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'58
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Bud
Keen, I has been buggy me to
organize a 75th reunion. No one has stepped forward to
take on that responsibility.
In August of 2022, I sent out a blanket email trying to interest
people in having a "Zoom Reunion." Eleven (11)
results have all been positive.
The good news is that by sending out my old MtL
email list, I have heard from at last count, 11 people. The classmates
that I list as "Active" may not be. A large portion of them are probably
deceased. I have to assume, this
late in our life journey, that if I haven't heard from them or about them in the
last 15 years they are deceased. Per a
1948 actuary table a white, male or female, born in 1930, had a life expectancy
of 58 years! This confirms my concerns about the validity of my "Active"
list.
I'll keep you up to date on a Zoom meeting as I
work on the project. - August 2022.
75th REUNION INFORMATION:
Probably will not happen with the death of
Bob Woeber,
the COVID-19 pandemic and no one is willing and / or able to put one
together. Unless someone volunteers to organize
one we will not be scheduling one.
Best I can
do for a reunion.
65TH REUNION:
65th
REUNION, August 24th, 2013 at South Hills Country Club
Click on images to enlarge them
Adele Moslener and
Joan O'Hanlon Rice |
Ann Pritchard Evanson
(deceased)
and
Anne Mosites Miller |
Bob
Nungesser and Patty (both deceased) |
Bill Lurty |
Bob Woeber (deceased),
Kae Simmonds Thomas and Margy
Woeber |
Bud Stevenson
(deceased)
and Eileen |
Bud Stevenson
(deceased)
and Music Man |
Charlie Enlind
and Nora Bell |
Eileen Buckley Lang,
Ruth Osborne Rouleau and Will |
Ellie and
Bob Lund
(deceased) |
Herky and Nancy Dawes |
Jackie
Gardner Conklin and Ellie Lund |
Janice Smith Riggs and
Ray Ferarro
(deceased) |
Jeanne Vayda
(deceased)
McCallum,
Mary Murrie Hardy and
Marg Degiavanni Colella |
Joan OHanlon Rice and
Adele Moslener |
Kathy Mullen Kirby and
Myra Ortolf Hancock |
Margy and
Bob Woeber (deceased) |
Marty McVay Hills and Bob |
Bob (deceased) and
Mary Murrie
Hardy |
Chuck Vogel and Brenda |
Mitzie Fantl
Murphy, Nancy
Godden and
Nancy
Gregory Detwiler |
Mitzie Fantl
Murphy |
Myra Ortolf
Hancock and partry |
Pat (Sister) and
Nancy Gregory
Detwiler |
Olive Timothy Blattner
and
Marg Degiavanni Colella |
 |
Nancy Gregory Detwiler,
Marg Degiavanni Colella,
Ray Ferarro (deceased),
Mary Murrie Hardy,
Ann Bowman
McClymonds,
Nancy
Godden,
Jeanne Vayda
(deceased) McCallum,
Ann Pritchard Evanson
(deceased) and
Suzanne Divine Williams |
Ray Ferarro
(deceased) and
Bud Stevenson
(deceased)
and Eileen |
Ray Ferarro
(deceased)
singing Black Bird |
Sherwood Richardson
(deceased)
and Peggie and
Ellie and
Bob Lund
(deceased) |
Peggie and
Sherwood Richardson
(deceased)
|
Suzanne Divine Williams
and
Ann Bowman McClymonds |
Nancy Gregory Detwiler,
Margy
Woeber,
Jackie
Gardner Conklin and
Anne Mosites Miller |
 |
Suzanne Divine Williams,
Jeanne Vayda
(deceased)
McCallum,
Ann Bowman McClymonds,
Anne Mosites Miller,
Ann Pritchard Evanson
(deceased),
Mary
Murrie Hardy and
Nancy
Godden |
|
Bob Woeber's
(deceased)
Keynote speech:
Is
this great or what?
65
years since we sat in the high school
stadium while Phil Prutzman and his band played Wagner and we got our diplomas.
Over 65 years since most of Us met and became friends..... (There are 5
people in this room that I have known for 75 years!)........65 years
since we all started off to college or wherever was next...... In college, some
of us did better than others........The closest that I ever got to a 4.0
was probably my blood alcohol content.
Well, I don’t know how we got here so
fast....but we have survived this long in spite of everything that has happened
to us since then... And we are now where we stop lying about our age and start
bragging about it.............Oh there are still a few who would like to turn
back the odometer...........Not me!....I want people to know why I look this
way......I have a lot of miles on me and a few dents and several spare
parts..........But I'm still pretty functional for such an old model.
Boy, reunions always generate memories, don't
they?...Like when the worst thing that you could do at school was smoke in the
restroom, flunk a test, chew gum......Or get caught downtown by Mrs.
Gordon.......When our prom was held in the gymnasium and we danced to an
orchestra and stayed out all night. .....After school we usually went to Isaly's
or Gardner's record shop............Or to little Joe's.
Looking back, it's hard to believe that we have
lived as long as we have, given the fact that our cribs were painted with lead
based paint....We rode our bikes without helmets...We drove cars without seat
.belts....We played dodge ball, softball, basketball, soccer.....Without
adult supervision! .....W\we got hurt sometimes,...Even broke some
bones.....And nobody sued anybody!
We didn't have play stations, video games, much
less cell phones........We had friends and we found a lot to do....Yes,
we got into trouble once in a while .....And when we did, we knew better than to
ask our parents to bail us out.....Who needed another dose?
Things are different now.....Our lives have
changed......6:00 am is when I get up....Not when I get home. Most of us watch
jeopardy with its geriatric commercials, and the movie channel, instead of
reality shows and poor sitcoms...Dinner and a movie is the whole evening, not
just the beginning of it.
Well, we've made it this far in spite of
everything and I'm damned glad to be here...I'm glad that you are here
and I wish that more of us who really wanted to come, could be here, but
you all made it. So now, let's have a great reunion. We've earned it!
Bob.
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60TH REUNION:In response to
numerous requests from shy people, not all pictures are
"Thumbnails", click on image to enlarge it if a little
hand appears when you pass the cursor over the image.
Miscellaneous Mt
Lebanon High School and South Hills Country Club Pictures
Miscellaneous
Pictures from yesteryear:
    
Bob Woeber (deceased)
| As a Child |
Teenager |
Resumé
photo |
Age 65 |
Mid-life crisis |
60th
REUNION, August 23rd, 2008 at South Hills Country Club was a hoot
58
Classmates & 34 Spouses
signed up,
Mary Murrie
&
Ann Mosites
did a fabulous job on the flowers!
Bob Woeber
(deceased) did a super
fabulous job on the Reunion!
Thanks to all that helped make it a rousing success!
|
The following attended the Dinner: |
Saturday afternoon picnic at Mt Lebanon Rec
Center
Mary Murrie
arranged great food.
Before the event,
Bob Woeber
(deceased), said, "You can't miss it!"
Bill Stanley and friends almost did.
|
The following attended the Picnic: |
Peter's Place Friday Night
Was very well attended with over 50 Alumni and spouses attending
Only downside was that
Bud Stevenson
(deceased)
didn't
sing.
|
The following attended the All-Class
Reunion: |
"*" indicates: "+ a spouse or guest"
Marty McVay (Hills) provided
this: Class
Reunions
Every ten years, as
summertime nears,
An announcement arrives in the mail,
A reunion is planned, it'll be really grand,
Make plans to attend without fail.
I'll never forget the
first time we met;
We tried so hard to impress.
We drove fancy cars, smoked big cigars,
And wore our most elegant dress.
It was quite an affair;
the whole class was there.
It was held at a fancy hotel.
We wined, and we dined, and we acted refined,
And everyone thought it was swell.
The men all conversed
about who had been first
To achieve great fortune and fame.
Meanwhile, their spouses described their fine houses
And how beautiful their children became.
The homecoming queen,
who once had been lean,
Now weighed in at one‑ninety‑six.
