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Sheila McCarthy (Gardner)

Dear "Me,"

(Kathy Wintering, fourth from right, row 3):

Thank you so much for having the foresight in 1962 to identify everyone in our St. Agatha 8th grade graduation photo. You helped me put names with those lovely young faces, many of whom I met in first grade!

Love,

Sheila (McCarthy) center, top row between Mary Ann Gable and Linda Sue Schmidt

Alan Standish

Hey Fred- assesment not changed in the least.  You're like the top students that come up with a 4.8 GPA on a 4.0 scale!!  A lot of extra credit accrued!

Mary Clare Hummer (Bauer)

Hi, Mike DeTemple. That was such a touching story about Sr. Frederick. Sounds like she had a very fulfilled life. I think you're right about Sr. Emile and POD. I remember that spontaneous rally we had in the room to push your candidacy for governor. Hope you've been in Illinois long enough to be excited about the Cubs' ride this year.  And thanks, Dave Fredericks about the golf team. As Beth pointed out, it was back in the dark ages when girls didn't have any sports and I wondered if boys' teams were limited to football, basketball, and baseball.  Do you remember Sr. Francesca from Freshman Latin and homeroom?  She was 100 when she died in the 80's, which made me realize that she was 80 when she had us.  I cannot imagine being that old & trying to keep a handle on a classroom teeming with teenagers. Not a good idea for her or us!!       Mary Clare

David Mitchell

Clare, Who was the other Freshman Latin teacher that was so young and cute that we boys had a crush on her? Didn't you print us a directory af all their "post Watterson" histories at one of the early reunions? I seem to recall you said she left the order, got married, had kids, and then died of cancer fairly young. Do I have that right? But what was her name?

John Schaeufele

Dave,

Freshman Latin was Sr. Cecily (sp?.)  She was a sweetheart.  I do remember hearing that she left the order.  Did not know about a family or her health/passing.  Hear's anothe for you, do you remember our first "lay" teacher at OLP ?  5th grade, Mrs. Allen.  I had a crush on her!

Frank Ganley

David Mitchell

Johnny S. 

Au contraire,  Our first lay teacher was in third grade. I was Mrs. Maisel. A little older than Mrs. Allen and also very pretty - and very sweet. I just remember it so well because of my "accident" in that class. We were getting our "Brown Scapular" at the end of the day and I had asked to go to the bathrooom. She said no because so many other kids had just asked and she was suspicious. So the bell rang and we proceeded into the pews in church and waited a while for Father Foley to come in. Then more delay while he spoke to us for a while. I was holding on as best I could. Then we filed up to the altar and knelt down to receive each scapular one at a time - with long slow prayers for each one - excruciating! Things were getting pretty serious, and as he got about three kids away from me, I bolted for the door and down the stariway to the boys room. But I did not make it in time. I wet my trousuers pretty badly and was so embarrassed I hid in that back door from the boys room that led into the back of the furnace room. They could not find me for almost and hour. Our carpool mom (Mable Justus - mother of Brenda, Mike, Debbie etc. - all Watterson) had to leave and they called my mom over to the rectory. Finally Father Tague found me and "talked me out" from behind the furnace. How could I foget that class? (Keith Groff also has an intersting memory of sweet and pretty Mrs. Maisel.)

Mrs. Allen (Donna Cox - older sister of Jerry Cox, Watterson '65) was our fifth grade teacher. She was the oldest daughter of a very active family in OLP. She was very pretty too and there was a current song - "Oh Donna"  ("I had a girl,,,Donna was her name,,,") about that time. I even spoke to Donna on the phone once about 20 years ago while I was living in Columbus and working for Cam Taylor Realty up in Worthington. Her husband, Jimmy Allen (who had just died) went to St. Charles and he and Dave Barker were the two last men on the bench with those great OSU basketball teams with Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek. He was a short little gaurd - and later a physician. 

