1996 Fall
Watsonville High School
Class Of 1957 Newsletter-"HIGH TIMES"
FALL 1996 Original written and edited by Betty Bjur
VOL.1 E-editions by John Higaki
Dear Classmates,
I want to thank you once again for all the news sent in to me. Please don't stop.
We all enjoy hearing from you. As long as the news keeps coming, we will send a newsletter out.
The Reunion Committee met at Russ Bonnema's home to make the final decisions ¦
for our 40th Reunion. Those attending were, Russ, Betty Henry, Ed & Adrienne
Fagalde, Pat Hewett, Pat Pierce and Jane Beck. We are sending everyone on the
mailing list the announcement of our 40th Reunion. The committee wanted everyone
to know the date of the Reunion even those we didn't hear from everyone. So, for those
of you that didn't send in your $5.00 to help with the mailing, we encourage you to
do so as soon as possible. This will be our last correspondence with you if we don't
hear from you.
As noted on the announcement, there are 280 tickets available due to the seating
capacity. One hundred tickets have already been reserved . Please send in your
money as soon as possible to reserve your place.
I want to thank Lorene Dyer for designing and printing our Reunion announcement.
We all appreciate the work she has done. Also, a special thanks to Helen Fowle for printing
our address labels. She is a computer whiz & I really appreciated the help.
If, you have a classic car that you would like to show at our
Sunday Brunch and Car Show, please let Russ Bonnema know. His address is 2110 Wallace Aptos Ca95003.
Our next committee meeting will be October 30, 1996 at Bud & Kathy Mann's home,
2930 Freedom Blvd., Watsonville at 7:00 pm. You are welcome to attend.
Several of you mentioned that you would like to sponsor a faculty member's dinner'
for our Reunion. If, you wish to do that please include the money in your check andmake note
of the teacher you want to sponsor on the return slip. We really would
appreciate all the help we can get in sponsoring our faculty members. We hope to
invite the Haneys, Yarnes, McCombs, Johnsons, Staleys, Bilicichs' and Miss Pogue. If
you want to sponsor someone else please let us know. Any amount of money will be
applied to their dinner ticket and a note will be sent to the faculty member.
Remember, dress casual. T-shirts, welcomed!!!!! Prizes will be given for the best(as in 50's style)
dressed and many other things plus our own Jerry Baker will be
MC for the evening. J
Looking forward to hearing from you real soon. Don't forget to send news of your
family, etc.
Your Reunion Committee
. NEWS from our 1957 classmates:
An interview with Mr. Haney:
Mr. Haney retired after 39 years of teaching, May 18, 1989. He's taught close to
25,000 students in his 39 year career. He's coached basketball, football and golf, and
coached them all successfully. He's been a husband, father, a grandfather, a mentor,
an avid golfer and a supreme character. He's 72 years young and has been dubbed
"Zany Haney".
In his coaching he had a record that even legendary coach Emmett Geiser might be
envious of. He might not have been the greatest basketball player, but he'd tell a kid
how to do something with his wild arm movements, and somehow they'd relate.
Haney has probably taught more students than any active teacher in the state. In
addition to being science department head for 28 years, he has been a driver's
training instructor. Because he'd get a new batch of driving students every nine weeks,
the numbers he's taught are staggering. Toss in all of the kids Haney has coached and
you're talking about a football stadium fuil of peopie who have been reached by thisman.
Married and struggling to get by on a teacher's salary, Haney had an unusual side job
during his younger days. He used to deliver laundry for a local company-a job that
frequently used to take him into establishments in the now-defunct red-light district of Watsonville.
It's uncertain what type of garments Haney was delivering, but one can bet they weren't basketball
uniforms.
Like so many teachers, Haney has successfully balanced teaching and coaching withside jobs, church,
hobbies and of course, marriage and fatherhood. He's been happily married to his wife, Loy for
48 years and has two children and seven grandchildren.
But after 39 years in teaching, Haney's health has become as tenuous as a last-
second free throw. He's survived two bouts with cancer, but not without some hospitaltime that
interrupted his teaching and coaching duties. Haney still takes a sprightlywalk down East Beach most
days for lunch at his favorite Mexican restaurant, but hisdays as a teacher and coach have come to an end.
His doctor told him that two of the best things he could do for himself are to walk a lotand talk a
lot. If there's two things Haney likes to do, it's walk and talk.
Mr. Haney will be one of our teachers that will be attending our reunion in August, '97.
Several of you have suggested that we communicate via e-mail. If, you are interested please let me
know by sending your e-mail address. Marilyn Miller's address is :
mfreeman@lane.k12.or us. Peggy O'Farrell's address is: peggye@ktn.net
Bob Rackley writes that he is a school teacher in Sacramento. He is married to Pat Ackley, Class of
1959.
Kathy (Crossno) and Bud Mann welcomed their first grandchild, Jane Elizabeth, July
24. Proud mother is their daughter,' Carrie. Their son Jacob graduated from Davis this
spring.
Our sympathy to those who have lost loved ones: Mike O'Connell's mother, Larry
Delaney's mother, Lois Le Barre's mother, Tom Molina's mother, Edna Reimer's
mother, Gene Lacy's wife and Colleen Connor's brother.
