MORE 50TH REUNION

Mary Kay James

The details for the reunion are coming together. Carolyn Hill and I talked this morning and finalized some things.

I have completed the Class Roster in excel. I will print this for everyone who attends.

43 persons will be attending the evening event. Judy Owens Palmer, widow of Darrell Max, wanted to come, so I sent her an invitation. I have received her check for $25.00 and she will be coming with Marianne Bennett.

Carolyn proof read the “program” for me this morning. I need to make those corrections and print it on Tuesday of next week. I have all that on my PC at work.

Tom Pry

And a final invitation to ALL SHS grads: come visit us from 1:30-4:00 out at Eagleview on Saturday, July 1^st. We’d love to see you. Free of charge, promise.

QUICK NOTE

Just a reminder that one week from today is the 50^th Class Reunion of the SHS Class of 1956. It’ll be held out at Eagleview, and friends from ALL classes are invited to an informal BS session from 1:30 to 4:00.

Photos from the whole thing will start appearing on here July 2^nd until we get them all up.

Have a great week!

STRAY NOTES

Ann Shannon Snodgrass

(Regarding the death of her brother-in-law:) Thank you for your condolences, Tom. His death was unexpected and still seems unreal. Jack had a massive heart attack during the night, and by the time the ambulance arrived in Jonesboro, he couldn't be revived.

I want to say thank you for all the time and effort you've put into the blog. It's been a treat to be able to "tune in" and read about events, people, and places from my youth. I hope someone with the inclination, tech savvy, time, and writing ability picks up your gauntlet -- quite a challenge you've set forth.

Ann

Tom Pry

My reply: Old English prof that you are, why don’t YOU give it a shot? Her response: No way!

CLASS OF 1957, ATTENTION!

If you haven’t heard from Ruby Brandon Smith about next year’s 50^th Class Reunion, please contact her. You can drop her a note at 602 S. Sawmill Road, Searcy 72143, or give her a call at (501) 268-6276.

Meanwhile, things are pretty much set for my class – the Class of ’56 – and its 50^th Reunion, coming up Saturday, July 1^st. Come visit with us that afternoon from 1:30 to 4 out at Eagleview.

OPEN INVITE

Mary Kathryn Van Patten James

Hello SHS class of 1955.

I am giving each of you a special invitation to the afternoon session of our SHS 1956 Class
Reunion this summer on SATURDAY AFTERNOON, July 1, 2006, at EagleView Catering, 100 Eagle View Drive, Searcy, AR. Please make your arrangements to attend this event! We would love to see you!!!

We will have finger food and cold drinks between 1:30 and 4:00 p.m. and LOTS of visiting.

Tom Pry

MKVPJ must have every e-mail address of every member of the Class of ’55, and sent the above to all of them.

But they aren’t the only ones invited – YOU ARE, TOO! Doesn’t matter to which SHS class you belonged … there’ll be someone there who’ll LOVE to see you, if only to compare numbers of gray hairs.

I’ll be there taking pictures and, apparently, I’m supposed to speak that night, too. (That’s going to be fun, with half my teeth missing, compliments of Dr. Robert Miller … listen as I lisp my way through my short talk).

For those who’ve never been to Eagleview (which is a really, really nice place): take Highway 16 (the Heber Springs road) out of town and stay in the right lane (yeah, it’s four-laned out of town now). When you get to the top of the cut, shortly thereafter you’ll come to one of those “Right Lane must turn right” signs. Don’t be creative: turn right. About two miles down the road, you’ll come to Eagleview on your right.

And then we can swap lies for awhile.

And for those of my former classmates who’re still wondering if they should come … among the really nice door prizes to be given away after dinner is a free night at the B&B owned by Draxie Jean Horn Rogers – a $145 value!

See ya!

BAD NEWS, GOOD NEWS

Ann Shannon Snodgrass

As Jack practiced dentistry in Searcy for a number of years, maybe the following taken from the Jonesboro Sun would be of interest to the website readers. All I can add to it is that a private family memorial was held.

POCAHONTAS -- Dr. Jack Larry Snodgrass, 70, son of the late Joe and Anther Coleman Snodgrass, died Tuesday in Jonesboro.