The jocks who were there had all lost their hair,
And the cheerleaders could no longer do kicks.
No one had heard about
the class nerd
Who'd guided a spacecraft to the moon;
Or poor little Jane, who's always been plain;
She married a shipping tycoon.
The boy we'd decreed
"most apt to succeed"
Was serving ten years in the pen,
While the one voted "least" now was a priest;
Just shows you can be wrong now and then.
They awarded a prize to
one of the guys
Who seemed to have aged the least.
Another was given to the grad who had driven
The farthest to attend the feast.
They took a class
picture, a curious mixture
Of beehives, crew cuts and wide ties.
Tall, short, or skinny, the style was the mini;
You never saw so many thighs.
At our next
get‑together, no one cared whether
They impressed their classmates or not.
The mood was informal, a whole lot more normal;
By this time we'd all gone to pot.
It was held
out‑of‑doors, at the lake shores;
We ate hamburgers, coleslaw, and beans.
Then most of us lay around in the shade,
In our comfortable T‑shirts and jeans.
By the fortieth year,
it was abundantly clear,
We were definitely over the hill.
Those who weren't dead had to crawl out of bed,
And be home in time for their pill.
And now I can't wait as
they've set the date;
Our sixtieth is coming, I'm told.
It should be a ball, they've rented a hall
At the Shady Rest Home for the old.
Repairs have been made
on my old hearing aid;
My pacemaker's been turned up on high.
My wheelchair is oiled, and my teeth have been boiled;
And I've bought a new wig and glass
eye.!
I'm feeling quite
hearty; I'm ready to party,
I'll dance until dawn's early light.
It'll be lots of fun; and I hope at least one
Other person
can make it that night.
Sally Fellows O'Connor (deceased),
Ann Mosites Miller,
Mary Murrie Hardy,
Bob Ott (deceased),
Sherwood Richardson
(deceased)
,
Bud Stevenson
(deceased) and
Bob Woeber
(deceased)
did a great planning job.
1958 NEWSLETTER:
CLASS of ’48 – Information as of 1958
I "discovered" this in March of 2011 and added all the
information to each individual Classmate
INTRODUCTION:
Dear Classmates; I would like to thank
Sue &
Jim Griffith
(Both deceased),
Ann Pritchard
(deceased)
Evanson /Valicenti,
Bud Stevenson
(deceased),
Ray Ferraro
(deceased)
and all others that worked so hard to arrange our class reunion.
For those who were not present I'd like to say that you missed an
enjoyable evening. Ten years is a long time to be away from a group
of friends and then find yourself back with them again. I couldn't
begin to describe the evening, so come see for yourself in 1968.
I also would like
to thank those who answered the postcards requesting information.
Your interesting letters have made this Newsletter worthwhile to me
and I hope worthwhile to others. If, after you look over this
paper, you find that you have additional information to add or new
addresses to supply, please do so. I'd like to pass this on to
those that have no address for and if enough additional news, is
received I may issue a supplement in the future. Send information
to me. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Bill Erdman
STATISTICS: (from
letters received only) Married 38, Spinsters 1, Bachelors 2,
Children: Boys 19, Girls 32, Unknown model 2, Dogs, 13 Cats 9.
The dog count is courtesy of
Bill
Lurty
Therefore, if you
are an average ‘48 graduate in 1858 you are 92.7% married, have 1.34
children (.5
a boy and .83 a
girl) plus .342 dogs and .0237 cats.
The only additions I made
were to add links to their individual page and mark if they were
deceased as of April, 1, 2011.
INFORMATION from 1958
-
PAT ACOSTA Wiederman went to
Monmouth College for 3 semesters then transferred to Penn State,
Graduated with an Education Major. Married following
Graduation. Taught kindergarten for a year. Children:
Dona Lee
5, David Blake 3, Husband John is Assistant Manager of Sears
Roebuck in Lancaster. Sister-in-law to
Jane Texter Wiederman –
Married in ’52 to twin brother of Jane’s husband. 731 Skyline
Dr, Lancaster, Pa
-
TRUDY ALBRIGHT
Braun. Married April ’57. Graduated from Carnegie Tech with a BS
in teaching. Airline stewardess with United. Based in Chicago,
New York, & San Francisco. Husband Don also graduated from
Carnegie Tech. 2139 Beechwood. Ave. Wilmette, Illinois
-
BOB ALDERDICE
(deceased).
Lawyer (Corporate & Tax) with Thompson, Hine & Flory. Wife
Katharine graduated from Ohio University in ‘55. Bob went to
Dickenson College ‘48–‘50, Penn State ‘50 ‘52 (BA) and Harvard
Law School ’53-‘t55 (LL.B.) Joined firm in ‘55 and is an
Associate at present. Law offices of Thompson, Hine & Flory ,
National Bank Building Cleveland 14, Ohio
-
EDGAR ALEXEFF (deceased)-
Per
Ben MacDonald, Edgar graduated from Harvard
-
MARTHA ALLISON
Weber. Homebuilder. Husband works for National Tube Division
of
US Steel. Children: Kimberly Allison 2 ½, Dana Suzette 1.
Martha went to Pitt and to a secretarial school and for a while
was a secretary at US Steel. Married in June of ‘49. 3410 E.
56th Place, Tulsa 7, Oklahoma
-
JULIE ARNOLD Eva,
Julie spent several years in Vienna while husband, Tom
,studied
Opera. Tom is now singing professionally while doing insurance
work on the side. Information thanks to
Virginia Smalley
Sweet (deceased). 405 Hoodridge Dr., Castle Shannon, Pa.
-
STAN BALCERZAK,
per
Ben MacDonald, Resident at University of Chicago Hospital.
Per
Bob ALDERDICE
(deceased), wife Mary and 3 children. 6019 S. Ingleside
Ave. Apt. #402, Hyde Park, Chicago 37, Ill.
-
NANCY BARNER
(deceased)
Marfyak. Per
Bob Alderdice
(deceased), Nancy has a son
-
BEVERLY BECK
Birney
(deceased). Housewife. Children: Cathy Ann 2 months.
Beverly
graduated from Pitt, taught high school in Pgh. & Indianapolis,
Ind. Bob spent 2 years at Finance Center of Fort Benjamin
Harrison. They are now located somewhere in New York. 1295
Cedar Blvd., Pgh. 28, Pa.
-
ELEANOR BLOOM
Simpson (Declared deceased in 2018 after 15 years without
any news). House and home builder. Children:
Christine 5, Susan
2, Deborah 4 months. Wheaton College, Norton, Mass., Class of
’52. 947 Valley View RD., Pgh. 16, Pa.
-
EMMA JEAN
BOCKSTOCE
(deceased)
Michigan. Married July 26, 1958. 1261 Washington
Pike, Bridgeville, Pa.
-
MARILYN BRAY
Minihan. Homemaker. Marilyn went to
Pitt and taught in Baldwin Twp. 3 years. Married Don Minihan
MtL '48 in ’53. Don, Track Coach at Pitt for
a year. Received his wings in ‘56. Now Air Force
instructor on C-45, C‑54, & T‑33s. Children:
Lindy 3. 117 Yorkshire,
Biloxi, Miss.
-
JEANNIE BUTTON.
Information from
Bob Alderdice
(deceased): Jeannie does a five day a week
TV show in Wheeling, WV. on cooking, etc. She spent several
years in New York City doing costume design.
-
JANE CHASE
(deceased)
Johnson. Homebuilder. Attended a college & Business School.
Children: Girl 6, boy 4. 942 Locust Ave., Zanesville, Ohio
-
CHUCK COLTMAN.
Information thanks to
Bill Lurty -
Chuck took pre‑med at
Bethany and/or Geneva college, then to Pitt Medical School where
he graduated top 2 of his class. In the Air Force at present as
Flight Surgeon. Married and has 3 boys. 72 W. Byrnes St.,
Walker Air Force Base, NM.
