2013 Winter

Watsonville High School

Class Of 1957 Newsletter-"HIGH TIMES"

2013 Winter Original written and edited by Betty Bjur

VOL.33 E-editions by John Higaki

NEWSLETTER, CLASS OF 1957, December 2013

****lt says that everyone has a different concept of what heaven might be like***

Ah yes....for me it would be classy cars, lots of chrome, cheap gas and great music. Hmmm...Sounds like 1957!!!

For all of you facebook fans, there is an interesting page called "Remembering Watsonville". Everyday there is something posted about our city with pictures. Check it out. I've learned several interesting things, one rather shocking to me, in the 1920's, there was at least one Klavern in Watsonville, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, PV Chapter 105. There were several periodic reports of cross burnings in the regional newspaper during the 1920's, & there were several large public recruiting meetings during this time. The first copy of the Register Pajaronian hit the stands, March 5, 1868. Buffalo Bill visited Watsonville in October 4, 1910 with his Buffalo Bill Wild West & Pawnee Show. Interesting & fun information about your hometown, Watsonville, the land of strawberries, apples, flowers, milk &

honey.

25 years ago, April 24, 1987: Sixteen former Watsonville High School students who died in the Vietnam War were honored at Geiser Field ceremony.

50 years ago, June 29,1963: The demolition of Moreland Notre Dame 1890's building.

52 years ago, Dec. 20 1954: Kenny Sears , class of 1951 was the first basketball player to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated, during his years at Santa Clara University.

100 years ago, August 20, 1913: New uniforms for the city firemen & police were issued. The uniformed force will lend a metropolitan air to our city, when they appear in public they will not only strike terror in hearts of wrongdoers but will cause quite a flutter in the hearts of the fair sex.

100 years ago, July 18, 1913: Many complaints have been received at the police station regarding the conduct of some boys, mutilating property, & insulting ladies as they pass by. Parents are on notice that if this continues their names will be published in the paper & sent to a state school for wayward boys.

MARYELLA KERNS

Maryella received the Administrators in Medicine Doug Cerf Executive Director Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to improve the quality of standards for medical practice in the US & its territories. Maryella is the ED of the 21 member Washington State Medical Commission founded in 1881. She administers a budget of 14.9 million dollars, hires & supervises a 40 member staff, promotes medical legislation & has oversight over medical regulations in WA State. The award was presented April 17, 2013 at the AIM Annual Meeting in Boston. Last year, together with the Commission Chair, she accepted the Administrators in Medicine Best of Boards Award for 2012 in Fort Worth, TX for the Medical Commissions efforts to educate medical doctors, other healthcare providers & the public on appropriate pain management. Maryella has been a member of the WA Governor's Distinguished Managers Association since 1999. She will retire June 30, 2014.

THE SKILLICORN BROTHERS

One of the baseball teams in Watsonville in the 1920's was made up of all brothers. The athletic skills of the Skillicorn family, all nine brothers formed their own team & traveled to exhibition games in the region. Their 4 sisters were the cheerleaders. They were so popular & so unusual that today they are remembered in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.

WHERE WERE YOU WHEN PRESIDENT KENNEDY DIED?

Our President, John F Kennedy, the handsome, vigorous, youngest president ever to be elected was assassinated 50 years ago in Dallas, Texas. He had beckoned the country forth to the New Frontier. We were all young adults then, first time voters, beginning our careers & families. It is still hard to believe after all these years that someone would kill our young president. The age of innocence was over.

RALPH SHUGART: I was aboard an Air Force C-130B transport over the Atlantic Ocean, flying a navigation training mission, on the way to Bermuda from Langley AFB, VA. One of our traffic controllers told us that the president had been shot in Dallas. When we landed in Bermuda, all the flags were at half mast, so we knew that he had died.

DON ARMSTRONG: I was in Lake Tahoe, walking out of Raley's Market when a lady next to me told me that Pres. Kennedy had been shot. As a newly minted 21 year old, I voted for Kennedy in 1960.

KATHY MANN: I was in the kitchen at 410 Corralitos Rd tending to my year & a half old boy, Christopher

KRISTINE PARKER: I was living in Rapid City, South Dakota & waiting for my 2 year old daughter to be delivered from her nursery school when Walter Cronkite came on TV to announce the president had been shot.

JIM Whyte: I was working as asst manager at the San Mateo Woolworth store when I heard the news. Within 2 hours the store & downtown were empty & we all went home

BOB D'ANNA: I was in the Navy in San Diego.. Very sad day.

DAN PINI; I was at Farmers Mercantile working when it came over the radio. What a shock.

