Chuck and I have enjoyed a few chuckles reading other peoples memories of DHS and Dickinson in the 50”s. We chuckle because a lot of them are memories we all have! Most of the memories listed below are one’s I thought of, but Chuck helped me with remembering the names and the spelling We don’t want to repeat what others have said, but have thought of a few more:
- The “inner stairwell” at school patrolled by Mr. Risser looking for (of all things) someone necking!
- Coach Roach
- Problems Class and Miss Lenz hiding a juicy novel inside her teacher’s guide.
- The royal blue baggy gym suits the girls had to wear.
- The ‘love affair’ of Mrs. Hanegan and Mr. Ierien.
- Marie Pavel, secretary to Superintendent Hagen.
- Potlucks before football and basketball games.
- The fear the first time entering the ‘big’ high school building as a freshman knowing I’d never find my locker, never remember the combination, and surely, never having enough time to get from class to class.
- Parties at Suckerman’s ‘rec-room’ and Ansul’s famous grilled burgers.
- Mr. Oeffener hitting the boy’s knuckles with a yard stick in math class.
- Not only Miss Carmody’s rhinestone studded platform heals, but that really, really sharp pencil she carried and she used it to poke kids who were talking in Study Hall. (She walked so quietly in those shoes you never knew she was behind you!)
- A few “off campus” memories include a police raid on a party at Mitzi Scheeler’s house; scared to death riding in a carload of kids, driven by Jim Bosch doing wheelies on the ice at Dickinson Dam; climbing the fence after dark at the Whitney pool with Mary Pat, Joan Schimanski, and others; and working at my folk’s A& W Drive In; collecting a quarter from everyone in the car to gas up at the M & H station.
- When thinking of favorite teachers, the first name off both our lips for favorite teacher was Bernie Opoien. Chuck didn’t have a least favorite, but I had no problem naming mine….Minnie Holdhouse.
- Chuck is still thinking, and we’ll add more when (and if) he’s ready. He graduated in 53 and I in 57, so some of his memories are before my time. It’s interesting though how the memories of the early 50’s are much the same as the later 50’s.
We have to count our blessings, growing up and going to a small school in small town America! Lots of kids today attend such large high schools, they don’t even know the names of all the kids in their grade level, let alone names of kids from a whole decade!