-
SUE CULLEN
Griffith (deceased). Married to
Jim Griffith
(deceased). 1735 Moynelle
Dr., Pgh. 16, Pa.
-
CAROL DAVIS
Woods. Per
Ruth Osborne Rouleau,
Carol lived in New Orleans for
2 years.
Ruth
also mentions that
Carol has 2 girls. 157
Woodland Ave, Ridgewood, NJ.
-
DICK DAVIS
(deceased). Doctor. General Practitioner. Children:
Beverly 16 months.
Took Med & Pre-Med at Pitt. Spent 2 years at Camp Pendleton in
the navy. Dick married Marty Sloan from Bridgeville. G.P.
Resident at University of Colorado Medical Center until July
‘60. 786 Forest St., Denver 20, Colorado.
-
LUCIA DOWNING
Sarachine
(deceased). Homebuilder. Husband is Art Supervisor & Wrestling
Coach at West Allegheny Joint Schools in Imperial, Pa.
Children: Stephen 3 ½, Mary Lynne 7 months.
Lucia graduated
from Pitt in ‘52 and taught 6th grade for 2 years. 304 McIntosh
Dr., Coraopolis, Pa.
-
BOB EBY. Bob went
to Princeton for 4 years for his Chemical Engineering degree. He
went on to the University of Illinois for his PhD in Chem. Engr.
Bob is now with Bakelite 7~esearch in Bound Brook, New Jersey
as a Group Leader. Children: Susan Carol 6 months. 18 Ferrine
Rd., Martinsville, New Jersey.
-
DICK ELLIS. Owns
& Operates an Asphalt Paving & Landscaping business. Spent 2
years in the service. Discharged in ‘53, as a 1st Leut. 2430
Southvue Dr., Bridgeville, Pa.
-
BILL ERDMAN. Project Engineer on Torque Converters at Allison Div., GMC. BS
in M.E. from Lehigh University ‘52. Two years in the Army and 4 with
Allison. Wife, Kay, is a Medical Technologist. 1410 N. Ewing,
Indianapolis, IN.
-
BRAD ESTEP
(deceased). Information
via Ace Reporter,
Bill Lurty –
Brad went to
Washington College then Pitt (Engineering). Now works for
Westinghouse. Married, 2 girls, no dog. 539 Sunnyfield Dr,
Monroeville, Pa.
-
MARY PAYNE
FURLONG
(deceased)
Goodenough. Homebuilder. Husband is a PhD in
Psychology & is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at The State
University College of Medicine. He also teaches & does research
at Kings County Hosp. Children: Christine 3,
Charles 2, Dog
Plus 7 Puppies. 235 Hawthorne St., Brooklyn 25, New York.
-
TRISH GEORGE Gallic
(deceased). Information from Reunion: Husband,
Bud, is Assistant Treasurer with the Bank of New York.
Children: Bob "Chubb" 3, Mary 2. Blue Mill. Rd., New Vernon,
N.J.
-
HOMER GODDARD
(deceased)
, Per
Dave Miller
(deceased): Jerry went to Dennison
(Economics). Was in the Army OCS program (Forts Sill & Lewis).
Discharged as a 1st Leut. Now works for Alcoa
(Packaging Sales) Children: Linda 3, Kirk 1 ½. 408 Quan St.,
Kirkwood 22, Missouri.
-
NANCY GREG0RY Detwiler. Per Reunion
information - Husband is a
Commercial Pilot and they live in Seattle, Washington.
-
JIM GRIFFITH
(deceased) Married to
Sue Cullen
(deceased). 1735 Moynelle Dr., Pgh. 16, Pa.
-
PAT M HALL
Mershon (deceased) Children: Jimmy 3, Kathy 16
Months. Pat graduated from Penn State in ’52. Husband is a
geologist for Texas Co. Both are / were pushing the “Edmundson
for Governor” campaign. 521 Cottonwood Dr, Ardmore, Oklahoma
-
DICK HARTLE
(deceased)
Product Manager (Tool steel) for Edgcomb
Steel & Aluminum Corp. Single. BA from Penn State in ’52.
Spent 2 years in USAF (Aerial Photography). Worked for Latrobe
Steel, Pgh & New York. Began working for Edgcomb this May. 780
Greenwich St., New York 14, N.Y.
-
JOAN HASTINGS Crosby
(deceased).
Joan went to Pembroke College
(Brown U.) in Providence, R.I. Married in June of ‘52. Spent 3
years with sailor hubby, in Norfolk who is now a CPA for Tyler &
Ross Bros. Children: Douglas 5, Philip 1. 66 Robinhood Rd.,
Pgh 20, Pa.
-
JOHN HUMPHREYS. Capt., US Army. Attended Denison
University ‘48‑‘52, Pitt Medical School ‘52‑‘56. Interned at
Blodgett Memorial Hosp., Grand Rapids, Mich. Married Barbara Mooers (MtL ‘54). Stationed now at Aschoffenburg, Germany. Hq.
Bty, 1st Obs. Bn., 26th Arty, APO 162. New York., NY.
-
BABE JANCIER (deceased). Secretary‑receptionist for Christopher
Corp., DuPont Bldg., Miami, Fla. Husband type "Mr America"
sighted but not sunk. Babe went to Coral Gables Home for
vivacious, dynamic, & effervescent waifs. 3000 S W 3rd Ave,
Apt. #3, Miami 36, Fla.
-
PAT JONES Shiffler
(deceased). Marine Air Corp
husband is to be
shipped to Okinawa for 2 years. Has a boy 3 and a girl. Info
thanks to
Janie Morris Rex. 8481 Inchon Pl., Wherry Park, Santa
Ana, California.
-
JOE KARCHER (deceased). Married & planning 3 year tenure as
missionary‑doctor in Pakistan. 242 Edward Ave, Pgh. 1, Pa.
-
BELA KARLOVITZ
(deceased),
Married
Adele
Moslener of all people.
112 Arden Rd., Pgh. 1, Pa.
-
BUD KEEN. Sales Dept. of Armco Drainage & Metal Products.
Will begin training in Baltimore. He is still single and has
BS in ME from Bucknell University in ‘52. Sales Engr. for
Bailey Meter Co. in Cleveland from ‘52 to ‘54. US Army Chem.
Center, Maryland ‘55‑‘56. Spent 35 days in Europe. Now
finishing Thesis for his Masters in Business Adm. 38 Jonquil
Place, Pgh., Pa.
-
DICK KELLEY
(deceased). Mary Frances Troxell Stanley’s
(deceased) brother‑in‑law. 6 Margaret St., Pgh. 38, Pa.
-
DON KIRSOPP
(deceased). Works for Union Carbide Chemicals.
Children: Carol June 4, Roberta Claire 3, Ruth Filby 1. No,
Don, I don’t know the secret for boys. Don spent 4 years in the
Air Force. Married Mary Ann McKee of New Castle. Has been with UCC for 4 years. Also mentions he is losing his hair. 2402
Walnut, Victoria, TX.
-
JOANNE LEWIS Blanchard
(deceased). Children:
David 3, Debbie 2,
Robbie 1. 9 Rockville Ave., Lexington 73, Mass.
-
ART LONG (deceased). Per
Bill Lurty: Art is a jet
pilot and went to Bucknell. No dog.
-
SYLVIA LOPEZ Paton
(deceased). Per
Ruth Osborne Rouleau.,
Sylvia
has 3 children. 152 Shabbona Dr., Park Forest., Illinois.
-
BOB
LUND (deceased)
. Per
Bill Lurty:
Bob went to Case Institute in
Cleveland for his Engr. Degree. He is Eastern United States
Representative for an Industrial Engr. firm. Bob is
married and has a boy, a girl and a dog named Spook (son of
Bill Lurty's dog
Suzy). 50 Lakeside Ave., Devon, Pa.