COLLEEN CONNOR; I was laying my baby daughter down for her hap.

KEN GRAY: I was in class at San Jose State, taking a test. I heard a lot of commotion outside, when I went outside the students were milling around & some crying. I went to my car & sat in stunned silence to the news.

BEV SAMPSON; I was cleaning my house, my first baby, Gordon was 3 months. My sister called me with the news. JOANN FLORES: I was in my apartment ironing & heard the announcement on the radio.

EDNA RIEMER: I was living in Walla Walla, WA. I was changing my first daughter who was 1 month old when I heard on the radio about the president. I grabbed her & ran to my neighbors apartment.

JEAN MATHEWS; I was home in Sacramento watching a soap opera when the news broke. Couldn't believe it. Everyone was in shock at work that night

BOB DIETERICK:I had just graduated & returned to Watsonville to join the staff at the veterinary hospital. A client came in & told us. People stopped bringing in their animals for several hours,

JERRY CHIN; I was in Idaho State University Student Union Building. Students were crying saying why, why, why as the announcement was made over the PA. A violent day in history. Loss of innocence.

GRANT WRATHALL; I was in Orem, Utah handling a high powered rifle for deer hunting when I heard the radio announce the killing of Kennedy. I was so sad & felt very sad for his son when he saluted his father. Mrs. Kennedy was a class act. Didn't vote for him but liked him.

PAT BLAIR: I was in my kitchen when my neighbor told me. I spent a few days glued to the TV

GLEN KIMOTO; I was in my first year of teaching conducting a demonstration on the effect of carbon dioxide on breathing rate, We were stunned when we heard the PA announcement.

JANE SULLIVAN; I was working at Wells Fargo Bank in SF. My husband was working at a Stock brokerage firm into the night selling out customers as the market plunged. Horrible & tragic.

BJ EVERTON: I was teaching at Aptos Junior High. The students came running in to tell me that Pres. Kennedy had been shot. I don't remember anything after that. Just confusion & disbelief.

NANCY WYNNE; I was working at Bank of America, 6 months pregnant. All of a sudden someone came into the bank yelling the President has been shot in Dallas.. The world changed,

JOHN HIGAKI; I was looking for a parking place at San Jose State.

KENNY DOBLER; I was at my ranch on Struve Rod in Moss Landing, working on a cabbage transplanter.

BETSY WONG; I was working in San Jose for a rental agency that located housing for San Jose State students.My boss called the office staff in & told us. We were all in shock.

DON BEUKERS; I was working at Graybar Electric.

BOB FENNER; I was a student at University of Illinois. Everything came to a stop & we congregated in the lobby of the physics building.

BILL BEECHER; I was on duty at the Presidio of San Francisco.. I was in shock. I met Sen. Kennedy in 1959 at a conference at Asilomar on Foreign Affairs. We were in a study session together.

GEORGEANN COWLES; I was living in 400 sq. ft. w/3 children in student housing, Univ. of Oregon. Unbelievable, but I was ironing & watching TV when it was announced.

SALLY ENGLAND; I was teaching first graders in San Jose when the assassination of JFK was announced on the intercom. It was so hard to comprehend. I decided we needed to do something positive so I bought a tree & the class planted it in the school yard & said a prayer of remembrance of that day.

JIM LUDDEN; I was way out in the bush of West Africa when a student told me that President Kennedy had been assassinated.

BETTY SUE: I was teaching second grade in Azusa, CA.

ANNIVERSARIES

Phil Sousa & his wife Sally celebrated their 50th anniversary, July 6

Phil & Sally celebrated their 50th in San Luis Obispo & Maui with their son Tim & family. They were engaged on Christmas Day while Sally was attending UC Berkeley & Phil was employed by Santa Cruz County. After retiring, they enjoy golfing, traveling & being with their yellow lab, Putter.

IN MEMORY

Bonnie Hatley's sister Cecile Hatley died May 29. Cecile was in the class of 1956. She was born & raised in

Watsonville. She was a great cook & had a wonderful sense of humor. She is survived by her husband Peter; son, Erick; daughter Janice; two granddaughters & two greats, sister Bonnie.

James Burt died June 28. He attended Freedom School & was in the class of 1956. He served in the Army & was a plumber. He is survived by his wife, Pearl; daughters,. Shelly & Julie; step sons, Kevin & Kirt; seven grandchildren, six greats; brother in law, Chester Broyles.

Dixie Walsh died June 29 in Santa Cruz. She was in the class of 1956. She was the office manager at Brown Bears an organization that assists seniors. She is survived by 2 daughters, Vicki & Kim.