Bobbie (Smith) and Earl Rackley are enjoying their retirement. They spend their time
going on cruises and camping trips. One of their favorites is Lake Topaz. Earl plays the steel guitar
which has them flying to classes and conventions.
Adrienne (Marmo) and Ed Fagalde bought a cabin at Lake Almanor. They spend their
summers there enjoying their boat and fishing.
Peggy O'Farrell: Peggy and her husband have lived in Alaska for the past 27 years.
They have become grandparents five times. Their daughter and family live in Germanyso they travel
about Europe quite a bit. Peggy works three days a week as an RN in aNative Health Family Practice
clinic. Her first love is the outdoors. They spend their summers boating and beach combing.
Japanese glass balls are the leading treasue one looks for, Indian beads on some beaches and whatever
the sea and winds bring in. They also have the pleasure of getting away and enjoying watching the
whales,
porpoises, eagles, bears & wolves.She enjoys quilting, reading and daily walksaround the lake or on one of the local trails. Her favorite memories of WHS include
football games, dances and Mr. Rowland. Peggy's mother, Mrs. O'Farrell, our home ec
teacher, retired in 1971. She passed away at Christmas time 1988. Peggy writes to Mrs Margaret Hartman,
our French and Spanish teacher. She is living in Watsonville
and doing well.
Jane Beck: Jane lives in San Martin. She has been married 36 years and has two
sons and two grandsons. Jane worked for 1st Nationwide Bank for many years until
she had to take a medical disability leave in 1988. In October 1989, she was
diagnosed with cancer of the bone marrow, followed by radiation of a large section of
her spine due to a tumor, followed by surgery mid 1990 to repair the damage and
continuing chemotherapy. With the love and prayers of family and friends she is doingquite well and
has outlived those awful statistics. She is thankfui to God for everyday.
Effie Pritchard: Effie lives in Lemoore, close to Fresno. She works for the California
Department of Corrections in Corcoran. She started in Soledad as a officer in 1978.
After 18 years on the job she still tries to keep the bad boys locked up. They have
Manson, Shirhan-Shirhan, just to name a few. Effie's husband Terry died of cancer a
few years ago. They had been married 25 years. Effie has two boys and a girl. Her
oldest son Rod, lives in Watsonville and works in a print shop. Effie keeps busy doing
arts and crafts. She loves to camp, fish and reads a book a week. Effie hates wearing
glasses. They fog-up, steam-up, smear-up, fall down your nose or pinch your ears, too
tight, too loose.... Sound familiar??? if you want some stories of what goes on inside
the prison wall, just ask. She has lots of stories to tell.
Alan Maxfield: Alan received his bachelors degree in chemistry from San Jose Stateand works in the
pharmaceutical industry in Silicon Valley for the last 32 years. Heand his wife Nancy have three
daughters and one granddaughter. They enjoy boating,
swimming and getting away from the crowded Valley and spending any free time on
the waters of the Sacramento Delta.
Dennis Blum: Dennis was drafted into the US Army in 1962 and served at Ft. Detrick,
MD in the Medical Corps as a Bacteriologist. He graduated with a BA in Biology in
1966 and a MA in Biology (emphasis Public Health) in 1967. He worked as a
Virologist in Oregon and was Chairman of Health Sciences Dept. at Columbia Union
College in Washinton D.C. from 1969-1976. He received two MPH degrees in Family Health and Health
Education and his Doctorate in Public Health in 1980. Dennis
established Health Sciences Dept. at Weimar College, was Academic Vice Presidentin Virginia, health
Management Consultant for a large Health Education Center,
established and directed the Dept. of Public Health at the University of Montemorelos,
in Mexico, established the Dept. of Preventive Medicine at the University and presently is
President/CEO of Preventive Care Center in Oklahoma. Dennis married Carol Reed in 1959.
They have one daughter and two grandchildren. His fondest High Schoolmemories are dancing under the
moon, on the beach, with our Student-Body Vice President, being selected all CCAL in 1957 in baseball,
just knowing and learning under Emmett Geiser. Dennis' travels include England, Holland, New Zealand,
Australia, Tasmania and Mexico.
Bob Osbom's son Kevin is now a Major in the U.S. Army stationed in Seattle.
Marilyn Morgan's son Steve was named Sailor of the Year. He is a Seal stationed in
San Diego.
Carol Tarkington, who is married to Ray Bailey, Class of '55 lives in Sacramento. Theyhave two sons. Carol hopes to retire next year. Carol sent the following poem....
CLASS REUNION
It was my class reunion, and all through the house,
I checked in each mirror and begged my poor spouse
To say I looked neat, that my chin wasn't double,
And he lied through false teeth, just to stay out of trouble.
Said that 'neath my thick glasses, my eyes hadn't changed,
And I had the same figure, it was just a mite rearranged.
He said my skin was still silky, although looser in drape,
Not so much like smooth satin, but more like silk crepe.
I swallowed his words hook, sinker, and line
And entered the banquet feeling just fine.
Somehow I'd expected my classmates to stay
As young as they were on that long-ago day
We'd hugged farewell hugs. But like me, through the years,
They'd added gray to their hair, or pounds to their rears.
But as we shared a few memories and retold some class jokes,
We were eighteen in spirit, though we looked like our folks.
We turned up hearing aid volumes and dimmed down the light,
turned back the years, and were young for the night.
