Another classmate has received a distinguished, but surprising, award. Most of us recognize that our class has some gifted individuals both academically, intellectually, professionally, and athletically. Some have been publicly recognized, while others are quietly honored by their peers. One surprising accolade that was announced recently was Lee Colburn's selection into the South Dakota High School Basketball Hall of Fame (http://www.argusleader.com/story/sports/high-school-sports/2014/12/24/high-school-basketball-hall-induct/20848097/). ( It will probably work best to copy and paste this address in the URL at the top of the webpage). It surprised me because I thought he had already been selected for this exclusive honor. He has received so many awards since his untimely passing Dec. 31, 1997, that it seemed only natural that he should be a member of this esteemed group. Obviously I was mistaken. Here is a little article written for one of the groups to which he belongs (http://www.sdshof.com/inductees/lee-colburn/). Most of the honorees for this year's South Dakota High School Basketball Hall of Fame are probably unknown to many us, but there may be a few names that trigger our memories.
John Eidsness was just finishing up his senior at State when Lee was a freshman. so they played together for only one year. John wasn't the quickest player, but he was a deadly shooter. We enjoyed watching him when we were in high school. He and Denny Womeldorf made a great combination at the guard spots for the Running Rabbits. It seemed as if they could run all day and not get tired. When Lee was being recruited, there were some concerns, because Lee was a guard in high school, that he would not be able to handle the ball very well against quality guards such as Eidsness or Womeldorf. However, Lee told us that Coach Marking, who was recruiting him, said that he was capable of handling that responsibility right now, as a high-schooler. He really did not have to worry, as he continued to grow and really did not play guard in college. His experience in high school, however, proved most beneficial when he competed as a collegian. John Eidsness also played some baseball and football while at State, and became an assistant basketball coach at SDSU for a few years after graduation. He and Tom Osterberg played on the same independent basketball team for those years, I believe. Did they also play on the Spies slo-pitch softball team? He lived next door to Mr. and Mrs. Guy O. Karnes. During my first year of teaching, I relied on sporadic visits to Mr. Karnes to help me through the tough times. If the weather was nice, the Eidsness family would often be outside with their young child. Can't remember if the child was a boy or a girl.
John was also a fine baseball player, pitching and probably playing shortstop if he was not pitching. He played Legion ball for Canton. They also had another pitcher named Ray Johnson, I believe. He was fast, and drew the attention of some major league scouts. The state "A" Legion Tournament was held in Brookings in 1966. Canton had won the "B" division, so they were eligible to play in the "A" tournament. They competed well, but were unable to overtake Rapid City for the championship.
Mike Freier is a name that stood out in the 1967 State "B" tournament. He was a fantastic shooter. He went to Yankton College and played for Jim Holwerda. Mr. Holwerda became the athletic director and later girls basketball coach at BHS when "Nig" Johnson retired in 1973. He taught me a great deal about the game. He told me that Mike Freier did not play much in college because he did not know how to get open. Evidently, in high school, he could get open by just standing around. It seems that they did not play defense with the same intensity in the small schools as they did in the larger schools. If you read the link above about Lee's induction into the South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame, you may have noticed that in high school, he was recruited by Tex Winter of Washington. Tex Winter was Mr. Holwerda's college coach at Kansas State in the 1950's. He later was an assistant with Phil Jackson when Mr. Jackson coached the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers to a number of NBA championships. Without Tex Winter, Phil Jackson likely would not have had the success he did.
One of those girls we coached against was Amy Burnett. She was somewhat of a combination of Barry Howe and Joe Jensen. She scored more points than Joe or Barry did because she was their main player. Her team did not have the balance that our 68 and 69 teams did. She was bigger and stronger than most of the girls she played against. It would not be surprising if she learned to play the game competing against boys whenever possible. She was also a talented thrower in the discus and shot put on their track and field teams.
Vince Whipple was in the state tournament record books for a long time. He held the record for the total number of points scored, 79, in the championship rounds of the State "A" tournament for many years.
Chuck Iverson graduated the same year as Lee. He is no relation to me. Our senior year, we scrimmaged Chuck and his Vermillion team in our gym about a week before our first game. He was about 6'8" so he made Joe look somewhat small. He played collegiately in his hometown, as did Lee. He and Lee faced off many times during their four-year careers. Chuck still is in the record books as one of the the all-time leading rebounders in the now-defunct North Central Conference. Chuck, too, may have had a pro tryout. He was drafted by Seattle as the 73rd pick in the fifth round. Lee was drafter in the fourth round as the 58th pick by the Rockets (http://northcentral.prestosports.com/Record_Book/08_Updates/08_MBB.pdf--this website is amazing! Phil Jackson was a dominant player in the conference in the mid-60's; John Eidsness was the best field goal and free throw- shooter in 1969; if one is a history junkie, one could spend many hours on this sight). What is really eerie, though, is that Chuck Iverson's daughter married the son of Mike McClemans, who was a year behind us in school. Mike told me some of the details, but I couldn't keep everything straight, as Mike tended to get off-track in his narration.
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Badger Clark and Jim Duffey Connection
When we were in grade school, one of our teachers (was it the music teacher, Mrs. Engberg? {thank, Brian}) often mentioned that Badger Clark (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Badger_Clark) was the first poet laureate of South Dakota. There have only been a handful of them in the state. He was followed by Adeline Jenny, Audrey Visser, Mabel Frederick, and David Evans. Mr. Evans, whom some of us may have had for a teacher when we were in college at SDSU, recently retired. (http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2014/10/03/state-poetry-society-searching-new-poet-laureate/16655829/)
The Argus_Leader reported today, Dec. 6, 2014, that a new poet laureate had been selected, and she has ties to Brookings. (http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2014/12/04/nea-grant-gives-sd-poet-greatest-gift-time-write/19899785/) Her father is James Duffey, who was a year ahead of us in school. He is not pictured, though, in the 1968 yearbook. Does anyone know why not? From all indications, he was a brilliant student. As a junior, he was in the National Honor Society, and was an award-winning member of Kinetic Club and JETS (Junior Engineers Technical Society). Both of these clubs were under the guidance of Mr. Karnes. At the 1967 South Dakota Science Fair, Jim's project entitled "A Multi-Band Phased Vertical Array for the Amateur Radio Bands" earned him a two week Navy Cruise and the Bell Award. The minutes of the 53rd annual meeting of the South Dakota Academy of Science for the following year 1968 (http://www.sdaos.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/Vol%2047%201968/68MIN.pdf) state that "Mr. Guy Karnes reported on the Bell telephone Award awarded last year to Jim Duffey, a junior at Brookings High School. This was the first year for the award in this area. The 1967 minutes authorized three students and three instructors to go on the trip. The president noted that the new Junior Academy members should look into the possibilities for continued aspects for next year. Mr. Marvin Hanson of Huron College has the details for the present plans for this award. Next year there will be three competitions in Aberdeen, Sioux Falls, and Rapid City. This would not be connected to the Academy. The following year the next three larger schools would enter competitors for the award with other high schools furnishing competitors for the award in future years."
The minutes of the meeting stated that "The trip was most enjoyable, and both Mr. Duffey and Mr. Karnes report that they had never received such "red carpet" treatment. They were picked up at their homes by a Northwest Bell car and taken to the Sioux Falls Airport where they were seen off by Northwest Bell officials...They flew by jet to New York...Following a luncheon on May 15, they were taken by bus to the Research Laboratories at Murray Hill, New Jersey."
Jim himself had this to say: "The trip to Murray Hill Research laboratories was most enlightening and very educational. The particular research visit was tailored to each boy's individual interest. I was interested in electronics. Among the research facilities I visited were those dealing with the development of semiconductor material, evolutions of various telephones, and computerized speech. One of the most interesting parts of the Murray Hill visit was the dinner with a number of research scientists, some of whom we had heard speak earlier. Here we had the opportunity to visit with these men and ask questions. The trip was most interesting, and I sincerely hope the Bell Telephone Company continues this program so that many other boys may have the opportunity to visit the Murray Hill Laboratories."