Bonnie Hatley's son , Michael McGinnis died July 11. He was a mechanic on his father's ranch his entire life. He was an avid collector of Ham & CB radio equipment & played the guitar. He had a great love for his family. He is survived by his mother Bonnie & father Howard McGinnis;life partner, Judy; his son, Daniel; daughter Rosalie; sisters, Nancy, Brenda, Sandra, Jill.

Carroll Cameron's mother, Louise Cameron died July 14. Louise was born in Penokee, KS & moved to Watsonville in 1945. She enjoyed dancing, sewing & baking. She made the best lemon pie ever. She is survived by two sons,

Raymond & Carroll; a daughter Mary; nine grandchildren & ten greats.

Clara Edsberg Kralj died August 2. She was in the class of 1951. She taught school in Watsonville. Clara leaves 3 daughters; nine grandchildren, one great; brother James; sister Joyce.

Orrin Wagoner died August 22. He was raised in Watsonville & was in the class of 1955. He had his own Real Estate business in Watsonville. Orrin is survived by his son Michael; daughter Stacey; 5 grandchildren; 2 sisters, Doris & Patty.

Luana Vidak's mother Anita Jano Vidak died September 16. Mrs. Vidak & her husband opened Bi-Rite Markets in

Watsonville & Freedom & Sherwood Market in Salinas. In later years they built & managed East Lake Village

Shopping Center. Mrs. Vidak is survived by her daughter Luane.

Annie Borrego passed away September 24. She was in the class of 1954. She married her high school sweetheart, Sam Powell. Annie is survived by 3 children; seven grandchildren;five greats; brother Richard.

Adrienne Marmo's sister Giovanna "Ge Ge" Marmo Greene passed away on Oct 3. She was born in Victoria, B.C. Canada in 1921 & lived there & N. California until her parents purchased the ranch at Pinto Lake in 1927. She attended the old Amesti school & was a 1940 WHS graduate. She married Robert Greene in 1942 while he served in WWII. She & Bob had 2 children, Roberta & Michael. She is survived by her 2 children; five grandchildren & four great-grandchildren & her sister Adrienne.

Andrea Caioie's brother Reynaldo Tagaml died Oct 17. Rey was an educator at San Benancio Middle School, Athletic Director, Coach & teaching Vice Principal. He is survived by his wife, Judy; two daughters, Liana & Kiersten; his mother Judith; sisters Andrea, Lene; brothers Robert, Alan Fredrick.

Joan Mathews husband, Jerry Gross died Dec. 5. He was a WHS graduate. He retired from the Sacramento School Dist. as the supervisor in the glass dept. He was the past master of the Elk Grove Masonic Lodge & held a statewide office. He & Joan loved watching their kids play sports. Jerry is survived by Joan; son Jerry, Jr.; daughter Terri ; 5 grandchildren; 2 greats; sister Jeannie Peterson.

The first Willie the Wildcat was penned by Steve Pista in 1943 for the Manzanita. Stories about how the name Wildcat became Watsonville mascot date from 1927.

NEWS:

Bev Clements & Betty Sue went to San Mateo to visit Miss Virginia Thomson, our advisor at WHS. She began her teaching career at WHS in 1955. She has written several books since retiring & is in good health. She is 83 & has great memories of her years at WHS.

Nancy Wynne & her husband Bob & 14 year old granddaughter heard the trade winds calling "Aloha" & headed to Hawaii for a cruise around the Hawaiian Islands. After lamenting there was nothing fun happening during the hot days

in Fresno, Hailey loved the thrill & magic of Hawaii. She was changed by the trip. A side note & a bit of history was rediscovered in the archives displayed on the ship. There were stories & photos of the cargo ships, in the late 1800's, who took the first travelers from the U.S. shores to those exotic & still a bit primitive islands. Nancy's grandmother, Elizabeth Peckham McCormick & her father Henry Peckham, sailed, following her graduation from WHS on one of those cargo ships, They docked at Waikiki Beach, stayed at Moana Hotel for six months. Lush, green \TOp\ca\ growth, no souvenir shops, just prim & proper fancy ladies walking around in long, dark, Victorian style dresses, & no daring swimming costumes worn by men or women. The cruise of today is with amazing comfort, a far cry from what transpired on the long trip across the Pacific for her grandmother & father. Aloha still calls us. Perhaps it is the sound heard by Nancy's grandmother & her father so many years ago.

Glen Kimoto & his wife Judy are now great-grandparents. Their great grand-daughter's name is Blaire McKenzie Lopez.