-
BILL LURTY. Bill is a Physical Therapist and a good
reporter of class news. No children except dog named Suzy. He
has a BE in Health Education from Slippery Rock State, Teacher
‘52. US Army ’52 to ‘54. Played football while at Indiantown
Gap, then sent to Puerto Rico to teach English. ’54 to ‘55
attended D. T. Watson School of Physical Therapy (part of Pitt
Med. School). Suzy Lurty
weineramer, occupation: dog. Children: Lady
Richardson and Spook Lund. 917 West 28th St., Erie, Pa
-
BEN MACDONALD, Children:
Amy Elizabeth 2 ½ months. Ben
Graduated from Harvard in’52. Spent 4 years at the University
of Pennsylvania Medical School. Interned at St Like’s Hospital
in Chicago. Also interned in a small town outside of Boston.
Just about finished 1 year psychiatric residency at a VA
Hospital in Palo Alto, CA. Received his orders to report to San
Diego Naval Base for a 2 year hitch. 1112 Bryant St, Apt #3,
Palo Alto, CA.
-
HARRY McFERRAN. Per
Bill Lurty,
Harry Studied Engr. at
Cornell & Penn State, Grad, from Penn State & served in the Air
Force. Now works for Westinghouse. Married Fay Strickler, MtL
‘50. May have baby now but no dog. 11 Hedge Ct., Buffalo 26,
New York.
-
BILL McKENDRY
(deceased). Employed by Electro‑Metallurgical Co. Div.
of UCC (same as
DON KIRSOPP,
Deceased) Children: Linda Jean 3, Elizabeth
Ann 1. Worked at various jobs till ‘51, then US Army for 3
years (10 months in Korea). Married a “Sweet southern belle"
(per Bill Stanley) from Va. Bus, Ad. degree at Pitt in 3
years! Not bad considering that Bill worked a 40 hour week at
the same time. 2911 Porter Rd., Niagara, Falls, New York.
-
JERRI McNEELY Frankowski
(deceased). Children: Lynn 5, Jamie 2,
Leslie 6 months. Jerri attended Wesleyan College in Macon, Ga.
for a year & then trans. to Pitt. Worked 2 years for US Steal &
married Larry in ‘54. He is a Sales Engr. with Nat'l Supply Co.
(drilling & prod. equip. for Petroleum Ind.) Jerri expects to
remain in Venezuela 4 more years & then move on to Europe.
Prices & alt are high i.e. head of lettuce, $1.50. National
Supply Co. of Venezuela, Edificio, Galipan, Urb. El Rosal,
Caracas, Venezuela.
-
MARTHA McVAY Crabbe. Children:
Billy 8 ½, Jimmy 7,
Cynthia 2. Martha and Husband both went to Allegheny College.
Husband works as an Account Executive for Merrill Lynch,
Pierce, Fenner & Smith. 2877 Parkwood Dr., Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.
-
DAVE MILLER
(deceased), Sales Manager, Atlas Building Maintenance
Company. Married. He went to W & J and graduated in ’52
(English Major). Drafted and shipped to Korea, discharged as a
Sgt, he worked for J & L as a Salesman. 2615 Northgate,
Indianapolis, IN.
-
JIM MILLER
(deceased). Working for Apparatus Sales Division,
Westinghouse Electric. Children: Susan 17 months. Four years
in USAF. AB in Economics from Marietta College. Per
Bill Lurty– no dog. 22969 Allen Rd, St Clair Shores, MI.
-
TESS MORIAN Long. Children: Ken Jr. (Bumps) 2 ½ ,
Geoffrey 6 months. Worked as clerk for Joy Mfg, Co., Pgh.
Travel Councilor for Dist. of Colombia Div. of AAA. Husband
Ken
worked as Travel Director in Clarksburg, WV. He now is buyer for
the Air Force at Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio. 4956 Sabra,
Dayton 24, Ohio.
-
JANIE MORRIS Rex. Children:
Girl 4 ½ , Girl 2 ½ , Boy 1 ½. Dog, Lindy (Bill Lurty thinks it is spelled wrong) Went to
Wooster College for 3 years. Married Hank Rex from Carnegie
Tech in ‘51. Janie graduated from Baldwin Wallace ’52. 25731
Bagley Rd., Olmsted Falls, Ohio.
-
ADELE MOSLENER Karlovitz. Married
Bala Karlovitz
(deceased) of all people! 112
Arden Rd., Pgh. 16, Pa.
-
RUTH OSBORNE Rouleau, Children:
Richard 10 months.
Majored in English at Margaret Morrison Carnegie College at
Carnegie Tech. Graduated in ‘52 & entered Carnegie Library
School & received her Masters in ‘53. Went to Cleveland as a
Children's Librarian. Married Wil, a Mechanical Engr. at Tech,
in ‘54. Wil received his PhD & is now Assistant Professor of
Mech, Engr. Ruth taught at St. Edmund's Academy, a
non‑denominational boys school for 2 years. She was
instrumental in starting their library. I453 Franklin Ave., Pgh.
21, Pa.
-
BOB OTT
(deceased).
Bill Stanley reports that he ran into
Bob
while aboard an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean & that
Bob
married a Wave from Bill's ship.
-
PAUL RHODES. Harvard Graduate per
Ben McDonald
-
CHARLES RICHARDSON
(deceased). Per
Bill Lurty, Studied Engr at
Perdue and Carnegie Tech. Graduated from tech in upper 5 of
class. Married and father of a girl and dog. Dog’s name is
Lady and is daughter of Bill’s dog. 1308 Lakemont Dr, Pgh., Pa.
-
JACK ROSS
(deceased). Registered Architect with Ingham, Boyd &
Pratt. 'Went to Graceland College for 2 years then to Iowa State
College for 4 years (Bachelor of Architecture Degree). Married
Bonnie, a Dietitian. Jack’s comment on the Reunion, "It was
good to see that others had lost as much hair as I had". 1523 Dormont Ave, Pgh. 16, Pa.
-
CHARLIE SCARVACE (deceased). Won a prize at the reunion for
returning his acceptance reservation first & couldn't collect
because he didn't show up! 1412 Missouri Ave., Bridgeville, Pa.
-
JANE SCHWARTZ
Brookes, Per
Ruth Osborne Rouleau,
Janie
spent 2 years at Bucknell & Graduated from Carnegie Tech.
Married 6/7/58. 12 Robinson St. Apt #31, Cambridge 38, Mass.
-
DONNA KAE SIMMONDS Vincelette, Children
Christine
5, Tamara 4, David 2, Casey – dog, Grady – cat, Little Gradys –
5. Husband Ray is a manager at the Shaker Square Stouffer in
Chicago. Donna Kae is attending classes at the nearby art museum.
Danna Kae wants to know, “Any one want a kitten? " 2545 E 128th
St, Cleveland, OH.
-
VIRGINIA SMALLEY
Sweet (deceased). Children, Jeff 5, Dan
3.
Graduated from PCW in ’53. Toured Europe with husband while he
was with the Quartermaster Corp. 2645 Summit St, Bethel Park,
Pa.
-
BILL STANLEY. Switchman for Niagara Falls Central office
of the New York Telephone Company. Has worked for the Telephone
Co. as a Messenger, coin collector & many others. Joined the
Navy in ‘51 & became an Air Craft Mechanic. While on duty,
stopped at almost all ports available. Brother-in‑law to
Mary-Frances Troxell Stanley
(deceased). 122 Buffalo Ave., Niagara Falls, New
York.
-
DAVE SUNDERLAND. Worked for Chevrolet in Detroit. As of July 1,
works for Raytheon in Boston. 3871 Brewster Rd., Dearborn,
Mich.
-
MARTHA TARPLEY Baker. To be a mother in early Oct. ‘58.
Journalism Major, Univ. of Ky. Feature Writer for local papers
during school & following graduating as News Editor for a
Missouri Newspaper. In ‘54, went to Louisville, Ky, as Fashion
Copywriter in the advertising Dept. of Stewart's Dept. Store.
