2008 PICNIC UPDATE
Got a call from Becky Jackson (59) who said she would be able to attend but not until after lunch. Look forward to seeing you Becky.
Several more classmates contacted me to say they would love to attend but couldn't. They want to say hello to everyone. They include:
Leo Johnson of Denver CO - ljohnson@atdenver.com
Mary Simmons-Fields of Stuttgart AR - mfields@producersrice.com
Betty Taylor-Davis - betty.davis.hxyu@statefarm.com (Love your eyes, Betty)
Kay Nowak of Tampa Bay, FL - knowak2@tampabay.rr.com
CHS CD movie "The 1951 CHS Dedication Video and Pictures from the past"
Jan Scott (68), a youngster, will be at the picnic offering copies for sale of the above CD celebrating the 50 year anniversary of CHS. Jan was part of the alumni committee that generated this CD and can be reached at JScott4607@aol.com .
Roland Pierce of Penny's Confectionary Passes
Cecil Comte (57) informed me more than a week ago that Roland Pierce, son of Fred Pierce that operated Penny's, the coolest hangout of the fifties, has passed away. We saw Bob Lannigan (58) at the '58 reunion last week and he said he was going to the funeral. Our condolences to the Pierce family. We will be doing a feature "Memories of Penny's" on this blog sometime in the future.
Pictures Of Past Picnics
Ron Wasser (58) has posted pictures of previous picnics on the web to share with all of us. Just click on this link, Ron's Picture Gallery ,to enjoy and share. I think these are downloadable or you can purchase them from the site for just pennies. We thank Ron for doing our picnic photos including the group photos each year.
We will be posting more pictures in the future. For a small charge of $20.00 per person we will "photoshop" your picture at your direction. Bigger breasts (or smaller for the guys), tight abs, tiny waist, fill-in bald spots, etc. For a lesser fee of of $10.00 we will agree to lose your picture and not post it.
Denny Reed
I got absolutely great news from Denny Reed whose wife Marcia has been battling a severe form of cancer for almost two years. Denny writes, "Marcia and I have received a flat out miracle. They performed a PET scan which can pinpoint exactly where any cancer is in your body and it detected nothing." Denny says they are taking this news a day at a time and thanks a merciful God and all those who have prayed for Marcia and for him. Denny and Marcia live on what sounds like a beautiful 200 acre farm with a stream, springs and caves, near Branson, MO. They commute to Barnes in St Louis for Marcia's care.
That's it for right now. Keep coming back for more news about classmates and friends. To comment or just say hi, click on the "comments" link at the end of this message.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
11th Annual Back To The Fifties Picnic Sept. 27th
It's time once again to dust off your old stories, freshen up your exaggerations (that by now you’ve told so many times you’re convinced they’re true) and bring them along to the 11th Annual Back-To-The Fifties Picnic for CHS classes 1952 thru 1962, Saturday, September 27th, at the American Legion Park, 375 E. Locust St., Columbia, Illinois.
Mark your calendars and also stick a note on the refrigerator reminding yourself to check the calendar. For those who live in Columbia just drive by the park every day until you see a group of senior citizens who look confused. That will likely be us.
This annual picnic, hosted by members of CHS Classes of 1957 and 1958, is for CHS classes 1952 thru 1962, the generation that invented “cool”, and any of our friends from that era whether or not they attended CHS. If you were a member of those classes and know of anyone else who might like to attend please let them know. We’re not exclusive. We begin arriving about 9 AM and stay until those remaining start nodding off, usually around 6 or 7 PM. By comparison, in 1998 some of us drank beer ‘til midnight.
Those attending are invited to bring a side dish such as salads, beans, casseroles, bread, desserts or whatever you choose to share. It’s impossible to coordinate with everyone so it’s literally potluck. There’s always enough for everyone and anything else we need is available nearby. Once again, honorary classmate and friend, Carl Gallion, will provide the high protein – probably fried chicken. Carl brought BBQ for everyone last year and it was g-r-r-reat! We will eat around 12 o’clock and continue nibbling all afternoon.