James, however, was not the only Brookings High student to make an appearance at the Science Fair that year. Randy Christensen and Ron Haverman received a $25 AAAS award for their project Studies of Electric Fields of Force"; Jan Roberts received a merit award for his project "pH Relationships of Chemical Complexes; Dan Lutter entered his project "Ultra-Sensitive Microphone Using an Insulated Gate Transistor." Dan was also nominated for the presidency of the Academy.
What is interesting is that the 1967 meeting was held in the Christy Ballroom on the campus of SDSU, and was welcomed by President Briggs, father of Janice of our class. Also noteworthy is that the Junior Academy of Science held its banquet at the First Methodist Church at 6:30 on April 28. Mr. Karnes was given a "large cake...in appreciation for the work he did for the Junior Academy."
Also notable were the names of the many professors associated with the Academy, some of whom were parents of our classmates. Some of these professors may have been our teachers if we attended SDSU. Do any of these names ring a bell? Walt Morgan (he was also selected President for the upcoming year), Elmer Johnson, Gerald Myers, Paul Springer, H. M. Briggs, Bernard Brandwein, Robert Dahlgren, Bill Wadsworth, Keith Morrill, Duane Acker, Glenn Alcott( we had a Mrs. Alcott for 7th Grade English--any connection?), Orville Bentley, B. L. Brage, Charles Carlson, Art Dracy, Hans Graetzer, Al and Yvonne Greichus, Andrew Halverson, Emil Hargett, David Holden, H. L. Hutcheson, Les Kamstra, Paul Koepsell, Ray Linder, Bill Lytle, Melvin Manning, Don McRoberts, Paul Middaugh, Ray Moore, Floyd Parker, Don Progulske, M. Roller, R. J. Wahlstrom and V. S. Webster. Surprisingly, Jim Duffey's father, George, is not a member. Had he retired by then? New members for the next year included Henry Gehrke, Jr., Bob Kieckhefer, Chuck McMullen, and Jim Worman.
There is also a mention of the passing away of lifetime member C. M. Groethe of Sacramento, CA. Would this be any relation to the Groethes that we would know? In addition to Kathy in our class, there was a Carol Groethe when we were in grade school. anyone remember her? She may have moved away after 4th grade. Did she live near Pioneer Park?
One of the high school teachers listed is Jim Martin of Belle Fourche (we defeated them in the semifinals of the State "A" basketball tournament our senior year 69-58). He would move to Brookings later that summer to replace Mr. Karnes and Mr. Friend as Chemistry teacher. He retired in the late 80's and still lives in Brookings.
The members of the Academy from BHS in 1967 were Randy Christensen, Dale Coulter, Doug Dahl, Jim Duffey, John Finn, Dennis and Tom Fox, Ron Haverman, Mary Ellen Josephson, Jan Roberts, and Stan Skubic. From Todd County there is a Rebecca Tlustos. Mr. Tlustos, the wrestling coach our senior year, actually does have a daughter Rebecca, but she graduated from Brookings in the 80's.
In 1968, senior Gregg McCarty appears to be the only BHS member of the Academy. His presentation, which was delivered at the Huron Arena, was entitled "A Study of Four-Substitute Pyridine N-Oxide Complexes with Zinc." Dennis Fox, another senior, also had a presentation on "Dependence of Viscosity on Temperature." Gregg must have been rather busy his senior year. He was also on the debate that was runner-up in the state tournament. The team placed first at Fargo, SF Lincoln, USD, Watertown, Yankton, Morningside (Sioux City), Big 10 (Brookings), and Divisional (Huron). They were runners-up at Augustana, NFL (Aberdeen), and State. Also on that team were Dave Pearson, Phil Kohl, and John Richards. It appears that some competitions allowed for more than four debaters. Pictured in the annual as champions at the Morningside Debate Tournament are Patty Hauschild and Karen Shaw, along with the four boys and Mr. Klassen. Well done, folks.
While searching out the above information, another surprising website appeared (http://sigmaxi.sdstate.org/about1.htm). In addition to those professors named above, some familiar names may be Harold Bailey, George Buntley, Paul Collins, Chris Dinkel, George Duffey, Harold Froslie, William Gamble, Raymond Kinch, Bruce Miller, Jesse Rawson, William Rogoff, Jack Runkles,and Frederick Westin.
My encounters with Jim Duffey were virtually non-existent. One memory, though, remains vividly in my mind. In the spring of 1963, when we were in 6th grade, Lefty Johnson had visitation day for the 6th-graders who would be 7th-graders the next school year. He wanted us to get a sense of what Jr. High would be like as we changed classrooms every hour. A 7th-grader would escort about six students as they would follow a brief schedule in a typical day of 7th grade. We would spend perhaps 5-10 minutes in each class. Jim Duffey was one of the chaperones the afternoon our class visited. When we were in Mr. Kabrud's geography class, the topic had something to do with the Soviet Union. Mr. Kabrud said that the word "Soviet" could be pronounced either of two ways: Soe-vee-et or Sah-vee-et. Jim asked Mr. Kabrud which one he preferred. I think the answer was the former.
Does anyone know where Jim Duffey is now. It would not be surprising if he has a Ph.D in some engineering field, and he is either a research scientist or a professor at a university somewhere. Why is he not pictured in the 1968 annual? Did he graduate early? If anyone has any information, don't hesitate to let the rest of us know.
The Argus_Leader reported today, Dec. 6, 2014, that a new poet laureate had been selected, and she has ties to Brookings. (http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2014/12/04/nea-grant-gives-sd-poet-greatest-gift-time-write/19899785/) Her father is James Duffey, who was a year ahead of us in school. He is not pictured, though, in the 1968 yearbook. Does anyone know why not? From all indications, he was a brilliant student. As a junior, he was in the National Honor Society, and was an award-winning member of Kinetic Club and JETS (Junior Engineers Technical Society). Both of these clubs were under the guidance of Mr. Karnes. At the 1967 South Dakota Science Fair, Jim's project entitled "A Multi-Band Phased Vertical Array for the Amateur Radio Bands" earned him a two week Navy Cruise and the Bell Award. The minutes of the 53rd annual meeting of the South Dakota Academy of Science for the following year 1968 (http://www.sdaos.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/Vol%2047%201968/68MIN.pdf) state that "Mr. Guy Karnes reported on the Bell telephone Award awarded last year to Jim Duffey, a junior at Brookings High School. This was the first year for the award in this area. The 1967 minutes authorized three students and three instructors to go on the trip. The president noted that the new Junior Academy members should look into the possibilities for continued aspects for next year. Mr. Marvin Hanson of Huron College has the details for the present plans for this award. Next year there will be three competitions in Aberdeen, Sioux Falls, and Rapid City. This would not be connected to the Academy. The following year the next three larger schools would enter competitors for the award with other high schools furnishing competitors for the award in future years."
The minutes of the meeting stated that "The trip was most enjoyable, and both Mr. Duffey and Mr. Karnes report that they had never received such "red carpet" treatment. They were picked up at their homes by a Northwest Bell car and taken to the Sioux Falls Airport where they were seen off by Northwest Bell officials...They flew by jet to New York...Following a luncheon on May 15, they were taken by bus to the Research Laboratories at Murray Hill, New Jersey."
Jim himself had this to say: "The trip to Murray Hill Research laboratories was most enlightening and very educational. The particular research visit was tailored to each boy's individual interest. I was interested in electronics. Among the research facilities I visited were those dealing with the development of semiconductor material, evolutions of various telephones, and computerized speech. One of the most interesting parts of the Murray Hill visit was the dinner with a number of research scientists, some of whom we had heard speak earlier. Here we had the opportunity to visit with these men and ask questions. The trip was most interesting, and I sincerely hope the Bell Telephone Company continues this program so that many other boys may have the opportunity to visit the Murray Hill Laboratories."