Donna's mother, Stella Cox, was a good friend of Mom's and she would call Father Foley up on the phone and tell him to wait for her to come over to the rectory so she could tell him off about how he mistreated people in the parish. She wasn't afraid of anybody. 

I just remember they both dressed in a very nice dress every single day - and were both very attractive. But I'd say we noticed it more with Mrs. Allen because by 5th grade,,, well let's just say - "there's somethin' happenin' here,,,"

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I did not recall you ever being sent to the "Rock Pile" at OLP. You were such a good boy. And your wife's name rings a bell, but can you refresh my memory as to how she knew me?

David Mitchell

I just found something that will knock your nostalgic socks off!

If the link I have entered below does not work right, then just google up You Tube, and then enter

"Columbus Neighborhoods: Clintonville"     in their search window. 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3hKZ00N5gCM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

They have a whole series on different parts of town made by OSU TV. This one blows my mind. So many familiar bits of history - amazing!  But they are about an hour long so take your time.

*** Early in the video they mention developers planning Yaronia Drive  (my access street, though the addresses of all those in back were Overbrook Drive). They show a "mound" built by the early pre-indian "Mound Builders" of Central Ohio. That very mound was behind our neighbors across the street (Karen Arthurs and her step sister Nora Lee MacElway(?) - North High and Whetstone about '64 or '65). We used to play on those mounds all the time. Then when they were considering developing Wynding Drive, they started having neighborhood meetigs with officails from OSU and the State of Ohio about excavating the mounds (Dad and most neighbors fought it). Anthropologist teams slowly dug them up and they did put Wynding Drive in. But not before one young boy who loved to "inspect" their work every day after school, found the small group of that day's displayed arrowheads to be a few too many in that last row where they laid them. He waited till they had walked over to their truck and made quick grab of one arrowhead and began a careful walk towards his house. When he got further away he broke into a dead run (heart beating like a trip hammer) until he got home and unloaded his "booty" on his bed. (Father forgive me, for I have sinned.)     

Don't miss the part about the local chracter who developed Graceland - and what they "almost" built there. (about 40 minutes into the video). There is so much here to enjoy it's amazing - Bill Moose, last of the Wyandottes (dad had met him once), Olentangy Park, the "Cooke family" who settled a place called Maple Grove at Henderson and High, the first big houses on East North Broadway, it goes on and on. You may even know some of the poeple (I did in the second video below).

Then go back to You Tube and find the one on the "Tri Village" area. OMG - even more memories! (I know some of the people in that one) And I haven't even gotten to the one on Worthington yet, or The Short North, Hilltop, or some others. Have fun. 

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There are also a few othrer videos about Columbus made earlier and by some other parties.  One hilarious commercial one in the '50's about Columbus being the country's test market city. They drive through Arlington and Bexley and talk about the big average incomes - $16,000 in UA !!!!!  And they interview Dan Royans (remember, the ford Dealer?)

And still another with mostly just film of the excavation of the new underground parking garage for the Statehouse - but with a local band playing in the background - live from the "Valley Dale" with Spook Beckman as MC.     OMG, remember Spook Beckman on the radio?  

Joseph Gentilini

Several years after I left Watterson, I was back for a game or something.  I was with a few others with Sister Mary Alice.  I mentioned how pretty Sister Cecily was and Mary Alice went down my throat, saying I should never say that about a religious sister.  I shut my mouth, but still felt the same way.  Cecily was very pretty.  Joe G

John Schaeufele

Dave,

Your memory and attention to detail is amazing!  I completely forgot about 3rd grad and Mrs. Maisel. After reading of your harrowing experience, I remember the day we got "scapulars."  I remember filing out of class, down the hall and through that door that led into church then going to the altar for my scapular.  Wow you have inspired my brain to reach way back into the cobwebs.  And, thanks for the link to Clintonville and Spook Beckman.  How about the "New WCOL?"

I remember the Cox's.  Didn't they live next to the Shanahan's in Old Beechwold?  Mrs. (Cox) Allen was good looking and 5th grade WAS when.