If you don’t like chicken there’s a large covered pit to cook whatever you wish to bring but you’ll have to provide your own wood or charcoal. Everyone is expected to provide their own drinks, ice, coolers and cups. We will provide plastic utensils, paper plates, napkins, etc. We usually pass the hat to cover expenses, which are limited to the pavilion rental and incidentals.
The large screened pavilion has plenty of picnic table seating, overhead fans, restrooms, a refrigerator, electrical outlets, etc., Weather depending, you might want to bring lawn chairs, outdoor game equipment, etc., your choice. We will have horseshoes and bean bag toss for those who like to sling something other than BS. We will be spinning the doo-wop and we will have a fifties trivia quiz with prizes for the winners. Don’t forget to bring pictures, class annuals, or any other memorabilia from the period. There will be plenty of fun T-shirts and other items as door prizes.
Although unnecessary you can RSVP by email at hickorywind@comcast.net or by calling me, Gary Cobb - 615.824.7382, or Richard Zinn – 618.538.5713, Larry Tolbird – 314.892.6671, or Mickey Baur-Dorman 618.345.4965. Every class member is a designated member of the picnic committee so participate at will and invite anyone you choose. We had about 50 people attend last September and expect even more this year as the word gets out. A list of those attending last year will be posted soon.
Please join us as we celebrate our friendship, our memories of the good times, our music, and those circumstances that brought us together as fellow travelers on the road of life.
We always have fun. Be there - or be square!
Mark your calendars and also stick a note on the refrigerator reminding yourself to check the calendar. For those who live in Columbia just drive by the park every day until you see a group of senior citizens who look confused. That will likely be us.
This annual picnic, hosted by members of CHS Classes of 1957 and 1958, is for CHS classes 1952 thru 1962, the generation that invented “cool”, and any of our friends from that era whether or not they attended CHS. If you were a member of those classes and know of anyone else who might like to attend please let them know. We’re not exclusive. We begin arriving about 9 AM and stay until those remaining start nodding off, usually around 6 or 7 PM. By comparison, in 1998 some of us drank beer ‘til midnight.
Those attending are invited to bring a side dish such as salads, beans, casseroles, bread, desserts or whatever you choose to share. It’s impossible to coordinate with everyone so it’s literally potluck. There’s always enough for everyone and anything else we need is available nearby. Once again, honorary classmate and friend, Carl Gallion, will provide the high protein – probably fried chicken. Carl brought BBQ for everyone last year and it was g-r-r-reat! We will eat around 12 o’clock and continue nibbling all afternoon.
If you don’t like chicken there’s a large covered pit to cook whatever you wish to bring but you’ll have to provide your own wood or charcoal. Everyone is expected to provide their own drinks, ice, coolers and cups. We will provide plastic utensils, paper plates, napkins, etc. We usually pass the hat to cover expenses, which are limited to the pavilion rental and incidentals.
The large screened pavilion has plenty of picnic table seating, overhead fans, restrooms, a refrigerator, electrical outlets, etc., Weather depending, you might want to bring lawn chairs, outdoor game equipment, etc., your choice. We will have horseshoes and bean bag toss for those who like to sling something other than BS. We will be spinning the doo-wop and we will have a fifties trivia quiz with prizes for the winners. Don’t forget to bring pictures, class annuals, or any other memorabilia from the period. There will be plenty of fun T-shirts and other items as door prizes.
Although unnecessary you can RSVP by email at hickorywind@comcast.net or by calling me, Gary Cobb - 615.824.7382, or Richard Zinn – 618.538.5713, Larry Tolbird – 314.892.6671, or Mickey Baur-Dorman 618.345.4965. Every class member is a designated member of the picnic committee so participate at will and invite anyone you choose. We had about 50 people attend last September and expect even more this year as the word gets out. A list of those attending last year will be posted soon.