James, however, was not the only Brookings High student to make an appearance at the Science Fair that year. Randy Christensen and Ron Haverman received a $25 AAAS award for their project Studies of Electric Fields of Force"; Jan Roberts received a merit award for his project "pH Relationships of Chemical Complexes; Dan Lutter entered his project "Ultra-Sensitive Microphone Using an Insulated Gate Transistor." Dan was also nominated for the presidency of the Academy.
What is interesting is that the 1967 meeting was held in the Christy Ballroom on the campus of SDSU, and was welcomed by President Briggs, father of Janice of our class. Also noteworthy is that the Junior Academy of Science held its banquet at the First Methodist Church at 6:30 on April 28. Mr. Karnes was given a "large cake...in appreciation for the work he did for the Junior Academy."
Also notable were the names of the many professors associated with the Academy, some of whom were parents of our classmates. Some of these professors may have been our teachers if we attended SDSU. Do any of these names ring a bell? Walt Morgan (he was also selected President for the upcoming year), Elmer Johnson, Gerald Myers, Paul Springer, H. M. Briggs, Bernard Brandwein, Robert Dahlgren, Bill Wadsworth, Keith Morrill, Duane Acker, Glenn Alcott( we had a Mrs. Alcott for 7th Grade English--any connection?), Orville Bentley, B. L. Brage, Charles Carlson, Art Dracy, Hans Graetzer, Al and Yvonne Greichus, Andrew Halverson, Emil Hargett, David Holden, H. L. Hutcheson, Les Kamstra, Paul Koepsell, Ray Linder, Bill Lytle, Melvin Manning, Don McRoberts, Paul Middaugh, Ray Moore, Floyd Parker, Don Progulske, M. Roller, R. J. Wahlstrom and V. S. Webster. Surprisingly, Jim Duffey's father, George, is not a member. Had he retired by then? New members for the next year included Henry Gehrke, Jr., Bob Kieckhefer, Chuck McMullen, and Jim Worman.
There is also a mention of the passing away of lifetime member C. M. Groethe of Sacramento, CA. Would this be any relation to the Groethes that we would know? In addition to Kathy in our class, there was a Carol Groethe when we were in grade school. anyone remember her? She may have moved away after 4th grade. Did she live near Pioneer Park?
One of the high school teachers listed is Jim Martin of Belle Fourche (we defeated them in the semifinals of the State "A" basketball tournament our senior year 69-58). He would move to Brookings later that summer to replace Mr. Karnes and Mr. Friend as Chemistry teacher. He retired in the late 80's and still lives in Brookings.
The members of the Academy from BHS in 1967 were Randy Christensen, Dale Coulter, Doug Dahl, Jim Duffey, John Finn, Dennis and Tom Fox, Ron Haverman, Mary Ellen Josephson, Jan Roberts, and Stan Skubic. From Todd County there is a Rebecca Tlustos. Mr. Tlustos, the wrestling coach our senior year, actually does have a daughter Rebecca, but she graduated from Brookings in the 80's.
In 1968, senior Gregg McCarty appears to be the only BHS member of the Academy. His presentation, which was delivered at the Huron Arena, was entitled "A Study of Four-Substitute Pyridine N-Oxide Complexes with Zinc." Dennis Fox, another senior, also had a presentation on "Dependence of Viscosity on Temperature." Gregg must have been rather busy his senior year. He was also on the debate that was runner-up in the state tournament. The team placed first at Fargo, SF Lincoln, USD, Watertown, Yankton, Morningside (Sioux City), Big 10 (Brookings), and Divisional (Huron). They were runners-up at Augustana, NFL (Aberdeen), and State. Also on that team were Dave Pearson, Phil Kohl, and John Richards. It appears that some competitions allowed for more than four debaters. Pictured in the annual as champions at the Morningside Debate Tournament are Patty Hauschild and Karen Shaw, along with the four boys and Mr. Klassen. Well done, folks.
While searching out the above information, another surprising website appeared (http://sigmaxi.sdstate.org/about1.htm). In addition to those professors named above, some familiar names may be Harold Bailey, George Buntley, Paul Collins, Chris Dinkel, George Duffey, Harold Froslie, William Gamble, Raymond Kinch, Bruce Miller, Jesse Rawson, William Rogoff, Jack Runkles,and Frederick Westin.
My encounters with Jim Duffey were virtually non-existent. One memory, though, remains vividly in my mind. In the spring of 1963, when we were in 6th grade, Lefty Johnson had visitation day for the 6th-graders who would be 7th-graders the next school year. He wanted us to get a sense of what Jr. High would be like as we changed classrooms every hour. A 7th-grader would escort about six students as they would follow a brief schedule in a typical day of 7th grade. We would spend perhaps 5-10 minutes in each class. Jim Duffey was one of the chaperones the afternoon our class visited. When we were in Mr. Kabrud's geography class, the topic had something to do with the Soviet Union. Mr. Kabrud said that the word "Soviet" could be pronounced either of two ways: Soe-vee-et or Sah-vee-et. Jim asked Mr. Kabrud which one he preferred. I think the answer was the former.
Does anyone know where Jim Duffey is now. It would not be surprising if he has a Ph.D in some engineering field, and he is either a research scientist or a professor at a university somewhere. Why is he not pictured in the 1968 annual? Did he graduate early? If anyone has any information, don't hesitate to let the rest of us know.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
80 Years Ago
In 1934, the population of Brookings would have been about 4,700 or so (The census for 1930 was 4,376, and for 1940 it was 5,346, an increase of 22.2%). Statewide, though, the population decreased 7.2% during that same time, from 692,849 to 642,961. Among the 4,700 residents of Brookings were 130 students entering their senior year at BHS. What might the student population at the college have been? My meager computer skills were unable to find that figure, but would a good guess be around 500 to 600?
The statewide decrease in population can be attributed to the weather, the dirty 30's, that so many likely heard about as we were growing up (http://truedakotan.com/photos/true-dakotan-photo-gallery/the-worst-day-of-the-dirty-thirties/). As juniors, we read about the plight of the Joad family as they left Oklahoma in search of a better life (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grapes_of_Wrath).
The 1934-35 Bobcat (http://www.classmates.com/yearbooks/Brookings-High-School/228488?page=0) followed the same format as previous years. The classes that were taught by the staff of 20 teachers were English, French, music, ag, home ec, science, geometry, Latin, PE, math, history, commercial, and manual training. On the school board were some prominent citizens of their day who left their mark on the community. Mr. Bibby was the president, while two of the other five members were Mr. Bartling and Mr. Doner. Mr. Bibby had the dairy, Mr. Bartling was associated with the furniture store and funeral home, while Mr. Doner was a key figure on campus. The Doner Auditorium in the Administration Building was named in his honor.
The seniors that may have some connections to those in our class might be Marien Alexander, Avis Bortnem, Robert Lee, William Prussman, Clarice Sterud, Boyd Vick. A few other seniors who piqued my interest were the three Houglands: Euneva, Geneva, and Gladys. There was a Hougland family that was a neighbor of ours for a number of years. Mrs. Hougland had been a one-room country school teacher, and when consolidation took place in the early 60's, she taught at Central for a number of years. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hougland have passed away, and the house is now being restored to its original condition by the Fishback family. There is also listed a Hazel Norton. Might this be a sister of Bob Norton, who worked many years in the clothing business, as did "Buck" Connelly, Robyn's dad (more on him later)? He definitely worked at Fergen's, and may also have been employed at Quail's and Wilson's. There was also a Ruby Pickett. Roger Pickett was employed at the Post Office for a number of years. Would there be some kinship between those two?
The next Bobcat annual listed on this website (http://www.classmates.com/places/school/Brookings-High-School/9192?startYear=1965&endYear=1969&type=DisplayChannel&cp=aff&s=80481&a_tid=79648&communityId=9192&hitwiseSegment=free&checkCookie=1416941831688) is for the year 1939. Some juniors listed in the 1935 Bobcat that may be known to us are Harvey Behrend, Vernon Rude, Omar Otterness, Vivian Ray, Ernest Steen.