Jim Gibson & his wife Shirley spent 2 weeks in the Banff area of Canada. Some amazing scenery along the way.

They stayed in Canmore at the Worldmark resort. They came home through Glacier National Park. Shirley's mother, Lena Orsini Yappert passed away on Oct 11th at the age of 102.5 after a long & full life.

Bill Beecher: Bill & his wife journeyed to India for a vacation. They started in Delhi & then went through palaces, temples & forts from the Hindustan & Mogul Empires. This included the incredible Taj Mahal. It was better than any photo. They also went tiger hunting with jeeps & cameras. They had two Bengal tigers come right up to the jeeps. They followed with riding elephants up to the fort & saw the reigning Maharaja arrive in his car. From there they joined friends at their family home in the Himalayas, a beautiful lake area at six thousand feet. They stopped in Malaysia & Singapore to meet old HP colleagues they hadn't seen since 2008.

Bob Fenner writes that he & his family are doing fine. He totally failed at retirement since he is still working & is missing many of the retirement benefits, like cruises & daytime TV. Such is life.

Kenny Dobler & his wife Anne did lots of small get-aways, but the big one this year was a Crystal cruise from Boston up around Nova Scotia, Quebec & Montreal. From there, they rented a car & drove back to Boston through Vermont, New Hampshire & Maine, visiting friends along the way. The fall colors were gorgeous.

Pat Hewett & her husband headed for Texas for 10 days to see their family & grandson Chase play basketball. He is a junior & on the varsity team. Lexie, their granddaughter is a 7th grader & is their dancer/piano player. She is also on the girls volleyball team. Before they left they had their Watsonville families come for early Thanksgiving. Grandson Kristopher is a fireman/paramedic in the San Benito County. Granddaughter Kylee started her medial career working for a plastic surgeon in Santa Cruz as a medical asst.

John Higaki & family spent 8 wonderful days in Oahu, which was split into 2 phases. The first 3 days with their son & family at the Hilton Waikiki Village, his treat. They were in the Rainbow Tower located on the beach. The suites face Diamond Head, great view. The Hilton has fireworks on Friday & Tuesday off the beach on the suite side, ring side seats from their room. Their son had to go back home, so John & his wife moved to the Marriott Waikiki, located at the other end of Waikiki. They joined the crowd on Halloween on Kalakaua Ave. It was very crowded. Hints, eat at Teddy's Bigger Burger, use the city bus for a dollar, Japanese food at Sansel at the Marriott. They hiked Diamond Head in sandals, a little tricky.

Peggy O'Farrell & her husband had a great summer with plenty of sunshine but didn't get a boat trip in. Their granddaughter spent the summer with them which added a new aspect to things. She worked & made money for college. Peggy had a knee replacement in July & a battery replacement for her pacemaker. She is doing very well. They will go to New Mexico to see their daughter & family in Dec.

Marilyn Morgan had a very eventful year for their family. Their son, Steve, retired after 30 years as a Navy SEAL in Sept. with high honors & great respect for his devoted service from the Navy. Steve's daughter, Natalie 24, got married in July to a wonderful christian man, David that is also a Navy SEAL. They are very happy & will make Marilyn & Carl, great grandparents in July. Steve's son, Zach, 23 became a Navy SEAL in August & is stationed in Hawaii for 5 years, Marilyn & Carl were able to attend all of these events in Coronado. They are very proud of their family.

Joan Mezger's grandson-in-law Steven Wright was the knuckleball pitcher this year for the Boston Red Sox. He was part of the AL pennant celebration. It was a great year for him, lots of exposure & a lot of competition. First year in the majors & he gets a World Series ring. Steven is married to Shannon & they have a one year old, Ella, Joan's great granddaughter.

Aptos High wins the third football championship in a row for the league. They also won the CCS Division III championship beating St. Ignatious Catholic School in San Francisco. They won the game in the last 25 seconds.Betty's grandson Gregory plays fullback & defensive end & her son Greg is on the coaching team. John Alaga's grandson Sean is on the JV team. They had a perfect season. Lookin' good for 2014.

The late Jim Perry's nephew Bill Miller is an umpire in the MLB. Bill's mother is Judy Perry, class of 1958. Bill has received 2 World Series rings . The first in 2010 with the San Francisco Giants win & this year for officiating at the Red Sox win. He resides in La Selva Beach. His daughters attend UCLA, Aptos High & Aptos Jr. High.

Janet Tindall's grandson, Jason Mattos was married to Danielle Stewart on Nov. 16 at Lake Arrowhead. They met at Azusa Pacific University. They are both RN's & work at hospitals in So. Cal.

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