Just recently worked as secretary to Assistant Alumni Director,
Indiana, School of Business. Husband is working on his
Doctorate in Marketing. Have cat named Hallie. 125 East 20th
St., Bloomington, Ind.
-
JANE TEXTER Wiedenman. Children:
Cheryl 3, Penny Lawry 7
months. Graduated from Principia College in ’52. Moving to new
home on the Potomac this December. Husband is a Buyer for
Woodward & Lothrop in Washington, DC. Sister-in-law to
Pat
Acosta Wiedenman. 739 Upland Place, Alexandria, VA.
-
JUDY THOMAS Eckert, Children: 3. 1335 Cloverly Rd,
Hatboro, Pa.
-
MARY‑FRANCES TROXELL
Stanley (deceased), Children: Bruce 6 1/2,
Barbara 1. Husband is a graduate Engr. from Carnegie Tech. Now
is head of Maintenance at Springdale Station of West Penn
Power. He Graduated from MtL in ‘42. Sister-in‑law to
Fred
Stanley and
Dick Kelley
(deceased). 2737 Valley View Dr., New Kensington,
Pa.
[
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55TH REUNION:
The
reunion
was
held
at
South
Hills
Country
Club
on
Saturday,
August
16,
2003.
There
was a
reception
on
Friday
evening
at
the
Colony.
Click image to enlarge, hold cursor over image
to read caption
Bob Woeber's
(deceased)
Remarks
to
the
class:
Five
years
ago,
I
attempted
to
put
our
reunion
in
perspective
by
focusing
on
how
different
our
lives
in
1948
were
from
the
environment
of
1998.
Now I
would
like
to
focus
on
how
different
the
perspective
of
this
year’s
high
school
graduates
is
from
ours.
First,
the
people
graduating
from
high
school
this
year
were
born
in
1985.
The
Compact
Disk
was
introduced
one
year
before
they
were
born.
They
have
no
meaningful
recollection
of
the
Reagan
Era,
and
probably
do
not
know
that
he
had
ever
been
shot.
The
Vietnam
War
is as
much
ancient
history
to
them
as
WWI,
WWII
and
the
Civil
War.
They
don’t
have
a
clue
of
how
to
use a
typewriter.
They
have
always
had
an
answering
machine.
They
cannot
fathom
not
having
a
remote
control…..(but
then,
neither
can
Margy.)
Popcorn
has
always
been
cooked
in a
microwave
and
Michael
Jackson
has
always
been
white.
They
probably
can’t
imagine
what
it
was
like
when
every
family
had a
mother
and a
father,
or
that
it
wouldn’t
have
occurred
to
either
parent
to
hire
a
lawyer
to
get
their
child
out
of a
"bust".
Our
parents
sided
with
the
law!
There’s
no
question
that
they
think
that
any
world
that
didn’t
have
gay
rights,
computer
dating,
dual
careers,
day
care
centers
and
group
therapy
was
ancient,
boring,
out
of
touch
and
totally
irrelevant!
Yes,
by
today’s
standards,
we
were
a
crazy,
uncontrolled,
and a
rather
backward
generation.
Imagine
walking
up to
Gardner’s
and
hanging
out
in a
booth
listening
to
records
instead
of
burning
our
own
disks
off
of
the
internet.
We
thought
it
was
OK.
We
also
thought
it
was
OK to
pray
in
school,
to
salute
the
flag,
and
have
Baccalaureate
services
for
the
graduates.
We
even
thought
that
it
was
OK
and
appropriate
to
have
a
Christmas
tree
or a
Nativity
Scene
in
front
of
the
Municipal
Building.
We
were
very
much
aware
that
teachers
could
and
would
punish
us
for
disrupting
a
class,
without
having
to
face
a law
suit
from
parents
charging
child
abuse.
Parents
seemed
to
have
a
completely
different
role
then.
Most,
if
not
all,
of us
were
far
more
afraid
of
our
parents
than
either
the
Principal
or
the
Police.
Can
you
imagine
one
of
our
guys
then,
wearing
an
earring?
We
all
knew
then
that
anything
made
in
Japan
was
junk.
We
believed
that
a
lady
needed
a
husband
to
have
a
baby.
When
we
were
in
school,
the
worst
thing
that
you
could
do
was
smoke
in
the
bathrooms,
flunk
a
test,
chew
gum
in
class
or
play
hooky.
Our
prom
was
in
the
Gym
or at
the
Women's
Club.
We
danced
to an
orchestra,
and
all
of
the
girls
wore
pastel
gowns
and
the
boys
wore
suits,….
most
of us
for
the
first
time,
and
we
stayed
out
all
night…….with
parental
permission.
Some
kids
went
steady
and
the
girls
wore
a
class
ring
wrapped
with
dental
floss
or
yarn
so it
would
fit
her
finger.
Remember
playing
baseball
without
an
adult
to
help
us
with
the
rules?
Baseball
then
was
not a
psychological
group
learning
experience…..it
was a
game…it
was
FUN!
I
guess
it is
rather
amazing
that
we
have
lived
this
long,
if
only
because
we
rode
in
cars
without
seatbelts
or
airbags.
Our
cribs
were
covered
with
bright
lead-based
paint.
We
rode
bikes
without
helmets.
How
about
the
air
we
breathed?
Forget
about
cigarette
smoke,
the
air
from
the
mills,
trains
and
factories
was
enough
to
give
any
EPA
official
nightmares.
Well,
we
have
survived
this
long
in
spite
of
everything,
and
now
we
are
getting
close
to
the
point
when
we
stop
lying
about
our
age
and
start
bragging
about
it.
Some
people
try
to
turn
back
their
odometer.
Not
me! I
want
people
to
know
why I
look
this
way.
I’ve
traveled
a
long
way
and
some
of
the
roads
weren’t
even
paved.
When
you
get
dissatisfied
and
think
that
you’d
like
to go
back
to
youth…….think
of
Algebra,
English
Comp.
And
Trig.
I
don’t
know
about
all
of
you,
but I
am
happy
to be
here.
I
can’t
drink
like
I
used
to, I
don’t
remember
names
like
I
used
to,
…I
can’t
do a
lot
of
things
like
I
used
to.
Our
lives
have
changed…..
6:00
am is
when
we
get
up,
not
when
we go
to
bed.
Most
of us
watch
Jeopardy
with
its
geriatric
commercials
and
the
Weather
or
Movie
Channel
instead
of
reality
shows
and
bad
sitcoms.
Dinner
and a
movie
is a
whole
evening,
not
just
the
beginning
of
it,……
but
I’m
damned
glad
to be
here,
I'm
glad
that
you
are
here
and I
wish
that
more
of
us,
who
really
wanted
to
come,
could
be
here.
