that Sarah Hudnutt brought a store bought sleeveless shirt to sewing class and HAD LEFT THE LABEL IN!

This is from Mr. Jeffrey Yircott

Good morning (depending on where you are),

 This is to Dick Randall-the Social Studies teacher you’re recalling may very well have been a student teacher named Jack Light who actually was from Benton Harbor. Jack enjoyed soothing his smoke-irritated throat with the occasional frosty beverage; he figured in an beer can littered episode that took place in what was, I believe, a credit union building across the street from the Whirlpool building on Upton Drive. Memory gets rather foggy at this point-I can guess where the beer came from but I sure as hell can’t figure out how we got into the basement of the building. A bunch of underage kids drinking late on a weekend night with all the lights on in a building in which they had no business-brilliant. (I try not to think of what my kids did.) Since I’ve already (possibly falsely) implicated Jack, I may as well take this to the end…Buckleitner, McKinney, Ammeson, Sauser et al-does this ring a bell with any of you?

I had been sorely tempted to throw my two cents in in response to the water tower demolition pictures-there are those of us who recall Steve Myers vociferously and vehemently claiming that he could climb to the top of the tower-the fact that the ladders started (as Mike Garey pointed out) 40 feet off the ground be damned. It’s just possible that the important golden nectar could have a factor in this event also.

I also want to publicly thank Laine for getting me through Mrs. Grandy’s ninth grade Algebra class by literally handing me her completed tests minutes before the class ended so that I could copy as much as I could in what time remained-I’m not sure that Mrs. Grandy ever really figured out why I had every problem only partially completed.

The fact that I can remember these incidents, however vaguely, yet am unable to recall anything of importance in my everyday life is so deeply disturbing.

This is from Ray Shubinski

I wasn't going to join in the memory fest but...here I am. The old "thank a teacher" is real. Most of the teachers we had at St. Joe High made big impacts on our lives one way or another. Mostly for the best. The teacher I remember most and think of most often is our Latin teacher, Ron Willging. He taught so much more than an old dusty language. He taught history, culture, English vocabulary, I still have "Word Power Made Easy" around here somewhere. He even introduced us to Carl Orff's music. Most of all, he showed us how to think. Yes think. He used Latin to demonstrate how to use logic to solve problems and apply that to any situation.

My wife Carol and I now live in Henderson, Nevada, with our daughter, son-in-law and five year old grandson. We had the pleasure of having lunch with Ron and Joy Willging in August. It is nice to keep up with those who were our teachers, and are now our friends.

Ray Shubinski

Remember, when in doubt, make it up in Latin!

  And this is Ray on dancing with the stars -- partner Bristol Palin

This is from Lynda Roti
Laine & Pat were in my 1st grade class at Fairplain West .  And at Christmas I drew Laine's name to give a present to.  I gave her a small ceramic deer.  And Laine looks almost the same now as she did then!!  In Junior high I remember Mary Stauffer, tall and pretty and much cooler than any of us.  When I visit St. Joe, I still try to pick out which house was hers when I drive to the beach. I, too was sent home from school a few times for short skirts and smoking cigarettes in high school.  In junior high I was caught by Mr. Ryan skipping school with my boyfriend, Tom Mix and my parents grounded me for a month!  Ah, the memories... Lynda Roti

This is from Ann
Do you who know and love Jerry Jones realize that HE is going to be master of ceremonies at "Back to the Beach", the class of 1971's 40th Reunion,  Saturday, July 9 at Shadowland Ballroom? ( This should serve as reminder Jerry)

And finally, this is from Betsy Kerr Reif who started this whole thing!

Anne Jaeger-Heiden just brought this photo into the office.

1959!   Mrs. Robinson's AM Kindergarten Class at Jefferson

 We were heading out on a field trip.  Does anyone else out there remember what field trip we were heading off to? 

I love Patsy's scarf.  My mother used to put those on my sister and me also.  

Next to Patsy, isn't that Esther? 

Anne (Jaeger) in on the bottom right.

Nancy T bottom left.

Bill Mitchel and DJ behind her.

Back row Glen Jackson, ?, Bill Crow, Betsy, ?, ?, Bob Gosnick

in front of Bob Steve B and Steve Coon?

