181029 October 29, 2018
Lee Lunch Bunch Met on
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Patsy Hughes Oldroyd
LHS ‘65
How great it was to see so many of our classmates from ’64, ’65, and ’66 at our semi-annual lunch today at Galen’s Restaurant in Huntsville. Our travelers from out of town this time were Linda Kinkle Cianci from Nashville, and, of course, Linda Weldon who always drives down from Henderson, NC to join us. Also, we have several who drive in from surrounding areas to join us, as well, such as Beth (McNabb) and Joel Weinbaum from Decatur, Pam Grooms Smith from Killen, Carol Bailey Olson from New Market, Elbert and Opie Balch from Madison, and Niles Prestage from out in the middle of nowhere around Gurley.
In all, we had about 30 classmates who came, but not all of them are pictured in the group photo since at least 10 of them came in later. The picture was made by the Galen’s staff, and they asked if we would mind giving them a framed copy of our group to display on one of the walls in their restaurant. So, we will now be immortalized on the walls of Galen’s Restaurant which you all know is the former Mullin’s Restaurant. Do look for it the next time you are there.
Thanks to all for coming, and we will hopefully see you in the spring on the last Thursday in April of 2019. That will begin our ninth year of the LLB. One more thanks to all who have been regulars and come every time.
Memphis, TN - I give my thanks to Patty for the follow up story on the latest Lee Lunch Bunch get together. Unfortunately we were out of town and unable to make the short trip to Huntsville to attend.
Halloween, 1963
A Night of Terror
When thinking back about Halloweens in my past, I find I have a few memories of those early days. I guess my first memory only goes back to about the second grade when I was attending East Clinton Elementary School and the Halloween parties we had there.They were fun nights of cake walks, scary house (with guts of spaghetti and eyeballs of pealed grapes) classrooms, pick up ducks, and fishing with a clothes pin fishing pole over a white sheet. My costume of those days was a skeleton outfit which I remember wearing several years in a row. The rein of that costume was ended when I dressed up as Zorro following the success of "The Legend of Zorro" became a TV hit.
I was so cool with my black pants, shirt, and a hat with a mask that came from one of the Dime Stores on Washington Street. My grandmother made me a black cape from a sheet dyed with Rit Dye. My sword (which would get me expelled from school today) was an arm from one of those umbrella style collapsible clothes driers which was wrapped in aluminum foil and secured with Scotch tape. If I remember we had two of these driers so we could dry clothes inside when it was too wet or too cold to hang the laundry on the outside clothes line. We had a ringer washer on the back porch, but never owned a clothes drier until after I was married. But a couple of the arms on the wooden drier were missing a piece on the end which held them into the frame so they became the swords my brother Don and I would sword fight with. It looked really neat covered in the silver aluminum foil (or tin foil as my grandmother always called it) and I wore it with pride to school, sure I would win a prize for the best costume but was destined to not do so.
The biggest trick I did while living on East Clinton was stomping some old M&M candies on the front porch of a mean old man's house - edged on by one of my fellow Trick-or-Treaters one night.
My most vivid Halloween memory is the one I wrote about several years ago and which I now offer as a reprieve in this issue. You can read it by clicking on the link below.
From Our Mailbox
Subject: Hitchhiking
George Vail
On many occasions I thumbed a ride home from school after football, wrestling, or baseball practice. I cannot help but think of those cold evenings leaving Vestal Junior High (Vestal, NY) and my hair freezing as I walked over the viaduct headed for the Old Vestal Rd... Most of the time some neighbor would pick me up as he was driving home from IBM Endicott or EJ Shoes, and deliver me to my home further down that old road, and, luckily no bad experiences.
I don't recall hitch hiking after moving to Huntsville.
Subject: Hitchhiking
Curt Lewis
One afternoon after school at Lee in 1963 or thereabouts, I found myself without a ride to my home on Monte Sano following afternoon band practice. It was a pretty day, so with my trombone in hand I walked up Oakwood Avenue, turned right on Giles, then up Oak Park hill to Bankhead Parkway.
I was probably about midway between Toll Gate Rd. and what is now the Land Trust Parking Lot when a police patrol car stopped and offered me a ride. This was back in the day when patrol cars were black and white with a bubble gum machine on top and contained two patrolmen. I was not technically hitchhiking, but happy to accept the ride. Imagine the surprise (and suspicion) in the neighborhood when I was delivered to my driveway by Huntsville’s finest!