Please join us as we celebrate our friendship, our memories of the good times, our music, and those circumstances that brought us together as fellow travelers on the road of life.
We always have fun. Be there - or be square!
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Introduction to Blog
This is an introductory post and is meant to explain the purpose of this blog and to provide a little history and a feel for any visitors unfamiliar with the Cahokia area.
The group this blog is directed towards grew up in the fifties on the Illinois flood plains of the Mississippi River just across from St. Louis, Missouri and immediately south of East St. Louis, Illinois. Back in 1966, on a quiet summer evening when the conditions were right you could sometimes hear the roar of the crowd as the St Louis Cardinal’s did battle at legendary Busch Stadium in downtown St Louis. That’s how close we were to St Louis.
In the fifties and sixties Cahokia was a low to middle income, blue collar town (still is) just south of and immediately adjacent to Monsanto, Illinois (now named Sauget) a factory town made up of a large concentration of chemical processing plants, a refinery, a rubber plant, and similar operations, all the type of plants that no one else wanted in their neighborhoods because all were an eyesore and generated some of the most noxious fumes and odors known to modern man – but they provided employment. The area we called Cahokia at the time included a small incorporated village of 500 and and, by osmosis, an adjacent unincorporated area of greater size known as Maplewood Park that was home to a small commercial airport and the notable Parks Aeronautical College, an arm of St Louis University and an important training facility for pilots during WWII.
Cahokia is named for the Native American tribe that lived there at the time the French explorer Joliet descended the river looking for a water route to the Pacific Ocean. I was told the name Cahokia translates to "many ducks" or something close referring to the marsh lands that attracted an abundance of waterfowl to the area in centuries past. Cahokia shares its name with the historic site of the largest Native American earthen structures in the Americas, the Cahokia Mounds, which are located eight miles to the north of our little town.
By the time I came along in 1939 it was a sleepy little burg of about 500 people with one grocery store, one gas station, a couple of churches and about five or six taverns. The priority was fairly obvious.
Growing up in Cahokia was most likely just like growing up in any small Midwestern town in the forties and fifties with the exception of Cahokia being so historic. The old historic French Courthouse, the Jarrot house and the old log church were always there to remind us that our little town held a special place in the relatively brief history of our exciting, new nation. As a child I felt a special pride that my family was part of that history although it wasn’t until I was in my fifties that I came to discover that my ancestors among the French and Indians included the Saucier family, forefathers who drew the first map of New Orleans, designed and engineered the construction of Fort de Chartres, and even one who once occupied the historic courthouse as his private residence.
As a thirteen year old I remember lying in bed at night to the glow of an old tube radio, the volume up just enough to keep my mother from hearing as I listened to the local R&B stations playing Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, The Crows, The Orioles and other emerging black vocal groups that became famous for developing the Doo Wop music that crossed over the race barrier and captivated young white audiences nationwide. These same groups inspired the early attempts by artists like Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Conway Twitty, Roy Orbison and others to emulate and merge the rhythm and blues sound with mainstream country and pop music – the evolution of Rock and Roll, a music which eventually swept the world.
My generation was there when it happened and we played a part in it’s development. The music genius, Chuck Berry, who in my book is perhaps the most influential rock artist of all time, grew up in St Louis and along with Ike and Tina Turner played the East St Louis clubs, Tina often seen driving around the Illinois side in a red Corvette. Add to that, Miles Davis, not rock and roll but one of the most celebrated Jazz musicians of all time whose father practiced dentistry in East St Louis and once had a Millstadt, Illinois address.
That’s a thumbnail sketch of the area where we grew up. There is much more to this story and we will be telling it over the next months and perhaps years depending on your participation and my longevity.
That's why I’ve established this blog, a place to come to for news, to reminisce and a place to comment and discuss the people and events that shaped our lives and brought us together as fellow travelers on the road of life.
Comments to any post by classmates, friends and visitors are encouraged. Feel free to participate – no mean or foul language please. I will edit you or block you if necessary. Don’t make me come to your house.