Joe,

I don't care what anyone says, Sr. Cecily was really good looking which helped learning Latin!

David Mitchell

Right John -   "Twelve thirty,,, the new WCOL!" 

Fred Clem

Wasn't 1230 AM called "The New WCOL" for over 20 years.  Anyone know what the format was before it went "Top 40"?  It no longer has the same call letters and the format is sports talk.  They have the Reds broadcasts during baseball season.

Donna Kelley (Velazquez)

Dave,here goes a special thank-you hug for the link to the video about Clintonville!! It is so well done and the history details are incredible. I have already sent it to my siblings.

Fred, you are a regular Google source on the Italian history in Cols.  It reminded me that my first crush in the sixth grade at St James the Less was an eighth grader named Bill Guglielmi. You are now knighted Fred Googlielmi.  Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Timothy Lavelle

Frank Ganley...you wild man. Bill Murray had a line in a movie "I wanna party with you man" referring to a very unlikely partner in potential mayhem BUT partying with Frank Ganley includes a very late night attack on White Castle so I'm all in. I get a sneaky sort of thrill reading stories from the 'new names' that appear here....sort of like I am hearing conversations from another table at Jerry's Drive-in.

Frank, the names you wrote brought back some great flashes. Bill McCray and his go-kart; Steve and Bill and their Rat Fink drawings similar to Ed "Big Daddy" Roth....We need to hear more from Bill McCray about those days. I tried to do lettering like Bil or Steve and one day wrote "Don Holland" on a piece of paper in weird script since he was sitting next to me in "just another boring class". When I finished Don looked at it and smiled at me like "Dude, I don't think I want you writing MY name" ...you had to be there but his one look taught me something.

But a couple of names opened some dimly lit avenues...Bob Eickholt and I were good friends in grade school. Because I was taller with semi-violent older brothers I could always hold him off with fists when we play-fought in my back yard but when he went into wrestling in HS he immediately turned into a very strong and adept athelete. Although he was hanging with Earl Alan in Freshman year, he would still come over but the day would end with him tieing me into knots in the yard while my Dad chuckled. Most of you know but I'll toss in that if you type "E-I-C-K..." into a search engine you are very quickly going to come up with a list where "Eickholt Glass" appears near the top. I have a vase in my cell here signed 'R. Eickholt 1977' that is a prize that I traded my sister some other art piece for. My vase is actually homely, fits my style and I love it. If you had known Bob, the last thing you would have thought back then was "world class glass blower someday" not because he was crazy but I just don't recall any of us having an artsy side then. The mention of Steve Royer's name always brings great memories but the mention of Earl Allen was a shock. Bob Eickholt started hanging with Earl freshman year. I met Earl through Bob and the cat was so strange to me back then that I would bet now that he turned out to be something fantastic like Bob or a headliner at the old Ohio Pen. If anyone knows, I would love to hear. Frank, I was always secretly jealous of that crowd yiou named and the stories told about Shevlin's class...but HR 115 was where it was at buddy. That's where I learned the rude cheer:

"First we beat 'em,

Then we eat 'em

Rah, Rah, Rah"

David Mitchell

Tim, 

I loved your memory of our tasteful cheer. I had almost forgotten that. But wasn't it "Raw, Raw, Raw?"

I do however, resent your inference that we had no "artsy" talent.  Pu- leeeease!  I don't know about you man, but from early grade school I had acquired a great skill at drawing trucks, rocket ships, and tulips. My horses however needed work - bellies too long and legs too short. Don'cha just hate when that happens?

Donna,  

You are welcome - I suspected the video would be a lot of fun.

NOTE: (hugs accepted 24/7 - in person or on-line)

David Mitchell

Okay, so you've all been good little boys and girls about avoiding politics on this forum. Good suggestion Jim. I think it was Clare who first alerted me to the fact that there even was an election going on. Thanks Clare - I'm so gratefull for the heads up. I'd been vacationing on the far side of Neptune for the past year and hadn't heard. But thanks to our (utterly broken) 2-party system we have come to the day where we choose between the best two people that our great nation has to offer.      (REALLY?)

