From: Y2RMW@aol.com
Sent: Sep 26, 2004 12:58 PM
To: cjones@technidigm.org
Cc: jscurlin@comcast.net
Subject: (no subject)
I started my school days in Kindergarten at Stafford (Kansas) Elementary School and went through the first half of 6th grade.
MEMORIES: Getting the measles on the first day of 2nd grade.
The Fall: I was pretending to be a paratrooper when jumping out of the swing at school and broke my left arm as a result of an awkward landing.
The Minuet: We practiced, in class, the minuet for a special presentation at the Ritz Theater on May Day, but did not show up to do the dance: Engaged in a squirt-gun fight with my chums on Main Street.
The Skit: We were assigned to memorize dialog and act in 2-or-3 person skits in front of the class. I was given the role of a kindly Dr. Kildare-type treating a couple of patients. All went well until I had to bandage an arm and my fumblefingeredness took over. The roll of gauze unraveled to the floor and everyone was laughing. Things went from bad to worse as I was trying to bandage a head, so...I went with the flow and turned the skit into a comedy. Instead of James Kildare, M.D., I became Red Skelton, M.D.. Everyone was in stitches, so to speak.
The Play: We were assigned to act in a regular class play complete with costumes and props. The play was about Daniel Boone and I was given a very small part (no doubt because of my previous Dr. Kildare disaster) which consisted of a walk-on with the line "THE INDIANS ARE COMING!" (So much for my acting career).
The Rock: I got hit on the top of the head with a rock which was batted by Richie Darnall as recess ended. Lots of blood going down the sink. One suture required from Dr. Longwood.
The Pencil: I was doing my homework in bed with a sharp pencil in my mouth and when I raised my legs up to change position, I stabbed myself near the knee with the pencil, deep! YEOW! I still have the pencil-lead tattoo!
Playing football in the snow during recess with my classmates. I liked to play center or right end.
Having two girlfriends at the same time: Dixie King and Carolyn Williams. Swell!
My sixth grade teacher Mrs. Knoche being awarded "Teacher of the Year" for all of Kansas in l955.
In Jan. 1956 we moved to Tucson, Arizona where I attended Alice Vail Jr. High and freshman year at Rincon High School. Then we moved a few miles north to Oro Valley and I attended Amphitheater High School.
I didn't participate in too many high school activities, since I lived way out in the "Boondocks", at Oro Valley Country Club. I was an early driver, so I ended up driving my buddies Mike Webster, David Townley and Mike Wittkopf home after school almost everyday in my green 1949 Plymouth.
I was busy at home looking after my two younger brothers (Bob & Bill, mischievous little devils at times), doing chores, and doing part-time yardwork for my neighbors.
Never-the-less I did return to campus to see certain football games on Friday evenings and I watched several of the "Mighty Midgets" basketball games. Those guys were really SHORT and constantly getting FOULED by the other teams. Our team won the games mostly based on their free throws! They were sharp! But I got really irritated at the refs for constantly stopping the action because of all the fouls.
MEMORIES:
Sally Potter poking me in the back with her pencil in Mrs. Manzo's Spanish Class.
The busdriver with the nickname of "Rattlejack".
That jerk throwing a big spitwad onto the blackboard in Mr. Lomagio's class.
Getting sawdust thrown into my eyes as a prank in Woodworking Class.
The Marching Band using that wonderful drum beat as they marched toward the stadium before the football games started.
Hal Gimmestad's Jokes.
Watching the 1959 World Series during gym class and lunch time. I was rooting for the Chicago White Sox but the Los Angeles Dodgers took the 7th game.
The wonderful graduation party when that group of theater arts grads broke into a set of song & dance numbers from "West Side Story".
CLASS OF 1962!
From: Y2RMW@aol.com
Sent: Sep 26, 2004 9:54 AM
To: cjones@technidigm.org
Cc: jscurlin@comcast.net
Subject: Richard Wesley's current data
Hi! I'm living in Los Angeles with my wife Elsie and 18 year-old son Eric. I'm working 5 PM to 1 AM Mondays thru Fridays as a Security Guard in a Santa Monica office building after taking an early retirement, with full benefits, from UCLA Medical Center where I was an Office Manager.
I volunteer two days a week at the Shriners Hospital for Children where I work on the West Nursing Unit which has 30 beds for adolescent-aged inpatients. I escort patients to their appointments and run paperwork to different departments for the unit secretary. I fold clean towels, make sure each room's box of nurse's gloves is full, and visit with lonely patients. Also, I was assigned as a librarian in the Resource Center where patients and their parents can check out books and use five computers with internet access. Patients are a diverse group, some coming from other countries such as So. Korea, Mexico, Russia, The Philippines and Vietnam. I've learned to say "Hi! How are you?" in several languages.
