Wednesday, May 7, 2008

More "Bad" Bearcats



Photo courtesy of Larry Johnson
Click to enlarge

Early 50s Bearcat football team at the East (home) goalpost. I have them all identified but numbers 82, 83, and 85 . Of course their faces are familiar but the names escape me.

Each time I see the old structure on the left, which served as the "primer" and first grade building after the downtown elementary school burned, I think of the first day of school (1945) and Diane Stiles, the new girl I was paired with each time we assembled (boy/girl side by side) and marched up the steps and into the building. Before being seated some mornings, the pledge of allegiance to our flag was recited.

At the south end of that building, the lunchroom smells at 10 AM each morning would get us yearning for the lunch break (we were first to eat). We were herded to the playground as soon as we finished in order to make room for the next grades. That stringy canned meat from the government commodities was expertly prepared, made somewhat tasty and served a couple of times a week.

Anyone else remember the time in the lunchroom that someone put a large rubber spider on Maxine Lomenick and she turned an entire table of lunch trays over on the others sitting there?


16 comments:

  1. Is that Zeke or Mose at lower left?

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  2. I think it is Mose on lower left - this is 1954 team - See Saw, Billy Hamblin and others graduated in 1955. 82 is Bob Christian (deceased), 83 is Ellis Miller (deceased) and 85 is Gerald Carpenter. Great photo of the last Coach Haynes team which should have had a better record than they did with Billy Dillard (scholarship to Ole Miss) and Jimmy Rutherford who was faster than anybody.

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  3. Diane was a first girlfriend. She had a younger sister that bloomed into a dazzling red-haired young lady. Her name was Madge?

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  4. I'll venture that Maxine Lomenick is the model for the modern-day Maxine that you see in your emails.
    Jimmy Rutherford was nicknamed "racehorse" and also was referred to as "overdrive".
    Is Jack Christian still living? I did not know that Bob wasn't.

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  5. Jimmy was a racehorse on the playing field and also on his bike. Remember how he used to ride his bike!

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  6. Jack Christian died in early 90's at about age 53, I believe. I can't recall much about the offense of this team and who was the QB. I know Aaron was Coach Jobe's QB but I'm not sure about this one. I know that Coach Jobe brought in the Oklahoma Split T offense which greatly improved the offense. I'm thinking Coach Haynes used more of a Single Wing or some such.

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  7. I hate to admit it, but I am haveing name rememberance. Like Carl, I know about all of the faces. Shame on what time does to memory.
    Becky

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  8. I think they are back row left:
    Henry Outlaw, Robert Marion Thomas, Larry Johnson, Billy Dillard, See Saw Heflin, Gerald Carpenter, Curtiss Wayne Bishop, Enoch Gentry

    Middle from left:
    John Allen Lampkin, Frank Norman, Jimmy Rutherford, Billy Hamblin, Ellis Miller, James Herring, Aaron Rutherford

    Bottom from left:
    Mose Garrett, Bud Reynolds, James Bryant, Bobby Nichols, Martin Howard, Bob Christian, Ellis Wayne Christian, Doug Waters

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  9. Thankew, thankew, thankew! I hoped someone would help me out.., Weren't they some of the best looking, smart guys in those days!!!

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  10. Wonder about Maxine. I last saw her about 1960 in Memphis. I bought a car and she did the paperwork on the deal.
    Billy

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  11. We live 550 miles from Baldwyn, so rarely get back. At the last reunion, I knew one person as soon as I saw him, Curtiss Bishop. He hasn't changed: what's his secret?
    Joe and "Pat"

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  12. DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THAT IS GLENDA CRABB ON THE LEFT IN THE TOP PHOTO? I THINK IT IS. SHE HAD A SISTER NAMED DORIS IN MY CLASS IN PRATTS.

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  13. Last I heard from Maxine Lominick, she was selling real estate in Memphis for a company called Pyramid, I believe.

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  14. I didn't know that the Christian brothers were both gone. Does anyone have any details?

    Also, any info on Ellis Miller?

    I seem to recall that the Stiles sister was named Midge, but not positive.

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  15. That's Betty Lytal Billingsley on the left. Her mother died in Feb. this year and I almost didn't recognize Betty at the Funeral Home. Her brother Bobby still looks the same.

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