One of Harvey's sons Phil was a year ahead of us in school. Another son John graduated in 1967. Was their older sister Janet, who graduated in 1965? Vernon Rude is from the Rude family having the furniture store and funeral home. If memory serves correctly, he was also the country coroner for a number of years. Vivian Ray's father owned Ray's Drugstore. She, too, became a pharmacist I believe. She married Walt Distad, and was the mother of Linda (class of '66) and Rod (class of '70).
Mentioned in a previous post were three, and perhaps four, members of the sophomore class of 1935 who were parents of our classmates. Others who may be of interest are Orville Berkland, Elizabeth Bibby, Arnold deBlonk, John Durland, Kenneth Linn, Doug and James Rosheim, Dorothy Sexauer, Erwin Steen, Judith Vick, Lorran Sterud, and Wayne Waltz. Missing from the sophomore class are Naiem Bozied, father of Tom, and Elsie Clark, father of Emmett Earley, Jr.
Is Arnold deBlonk the father of Arnie deBlonk who was a year ahead of us in school? He was also in our Cub Scout troop when we were in grade school.
Does anybody remember Mike and Pat Durland? Mike was in our class, while Pat was a year ahead of us. The lived on a farm south of town, and moved (to Idaho?) around 1966. Did the building of Interstate 29 take away a good portion of their farmland, causing them to move elsewhere? In a book on the history of the Catholic Church in Brookings, Jack McClemans, father of Mike (who was also in our Cub Scout troop and a year ahead of us in school), notes that on Sunday afternoons, the priest, Fr. Dooley, would ride his horse and buggy "to the Floyd Durland farm where he spent the night and said Mass and heard confessions on Monday morning...On Monday afternoon, he continued east to my great-grandmother's home, known as the O'Brien homestead. He spent Monday night with them...On Tuesday he headed north toward Aurora...By the middle of the week, his journey would lead him back to Brookings." Mike and Pat were in our catechism classes at church, and their uncle Bob was in the ag engineering department on campus. Bob played football in the early 50's on some fine Jackrabbit teams. There used to be an alumni football game to start the season; Bob played until he was perhaps 35.
Wayne Waltz would later become the owner of Waltz Construction (http://eidsnessfuneralhome.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=385180) . They have done a number of large projects in Brookings.
Was Kenneth Linn the father of Stew? Was Judith Vick the aunt of Patty? Were the Rosheim boys related to the Rosheim triplets (Joe, Mark, and Myron) who were a couple of years behind us in school?
The freshmen that year that may have some connections to our class include Betty and David Alexander, Art Behrend, Meryl Beals, Albert Bortnem, Morrell Connelly, James Finn, June Grommersch, Ray Horn, Mildred Moad, Duane Rude, Delmer Pittenger, Leon Steen, and Grace Wilber.
Art Behrend was the wife of Barb Behrend. She was the secretary for "Lefty" Johnson for a number of years. Their children were Patsy, Tom, Don, and Rob. Robb was quite a bit younger, graduating around 1980, while the others graduated in the early to mid 60's.
Does anybody remember Clara Beals? She lived in a big old house on 6th Street, a couple of blocks west of the swimming pool. It wasn't the prettiest house around; we may have even thought it was haunted when we were younger. Would Meryl Beals any relation?
James Finn (http://www.brookingsregister.com/V2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=3136&page=80) was the father of Jim, John (http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/WISTCROI/2002-09/1031001687), Mary, Dan, and Patti. Jim and John were a couple of years older than we were. Patti graduated in 1980, and became one of the outstanding athletes ever at BHS. She was on some state championship track and field teams, set a number of records in track and field, some of which still stand today, and is a member of the BHS Hall of Fame. James' wife Marion (http://www.brookingsregister.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=16363&page=80) was one of our catechism teachers (8th grade?) at church.
Morrell Connelly, better known as "Buck", is the father of Robyn. His father was the chief of police in Brookings for a number of years. Buck served his country admirably in WWII, and was richly rewarded for his bravery (http://en.ww2awards.com/person/38625).
June Grommersch, I believe, married Clyde Helsper, and is the mother of Rich Helsper of the BHS class of 1970. Didn't Mrs. Helsper play the organ at the Catholic Church for a number of years?
Ray Horn (http://www.millerfh.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=780132) was the husband of Jeannette Horn, who taught sophomore English at BHS for about 20 years, from the early 60's to the early 80's (http://classof69bhs.blogspot.com/2014/11/crazy-lady-day-at-bhs.html#comment-form).
One rather striking athletic fact is that the football team played the "State" frosh, only losing 21-6. Bobcat Day that year was on Saturday, Oct. 13, with the football game taking place at 3:00 at State Field. After the game, which Flandreau Indians won by a score of 13-7, the Bobcat Day Banquet was held in the basement of the Methodist Church. In attendance were the Flandreau football team, coach, and principal, as well as BHS students, teachers, and alumni.
Some of the track and field records would still be competitive in many meets today. Perhaps the most amazing one is the football throw of 196' 6". That's over 65 yards! It was interesting, too, that intramural track and field was required for sophomores and freshmen. When we were sophomores, the 1967 Bobcat had this little item on the varsity track team: "Is compulsory track the thing for Brookings High School? We did beat Volga and Clear Lake in a triangular meet but then again we were beaten by Madison and we failed to do well at the Madison Invitational. Bob Adams set a record in the low hurdles, and Alan C. Parker set one in the 2 mile run, probably because this was the first year for this event. Bob Adams and Jay Leibel qualified for the State Meet and both placed. Adams took fourth in the low hurdles and Leibel took fifth in the high jump."
The statewide decrease in population can be attributed to the weather, the dirty 30's, that so many likely heard about as we were growing up (http://truedakotan.com/photos/true-dakotan-photo-gallery/the-worst-day-of-the-dirty-thirties/). As juniors, we read about the plight of the Joad family as they left Oklahoma in search of a better life (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grapes_of_Wrath).
The 1934-35 Bobcat (http://www.classmates.com/yearbooks/Brookings-High-School/228488?page=0) followed the same format as previous years. The classes that were taught by the staff of 20 teachers were English, French, music, ag, home ec, science, geometry, Latin, PE, math, history, commercial, and manual training. On the school board were some prominent citizens of their day who left their mark on the community. Mr. Bibby was the president, while two of the other five members were Mr. Bartling and Mr. Doner. Mr. Bibby had the dairy, Mr. Bartling was associated with the furniture store and funeral home, while Mr. Doner was a key figure on campus. The Doner Auditorium in the Administration Building was named in his honor.
The seniors that may have some connections to those in our class might be Marien Alexander, Avis Bortnem, Robert Lee, William Prussman, Clarice Sterud, Boyd Vick. A few other seniors who piqued my interest were the three Houglands: Euneva, Geneva, and Gladys. There was a Hougland family that was a neighbor of ours for a number of years. Mrs. Hougland had been a one-room country school teacher, and when consolidation took place in the early 60's, she taught at Central for a number of years. Both Mr. and Mrs. Hougland have passed away, and the house is now being restored to its original condition by the Fishback family. There is also listed a Hazel Norton. Might this be a sister of Bob Norton, who worked many years in the clothing business, as did "Buck" Connelly, Robyn's dad (more on him later)? He definitely worked at Fergen's, and may also have been employed at Quail's and Wilson's. There was also a Ruby Pickett. Roger Pickett was employed at the Post Office for a number of years. Would there be some kinship between those two?
The next Bobcat annual listed on this website (http://www.classmates.com/places/school/Brookings-High-School/9192?startYear=1965&endYear=1969&type=DisplayChannel&cp=aff&s=80481&a_tid=79648&communityId=9192&hitwiseSegment=free&checkCookie=1416941831688) is for the year 1939. Some juniors listed in the 1935 Bobcat that may be known to us are Harvey Behrend, Vernon Rude, Omar Otterness, Vivian Ray, Ernest Steen.