Now
let’s
have
a
great
reunion! - Bob
|
People attending |
Spouse/Guest |
People attending |
Spouse/Guest |
|
Bob DeLonga
(deceased) |
Pat |
Harry McFerran |
Tay |
|
Margaret DiGiovanni |
|
Roseanne McIlvane Casey |
|
|
Suzanne Divine Williams |
|
Rich McQuillen
(deceased) |
|
|
Jad Doubleday
(deceased) |
|
Marty McVay Hills |
Bob |
|
Charles Enlind |
Pat |
David Miller
(deceased) |
Kay |
|
Sally Fellows O'Connor
(deceased) |
Buck |
Anne Mosites Miller |
Bill |
|
Ray Ferraro (deceased) |
Gloria |
Mary Murrie Hardy |
Bob |
|
Dick Fleischauer
(deceased) |
Joan |
Joan Nichols |
|
|
Pat Flynn Hamilton
(deceased) |
Dick |
Bob Nungesser (deceased) |
Patty |
|
Jackie Gardner Conklin |
|
Ruth Osborne Rouleau |
Wil |
|
Homer Goddard
(deceased) |
Peg |
Alan Paulus (deceased) |
Lois |
|
Helen Guthrie Howard |
|
Joy Ostergaard Hunter (deceased) |
|
|
Dick Hartle
(deceased) |
Terry |
Sherwood Richardson
(deceased) |
Peggie |
|
Claire Hatch (deceased) Moore |
Bob |
Jack Ross
(deceased) |
|
|
Lou Hazel* (declared
deceased) |
Ruth |
Donna Kay Simmons Thomas |
|
|
Ann Jones |
|
Nancy Staggs Toler
(deceased) |
Dick |
|
Bud Keen |
Betsy |
Bud Stevenson
(deceased) |
Eileen |
|
Bob Kirkham (deceased) |
|
Olive Timothy Blattner |
|
|
Ruth Labrenz*
(declared deceased) |
Lou |
Ed Tons
(deceased) |
|
|
Bob Lund (deceased) |
Ellie |
Richard Ulam (deceased) |
|
|
Roy McEwen |
Carole |
Bob Woeber (deceased) |
Margy |
Committee
Members
|
Bob Woeber
(deceased)
|
Sherwood
Richardson
(deceased) |
|
|
Sally Fellows
O'Connor
(deceased) |
Bud Stevenson
(deceased) |
|
|
Bob Ott
(deceased) |
Bill Erdman |
|
Benefactors
|
PLATINUM |
PLATINUM |
GOLD |
SILVER |
| Bob DeLonga
(deceased) |
Ann Mosites Miller |
Sally Fellows O'Connor
(deceased) |
Dick Fleischauer
(deceased) |
|
Ray Ferraro
(deceased) |
Bob Nungesser
(deceased) |
David Miller (deceased) |
Homer Goddard
(deceased) |
|
Jim Flaherty |
Bob Ott
(deceased) |
Mary Murrie Hardy |
Bud Keen |
|
John Horsford
(deceased) |
Skip Richardson
(deceased) |
Roseanne McIlvane Casey
(deceased) |
Ruth Osborne Rouleau |
|
Bill Kurtz (deceased) |
Bud Stevenson
(deceased) |
Martha McVay Hills |
Nancy Staggs Toler(deceased) |
|
Bob Lund (deceased) |
Bill Vetter
(deceased) |
|
|
|
Ray Mangold
(deceased) |
Bob Woeber
(deceased) |
|
|
[
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Home ]
50TH REUNION:
Thanks
to
Our
50th
Reunion
Coordinators
-
They
did a
wonderful
job.
No
wonder
the
50th
Reunion
Committee
looked
so
young!!
This
picture
was
scanned
from
the
50th
Reunion
memorial
issue.
Back row:
Chick
Portman
(deceased),
Jim
Griffith (deceased),
Bob Woeber
(deceased),
Bud Stevenson
(deceased),
Rich McQuillen
(deceased)
Middle:
Ray
Ferraro (deceased)
Front row:
Claire Hatch
(deceased),
Donna
Kay Simmonds,
Ruth Jackson (deceased),
Sally
Fellows (deceased),
Kash
Herron (deceased)
This
black
&
white
picture
was
scanned
from
the
45th
Reunion
Memorial
issue:
It's
not
the
same
picture
-
note
Ruth's
position
change
-
but
there
is
no
doubt
it
was
taken
at
the
same
time
-
1993!
Shame
on
you,
Bob Woeber
(deceased),
we
thought
you
had
too
much
hair
in
the
50th
picture!
25th
Reunion
Committee:
Tom Arganbeight
(deceased),
Bob
Christy (deceased),
Ruth
Jackson Coate
(deceased),
Ray
Ferraro
(deceased),
Jim
Flaherty,
Jim
Griffith
(deceased),
Sue
Cullen Griffith
(deceased),
Harriet Jones Herget
(deceased),
Kash
Herron Hibler
(deceased),
Harry McFerran,
Claire Hatch
(deceased) Moore,
Sally
Fellows O'Conner
(deceased),
Sherwood Richardson
(deceased)
,
Nancy Eckenrode Scherer
(deceased),
Bud Stevenson
(deceased),
Ann Pritchard
Evanson
(deceased),
Bob Woeber
(deceased)-
Not
in
same
order
as
picture
Remember
Bob Woeber's
(deceased) Comments at
50th Reunion:
SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT OUR WORLD IN 1948
I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO TRY TO PUT THIS OCCASION INTO PERSPECTIVE BY
REFLECTING BACK FOR A MOMENT TO FOCUS ON HOW VERY DIFFERENT OUR LIVES WERE IN THE FORTIES,
AND HOW VERY DIFFERENT THE WHOLE WORLD WAS THEN. OUR PARENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, SEEMED LIKE
EVERYBODY ELSE'S PARENTS. THEY WERE NOT DISPOSED TO GETTING A LAWYER TO GET US OUT
OF A BEER BUST. THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT "THEIR JOHNNY WOULDN'T DO SUCH A
THING". THEY KNEW DAMMED WELL THAT HE WOULD DO SUCH A THING AND PROBABLY DID!
THEY KNEW ALL OR MOST OF OUR FRIENDS. THE TEACHERS KNEW ALL OR MOST OF OUR
FRIENDS TOO, AND WHAT WAS WORSE, THEY KNEW MOST OF OUR HABITS. SOMETIMES THEY WERE
VERY FRUSTRATING AND RESTRICTIVE, BUT MOST OF THEM REALLY CARED ABOUT US. MANY OF US
REMEMBER GOING BACK AFTER WE HAD BEEN OUT FOR A WHILE TO VISIT SOME OF THEM .... USUALLY
THE TOUGHER ONES.
TO OUR CHILDREN AND CERTAINLY OUR GRANDCHILDREN, WE ARE TRULY UNIQUE. WE
WERE BORN BEFORE TELEVISION, PENICILLIN, POLIO SHOTS, FROZEN FOODS, CONTACT LENSES,
FRISBEES AND THE PILL. (WHICHEVER ONE IS USEFUL) THERE WAS NO RADAR, XEROX,
CREDIT CARDS, LASER BEAMS OR BALL POINT PENS. THERE WERE NO PANTY HOSE, DISHWASHERS,
CLOTHES DRYERS, AIR CONDITIONERS OR VCRS. WE GOT MARRIED AND THEN LIVED TOGETHER.
QUAINT, BUT IT SEEMED TO WORK WELL. IN OUR TIME, GAY MEANT HAPPY AND CLOSETS
WERE FOR HANGING CLOTHES, NOT FOR COMING OUT OF. BUNNIES WERE LITTLE RABBITS AND
RABBITS WEREN'T VOLKSWAGENS. DESIGNER JEANS WERE SCHEMING GIRLS NAMED JEAN, AND
HAVING A MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIP MEANT GET71NG ALONG WITH YOUR COUSINS.
WE THOUGHT FAST FOOD WAS WHAT YOU ATE DURING LENT AND OUTER SPACE WAS THE BACK
OF THE DENIS THEATER. WE WERE BEFORE HOUSE HUSBANDS, GAY RIGHTS, COMPUTER DATING,
DUAL CAREERS, DAY CARE CENTERS AND GROUP THERAPY.
WE NEVER HEARD OF TAPE DECKS, ARTIFICIAL HEARTS, WORD PROCESSORS, YOGURT AND
CERTAINLY GUYS WEARING EARRINGS! FOR US, TIME SHARING MEANT TOGETHERNESS, NOT
CONDOMINIUMS. A CHIP WAS A PIECE OF WOOD OR SOMETHING YOU PLAYED POKER WITH AND
HARDWARE WAS HARDWARE. SOFTWARE WASN'T EVEN A WORD. JUNK MEANT "MADE IN
JAPAN". WE WERE ON THE SCENE WHEN THERE WERE 5 AND 10 CENT STORES WHERE YOU
COULD BUY SOMETHING FOR 5 OR 10 CENTS. ISALY'S AND BARDS SOLD ICE CREAM CONES FOR A
NICKEL AND A DOUBLE DIP FOR A DIME. FOR A NICKEL YOU COULD RIDE A STREETCAR, MAKE A
PHONE CALL, BUY A COKE OR ENOUGH POSTAGE TO MAIL A LETTER AND TWO POSTCARDS. A NEW
CHEVY COUPE WENT FOR ABOUT $600, BUT FEW OF US COULD AFFORD ONE AND THAT WAS TOO BAD
BECAUSE GAS WAS 11 CENTS A GALLON.
