Ernest Clyde McAlister Jr

LHS '65

July 31, 1947 - April 16, 2024

Ernest Clyde McAlister Jr., age 76, of Meridianville, Alabama passed away on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.

Ernest Clyde McAlister Jr was born to Evelyn and Ernest McAlister Sr. in Gadsden, AL on July 31, 1947. Ernie's family moved to Huntsville, AL in 1957. He graduated from Lee High School in 1965 and from the University of Alabama in 1975 and lived in the Huntsville area until his death on April 16, 2024. Ernie enlisted and served in the Army during the Vietnam War between his High school and College graduations.

Ernie and his dad owned Amalgamated Goobers which distributed and sold peanuts and pecans to grocers in Alabama and Mississippi as well as to individuals for over 10 years in the 70s and 80s. Ernie left the business in 1987 to become an inspector at GW Jones where he oversaw the Huntsville Airport runway extension as well as the Huntsville sewer outfall line at the Tennessee River. He then went to work for ESA Engineering out of Birmingham as an inspector for their water projects for the Madison Water and Waste Water Board. From there, he joined the Madison Water Department as the only Inspector of the Inspection Department. During his tenure at the water department, Ernie put in many long hours into growing the city of Madison into the metropolis it is today. There were many years where he inspected and approved over 50 housing subdivisions per year, or an average of one per week. During the tornado of 2011, Ernie's extensive knowledge of the Madison Water system allowed Ernie, in the pitch dark, to direct the placement of emergency generators to the pumping stations to avoid the loss of water to Madison city residents. Ernie retired from the Madison Water Department on his 66th birthday in 2013.

Ernie loved the Crimson Tide and was a Tide Pride Member and as well as SEC championship tickets holder from their inceptions. Ernie also loved NASCAR and had been to nearly all of the Talladega races since their inception in 1969, only missing while in the Army and as of late during his health decline. Ernie loved traveling to the events in the motorhome and visiting with old and new-found friends.

Above all, Ernie loved his family and friends. He was a devoted son and cared for his widowed mother until her death. Ernie is preceded in death by his parents, Ernest Clyde McAlister Sr, and Evelyn Rivers McAlister.

Ernie is survived by his lifelong partner of 40 years, Linda Grissim, his sister Nan Black (Jerry), Aunt JoAnn Rivers, and his caregiver Amber Lauria. His brothers-in-law, Bill Grissim (Theresa) and Bob Grissim (Sharon) and sister-in-law Paula Malone (Tim). His nieces, Sara Black, Haley Black, Sarah Jones (Josh), Amanda Collier (Joe) and nephews Andrew Black, Chris Grissim, Zac Grissim (Kaili), Justin Grissim (Alana), Jacob Grissim (Courtney) and Riley Malone. He is also survived by several great-nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Arc of Madison County, Christmas Charities Year-Round, or a children's charity of your choice.

El Paso and Huntsville: Memories and Rejoinders

Rainer Klauss

LHS 1964

I enjoyed reading Craig Bannecke’s memories of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church and his short, informal history of Huntsville during the 1950’s and 1960’s. I was also a member of the church then and was friends with the same young people he mentions. Gudrun Wagner, who would become my wife in 1982, was a member of Craig’s confirmation class. 

 I have a few additions and corrections to make to his account. Near the end of it he wrote: “One thing I thought about additionally in learning that it was the German Scientists and Wernher von Braun who started our church…” He is correct that St. Mark’s was established in 1951 to minister to the Lutherans among the newly-arrived German families from El Paso, Texas, as well as some of the American families that had been part of the transferred workforce from Ft. Bliss and White Sands, New Mexico. Those people welcomed the coming of the church and helped it grow, but I don’t think that Wernher von Braun played a role in its establishment.  St. Mark’s website includes this statement on the matter:  “Many of our charter members were German immigrants who served alongside Wernher von Braun as rocket and missile scientists at Redstone Arsenal.” Though he was a religious man, neither he nor his family was ever part of the congregation. 

At its start, the church took over a former funeral parlor at the northwest corner of Longwood Drive and Franklin Street. Reverend George Hart had been called to be its pastor. In the early 1950’s, my older brother was among the first group of German teens to be confirmed at the church. After two years of Lutheran catechism classes at St. Mark’s, I was confirmed in March of 1959. By then, the congregation worshipped at its proper new church building at the southeast corner of Longwood Drive and Franklin Street. My younger brother was confirmed there four years later. Appropriately, Pastor Hart’s grave at Maple Hill Cemetery is near a large settlement of German gravesites.

We were never regular church-goers and never went to any of the Lutheran picnics that were such enjoyable and cross-cultural experiences in Craig’s teen years. My good times that way came in the mid-1950’s through the gathering of German families at Ossa-Win-tha, a fishing camp on the Tennessee River near Scottsboro. If our fathers (and mothers) drank beer out there, I never knew about it. In those days, one had to be very discreet about such things, especially on Sundays in a dry county.

The other part of Craig’s remarks that I question is this: “they [the German Scientists and Wernher von Braun] were also the ones insistent that the first place the Army moved them after bringing then all over from Germany to Fort Bliss, was they did not like the arid, hot dry climate. So the Army moved them to a small town in North Alabama that was more like the German terrain and mountain areas.” 

Yes, the Germans found themselves in a very different climate and terrain, but that did not make them insist they be moved someplace more like home. They had no such power, and they knew it. There was no unrest. The United States government didn’t even know what to do with us. For the first few years, the government couldn’t even admit that we were here. 

