1941 Yearbook

The 1941 Bobcat (http://www.classmates.com/yearbooks/Brookings-High-School/122643?page=0) was quite a departure from previous yearbooks.  The cover was rather intriguing.  In most other years, the cover was rather plain, perhaps some geometric design and an outline of a Bobcat.  This year's cover, though, has an outline of a tree (oak?) with three or four diagonal slices to represent the seasons.  Much of the tree is bare, signifying the fall after the leaves have fallen; a smaller section is covered in snow to symbolize the winter; and a similar sized section is leafing out to represent the spring.

The annual is dedicated to Mr. C. D. "Prof" Franklin, who had directed the music department for the last twelve years.  Would Arne B. Larson have replaced him?  The other teachers we would know would be Mr. Bell, Mr. Horrigan, and possibly Mr. Herold.

Some of the seniors that year were parents of some of our classmates, while others may have been aunts and uncles.  Do any of these names ring a bell?  Don Ahern, Margaret Allstot, Joe Berge,  Roger "Budd" Billings, Chester Bortnem, Dean Christie, Margaret DeBlonk, Betty Jean DeWitt, Gordon Duff, Bruce Miller, Robert Norton, Violet Prussman, Betty Ray, Robert Sexauer, Ivan Steen, Wayne "Husker" Steen, Esther Sterud, Lyle Stewart, and Dale Wagner.

There was a Cherylnn (sic) Ahern a year ahead of us.  Could Don have been her father?  I seem to recall seeing that family at church and catechism classes.  Roger Billings was the father of Beth Billings, wife of Tom Bozied.  He was an outstanding athlete, earning 12 letters in football, basketball, and track and field.  To the best of my knowledge, he was the first athlete to accomplish this feat.  Gordon Duff was on the school board in the mid-60's.  The 1967 annual states "This was the year that each school board member presented his son or daughter with a diploma."  The other member of the board that year were Joseph Thelen, Marvin Scholten, D. E. Kratochvil, and Charles Roberts.  Can you recall the names of their sons/daughters who graduated that year?  If you don't have an annual handy, you could give this link a try--http://www.classmates.com/yearbooks/Brookings-High-School/24964?page=0.

 Lyle Stewart was the owner of Stewart's Construction in Brookings for almost 40 years (http://rudesfuneralhome.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=341838).  Chester Bortnem and Dean Christie must be related to the numerous and talented Bortnem and Christie students who traversed the halls of BHS during the 60's and 70's.  Margaret DeBlonk, Betty Jean DeWitt, Violet Prussman, and Esther Sterud are likely to be related to some of our classmates.

A few of our parents were seniors that year.  Bruce Miller is the father of Steve in our class.  He was a physics professor at SDSU, and was also a member of the Prairie Striders Running Club, so we became rather well-acquainted in the 70's.  He was one who preferred to wear no socks with his running shoes, even when it was 20 below.  He helped to measure some courses for the local road races.  With his background, he was as painstakingly accurate in his measurements (http://eidsnessfuneralhome.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=338774). Wayne "Husker" Steen is the father of Teresa.  He was a long-time employee at the Post Office, manning the front window for many years.  He appears to have been quite the athlete in high school (http://rudesfuneralhome.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=342042).  Robert Sexauer is from the Sexauer family and was a well-known and respected individual throughout the area (http://eidsnessfuneralhome.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=338689).  

Robert Norton is the grandfather to four of my nieces and nephews.  He worked in the clothing business for a number of years, and was good friends with "Buck" Connelly, Robyn's father.

Bobcat Day of the 1940-41 school year appears to have been greeted by the infamous "Armistice Day Blizzard"  (http://www.classmates.com/yearbooks/Brookings-High-School/122643?page=30;  http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dvn/?n=armistice_day_blizzard).  Judging by the background, the dance looks as if it were held in the "Pit."