IN OUR DAY, GRASS WAS WHAT YOU MOWED ON SATURDAY, COKE WAS A COLD DRINK, POT WAS
SOMETHING THAT YOUR MOTHER COOKED IN AND AIDS WERE HELPERS IN THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE.
IT ALSO OCCURS TO ME THAT IN 1948: WE HAD NO ACHES OR PAINS. WE ALL HAD A
GLEAM IN OUR EYE. MOST OF US HAD LITTLE BLACK BOOKS. WE WERE OUT EVERY NIGHT
THAT WE COULD ESCAPE. MOST OF US WERE 17 AND HAD A 24 INCH WAISTLINE. WE
DIDN'T HAVE ALL OF THE ANSWERS, BUT WE THOUGHT WE DID.
AND NOW IN 1998: A LOT OF THINGS HURT AND WHAT DOESN'T HURT DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK.
OUR LITTLE BLACK BOOKS NOW ARE FULL OF NAMES ENDING IN M.D.
MOST OF US NOW LOOK FORWARD TO A DULL EVENING AT HOME. MANY OF US ARE 17
AROUND THE NECK, 40 AROUND THE WAIST AND 96 AROUND THE GOLF COURSE. AND PROBABLY
WHAT HURTS MOST IS THAT NOW WE KNOW ALL OF THE ANSWERS, BUT NOBODY ASKS US THE QUESTIONS.
IT'S NO WONDER THAT WE WERE SO CONFUSED IN THOSE DAYS AND WHY THERE IS SUCH A
GENERATION GAP TODAY. BUT WE'VE MADE IT THIS FAR AND THAT ALONE IS REASON TO
CELEBRATE AND TO HAVE A GREAT REUNION!
Memoirs of a (Excuse the expression) Dormont graduate of 1945:
A TIME OF INNOCENCE: PITTSBURGH, 1945
by CHARLES F. GREINER
206 SOUTH COUNTRY ROAD
EAST PATCHOGUE, N.Y. 11772
Before television, and computers, and jet engines, before technology
leaped across time and squeezed space into a tight little ball, the world most of us
inhabited extended not much further than Kaufman's clock and Kennywood Park. Perhaps
because our world was so limited, we looked at it more closely and found that it was rich
with simple pleasures. In her fine book, "My Antonio", Willa Cather tells us,
"Some memories are realities, and are better than anything that can ever happen
again." As we grow older, we depend more and more on reliving the simple pleasures of
the past. Those memories become our realities and although they may not be better than
anything that will happen again, they are surely as good. Those of us who went through the
rites of passage in Pittsburgh during the 1940's most certainly have a storehouse of
memories that have become treasured realities.
How is it decided which of our past experiences will be kept and which
discarded? Memory, it seems, has a mind of its own. Long after we've forgotten the
splendor of the magnificent cathedral, we will recall vividly the old lady wearing the
long black dress feeding pigeons on its steps. It is the details, the small, exact details
that the reservoir of memory sends bobbing to the surface. It is these details that give
substance to our memories and make them real. We can go home again, through memory.
I grew up in Dormont, but every suburb of Pittsburgh and those
communities within the city were much the same. We who grew up in them during the 40's
shared a time and place that were unique and, except in our memories, unrepeatable. Do you
remember ten-cent hamburgers at the Brass Rail, drenched in pepper and fried onions,
topped with a Heinz pickle slice and ketchup? Tall, wobbly, conical cones at Isalys for a
nickel and huge foamy milkshakes for fifteen-cents? After the Saturday night movie, at the
South Hills Harris or the Hollywood in Dormont, we would head for Pearces and spicy
barbecued, chipped-ham on warm fresh buns. And, after school, packs of "Nabs"
and cherry Cokes at the counter of Dickson's Drug Store. Lemon-Blennd
 at the Canary Cottage
in booths with white latticed arches and painted-on ivy. The warped and creaking wooden
floorboards in the "5 and 10". Krogers and the A. & P., before shopping
malls and shopping carts, where the man behind the worn wooden counter filled your order
and the butcher gave you a slice of liverwurst.
In Dormont on the Fourth of July everyone came to the park. From the
taps on the back of the Otto buttermilk truck, free ice cold buttermilk flowed all day
long. In the early afternoon we gathered beside Dormont's huge pool to watch the diving
and swimming contests. Later, it was baseball on the high school field. Once, the
Homestead Greys came to play and changed the game for us forever. At night there was a big
band in the open dance pavilion and everyone danced: the little kids, their teenage
brothers and sisters, their parents and grandparents. If there were social, or racial, or
generational gaps, we didn't think about them, perhaps because they were small and
temporary. If we had a strong sense of community and a stronger sense of family, we were
not conscious of them either. We never thought about such things. No one did. We took the
splendid seamless fabric of our lives for granted.
More than any other holiday, the Fourth of July reflected small town
America at its best: "Life.. liberty and the pursuit of happiness", equality,
justice, independence, freedom.... the words were solid, the pride was real, and the
Fourth of July was a star-spangled celebration of these truths. Just after dusk, the
fireworks began: the sky ablaze with color, the ear-shattering explosions, the crowd
oohing and awing together, and together caught up in the sense of prideful belonging to
that Iarger community The United States of America. We all knew the words to the national
anthem and hats went off when the flag passed by.
Do you remember the summer sidewalks lined with maples and elm? Almost
all of the houses had front porches with striped awnings, and on the front porches were
milk boxes, and gliders, and wooden swings, and metal chairs. In the backyards were
"victory gardens", and hollyhocks lined the alleys. Do you remember sleeping on
the porch on hot summer nights? And the bright school-free, care-free, sun-splashed days
of July and August, when everyone who could, gathered at the local pool? Entire days of
playing comer tag, trying flips off the high board, dealing cards in a grassy spot near
the fence, falling in and out of love and always, always fantasizing about some impossibly
perfect but absolutely unattainable girl or boy who was only one or two years older? And
coming home smelling of chlorine, tanned and tired, the screen door slamming behind you,
crossing the linoleum kitchen floor that bulged in unexpected places. The chores: hosing
down the porches, hanging rugs out on the line and beating them with a wire rug beater,
the damp basement smelling of ashes, its gray walls lined with curtain-stretchers; that
collapsed as soon as you punctured your finger on the last needle-sharp pin, and, of
course, eternal soot piling up on the window sill. Washing and waxing the family car, the
soft, spinning rhythmic click of the Iawnmower, and in the evenings fathers in shirt
sleeves watering flower beds and vegetable gardens.
Before 1950 you could be born, live a full life, and die without ever
having to go to a store. As predictable as sunrise, men, familiar and strange, bearing the
necessities and some of the luxuries of life would call out to you from the street or
knock on your front door. The bread man, the milk man, the umbrella man, the man with the
black suitcase full of buttons and thread, the fruit and vegetable man, and in the early
days the iceman with his heavy black iron tongs and shiny pick; the ice-card in the window
with 25 lbs. on one side and 50 lbs. on the other.
Remember in the dark, dark days of winter the smell of coal smoke, the
sound of distant locomotives, the thump of broken chains against car fenders, the scrape
of heavy shovels on sidewalks deep in snow? Wasn't it odd that until we were fourteen,
most of us thought snot and spit were naturally black?
Remember standing under Kaufman's clock on winter afternoons, how the
streetcars would be backed up all the way to the Smithfield Street Bridge, and snow and
sleet would be coming down, and it would be dark as night already? The trolley lines would
spark and crackle. Inside the old orange car, the lights flickered and you could hear the
heavy ticking of the motor and the slow, agonizing groan as the conductor inched his car
forward.