Below me if that Linda R and  ? 

Help me out here!

Thanks.

Betsy 

Anne Jaeger-Heiden just brought this photo into the office.

1959!   Mrs. Robinson's AM Kindergarten Class at Jefferson

We were heading out on a field trip.  Does anyone else out there remember what field trip we were heading off to? 

I love Patsy's scarf.  My mother used to put those on my sister and me also.  

Next to Patsy, isn't that Esther? 

Anne (Jaeger) in on the bottom right.

Nancy T bottom left.

Bill Mitchel and DJ behind her.

Back row Glen Jackson, ?, Bill Crow, Betsy, ?, ?, Bob Gosnick

in front of Bob Steve B and Steve Coon?

Below me if that Linda R and  ? 

Help me out here!

Thanks.

Betsy 

hey...Nope it was Mr. Harmon as somebody else said. Funny thing is after I found out about his

herbal usage it was only a short time later that a friend from Lakeshore High came to hang out with me for a day at school. I showed up at Harmon's class a little "enlightened" after a lunch break in my car. In fact the only time I did it during school I had to go to his class after. He knew instantly I was stoned and all class long he kept doing things to freak me out....I remember Carol Rhinehardt, who sat in front of me, asking me later what was going on and laughing at me when I told her

This is from Randi Hansen

Lincoln School: Miss Jones reading to us. Tornado drills in the hall?  Walking to school with snow pants on under our skirts/dresses and sitting in the hall taking them off only to put it all back on to go out to recess (could we have just worn pants to school?) and our hands so cold it was hard to hold the pencil.  

How about Junior High and High School dances and sock hops?
Mr. Bennett in Jr high with the stub finger that he would use to pick his nose (lovely memory.) His forever long dissecting of paragraphs, and all of us making the floor shake by wiggling our legs. And who was it in Jr hi who would write, every morning, the weather for the day, on the blackboard?     Our class was the first class to wear jeans. I remember the day we decided to rebel and all wear them and get kicked out if we had to!  

Ann, you have created a monster and we love you for it!!!

I just want to tell everyone how much I've enjoyed this as well.

Not being in Michigan for quite some time all of that seemed so far removed

and I just want to say thanks for bringing it all back around to be a

part of....would love to hear from any and all of you anytime!

Dick Randall

Trivia question: Who got busted by the cops with a case of boonsfarm apple wine in the trunk at Tracy N's field party? hint it might involve student council royalty.

wasn't me and I don't think it was Mike Madison...had to be one you girls!!!!

dog gone trouble makin' cheerleaders!

This is from Mike Garey
Just a different take, I was in Mrs. Jones 5th grade class and I remember when she had to tell our class that President Kennedy had been assassinated. I belive it was Judy Preston who was sitting in front of me and broke down crying. I lived on Flanders and would usually walk home after school, but that day both of my parents came and drove my brother and me home.
Ann, thanks for hard work. Please let me know if I can help with the reunion.
Mike. 

This is from Jim Pjesky
I dreaded walking all the way down to Bennett's class, I disliked that man. His room was in the Southeast corner, seemed to take forever to get there, overlooking the old Niles Rd.( 2 lanes) I think they were tearing it up in 9th grade.  I still remember the wood floor, and yes it would shake regularly.  I think you were in there with Randi H. also Missy K., Groot, maybe DJ., Daleure possibly. I never wanted to sit behind you cuz then  I would miss the great sweater action! (you were always good at controversy) Sweaters were a topic earlier. I am surprised no one has mentioned Mr.Baker, he was a piece of work.
Believe me, that is the way I want to be remembered: for my sweater action! But I was not in that class so it must have been Elaine.  Thank you for the lovely tribute, anyway. 

This is from Missy (now Mel) Kimmerly (not that she's had a sex change operation, just a less "frilly" nickname)
My only contribution would be how much I hated Mrs. Spotswood, Jefferson Elementary music teacher who tried to force me to sing alone in kindergarten – I totally refused, cried, got yelled at and scarred for life from singing outside of my shower. Plus always wondered what ever happened to Mr. Dykema…my horrible 7^th grade teacher? I heard he quit teaching and became a minister…

This is from Richard Randall

I just want to tell everyone how much I've enjoyed this as well.