At home I take care of a vegetable garden measuring 42'x12'. There I grow, on one side, tomatoes, lettuce, buttercup & zucchini squash, etc. and, on the other side herbs like fennel, lemon grass, rosemary, borage, sorrel, parsley, cilantro, thyme, sweet marjoram, lemon balm (for tea), basil, lovage, chives, catnip (for tea), burnet, nasturtium, candula, mints and dill. I can make or augment some great salads and soups!
I like to watch old movies on TCM and AMC and for the last four years, off-and-on, I have been contributing to the Internet Movie Data Base (www.imdb.com) and add to, or correct the castlists of movies, mostly of the '30s, '40s, and '50s. As of today I have corrected/added to the castlists of 2,875 movies/serials.
My wife Elsie, a Certified Nurses Assistant, takes care of an elderly couple. She works as a live-in Monday thru Friday and drives the lady once a week to bridge games with friends. Elsie is the life of any party and easily attracts friends. As a result, very frequently we attend weekend birthday parties and any other excuse for a party with these friends. Lots of fun!
Last year I purchased a FujiFilm 3800 Digital Camera and I'm having fun learning the new technology. My son has become a bit of a computer whiz and has been most helpful in helping me learn what I need to know about downloading pictures from the camera, setting up files, editing the photos and sending them out by e-mail.
As you can see NO MOSS GATHERS ON RICHARD!
Awk!! Guess who recently celebrated his 60th birthday!! Me!! No #%$@* Way!! Time sure passes fast when you are having fun! I will be attending my AHS 60th birthday party/reunion (42nd) in Tucson, AZ, Oct 23rd and 24th. COME AND JOIN US!!
From: Y2RMW at aol.com
Sent: Sep 23, 2004 4:54 AM
To: cjones at technidigm.org
Subject: More up-dates from Richard Wesley
Going through my yearbook I saw notations I made, which will give you these additions:
Bill Rosecrans died in l965; and John Burch died in 1976.
If I find anymore I will certainly pass them on to you.
Regards,
Richard.
From: Y2RMW at aol.com
Sent: Sep 22, 2004 5:44 PM
To: cjones at technidigm.org
Subject: Follow-up from Richard Wesley
OK!!!!, After generating a bit of sweat, I finally found my '62 and '61 yearbooks in a box under my bed and got them back into the light of day.....
Here's the data you need on Mike Webster: He died on Monday, Dec. 23, 1963 in a traffic accident on U.S. 380 near Carrizozo, New Mexico. (as I remember he fell asleep at the wheel). He "was returning from Fort Gordon, Ga. where he was a private in Company A, 7th Training Battalion"...." Pvt. Webster had recently completed his basic training after enlisting in the Army in September. He was scheduled to attend an Army Warrant Officers School after his leave ended in January.".....he "attended the University of Arizona for a year before entering the Army."
I was born in January, so I was first to get my DMV learner's permit, go through driver's training, get my license and start driving. I lived way out in Oro Valley so I became 'taxi driver' after school for some of my classmates who lived along the way home. Mike Webster was one of those along with David Townley and Mike Wittkopf. I was the one with the dark green '49 Plymouth with the visor above the windshield.
Looking through my yearbook I noticed a LOT of people unaccounted for in your class lists....Especially, Mark Taff..... last I heard he was a teacher/principal here in Southern California. It was he who got me in touch with Sandy Fraley for our date at the UofA reunion......So many others like .....Jo LoMaglio, Barry James, Jon Lundgren (cough), Keith Swenson, Spencer Swingle, Bernice George, etc...etc!!!!!! Whatever happened to all these people????????????
In my yearbook, I kept photos I took of the graduation party at Joanne Barreca's home.
In those photos are Margaret Ramsey, David Townley, Sue Oesterling, Bill Green, Joanne Barreca, Dan Troyer, Mike Webster, Scott Boyd, Jeanette Allen, Gerry Lybeck, Mike Wittkopf, John Chesshir and Mary (Chris) Chesney, who had one more year at AHS. I'll bring those to our October reunion.
Getting excited to attend.....
Regards,
Richard
From: Y2RMW at aol.com [mailto:Y2RMW at aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, September 22, 2004 6:30 AM
To: cjones at technidigm.org
Subject: Hello from Richard Wesley