Ft. Bliss was a fine place to make a start in America. We were secure in our enclave, but had access to the post facilities (swimming pool, movie theaters, hospital). Soon El Paso and its environs were open to us. By the late 1940’s, several families had cars and were able and eager to explore the Southwest. A favorite destination was Ruidoso, New Mexico, 140 miles to the NNE of El Paso. The city is in the Sierra Blanca Mountains , and its landscape is reminiscent of the Alps.  Parts of the Rio Grande Valley are verdant zones in Texas, certainly El Paso.  I’m about 2 years old in the attached picture, lost in thought next to the sunflowers near our apartment.

In the late 1940’s, geopolitical events and considerations made it clear that the development of a rocket program for national security was a necessity. Ft. Bliss was not suitable for such a major project, for a variety of reasons. Fortunately for all of us, Redstone Arsenal, which had some technical infrastructure and plenty of room, stood available, and Senator John Sparkman was an excellent lobbyer. Though I’m leaving out a lot, that’s the short version of how we ended up in “a small town in North Alabama.”

The Wayback Machine

Rainer's memories of the move to "The Rocket City" prompted me to remember one of my favorite "Rocket-Related" songs of our days at Lee. The song was "Telstar" by The Tornados. I loved it the moment I first heard it.

Telstar is the name of various communications satellites. The first two Telstar satellites were experimental and nearly identical. Telstar 1 launched on top of a Thor-Delta rocket on July 10, 1962. It successfully relayed through space the first television pictures, telephone calls, and telegraph images, and provided the first live transatlantic television feed. Telstar 2 was launched May 7, 1963. Telstar 1 and 2—though no longer functional—still orbit the Earth.

"Telstar" is a 1962 instrumental by the English band the Tornados, written and produced by Joe Meek. It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart and the US Billboard Hot 100 in December 1962 (the second British recording to reach number one on that chart in the year, after "Stranger on the Shore" in May). It was the second instrumental single to hit number one in 1962 on both the US and UK weekly charts.

"Telstar" was named after the Telstar communications satellite, which was launched into orbit on 10 July 1962. Written and produced by Joe Meek, it featured either a clavioline or the similar Jennings Univox, both keyboard instruments with distinctive electronic sounds. It is estimated to have sold at least five million copies worldwide. The record was an immediate hit after its release, remaining in the UK Singles Chart for 25 weeks, five of them at number 1, and in the American charts for 16 weeks. 

"Telstar" was the first U.S. number one by a British group.

Thanks to Rainer for a follow-up on the article sent in by Craig Bannecke last week. It is nice to here "the rest of the story" on some of the things that happened to us during our time growing up in Huntsville. Being a member of the Central Presbyterian Church at the time, I really did not know much about the other faiths being practiced and observed by my classmates - except the Methodist due to my Boy Scout connection to the Holmes Street Methodist Church.

And while I am on the subject. All three classes were around when the Class of '64 held the first senior prom for Lee High School. I am sure some of you from the Classes of '65 and '66 attended. But, by the time those classes held their senior proms, the Class of '64 had moved on. It would be nice if some of you from those other classes would send in a short recap of your prom like where it was held, what was its theme, and who provided the music.

I regret I will be unable to attend this week's Lee Lunch Bunch. Maybe next time.

 SAVE THE DATE!

 LEE LUNCH BUNCH

CLASSES OF ’64, ’65, ‘66

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2024

11:00 A.M.

LOGAN’S ROADHOUSE

4249 BALMORAL DR. SW

HUNTSVILLE, AL 35801

(256) 881-0584

Please save the date for our next lunch gathering in April. We will be meeting back at our old place, Logan’s Roadhouse. We all enjoyed the change of location last year to Carrabba’s, but they were getting a bit difficult to work with. There are just precious few restaurants that are willing to let a sizable group reserve a private space, if they have one, without paying a large fee. As long as we have an acceptable number of lunch guests, Logan’s will not charge us that fee. So, it is necessary for you to let me know if you plan to come so I can keep up with the number. As always, I will need to call the restaurant by noon the day before to let them know an accurate number of guests. We cannot go over that allowed number. We have always been well received at Logan’s, and they have a menu that appeals to most everyone.

Hope to see all of our regulars plus any of our group that has not been able to come before. Thanks and looking forward to seeing you soon!

Patsy Hughes Oldroyd ‘65

keithandpatsy@att.net

H (256) 232-7583

C (256) 431-3396   or on Facebook

Last Week's Questions, Answers, 

And Comments

Wayne Gentle, LHS ‘65, "Tommy, I also was one of those that had Mustang fever! In fact, so much that after graduation I went to Woody Anderson and ordered a brand new 1965 Honey Gold colored, 289 three-in-the-floor!! Loved it so much. Then I fell in love more with my future bride a year later and could not afford the Mustang and a home also. So I had the Mustang for a year and I have had my love for almost 58 years so as great as the Mustangs were there are some other things that win out! Great time of reflection. Thanks, Tommy for your reminders of times gone by."

Phil Rutledge, LHS ‘67, "In the spring of 1966 my Dad went to Woody Anderson to purchase a new Mustang. They had a Falcon Sports Coupe with the same 289 cubit inch engine, 4 speed transmission, but with more comfortable bucket seats which he purchased. I got to use it on the weekends. This car has been through at least 7 teenagers without any accidents.  One sister had a minor fender bender while driving it as an adult.  My nephew has the car today."

Ben Dillon, Class of '67, "I finally got my mustang 50 years later; a 2017 GT CS,