Not being in Michigan for quite some time all of that seemed so far removed

and I just want to say thanks for bringing it all back around to be a

part of....would love to hear from any and all of you anytime!

 Dick Randall

This is from Jim Scott
Trivia question: Who got busted by the cops with a case of boonsfarm apple wine in the trunk at Tracy N's field party? hint it might involve student council royalty.
For those of you who've forgotten, that would be: Tom Lindenfeld, Keith Duesenberg, Laine Crow,  Mike Madison (9the grade), Chris MacArthur, Mark Williams, Chris Buckleitner, Autumn Foll (Soph year), Mike Madison, Mark Williams, Gail Armstrong, Sandy Fuller (Jr. year) OR Dorothy Mackie, Joel Kruggel, Gail Armstrong OR Charlie Ammeson (Sr.year)

From Dick again

wasn't me and I don't think it was Mike Madison...had to be one you girls!!!!

dog gone trouble makin' cheerleaders!
You know, lying about your service record is grounds to keep you out of politics; you were "Student Representative" in 9th grade--The management

ahhhh Mr. Bennet...did not like him at all...

another teacher I got into a verbal with...he was picking on somebody and I told him to stop.

He got mad...and I got mad back...one more trip to the office...ah well.

Who was the science teacher there? He was a pretty cool guy. Younger, shorter with a buzz cut.

Mr. Bennett looked a lizard. Creeped me out a lot. Sorry, hope he’s not related to any of you.

So, did anyone like Mr. Bennet.  I sure didn't either. 

I had to remind everyone about our dear friends "Dick, Jane, Sally, Spot and Puff"; they are making a come back in bookstores these days.  Also do you remember our "phonics sticks"?  I remember standing next to our desks and reciting "b says b,b,b; c says c,c,c"...it worked!

Does anyone remember having fluoride treatments at Washington school during the summer?  I can't remember how many years we did that but I can still remember the smell and taste. Yuck!

 Actually Deb the look was more in line with a buzzard. If you will recall the nickname was indeed  Buzzard Bennett

Interesting conversations..
 
For those that went to North Lincoln, Washington and EP Clarke
 
I remember Mrs Kellog (sp) as my kindergarten teacher.  She had us save our milk cartons once and we put plants in them for our mothers.  I don't remember my 1st or 2nd grade teachers but recall having Mrs Dearing for 3rd grade.  I remember Mrs Dearing had a bell on her desk and she was not afraid to use it.  Fourth grade was Mrs Miller at Washington ( I really hated her).  She had us memorize the preamble to the constitution and the Gettysburg address ( I still remember these).  Then it was Mr Baily for 5th grade at Washington and then had him for 6th grade at EP Clarke.  I remember cleaning erasers, raising and lowering the flag and walking across the street to the playgroundat EP Clarke.
 
Since we had yearbooks in Junior and Senior high, I do not have to try and remember so much...  but my least favorite teacher in high school was Mrs. Trusdel (sp).  I remember not doing an assignment once.  She left the class, walked me to the library and made me do the assignment there.. 
 
Anyone remember the store across the street from Washington school and penny candy?

It was Skibby’s they had red shoestring licorice and a gumball machine that if you received a yellow gum ball with two re stripes you could trade it for a nickels worth of candy

Bennett's neice worked in my office for many years.  We had some good laughs about his antics.   Kathy Groot and I would sit halfway back in the room together and marval at how he would call his select girls -- Mary Jane, you were one -- to his desk to point out something on a paper or whatever it took.  He'd always point to something on the far side in order to reach across his selected victim,  or would make a move to check out under the short skirts.    Did we learn anything in that class?

Bob

What amazes me is how so many of you remember things about our teachers.  You are starting to bring back memories that I haven’t thought about in years, and it still seems pretty foggy!  However, there was one math teacher that I don’t think any of you have mentioned – I remember he taught the last math class I ever took (in high school) and got the worst grade I ever got.  He’d never explain anything and when I’d ask him a question about how to do something, he’d just say “do your homework and you’ll figure it out”.  I hated that class!  Who was that?  It was sophomore year and he taught Algebra 2 I think.

