Ginger (Virginia) Willis Hutchens

LHS '66

June 2, 1947 - August 9, 2023

Ginger (Virginia) Willis Hutchens, loving wife, mother and friend passed on August 9th, 2023 in the loving presence of her family. 

She leaves behind her loving husband of 52 years Jesse Hutchens; her sons, Scott Hutchens and Patrick (Susan) Hutchens; her grandsons, Walker & Kane Hutchens; and her niece, Laura Beth McAfee, along with a host of family and friends she loved and raised like her own over the years. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, Lucille & Billy Bruce Willis; her sister, Betty McAfee; her brother-in-law, James Edward McAfee; and her nephew, James Brian McAfee. 

Her vivacious passion for life and the many memories she leaves behind will never be forgotten. Our hearts will forever treasure what she left behind. 

We hope you enjoy running on those streets of gold until we see you again! 

Trendsetters

Collins Wynn

LHS '64

I submit this photo as confirmation that Walt Thomas and I were true trendsetters at Lee High School.  All except the 2 of us were dressed like their dads going to work.  Think this was in the spring of 63 in the Community Center at Big Spring Park downtown but don't recall the purpose of the event.  With apologies up front I will try naming everyone - although I counted everyone here as my friend some of the names escape me now.  Left to right:  Walt Thomas, Woody Beck, Lance ?, ??, Butch Rolfe, ??, CE Wynn, Miles Ramsey, Up top was Lynn Baeder, Lower was Buddy Miller.

Editor's Comment: "The white sports coat theme even carried over to my early Air Force days. Upon beginning active duty in 1968 officer's were required to buy their own formal uniforms which we called Mess Dress uniforms. We had to have black pants and a black and a white formal coat. These were only worn maybe once a year when we had a dinner called a Mess Dress. The black ones were worn during the colder months and the white ones during warmer months. Eventually the white one seemed to fade away, but I still have my other one and it still fits."

The Wayback Machine

Tommy Towery

LHS '64

I asked The Wayback Machine to play something from 1959 and this is what came up.

The Rebel is a 76-episode American Western television series starring Nick Adams that ran on the ABC network from 1959 to 1961. 

The series portrays the adventures of young Confederate army veteran Johnny Yuma, an aspiring writer, played by Nick Adams. Haunted by his memories of the American Civil War, Yuma, in search of inner peace, roams the American West, specifically the Texas Hill Country and South Plains. He keeps a journal of his adventures and fights injustice where he finds it with a revolver and his dead father's sawed-off, double-barreled shotgun.

"The Rebel – Johnny Yuma" is the theme song for the ABC-TV series The Rebel. It was written by Richard Markowitz (music) and Andrew J. Fenady (lyrics) and recorded by Johnny Cash.

The song was released as a single by Columbia Records (Columbia 4-41995, with "Forty Shades of Green" on the opposite side) in April 1961.

In 1959 Cash recorded "The Rebel – Johnny Yuma," and was asked to perform the theme song to the TV western The Rebel.

The song perfectly captures the loneliness the soldier experiences as he wanders alone through a lawless land. And although Cash did not write it, you would never know it. The song made it to number 24 on the country chart in 1961, shortly before the series was canceled. It was originally released as the title song of [the four-song 1959 EP] Johnny Cash Sings the Rebel – Johnny Yuma.

Below you can watch the opening and Episode One of "The Rebel".

Not only did we lose another classmate last week, but I am sad to report that Barbara Seeley, LHS "64, also lost her mother as seen on Facebook. Our prayers go out to the families of our classmates.

In case you are wondering, Knology once again rejected all the emails to its users last week. If you get this week's issue you can look on the left side of the screen at the top and view last week's and any other previous issues of Lee's Traveller.

Last Week's Questions, Answers, and Comments

Nancy Davidson Hummel, LHS ‘65, " I have always thought "Can't Help Falling in Love" is one of the most romantic songs ever. I drag my husband of 54 years to the dance floor whenever I hear it. I think the album is still around here somewhere. Thanks for the happy reminder."