A granddaughter, London Claire Frizzell; a brother, J.W. Snodgrass; and a sister, Betty Cook, preceded him in death.

He is survived by two sons, Kip Larry Snodgrass of Searcy and Jed Snodgrass of Las Vegas; daughter, Shara Frizzell of Fayetteville; granddaughter, Savannah Mercer of Fayetteville; two brothers, Ray Snodgrass of Pocahontas and Jim Snodgrass of Boise, Idaho.

The body was cremated with arrangements by McNabb Funeral Home.

Tom Pry

THE CLASS OF 1946

Once upon a time, ‘way back in 1946, this group met in the old Rendevouz Café for a party.

Well, yesterday (Saturday 6/3/06), many of the members of that group gathered again, this time in the Cafeteria of the Ahlf Middle School, built on the site of the old Searcy High School.

Front Row (L-R): Betty Sue Slaughter, Audrey Blessingham, Betty Young, Dorothy Patrick, Kathryn Yingling Meadows, Bobby Rogers and Bobby Miller.

Second Row (L-R): Hank Fulbright, Don Dacus, Freda Brewer, Dortha Worthington, Marianne Williams, Wilma Hamilton, and Hollis Elliott.

Back Row (L-R): Earl Webb, John Stotts, Joe Norton, Betty Boerner, Rita Sue Martin, Modene Johnston, Sibyl Hays Clay, Emil Williams, and Jim Musick.

Close up, here are some of those who were there:

Betty Boerner and Kathryn Yingling Meadows

Bobby Miller

Dorothy Yarnell Warden and Betty Sue Slaughter

Dortha Worthington

Hank Fulbright and Jim Musick

Jim Robins and Sibyl Hays Clay

JoAnne and Earl Webb

John Stotts and Emil Williams (John, incidentally, was the brother of the late Virginia Miller)

Linda Bennett and Betty Young

MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS

Tom Pry

Reunion News

Got an interesting call Friday afternoon (6/2). It was from a fellow named Howard Fulbright. If that name doesn’t mean much to most of us who came out of high school in the 50s, it’s because Howard is a member of the SHS Class of 1946.

Anyway, the reason Howard called was to invite me to come take pictures at today’s (6/3) 60^th Reunion of the Class of ’46. They’re holding it at the Ahlf Middle School, on the site of our old high school.

Unless something totally unexpected comes up, I’ll be there and, if at all possible, I’ll have pictures up here tomorrow (6/4).

A couple of reminders about reunions. The 50^th Reunion of the SHS Class of ’56 takes place Saturday, July 1^st, at Eagleview. Everyone from every class is invited to the mixer on that Saturday afternoon from 1:30 to 4:00. Come swap lies and other distorted memories.

I’ll have photos of that get-together, too, that weekend and the following weekend … and that will end my involvement with this web site. We need someone to take it over, or that will be the end of it.

Think about it.

Riddles solved

Got a note a few weeks ago from Carolyn Reed Hill.

“A friend told me you said I had worked the Rialto in the POPCORN--Not me---that was my husband Jim. I worked the ticket counter some to be with him. I worked also at Searcy Federal Savings & Loan from the time I was 15. Just helping you with memory. Jim & I married while he was working at the Rialto. Popcorn was in boxes.”

I sent her a note that it was a memory of the lamentably late Ernie Simpson, whose memory was that she made the best popcorn in history. That prompted this note about a week later:

“Tom, I kept thinking about what you said about Ernie Simpson. He is/was a friend of my sister-in-law, Carol Hill. She graduated the year behind us. Yes, she made popcorn and worked at the Rialto. Her name now, is Carol Richardson. I just didn't think about her before.”

I love it when we can solve a mystery.

Passed on to us by Gene Barnett

Two new announcements:

Donna Benton, Class of 1962, is the new bride of local fellow, Jim Wilbourn. We are happy for Donna and Jim. Their new address is: 205 Billy Davis Drive, Searcy.

In the Class of l961, Mary Huntley Ghent is the new bride of local fellow, Bob Cargile. Her address is now 522 Country Club Road.

Our best wishes to both of the new couples.