One of Harvey's sons Phil was a year ahead of us in school. Another son John graduated in 1967. Was their older sister Janet, who graduated in 1965? Vernon Rude is from the Rude family having the furniture store and funeral home. If memory serves correctly, he was also the country coroner for a number of years. Vivian Ray's father owned Ray's Drugstore. She, too, became a pharmacist I believe. She married Walt Distad, and was the mother of Linda (class of '66) and Rod (class of '70).
Mentioned in a previous post were three, and perhaps four, members of the sophomore class of 1935 who were parents of our classmates. Others who may be of interest are Orville Berkland, Elizabeth Bibby, Arnold deBlonk, John Durland, Kenneth Linn, Doug and James Rosheim, Dorothy Sexauer, Erwin Steen, Judith Vick, Lorran Sterud, and Wayne Waltz. Missing from the sophomore class are Naiem Bozied, father of Tom, and Elsie Clark, father of Emmett Earley, Jr.
Is Arnold deBlonk the father of Arnie deBlonk who was a year ahead of us in school? He was also in our Cub Scout troop when we were in grade school.
Does anybody remember Mike and Pat Durland? Mike was in our class, while Pat was a year ahead of us. The lived on a farm south of town, and moved (to Idaho?) around 1966. Did the building of Interstate 29 take away a good portion of their farmland, causing them to move elsewhere? In a book on the history of the Catholic Church in Brookings, Jack McClemans, father of Mike (who was also in our Cub Scout troop and a year ahead of us in school), notes that on Sunday afternoons, the priest, Fr. Dooley, would ride his horse and buggy "to the Floyd Durland farm where he spent the night and said Mass and heard confessions on Monday morning...On Monday afternoon, he continued east to my great-grandmother's home, known as the O'Brien homestead. He spent Monday night with them...On Tuesday he headed north toward Aurora...By the middle of the week, his journey would lead him back to Brookings." Mike and Pat were in our catechism classes at church, and their uncle Bob was in the ag engineering department on campus. Bob played football in the early 50's on some fine Jackrabbit teams. There used to be an alumni football game to start the season; Bob played until he was perhaps 35.
Wayne Waltz would later become the owner of Waltz Construction (http://eidsnessfuneralhome.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=385180) . They have done a number of large projects in Brookings.
Was Kenneth Linn the father of Stew? Was Judith Vick the aunt of Patty? Were the Rosheim boys related to the Rosheim triplets (Joe, Mark, and Myron) who were a couple of years behind us in school?
The freshmen that year that may have some connections to our class include Betty and David Alexander, Art Behrend, Meryl Beals, Albert Bortnem, Morrell Connelly, James Finn, June Grommersch, Ray Horn, Mildred Moad, Duane Rude, Delmer Pittenger, Leon Steen, and Grace Wilber.
Art Behrend was the wife of Barb Behrend. She was the secretary for "Lefty" Johnson for a number of years. Their children were Patsy, Tom, Don, and Rob. Robb was quite a bit younger, graduating around 1980, while the others graduated in the early to mid 60's.
Does anybody remember Clara Beals? She lived in a big old house on 6th Street, a couple of blocks west of the swimming pool. It wasn't the prettiest house around; we may have even thought it was haunted when we were younger. Would Meryl Beals any relation?
James Finn (http://www.brookingsregister.com/V2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=3136&page=80) was the father of Jim, John (http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/WISTCROI/2002-09/1031001687), Mary, Dan, and Patti. Jim and John were a couple of years older than we were. Patti graduated in 1980, and became one of the outstanding athletes ever at BHS. She was on some state championship track and field teams, set a number of records in track and field, some of which still stand today, and is a member of the BHS Hall of Fame. James' wife Marion (http://www.brookingsregister.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=16363&page=80) was one of our catechism teachers (8th grade?) at church.
Morrell Connelly, better known as "Buck", is the father of Robyn. His father was the chief of police in Brookings for a number of years. Buck served his country admirably in WWII, and was richly rewarded for his bravery (http://en.ww2awards.com/person/38625).
June Grommersch, I believe, married Clyde Helsper, and is the mother of Rich Helsper of the BHS class of 1970. Didn't Mrs. Helsper play the organ at the Catholic Church for a number of years?
Ray Horn (http://www.millerfh.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=780132) was the husband of Jeannette Horn, who taught sophomore English at BHS for about 20 years, from the early 60's to the early 80's (http://classof69bhs.blogspot.com/2014/11/crazy-lady-day-at-bhs.html#comment-form).
One rather striking athletic fact is that the football team played the "State" frosh, only losing 21-6. Bobcat Day that year was on Saturday, Oct. 13, with the football game taking place at 3:00 at State Field. After the game, which Flandreau Indians won by a score of 13-7, the Bobcat Day Banquet was held in the basement of the Methodist Church. In attendance were the Flandreau football team, coach, and principal, as well as BHS students, teachers, and alumni.
Some of the track and field records would still be competitive in many meets today. Perhaps the most amazing one is the football throw of 196' 6". That's over 65 yards! It was interesting, too, that intramural track and field was required for sophomores and freshmen. When we were sophomores, the 1967 Bobcat had this little item on the varsity track team: "Is compulsory track the thing for Brookings High School? We did beat Volga and Clear Lake in a triangular meet but then again we were beaten by Madison and we failed to do well at the Madison Invitational. Bob Adams set a record in the low hurdles, and Alan C. Parker set one in the 2 mile run, probably because this was the first year for this event. Bob Adams and Jay Leibel qualified for the State Meet and both placed. Adams took fourth in the low hurdles and Leibel took fifth in the high jump."
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Surprises In 1934
The 1934 "Bobcat" (http://www.classmates.com/yearbooks/Brookings-High-School/228487?page=0) had a format similar to that of previous years. Upon closer inspection, however, there were some pleasant surprises. There was a brief history of the school system which had been organized in the winter of 1879-80. There would be three months of school, two in the spring and one in the fall. The salary for the teacher would be $20/ month, plus board. The first classes were held at the home of an Ole Mark (must not have had an Ole Olson in town). The first school census (no year is given) listed 79 children, while the enrollment in 1934 was 1,110. I was unable to find the present enrollment, but I believe it is in the 2,800 range. An interesting comment was that the school was experiencing crowded conditions, and there will definitely be a need for more rooms in the future. Some things never seem to change, as a new elementary school is being built south of town (https://dakotaprairie.shutterfly.com/).
The list of seniors include some familiar names: two Adamson girls, Ardell and June (Glenda's aunts?); George Bartling (his daughter was a student of ours a number of years ago); Ruby Berge (David's aunt?); Sylvia Berkland (relative of Arlo and Arlys?); Mildred Duff; Ken Harvey (I believe he was the country treasure for a number of years); Ruth Otterness, Ernest Nussbaum (there was Rollo Nussbaum a couple of years ahead of us); Leone Pittenger (wasn't there a Rev. Pittenger, maybe at the Methodist Church?); Bert Rude ( of Rude's Furniture and Funeral Home family); Orella Telkamp; Archie Vick (Patty's uncle?); and Helen Wilber (Cathy's aunt?).
There were three plays that year: the Jr. Class play, the Sr. class play, and a combined Jr.-Sr. class play. The latter was "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Importance_of_Being_Earnest).
Those two classes had individual pictures, while the freshman and sophomore classes were group pictures of individual homerooms. On closer inspection, the freshman class that year contained a few parents of our classmates: Robert Bates (father of Patsy); Naiem Bozied (father of Tom); Elsie Clark (mother of Emmett Earley, Jr.). Also in that class was Chris Jensen. Would this have been Joe Jensen's father? Joe had an older brother named Chris, so perhaps this would the father of these two.