 Mary Jane Harris

This is from Jeff Yircott

Geez-nice job on (Eugene?) Baker, Pjesky. My first class ever in the SJ Public School system-I believe Patzer and you were both in there, correct? I hadn’t really thought about it until now but I can picture him (Baker) sleeping, leaning back in his chair. What an introduction…

 Mary Jane-I’d forgotten about the Reekly Weeder-I have a new-found respect (maybe not for all the content) for the people-I believe I know who some of them were- who made the effort to send out other opinions.

 I was wondering about this also-what kind of music does everyone listen to now? Does anyone still have a turntable and listen to vinyl-not the newly released vinyl but the original stuff? My son exposed me to rap (broad categorization, I know) when he was in hs but it didn’t resonate with me. I did get him into the Beatles, some Motown, and a few other of our collective favorites, though.

Ann again: this is a perfect time to ask everyone to send me the names of the 5 songs they'd most like to hear at the reunion.  I think I've already got a pretty good mix going, but I'm very heavy into Motown.

AND, why has no one brought up Mr. Jackson yet?

I still have a working BIC (Kevin Vance’s Company) turntable and Lynn and I often listen to the old vinyl.  It is hooked up to our 1968 Heathkit AR15 amp, attached to a 1975 Heathkit power amp and  two 1972 JBL Century speakers.   Although the IPOD is much more convenient, it sure is fun to pull out the old albums. I seem to have a problem with getting rid of things.  The 1966 jeep is still in our garage.

I do have a little problem with Buzzard Bennett.  I do recall a wonderful artistic rendering of a “lizard” on one of the desks  in his room.  It was along the top of the desk going the whole width.  So I believe he was referred to as “lizard” not buzzard.  Fritz and I made it completely through Lizard’s class reading nothing but Cliff Notes.  What a great publication!!

There were two crew cut young science teachers in the Jr high.  One was Check Salvano and the other was Bill Zick.  There were two Mr. Zicks.  But Bill Zick was the one that got into big trouble for trying to teach evolution.  Way too early for 1968.

This has been a breath of fresh air and really don’t believe anything that Fritz Knauf provides to this  exercise.  He is deranged and should be sent away.

Bob

Hi Bob – Want to go on the record here and back up Fritz on this matter….by the way Bob, late apologies here for me breaking your nose for getting a little too “close” to Bill Beatty in 9^th grade gym class one day.  Whatever became of Bill Beatty ?

Hey Fritz do you still do a good rendition of Blue Blue Xmas (Elvis)….thank you, thank you very much…..

(By the way Jim Powell did know how to use that “paddle” he had in his office)

Bill

Bill Powell.  

Still coaches swimming at Western Kentucky and was recipient of some major award for his coaching career there.  He is a legend in college swimming circles.   Tremendous coach.  Had he stuck around SJ, and Ben and John Upton and a few others not left for prep school, we'd have had a contender for the state title again while we were in high school.  He stops into SJ every summer. 

Robert J. Ehrenberg

Remember the smoking "corner"?  not an actual corner, don't know how that name came about.   Full of kids in barracudas. 

 I know it wasn't our class, but the volkswagon on the roof is a classic.   Anyone have photos of that?

 Jon Shuster used to cruise the beach in his stationwagon, but we'd go far out in the water and he couldn't get usl.

 Used to get a pass to the library, and just go out the door and over to my friend Mary 's house, on Lakeview, and make chicken pot pies for lunch and watch tv.  Usually didn't go back to school and no one ever noticed.  It was easier to sneak out back then. 

I'll stop.

 And do you remember we had a fountain in the kindergarten room at Washington with Mrs. Welsh.

I lived for the penny candy after school...I remember my mom sending me to the AP just down from it to by her cigarettes...I was like

You guys are forgetting the best Bozo, Eugene Baker. He would give us an assignment in Junior Business Training class and then go to his desk and go to sleep. Stan Watts and I would sneak up to the board and write “lewd” comments all over it. When he woke up and saw it, he would be furious and demand to know who did it. No one ever told on us. We also would sneak out of his class and walk around the school when he would go to sleep.

