AL LAWRENCE tells a funny story

I'm always stealing a few moments here & there to clean out emails from my mailboxes. Tonight I scrolled up in my KHS65 IN BOX and saw, much to my amazement, a message from Al Lawrence sent in 2003!! I couldn't believe it, so of course I opened it & am sharing it now, better late than never they say, and I have two more that are LATE but I'll get them on here soon! FYI there are over 4800 incoming msgs in my KHS mailbox! And I have 6 email accounts! I talk too much!

Herewith from me to Al, we must have had a correspondence going on, then below his response & story:

"do you remember his (Mark Twain's) cousin Cyril Clemens walking up and down Kirkwood Road in our youth? He was still there for many, many years, having died I'd say only within the past 5 years. He was a fixture on North Kirkwood Road where he lived.... " me to Al.

"Hi, Leslie-- Share this if you wish.

Once my pal and fellow '65 grad John Andreas got a speeding ticket. My mother was the court clerk. It seems hard to believe now, but my mom spoke to the judge and worked out a plan in which John wouldn't even have to show up with his parents and would receive only a lecture.

I was sitting in the back of the crowded night court and couldn't take my eyes off Cyril, who was twitching on the polished-wood bench, looking scruffy and clutching a lurid-cover paperback. I remember the title of the book to this day--"Hollywood Lawyer." He had a place marked with this thumb and kept opening the book to study the passage. Cyril was agitated, and couldn't wait for his turn. He jumped up in the middle of another minor case and yelled:

'Your honor, I insist on a change of ven-OO!'
He meant "venue," of course, but he pronounced it "ven-OO," with no "y" sound and the accent on the second syllable. The judge was outraged. He banged his gavel and opened his mouth wide, only to have his top dental plate fall with a clack onto his lower. (I later found out from mom that he had just had new dentures made. A little ironic, since John later became a well known dentist.)

The evening continued with a few more interruptions and reactions, but the judge, despite our anxieties, remembered his agreement and gave John only a stern talking-to.

That's my memory of Cyril. I hope he enjoys his new 'ven-OO'.

Regards, Al Lawrence, '65"

What's in a Name?

I love knowing the origin of various words and phrases in our funny language. I recently learned a couple of new ones, so think I will start this post and add to it when I come across others. I hope you will add to it too, by commenting! We'll build a nice collection maybe.

Soda Jerk - the person behind the soda fountain had to jerk the handles of the dispensers back and forth to get them to spew their contents, thus the "soda jerk" was born.

If you put all the Coke sold to date into 8oz bottles and string them end to end they would reach to the moon and back 1300 times. These kinds of statistics just blow me away!

Why donuts have holes - Sea Captain Hansen Gregory was eating a cake (an oily cake, the original name for doughnuts) in a huge ocean storm and finally had to use both hands on the wheel. Not wanting to pitch his cake, he stuck it onto the spoke of the wheel and voila, the donut was born. There is more to this story on Wikipedia but I got this version elsewhere.

Have you ever used the phrase "he had a lot of Moxie"? I have and never wondered where it came from! Seems like Moxie was the name of the first bottled soda and it was very fizzy. If you could drink two of them you had a lot of Moxie. It morphed into meaning you are pretty determined & have a lot of know-how.

1965, THE SAME NO MATTER THE GEOGRAPHY!

Hi all, I'm having a great nostalgia morning as I read my emails. Please check out the Remembering Jake post below, but here is another fun nostalgia bit. This is that quiz that has been round and round the internet, you know, if you only remember a few of these things you're still a kid and if, like me, you remember every single one you're older than dirt. I loved this one because it came to me from a gal who keeps her 1965 high school class memories alive, from Scotch Plains/Fanwood High School in Westfield, NJ. I found her when doing some research for my grandfather's diary transcription project. She is a classmate of the gal who lived across the street from my grandparents in Westfield for many years. The neighbor, Carolyn, and I being the same age visited together when my family was in NJ with my grandparents. One time, a Thanksgiving trip I think, she took me to school with her. Her classmates were all amazed to have someone in their class all the way from MISSOURI, and I was so impressed at how nice to me they were and what a 'big deal' it seemed to be! A fun memory. I did reconnect a couple years ago with Carolyn, through the SPFHS65 alumni activities and internet postings. You just never know who you'll find!! Hope you enjoy this list of reminders as much as I did. And thanks Nancy Chomicz for keeping me on your mailing list and for sharing!