The football and basketball teams appear to have struggled. The football team was 1-5-1. They beat Yankton, tied Madison, and lost to Milbank, Flandreau, Watertown, Huron, and Sioux Falls. They had trouble finding the end zone, as they were outscored 159-18. The homecoming game was against Watertown on Saturday, Nov. 4. The game must have been played early in the day, as there was a banquet in the Methodist Church after the game. Toasts were given by Harold Burandt, a senior on the team; BHS Coach Coffey; the captain of the Watertown team; Coach Flug (Watertown's coach?); and the principal of Watertown High School. 220 tickets were sold, and the Watertown team was in attendance as the guests of the Bobcats. The dance, which was graced with many Watertown students, was held in the high school gym (the Pit?) after the banquet. Could anyone imagining something like this happening today or when we were in school?
Basketball fared somewhat better, having a 4-9 win-loss record. The annual was printed before the track and field season was completed, but there were about 100 boys out for the sport. Those numbers are extraordinary; the high school today would be doing well to get the same number of participants in a combined boys and girls program.
The intramural program included basketball, volleyball, track and field, and kittenball, a kind of softball (http://hdwebpros.com/blog/the-history-of-kittenball.html ). When David Johnson organized our slo-pitch team after high school, we used a 16 inch ball (it was like playing with a cantaloupe) and played without gloves for a few years. This was known as the "Chicago rules." Within a few years, gloves were allowed (to reduce the number of dislocated, broken, and jammed fingers), and eventually, the smaller 12 inch softball was used.
There was also a new club at school called the 100 mile club. Every day for one week, a boy would run one-half of a mile. Each week after that, he could add another one-half mile, until he was up to a maximum of three miles daily. When he had totaled 100 miles, then he was in the club. If one does the math, a boy might reach that goal in eight weeks. Since jogging became popular in the 60's, could it be said that BHS was the forerunner (no pun intended) of a worldwide phenomena and fitness boom?
Although the girls did not have the opportunity to participate competitively as the boys did, there was the Girls Athletic Association (GAA). Their various activities and sports included ping pong, soccer, basketball, tumbling, baseball, tennis, deck tennis, horseshoes, and hiking. In September, there was treasure hunt that ended in Fishback's pasture. Some of us boys recall playing basketball in the winter in Fishback's barn before we were on the school teams. The sole "open gym" that existed back then was the National Guard Armory, and that was available only on Saturday and Sunday afternoons on three weekends a month. If we wanted to play outside in the winter, we had to play in someone's driveway or go to Fishback's barn. When it was really cold, the choice was not too difficult to make. There was even a light in the barn, so we could play at night if we so desired.
The commercial department offered courses in typing, shorthand, commercial arithmetic, and commercial law. Are similar courses even offered at the high school level anymore?
The conclusion of the school year was highlighted by the Jr. Sr. Banquet and Prom, held in the Hotel Dudley (The Bates Hotel at the corner of 3rd St. and 3rd Ave., just north of the Sawnee and a block west of Main. It was razed in the early 60's).
A couple of interesting items in the yearbook were the Hall of Fame and the High School Commandments. The Hall of Fame consisted of members in these categories: most popular boy and girl; most representative boy and girl; most independent girl; best athlete; wittiest; prettiest girl; peppiest; and Scotchman (http://www.classmates.com/yearbooks/Brookings-High-School/228487?page=72). The commandments, it seems, were meant to be taken with a grain of salt, although for some, they could be taken rather seriously. #5, for example, is "Thou shalt not smoke," while #8 is "Thou shalt not skip thy classes on the days before Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas, nor on the days after" (http://www.classmates.com/yearbooks/Brookings-High-School/228487?page=76). With so much controversy on the naming of school vacation breaks, is it even permissible to mention Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas in a school publication without incurring the wrath of someone who may be offended by such terminology?
The list of seniors include some familiar names: two Adamson girls, Ardell and June (Glenda's aunts?); George Bartling (his daughter was a student of ours a number of years ago); Ruby Berge (David's aunt?); Sylvia Berkland (relative of Arlo and Arlys?); Mildred Duff; Ken Harvey (I believe he was the country treasure for a number of years); Ruth Otterness, Ernest Nussbaum (there was Rollo Nussbaum a couple of years ahead of us); Leone Pittenger (wasn't there a Rev. Pittenger, maybe at the Methodist Church?); Bert Rude ( of Rude's Furniture and Funeral Home family); Orella Telkamp; Archie Vick (Patty's uncle?); and Helen Wilber (Cathy's aunt?).
There were three plays that year: the Jr. Class play, the Sr. class play, and a combined Jr.-Sr. class play. The latter was "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Importance_of_Being_Earnest).
Those two classes had individual pictures, while the freshman and sophomore classes were group pictures of individual homerooms. On closer inspection, the freshman class that year contained a few parents of our classmates: Robert Bates (father of Patsy); Naiem Bozied (father of Tom); Elsie Clark (mother of Emmett Earley, Jr.). Also in that class was Chris Jensen. Would this have been Joe Jensen's father? Joe had an older brother named Chris, so perhaps this would the father of these two.
The football and basketball teams appear to have struggled. The football team was 1-5-1. They beat Yankton, tied Madison, and lost to Milbank, Flandreau, Watertown, Huron, and Sioux Falls. They had trouble finding the end zone, as they were outscored 159-18. The homecoming game was against Watertown on Saturday, Nov. 4. The game must have been played early in the day, as there was a banquet in the Methodist Church after the game. Toasts were given by Harold Burandt, a senior on the team; BHS Coach Coffey; the captain of the Watertown team; Coach Flug (Watertown's coach?); and the principal of Watertown High School. 220 tickets were sold, and the Watertown team was in attendance as the guests of the Bobcats. The dance, which was graced with many Watertown students, was held in the high school gym (the Pit?) after the banquet. Could anyone imagining something like this happening today or when we were in school?
Basketball fared somewhat better, having a 4-9 win-loss record. The annual was printed before the track and field season was completed, but there were about 100 boys out for the sport. Those numbers are extraordinary; the high school today would be doing well to get the same number of participants in a combined boys and girls program.
The intramural program included basketball, volleyball, track and field, and kittenball, a kind of softball (http://hdwebpros.com/blog/the-history-of-kittenball.html ). When David Johnson organized our slo-pitch team after high school, we used a 16 inch ball (it was like playing with a cantaloupe) and played without gloves for a few years. This was known as the "Chicago rules." Within a few years, gloves were allowed (to reduce the number of dislocated, broken, and jammed fingers), and eventually, the smaller 12 inch softball was used.
There was also a new club at school called the 100 mile club. Every day for one week, a boy would run one-half of a mile. Each week after that, he could add another one-half mile, until he was up to a maximum of three miles daily. When he had totaled 100 miles, then he was in the club. If one does the math, a boy might reach that goal in eight weeks. Since jogging became popular in the 60's, could it be said that BHS was the forerunner (no pun intended) of a worldwide phenomena and fitness boom?
Although the girls did not have the opportunity to participate competitively as the boys did, there was the Girls Athletic Association (GAA). Their various activities and sports included ping pong, soccer, basketball, tumbling, baseball, tennis, deck tennis, horseshoes, and hiking. In September, there was treasure hunt that ended in Fishback's pasture. Some of us boys recall playing basketball in the winter in Fishback's barn before we were on the school teams. The sole "open gym" that existed back then was the National Guard Armory, and that was available only on Saturday and Sunday afternoons on three weekends a month. If we wanted to play outside in the winter, we had to play in someone's driveway or go to Fishback's barn. When it was really cold, the choice was not too difficult to make. There was even a light in the barn, so we could play at night if we so desired.
The commercial department offered courses in typing, shorthand, commercial arithmetic, and commercial law. Are similar courses even offered at the high school level anymore?
The conclusion of the school year was highlighted by the Jr. Sr. Banquet and Prom, held in the Hotel Dudley (The Bates Hotel at the corner of 3rd St. and 3rd Ave., just north of the Sawnee and a block west of Main. It was razed in the early 60's).