If you were bound for anywhere in the South Hills, there was first the
tunnel smelling damp and musty, the rocking car, the porcelain handles swinging, the straw
seats creaking. And after the tunnel, the fearless motorman launching his huge heavy
machine out into the high pitch-black empty spaces that separated Beechview from the rest
of the civilized world. Remember how those fragile trolley bridges swayed on dark and
windy winter afternoons? In the days of our youth, a trip downtown and back on one of the
old orange streetcars was as much adventure as one could hope for.
Remember Saturday afternoons when movies cost eleven cents for a double
feature, a serial, a newsreel and a local talent show? Remember your mother waking you up
to say it snowed last night, the heayiIy frosted window glinting in the morning sun? Then
shoveling the walk and steps before going to school.
Before TV and MTV, there was the innocence of radio: One Man's Family,
Fibber McGee and Molly, Amos and Andy, Ted Mack's Amateur Hour, Your Hit Parade and Lucky
Strike green has gone to war. When you had a bad cold or the chicken pox and could stay
home from school there was Our Gal Sunday, "the story that asks the question, 'can a
young girl from the west find happiness as the wife of a titled English
nobleman?’". After school you would rush home to Jack Armstrong, the All
American Boy. On Saturday mornings, it was a wonderful program called Let's Pretend. In
the evenings we listened to The Lone Ranger, Gangbusters, The Shadow, The First
Nighter,
Fred AlIen, Jack Benny, and LowelI Thomas signing off with "So long until
tomorrow". Remember the Joe Lewis fights against Jim Braddock, Max
Schmeling, and
Billy Conn? Remember Bobby Lane and the early Pittsburgh Steelers? Radio, unlike
television, involved the listener. We actively joined the writers, performers, and
broadcasters. Tonto, and Rochester, and Ma Perkins were real to us because we helped to
create them. Without our realizing it, radio drew us into the community of artists.
Instead of being passive viewers, we participated in the experience and helped to complete
it. In our growing up, it was just words and music coming out of a small, raspy speaker
and the rest of the magic happened in our imaginations.
If the schools did not ask much of our creative talents, they certainly
required a physical commitment. Some school systems owned one or two busses, but most had
none. We walked. Even though districts were small, it was no short hike for those of us
who lived on the fringes. But we had sidewalks, and trees, and usually several best
friends to walk with. I can't remember anyone complaining about it or feeling ill used,
except perhaps the poor girls who had first period gym with Miss Simmons who often
required them to begin the day with a "healthy walk". No matter how deep the
snow we never, not even once, had a "snow day".
Instead of beer and wine, we drank double cokes and milkshakes. And, in
the pre-plastic days, lemonade that was made in glass pitchers where you could see it, and
hear the ice cubes clink against the glass, and it tasted like lemons instead of the
inside of a plastic container. On summer days there was always, in the refrigerator, a
kettle of iced tee and a ladle. I think most of us graduated from high school without ever
drinking more than an occasional glass of wine on holidays-and without ever haying dinner
in a fancy restaurant.
In the days before adults plugged speakers into their heads and
teenagers destroyed the peace with portable sound-blasters, we whistled a lot. Along the
shaded late night streets there was often the sound of a young man whistling. Perry Como's
"Full Moon and Empty Arms" was a particularly good song to whistle when you were
walking home after work or after a date. In every household there was usually someone with
a bit of musical talent: a grandfather who could play the spoons, an uncle with a
harmonica in his vest pocket, a female cousin who was taking piano lessons. Of course,
there were recordings, scratchy seventy-eights: Goodman, Dorsey, Harry James, Ellington,
Basie, all the big bands that used to perform at the Stanley. The singers, too: Crosby,
the Mills Brothers, June Christie, Mel Torme, the Ink Spots, Paula Kelly and the
Modernaires. Remember Elie Fitzgerald's, "A tisket, a tasket, I lost my yellow
basket", Kate Smith's "Harvest Moon". and Dinah Washington's heartbreaking
"Yesterdays"? Remember Nat King Cole, someone named Ishkibble, Spike Jones and
the City Slickers, Louie Armstrong, and a skinny kid named Sinatra?
Remember Sunday drives with the whole family? Remember reading the
Burma Shave signs? Remember Friday afternoon football games: the marching band, the school
colors, the majorettes in silver satin, the cheerleaders in wide pleated skirts, saddle
shoes, and heavy wool sweaters, the low rickety stands, and winning every game except the
one with McKees Rocks in the mud? Remember "away" games on bright October
afternoons: the excitement of actually being in some foreign place like Baldwin, or
Carnegie, or Clairton? The best part of it, though, was that whatever high school you
attended, you were all friends: the players, the band, the kids in the stands. Most high
school graduating classes were small enough so that we could know one another well enough
to care. When you stop to think of it, there was never very much difference between the
popular halfback and the quiet kid who wrote poetry and failed everything but English.
The 1940's marked the end of the small, local school. Someone convinced
us that large, comprehensive systems would be cheaper and better. It turned out that they
were more expensive and worse. When we traded walking for riding, homeroorn teachers for
psychologists and guidance departments, brown beg lunches or lunch at home for huge
cafeterias, rickety stands for concrete stadiums, and graduating classes of 100 for
classes of 2,000, we did irreparable harm to our children and to theirs. Except in a few
isolated places, the schools we knew are gone and we, not realizing their importance, let
them slip away.
In discussing this with an old schoolmate, she said that ours was one
of the last classes in America's Age of Innocence. Almost none of us drank, only a few of
us smoked, and most of us were still happily unacquainted with the "F'" word. As
a matter of fact, there is considerable proof to support the claim that the Dormont High
Class of 1945 was the last in the United States of America in which 100 percent of the
graduating girls were virgins. The Smithsonian Institute has been engaged in a study and,
so far, it looks as if our young ladies were, on graduation day, fully intact. Before
attributing that splendid achievement entirely to the strong principles and high morals of
the girls of "45", it must, in all fairness, be said that ignorance and lack of
opportunity also played a part. There is no doubt that most of the girls in our graduating
class thought hymen was the name of a Jewish druggist. Perhaps in our class, as in yours,
there were a few young ladies who might have been persuaded, but in 1945 most of the boys
were too shy to ask.
Even our most outrageous behavior was essentially harmless: sneaking
into the pool at night, soaping windows on Halloween, throwing spitballs in music
appreciation class, lying about our age to get into the burlesque show at the Casino on
Saturday afternoons. I don't remember much swearing beyond an occasional hell or damn, no
violent fights, no overt defiance of authority, very little booze and no drugs, no
suicides, only one serious car wreck, no stealing or vandalism, no real sense of
alienation, frustration, and anger.
We seemed to belong, truly belong in a way that is no longer
possible: to our nation, to our community, to our high school, and to each other. That is
indeed a reality better than anything that can ever happen again. How lucky we are to have
had it, to be members of the last generation to grow up in America's Age of Innocence. Of
course, the world was much less simple and pure than we were led to believe, but that
didn't matter. Around us we saw that the old values were in place, that such virtues as
honesty and courtesy, and courage, and hard work, and caring and contributing were
important.
Dormont in those days was, for us, much like Thornton Wilder's
"Grovers Corners" , and we were George and Emily sipping strawberry sodas in
Dickson's drugstore. In 1945 "our town" wasn't much different than it had been
in 1925. Our high school education was, in almost every respect, the same as our parents
had experienced. I don't mean to suggest that we lived in a carefree time and place. In
fact, we were well acquainted with adversity. As children of the depression most of us
learned very early what it meant to do without. Then,, in our teens the war taught us once
more the meaning of sacrifice and introduced many of us to personal tragedy. Yet, looking
back, it seems we were happy in our growing up. Perhaps the human mind tends to forget the
shadows and remember only the sunshine, but I'm sure most of us can say with conviction,
"those were among the best of times"!
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