Greetings to all fellow classmates of '71

 My contribution to the great Mr, Bennett collection is the "audience response" part of the lessons. It went something like: "We're going to learn 3 things today (holding up the infamous hand) only to be met by the rousing response "No, two and a half!" I also was in Mrs. Olaf's class for 3rd and 4th grade at Lincoln. I have a picture somewhere from a field trip to the "new" Herald Palladium  building. Interesting note; when Mrs. Olaf's husband died Miss Jones moved in and they shared a house by the back entrance to the Congregatinal Church for quite a few years. I have both Washington and Lincoln school memories. Since we were bussed to school I spent K-1 at Washington; 2-5 at Lincoln, and then 6 at Washington. Miss Moore was very scary; but Mr. Skaggs at Washington looked as if he needed a drink. At least I remember his nose being very large and very red. I tell people I was involved in "Cross District Busing for Integration purposes before it became fashionable." Does anyone else remember the last football practice in 9th grade when we were joined by a certain "mystery player" for a scrimmage who turned out to be Coach Salvano? Chuck retired from Lakeshore Jr. High School as principal about 9 years ago.

 Jeff Zimmerman
 

In 6th grade at Washington, Mr. Preston took us on a field trip to Kerlikowski funeral home across the street. We saw everything including where they disemboweled the bodies ...scarred for freaking life over that one!!!!

I still remember the huge needle looking thing they shoved up the nose to suck out the brains...

a memory just in time for Halloween!!!! 

But I want to thank Dick Randall for bringing up the elephant in the room that has been hinted at by others but never stated so bluntly "Bill Beatty.  God you guys were so mean to him"
The truth is, some of us were so mean to so many people.  So I'm going to briefly address this now and then that's the end of it, OK?
   Youth is a ridiculously hard time, for a million reasons. We are all so powerless in so many ways. And so many of us made it truly miserable for others by testing the small powers that we did have:  how funny am I?; how popular am I?; how pretty am I?; how can I feel better/more important/more popular/more powerful than other kids? And even those who never teased or bullied other kids aren't innocent if they could have spoken up to protect those being bullied or teased.  I remember Ben Upton scolding me once for teasing a not very bright guy (who was also a big bully) about his low test scores. Very, very few of us are innocent, and very, very few of us escaped from at least some humiliations.  But there was a power structure that some of us really took advantage of.
   Nobody gets thru life without regrets. I have apologized to several of you for specific wrongs I committed (Not all of them in school, by the way), and for being a general bitch.  But let's, please, assume that all of us regret any and all cruel and insensitive things we did to one another.  If you feel guilty about your childhood transgressions, give yourself a break.  If you still feel wounded by what others did to you, PLEASE believe that the "bullies" have probably had deep regrets about their behavior, and accept my deep and sincere apology for all of us.  None of us got out of childhood without a lot of scars, or without learning a lot of lessons.
   And testing your power can also include wearing a sweater without a blouse under it.  OK, enough about my boobs. 
Much love to you all,
Ann
here is your reward (boy, do you need it today!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRoBOVsntGI   I just published it at 9:21, so it may not be available for a couple of minutes
 

Hi Annie....you make a good point....I can remember the humiliation I suffered at the hands of Jeff Klapp when he threw me up against the lockers in Junior High, and slapped me around in front of my classmates and now heaven forbid went on to teach our young people!!!  I hope he knows the scars he created.....

Rick

Soties,

I am not sure that you really got Ann’s message. I think her point was that we all made mistakes in the past and are mostly sorry that we did. I am not sure that signaling someone out for their errors was exactly where we should go from here.

I knew Jeff back in those days and he was not a very highly evolved creature. I am sure that the Mr. Klapp that went on to be an award winning educator was somebody else a tad more evolved.

I was not a very sophisticated individual in my teens, we were products of a wonderful little town, but the limit in scope was dramatic. I suspect I owe an apology or two and maybe deserve a couple as well, but I am not expecting to give or get any, for I have chosen to move on. I think we should celebrate what we have become and what our generation has accomplished during the subsequent decades.

I was permanently effected by Ann in those sweaters, but I have forgiven (although not forgotten) her a long time ago.

Grant Kasischke

I totally agree with Grant.  We have all grown up (and old) and to hold onto the pass is a waste of time.  Thanks Grant for speaking up.

We have a great class and hopefully everyone that can will come to the 40th class reunion with no regrets or pass recentments and find out that everyone there are good people.