A couple of interesting items in the yearbook were the Hall of Fame and the High School Commandments. The Hall of Fame consisted of members in these categories: most popular boy and girl; most representative boy and girl; most independent girl; best athlete; wittiest; prettiest girl; peppiest; and Scotchman (http://www.classmates.com/yearbooks/Brookings-High-School/228487?page=72). The commandments, it seems, were meant to be taken with a grain of salt, although for some, they could be taken rather seriously. #5, for example, is "Thou shalt not smoke," while #8 is "Thou shalt not skip thy classes on the days before Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas, nor on the days after" (http://www.classmates.com/yearbooks/Brookings-High-School/228487?page=76). With so much controversy on the naming of school vacation breaks, is it even permissible to mention Thanksgiving, Easter, and Christmas in a school publication without incurring the wrath of someone who may be offended by such terminology?
Monday, November 17, 2014
Mr. Gibbons, Famous Actor
Is any 1960's stroll down BHS Memory Lane complete without a story about Mr. Gibbons? I don't think so! Did you know, for example, that Mr. Gibbons also performed improv theater while coaching football? Read on...
In the waning seconds of a closely-fought Watertown football game, we Bobcats were leading 7-6, which turned out to be the final score...but just barely.
Watertown was driving, on the Brookings 20-yard line. They called a timeout with about a minute to go. If they could get a first down, they could sustain the drive. In those days, only ONE player per team could come to the sideline and talk to the coach during a timeout. More than one would be a penalty, and such a penalty against the Bobcats would give Watertown crucial yardage and a first down. TWO of our defensive players headed for Mr. Gibbons for instructions. Yes, TWO, as in one too many. Mr. Gibbons saw the problem and started waving and yelling for one to go back to the huddle. Both guys kept a-comin'. An official was nearby, hand on flag, ready to toss.
Mr. Gibbons quickly came up with a plan. He randomly grabbed some startled player from the bench, shoved him onto the field of play, and told him to go join the huddle. When the other two players got to the sideline, Mr. Gibbons grabbed one of them and wordlessly tossed his surprised butt onto the bench. Mr. Gibbons was --see, Mr. Official,see?-- making a SUBSTITUTION during that timeout. Honest, Mr. Official, honest!
Mr. Gibbons then calmly went back to that second guy who had come to the sideline, chatting with him for the rest of the timeout. The official either bought the substitution subterfuge, or just plain enjoyed the comedy routine. He took his hand off the flag and walked away. Close call, no penalty, we stopped the drive, and won the game, in large part due to Mr. Gibbons' improv-theater skills.
Do you suppose there is an acting-class credit somewhere on Mr. Gibbons' college transcript? If so, it paid off that night in Watertown.
In the waning seconds of a closely-fought Watertown football game, we Bobcats were leading 7-6, which turned out to be the final score...but just barely.
Watertown was driving, on the Brookings 20-yard line. They called a timeout with about a minute to go. If they could get a first down, they could sustain the drive. In those days, only ONE player per team could come to the sideline and talk to the coach during a timeout. More than one would be a penalty, and such a penalty against the Bobcats would give Watertown crucial yardage and a first down. TWO of our defensive players headed for Mr. Gibbons for instructions. Yes, TWO, as in one too many. Mr. Gibbons saw the problem and started waving and yelling for one to go back to the huddle. Both guys kept a-comin'. An official was nearby, hand on flag, ready to toss.
Mr. Gibbons quickly came up with a plan. He randomly grabbed some startled player from the bench, shoved him onto the field of play, and told him to go join the huddle. When the other two players got to the sideline, Mr. Gibbons grabbed one of them and wordlessly tossed his surprised butt onto the bench. Mr. Gibbons was --see, Mr. Official,see?-- making a SUBSTITUTION during that timeout. Honest, Mr. Official, honest!
Mr. Gibbons then calmly went back to that second guy who had come to the sideline, chatting with him for the rest of the timeout. The official either bought the substitution subterfuge, or just plain enjoyed the comedy routine. He took his hand off the flag and walked away. Close call, no penalty, we stopped the drive, and won the game, in large part due to Mr. Gibbons' improv-theater skills.
Do you suppose there is an acting-class credit somewhere on Mr. Gibbons' college transcript? If so, it paid off that night in Watertown.
"Oklahoma" Revisited
Thinking once again about activities that were common to several classes of mid-'60s BHS students, the 1968 musical "Oklahoma" comes to mind. A check of 1968 yearbook pages 94-97 shows teachers and students of at least three classes pooling talents for the first BHS musical in many years. Was it the first BHS musical ever? Does anyone know of an earlier one? [This is where historian-extraordinaire Johnny I. enters the nearest phone booth, appearing seconds later wearing tights and a cape. He leaps. "Look! Up in the sky! It's.... SUPERmemoryMAN!"]
Back to "Oklahoma." Did you know....
....that we nearly had no period costumes for many of the "Oklahoma" actors? A week or so before the first performance, boxes of stock costumes and props from New York City had not arrived. A fire at a NYC post office building had delayed, and nearly consumed, our shipment. The boxes arrived just in time, several of which were scorched and sooty on the outside.
....that Lynda Bailey, who played Laurey to John Richards' Curley, attended a performance of "Oklahoma" at BHS in the 1990s and found out that they used the original backdrop and yellow house from 1968? Now that is quality construction, folks! Anyone here work on that set in 1968?
....that, as the vocal director and executive producer of the whole operation, Mr. Kline was one stressed-out guy by opening night? I don't recall noticing, though. Toward the end of the last performance, I mentioned to him backstage what a feather in his cap this production was, what a great memory he would have of his efforts, and was he not very proud? He shook his head and said how relieved he was that it was almost over; he had no idea when he suggested the musical, and offered to lead it, just how much work it would be.
....that there was actually VIDEO of one of the performances? A teacher had access to one of those new-fangled video tape machines. The machine was a monstrosity, but I remember being pleased, as was the basketball team a year later (Johnny I. mentioned this in an earlier blog), at how quickly a performance/game could be reviewed. The "Oklahoma" video vanished at some point. An attempt to locate it twenty years later turned up nothing.
....that the orchestra, down in that bona fide orchestra pit in that swanky new auditorium, was a top-notch bunch of high school musicians? June Williams led the way as first-violin concertmaster. A Brookings Register letter to the editor several days later pointed out the exceptional polish of that group. How great would it be to have that video tape today and be impressed all over again with that talented orchestra! Anyone here play in that orchestra?
....that, several weeks before the BHS "Oklahoma," cast and crew took buses to Marshall, MN, to watch Marshall High School perform the same musical? What a great way to get familiar with a show! Most impressive was the effort of the Brookings theater owner, ????, [Johnny I., help me out here] who, at his own expense, ordered up a matinee showing of the film version for cast and crew. We were prepared performers and producers by showtime!
There you have it. More memories of BHS teamwork and excellence, late '60's style!
Back to "Oklahoma." Did you know....
....that we nearly had no period costumes for many of the "Oklahoma" actors? A week or so before the first performance, boxes of stock costumes and props from New York City had not arrived. A fire at a NYC post office building had delayed, and nearly consumed, our shipment. The boxes arrived just in time, several of which were scorched and sooty on the outside.
....that Lynda Bailey, who played Laurey to John Richards' Curley, attended a performance of "Oklahoma" at BHS in the 1990s and found out that they used the original backdrop and yellow house from 1968? Now that is quality construction, folks! Anyone here work on that set in 1968?
....that, as the vocal director and executive producer of the whole operation, Mr. Kline was one stressed-out guy by opening night? I don't recall noticing, though. Toward the end of the last performance, I mentioned to him backstage what a feather in his cap this production was, what a great memory he would have of his efforts, and was he not very proud? He shook his head and said how relieved he was that it was almost over; he had no idea when he suggested the musical, and offered to lead it, just how much work it would be.
....that there was actually VIDEO of one of the performances? A teacher had access to one of those new-fangled video tape machines. The machine was a monstrosity, but I remember being pleased, as was the basketball team a year later (Johnny I. mentioned this in an earlier blog), at how quickly a performance/game could be reviewed. The "Oklahoma" video vanished at some point. An attempt to locate it twenty years later turned up nothing.