I have to rely on all of you for news and suggestions for posts. If you have information you want to share with the group just email me and I will post it in due time.
Gary
The group this blog is directed towards grew up in the fifties on the Illinois flood plains of the Mississippi River just across from St. Louis, Missouri and immediately south of East St. Louis, Illinois. Back in 1966, on a quiet summer evening when the conditions were right you could sometimes hear the roar of the crowd as the St Louis Cardinal’s did battle at legendary Busch Stadium in downtown St Louis. That’s how close we were to St Louis.
In the fifties and sixties Cahokia was a low to middle income, blue collar town (still is) just south of and immediately adjacent to Monsanto, Illinois (now named Sauget) a factory town made up of a large concentration of chemical processing plants, a refinery, a rubber plant, and similar operations, all the type of plants that no one else wanted in their neighborhoods because all were an eyesore and generated some of the most noxious fumes and odors known to modern man – but they provided employment. The area we called Cahokia at the time included a small incorporated village of 500 and and, by osmosis, an adjacent unincorporated area of greater size known as Maplewood Park that was home to a small commercial airport and the notable Parks Aeronautical College, an arm of St Louis University and an important training facility for pilots during WWII.
Cahokia is named for the Native American tribe that lived there at the time the French explorer Joliet descended the river looking for a water route to the Pacific Ocean. I was told the name Cahokia translates to "many ducks" or something close referring to the marsh lands that attracted an abundance of waterfowl to the area in centuries past. Cahokia shares its name with the historic site of the largest Native American earthen structures in the Americas, the Cahokia Mounds, which are located eight miles to the north of our little town.
By the time I came along in 1939 it was a sleepy little burg of about 500 people with one grocery store, one gas station, a couple of churches and about five or six taverns. The priority was fairly obvious.
Growing up in Cahokia was most likely just like growing up in any small Midwestern town in the forties and fifties with the exception of Cahokia being so historic. The old historic French Courthouse, the Jarrot house and the old log church were always there to remind us that our little town held a special place in the relatively brief history of our exciting, new nation. As a child I felt a special pride that my family was part of that history although it wasn’t until I was in my fifties that I came to discover that my ancestors among the French and Indians included the Saucier family, forefathers who drew the first map of New Orleans, designed and engineered the construction of Fort de Chartres, and even one who once occupied the historic courthouse as his private residence.As a thirteen year old I remember lying in bed at night to the glow of an old tube radio, the volume up just enough to keep my mother from hearing as I listened to the local R&B stations playing Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, The Crows, The Orioles and other emerging black vocal groups that became famous for developing the Doo Wop music that crossed over the race barrier and captivated young white audiences nationwide. These same groups inspired the early attempts by artists like Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Conway Twitty, Roy Orbison and others to emulate and merge the rhythm and blues sound with mainstream country and pop music – the evolution of Rock and Roll, a music which eventually swept the world.
My generation was there when it happened and we played a part in it’s development. The music genius, Chuck Berry, who in my book is perhaps the most influential rock artist of all time, grew up in St Louis and along with Ike and Tina Turner played the East St Louis clubs, Tina often seen driving around the Illinois side in a red Corvette. Add to that, Miles Davis, not rock and roll but one of the most celebrated Jazz musicians of all time whose father practiced dentistry in East St Louis and once had a Millstadt, Illinois address.
That’s a thumbnail sketch of the area where we grew up. There is much more to this story and we will be telling it over the next months and perhaps years depending on your participation and my longevity.
That's why I’ve established this blog, a place to come to for news, to reminisce and a place to comment and discuss the people and events that shaped our lives and brought us together as fellow travelers on the road of life.
Comments to any post by classmates, friends and visitors are encouraged. Feel free to participate – no mean or foul language please. I will edit you or block you if necessary. Don’t make me come to your house.
I have to rely on all of you for news and suggestions for posts. If you have information you want to share with the group just email me and I will post it in due time.
Gary
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