But the time has come. The moment is upon us. Like it or not we all have to face the music. I think it's your civic duty to fess up and acknowledge who you are (were) voting for.

C'mon now, come clean. FED or NAT?

Was it Mike from St. Michaels, or was it Mike from St. Michaels? (IMHO either one would be more qualified to lead us than............)

scroll down

James Hamilton, M. D.

James Hamilton, M. D.

Mark Schweickart

I have not watched the Clintonville documentary yet, but being from Worthington, I did check that one out, and would have to agree that it was very well done, and wonderfully informative. Even the use of re-enactors which often is clunky at best, came off quite nicely I thought. 

As for youth in government day, I was appointed to the Vice Squad, believe it or not, but unfortunately did not get to participate in any arrests of johns, hookers, bennie-poppers, or caualties of reefer madness. It felt like a cool appointment nonetheless.

Joseph Donahue

I was the campaign manager for the winning side in our senior year. I ended up being the Vice Mayor (not the mayor of vice) and spent the day on the office of Sensebrenners' (SP) son. Actually my recollection was that it was fun doing nothing. Even then politicians didn't do anything productive 

Linda Weiner (Bennett)

Is it possible that the POD teacher in question was Mrs. Meers? (I need to find my report cards.) I think she taught only one class. It was right after lunch.  I'm remembering her as a good teacher who came to class offen late and looking disheveled. Her bottom lip stuck out beyond top lip.  On very first day she said something like this, "My name is Mrs Meers and I don't want to hear any smart comments."

I remember Dan Barford, Gus DeNova and Jim Schultheis (RIP) as classmates. Don't remember too much about the class except Gus and Jim fighting out loud, calling each other names like "kraut" and "wop." I sat behind Jim and Gus sat across isle from Jim so I heard it all. Best part of being in there. Very entertaining.

One incident in particular I recall, after US News was passed out to us one week, Julie Christie's huge cleavage was exposed in a cover photo and of course Jim and Gus (and probably all the guys) were making ______ remarks. Took awhile for Meers to gain control. She tried to sound tough that first day, but I think she was a pushover and got as big a kick out of those rascals as I did. Of course anytime the movie Dr Zhivago comes up, this is my memory. 

*******

Had to give a speech for senior English (Sr Margaret, I think). I was shy and very, very nervous every day waiting for my name to be called. I was sure that everyonenin the class could hear my heart trying to jump out of my chest and could tell my deodorant was failing. I was also sure that I would pee my pants as soon as I got to the lectern. Whew. I actually lived through that. Fast forward to 1993: Amazingly, as first-time college student in my 40's, I was required to take a speech class and was very upset about it as I was at WHS. BUT I did what I had to do and it turned out to be my favorite non-nursing course. How time changes us, huh?

****

Excuse any errors, I was never good at typing—reached 30wpm after first 6 weeks on an electric typewriter and improved very little after moving to manual (everyone had to have a turn on the one row of electric ones).    

NDoes anyone remember the name of the sweet nun who taught typing?

"Weiner"

Lawrence Foster

James Hamilton, M. D.

Joseph Gentilini

I remember the Kuder interest 'test' in my junioor year with Sister Jeanette. My best score was in 'clerical' areas.  I supose I would have made a good male secretary -ha! 

My POD teather was Sister Vincent Ferrer.  The other sister was Sister Emeal (?) but I did not have her. 

Mary Clare Hummer (Bauer)

Linda W. & Larry, I remember Sr. Rose Meriam and typing class. I can here the keys clicking now. And remember those timed sessions ?  . . ." Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country." I thought typing was so difficult. But it turned out to be a lifetime skill and I think it was way easier than our modern device keypads!!!  Clare