....that the orchestra, down in that bona fide orchestra pit in that swanky new auditorium, was a top-notch bunch of high school musicians? June Williams led the way as first-violin concertmaster. A Brookings Register letter to the editor several days later pointed out the exceptional polish of that group. How great would it be to have that video tape today and be impressed all over again with that talented orchestra! Anyone here play in that orchestra?
....that, several weeks before the BHS "Oklahoma," cast and crew took buses to Marshall, MN, to watch Marshall High School perform the same musical? What a great way to get familiar with a show! Most impressive was the effort of the Brookings theater owner, ????, [Johnny I., help me out here] who, at his own expense, ordered up a matinee showing of the film version for cast and crew. We were prepared performers and producers by showtime!
There you have it. More memories of BHS teamwork and excellence, late '60's style!
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Old Yearbooks-1933
Was going to look more closely at some of the old yearbooks. It seems, though, that the site that has them for viewing has changed their policy somewhat. The pages had been displayed so that they could be rather easily read. Now, though, the size of the page has been cut down, so it is almost possible for an old codger like me to discern anything of importance in that small print. Will keep trying to see if this difficulty can be overcome.
You may have noticed that one of our new followers has had some wonderful posts. What a refreshing respite from the boring, hum-drum, babblings that have been the norm. We are pleased that he has joined us, and encourage any others to contribute little-known, well-known, or long-forgotten tales and sagas that might be pertinent. It's easy to comment, too, on these posts. If you feel that there is some misinformation, or that you can enhance and clarify some important points, please do so. Memories can get distorted over the years.
Was able to enlarge the print of the 1933 Bobcat (http://www.classmates.com/yearbooks/Brookings-High-School/230664?page=0). The school board had five members. The president was I. J. Bibby, a familiar name to many of us. His daughter Mary Ellen was a senior that year. Also on the board was E. R. Bartling, owner of Bartling's Furniture. His son Lawrence, too, was a senior, and would be on the the school board some 20 years later in the 50's. In the back of the yearbook are some pages devoted to humor. One such joke concerns Lawrence, or, as he was generally known around Brookings, Lorne. In order to get the humor of this story, it needs to be remembered that furniture stores were usually the funeral parlors because they would make the caskets. The joke is in the form of a conversation.
"Now I want Lawrence to have a thoroughly modern
and up-to-date education," said Mrs. Bartling,
"including Latin."
"Yes, of course," said the headmaster, "though Latin,
as you know, is a dead language."
"Well, all the better," said Mrs. Bartling. "He is going
to be an undertaker."
In addition to Lawrence Bartling and Mary Ellen Bibby, some of the other seniors that may have some familiarity with us are Sadie Bortnem, Dan Finn, Bob Flittie, Anna Gunsalus, Helga Hegg, Charlotte Kabrud, Herbert Lakeman, Robert Lombard, Lemuel Melcher, Cecil Sanderson, and George Sterud. Cecil Sanderson was the father of a number of Sandersons, including Laun, class of 68, and Jan, class of 70 (http://eidsnessfuneralhome.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=338670). Herbert Lakeman was the father of Doug, class of 63, and Patty, class of 68. The Lakemans were our next-door neighbors for about 10 years. Both he and my father worked for the same company, James Wholesale, as did Lemuel "Sox" Melcher (http://rudesfuneralhome.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=341256). Wasn't there a Wendy Melcher a year ahead of us when we were in Jr. Hi.?
Bobcat Day in 1932 was on Nov. 11. Unfortunately, the weather then must have been similar to the weather we are having presently, as the football game with Huron was cancelled due to the stormy conditions.
An interesting entry was the mention of an all-school dance, which was initiated the previous year. The student organizations listed were Latin club, Drama club, GAA, French club, Student Council, Broboca, Senior Sports Society, Monogram club (which only began in 1931), FFA, Commercial Department, and Debate. There were three plays: a Jr.-Sr. class play, a Jr. class play, and a Sr. class play. There was also an operetta. The basketball team finished runners-up to Marion in the state tournament (there was only one class at that time), losing 30-28. Lorne Bartling was an all-state player. Lorne had some younger brothers who also were talented athletes. The track record board listed Kabrud as a member of the half-mile relay team that set the standard in 1932. This must be Harley, our 7th grade geography teacher and father of Chip, class of 68. Also on that team was Wayne Albright, holder of the school record in the 220 yard dash. Would Bill Albright of the class of 68 be his son? Any relation to Carmen, also of the class of 68, and her brother Gerry of our class? One event that is no longer contested is the football throw. Don Loban holds the record at 166' 2 1/2". That's a little over half the length of the field. How would that stack up today?
You may have noticed that one of our new followers has had some wonderful posts. What a refreshing respite from the boring, hum-drum, babblings that have been the norm. We are pleased that he has joined us, and encourage any others to contribute little-known, well-known, or long-forgotten tales and sagas that might be pertinent. It's easy to comment, too, on these posts. If you feel that there is some misinformation, or that you can enhance and clarify some important points, please do so. Memories can get distorted over the years.
Was able to enlarge the print of the 1933 Bobcat (http://www.classmates.com/yearbooks/Brookings-High-School/230664?page=0). The school board had five members. The president was I. J. Bibby, a familiar name to many of us. His daughter Mary Ellen was a senior that year. Also on the board was E. R. Bartling, owner of Bartling's Furniture. His son Lawrence, too, was a senior, and would be on the the school board some 20 years later in the 50's. In the back of the yearbook are some pages devoted to humor. One such joke concerns Lawrence, or, as he was generally known around Brookings, Lorne. In order to get the humor of this story, it needs to be remembered that furniture stores were usually the funeral parlors because they would make the caskets. The joke is in the form of a conversation.
"Now I want Lawrence to have a thoroughly modern
and up-to-date education," said Mrs. Bartling,
"including Latin."
"Yes, of course," said the headmaster, "though Latin,
as you know, is a dead language."
"Well, all the better," said Mrs. Bartling. "He is going
to be an undertaker."
In addition to Lawrence Bartling and Mary Ellen Bibby, some of the other seniors that may have some familiarity with us are Sadie Bortnem, Dan Finn, Bob Flittie, Anna Gunsalus, Helga Hegg, Charlotte Kabrud, Herbert Lakeman, Robert Lombard, Lemuel Melcher, Cecil Sanderson, and George Sterud. Cecil Sanderson was the father of a number of Sandersons, including Laun, class of 68, and Jan, class of 70 (http://eidsnessfuneralhome.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=338670). Herbert Lakeman was the father of Doug, class of 63, and Patty, class of 68. The Lakemans were our next-door neighbors for about 10 years. Both he and my father worked for the same company, James Wholesale, as did Lemuel "Sox" Melcher (http://rudesfuneralhome.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=341256). Wasn't there a Wendy Melcher a year ahead of us when we were in Jr. Hi.?
Bobcat Day in 1932 was on Nov. 11. Unfortunately, the weather then must have been similar to the weather we are having presently, as the football game with Huron was cancelled due to the stormy conditions.
An interesting entry was the mention of an all-school dance, which was initiated the previous year. The student organizations listed were Latin club, Drama club, GAA, French club, Student Council, Broboca, Senior Sports Society, Monogram club (which only began in 1931), FFA, Commercial Department, and Debate. There were three plays: a Jr.-Sr. class play, a Jr. class play, and a Sr. class play. There was also an operetta. The basketball team finished runners-up to Marion in the state tournament (there was only one class at that time), losing 30-28. Lorne Bartling was an all-state player. Lorne had some younger brothers who also were talented athletes. The track record board listed Kabrud as a member of the half-mile relay team that set the standard in 1932. This must be Harley, our 7th grade geography teacher and father of Chip, class of 68. Also on that team was Wayne Albright, holder of the school record in the 220 yard dash. Would Bill Albright of the class of 68 be his son? Any relation to Carmen, also of the class of 68, and her brother Gerry of our class? One event that is no longer contested is the football throw. Don Loban holds the record at 166' 2 1/2". That's a little over half the length of the field. How would that stack up today?
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