Since the next annual listed is the 1945 edition, it may be appropriate to list any juniors, sophomores, and freshmen who may have connections to our class.

The freshmen include Robert Bartling, Norman Hendricks, Harvey Mills, James Moriarty, Cliff Kellogg, Clayton Sloat, Dean Sanderson, and Ivan Sundal.  Mr. Bartling was a son of the original owners of Bartling's Furniture and Funeral Home.  He and his older brother Lawrence ran the store while we were growing up, (http://eidsnessfuneralhome.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=339179) and were very active in the local running club, the Prairie Striders, which originated in the late 60's..  We were about the age of many of their children.

Harvey Mills was also active in the Prairie Striders.  In his later years, he turned to cycling, and did very well on the national level.  He started Mills Construction, and built many of the houses in East Acres, the area east of Hillcrest Elementary School.  The business is still around, and has branched out into apartments and rental units.

James Moriarty was a brother of John Moriarty, the owner of a number of businesses in Brookings, including Ben Franklin and Campus Pharmacy.  Cliff Kellogg, I believe, was the father of Wayne, who was a year ahead of us, Stuart, a year behind us, and Stephanie, three years behind us.  Dean Sanderson was a brother of Cecil, father of Reed, Mark, Kwen, Laun, Jan, Terry, Joy, and Dell.  Ivan Sundal's daughter Julie was three years behind us in school.  It appears that many of us had younger brothers and sisters in that same class.

At least three of our parents were in that freshman class, also.  Norman Hendricks (http://rudesfuneralhome.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=341390) was the father of Nancy.  Clayton Sloat is the father of Donna.  Marilyn Steinlicht is the mother of Glenda Adamson (http://rapidcityjournal.com/obits/adamson-marilyn/article_a62c081c-4d98-566e-8dcd-19362885311f.html). 

In that sophomore class was Glenda's father and husband of Marilyn Steilicht, Royal Adamson.  Also in that class was a Wanda Hanson.  I believe the maiden name of Brad Rufer's mother was Wanda Hanson.  Could this be his mother?  There was also a Randall Otteson; would he be Alan's father?  Marion Johnston (http://eidsnessfuneralhome.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=339184) was the father of Pam in our class, and Greg, who was a year ahead of us.  Their younger sister Jodi was a student of mine in the late 70's, early 80's.  Mr. Johnston worked at Sokota Hybrids, which was located on 2nd Street South near Medary.  My Minneapolis paper route in the early 60's was in that neighborhood, and Mr. Johnston was the person who paid me when it was time to collect.

While doing some research on Pam's father, I noticed he had a sister Kathryn, who married Charles Chester (http://eidsnessfuneralhome.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=339131), who was a junior that year.  One of Charles' sisters was Myrth Rae, who would have graduated in 1938.  We knew her as Mrs. Brchan.  Her daughter Julie was a year ahead of us.  In the '66 and '67 annuals, she is pictured as the typing teacher.  She later became the librarian at the Middle School when the "new" high school was built.  Had I known she graduated from BHS in 1938, I would have picked her brain, as we taught in the same building until her retirement.  Sadly, she passed away nine years ago (http://www.rudesfuneralhome.com/sitemaker/sites/RudesF1/obit.cgi?user=1261_MBrchan172). 

In addition to Mr. Chester, some of the juniors who may be of interest include Betty Jean and Elizabeth Buller (aunts of David and Diane?), Virgil Eclov (Mark Eclov was a year ahead of us), Glen Frie (brother of Sandy Frie?), Ed Gilbert (would this be "Slim"Gilbert, a policeman or probation officer when we were in school?), Robert Langner (http://rudesfuneralhome.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=1340894),  father-in-law of Mike McClemans, Marjorie LeFevre (of the Lefevre Motors family?), Joe Moriarty, and Fred Sylvis.  There was a Sylvis family in the 50's that lived at 206 6th Avenue, across the street from my family , and just a couple of blocks south of Central Elementary.