1. Wrigley’s Chewing Gum. Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun. Blackjack Chewing
Gum. Bazooka Bubble Gum. Juicy Fruit Gum.
2. Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water. NIK-L-NIPS.
3. Candy cigarettes with pink tips in their own box as you faked ‘taking a drag’!
4. Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles.
5. Coffee shops or diners with tabletop jukeboxes. 5 cents each or 6 songs for 25!!!
6. Home milk delivery in glass bottles with cardboard stoppers with pull-off tab.
The milkman left the bottles by one of your doors.
7. Party-lines on the telephone….Oops, sorry! Rarely did people ‘Listen In.’
8. Newsreels before the movies. Up to date world news.
9. P.F. Flyers. U.S. Keds.
10. Butch Wax. For that slicked back greasy look.
11. TV test patterns that came on at night after the last show and were there until TV shows
started again in the morning (there were only 3 channels....if you were fortunate).
12. Peashooters. Ouch!
13. It's Howdy Doody Time...It's Time to Laugh and Play! His freckles!
14. 33 1/3, 45 and 78 RPM Records.
15. Licking S & H Green Stamps and pasting ‘em in the books! Plaid Stamps. [And Eagle Stamps at Famous Barr here in St. Louis]
16. Hi-Fi record players.
17. Metal ice trays with release lever.
18. Mimeograph machines. [And the fabulous smell of mimeo ink]
19. Blue Sylvania flashbulbs.
20. Packards, Studebakers, DeSoto ‘fins’ and VW Beetles.
21. Roller skate keys that you hung around your neck.
22. Cork popguns.
23. Drive-in restaurants with trays that hooked over the driver’s window.
24. Drive-in movies.
25. Wash tubs with wringers. Outdoors clothes lines with wooden clothes pins.
26. Pez dispensers with different flavored brick shaped candies.
27. Hop Scotch, Bingo, Old Maid, Go Fish, Dominoes, Scrabble and Hula Hoops.
28. Wax lips, teeth, mustache and red tongue candies that tasted waxy and awful.
29. Sherry Lewis and Lambchop..and Kookla, Fran & Ollie.
30. Winding film in camera and taking photo by looking DOWN into viewer. Hold real still!
31. Saddle shoes and penny loafers. [I'm still wearing penny loafers!]
32. Good Humor trucks with bells. Double-stick popsicles. Fudgesicles. Creamsicles.
33. Pesticide trucks spraying DDT up and down the streets at the Jersey shore for pesky
mosquitoes while kids ran behind breathing in the fumes for a ‘high.’
34. Three Musketeer Bars that had 2 grooves on each side so you could share them
with your other 2 Musketeer friends.
35. Matching ‘Sticky Pins’ made to look like swords for you and your buddy & worn on collar.
36. Praying mantis, lightning bugs, Japanese beetles, blue mud daubbers and lady bugs.
37. Candied dots on paper strips in 5 colors. Try not to eat the paper attached to them.
38. Malt balls, Sprinkles, Jimmies, Red Hots & Pixie Stix. Straws with chocolate & strawberry
flavoring in them. Fruit flavored Fizzies you’d drop in water to drink.
39. Hi Ho Silver, Away! The Lone Ranger. Kemosabie! Who was that masked man?
I didn’t even have the chance to thank him.
40. The Honeymooners Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) and Alice (Audrey Meadows).
Friends Ed Norton (Art Carney) and Trixie (Joyce Randolph)
Someday, you’re going to the moon, Alice. Pow, right in the kisser!
Bonus Points
High beam head light and dimmer switches on the floor.
Ignition switches on the dashboard.
Heaters mounted on the inside of the fire wall.
Bicycle ‘pant leg clips’ so pants wouldn't get caught in the chain. (Before guards)
Soldering irons you heat on a gas burner.
Using hand signals in cars when turning.
_______
Man, am I old.
Growing up isn't what it used to be, is it?
Having some “Senor or Senorita Momentos”?
Mmmm...We really ARE “Official Members” of the J.O.Y. GROUP!
J-O-Y = Just Old Youth!!!
********************************************************************************************

Rusty Nelson's Mom Kay passes away

I just learned that Rusty's mom has passed away at age 87. Kay was a special lady, always ready to visit with us and with a big smile. Her service is this coming Friday at Grace Church in Kirkwood at 11am. Rusty, I am sure everyone joins me in sending our condolences to you and all your sibs and the rest of the family.

Dr. Rick Burns

From Ginger Fletcher of Kirkwood School District Development comes the following sad news. I realize he may not be known to many of us KHS65 members, but those who have or had children or grands who are/were in the Kirkwood schools after we were, may have known him. Another valuable member of society gone way too soon. Thank you to Ginger for sharing this sad news.

January 10, 2012

Kirkwood School District Friends,

Dr. Rick Burns, former associate principal of Kirkwood High School, passed away on Saturday, January 7, 2012, at St. Louis University Hospital. He was 69 years old.

Dr. Burns joined the KHS staff as an assistant principal in 1979 and served a total of 23 years at the high school. He was raised in Hoboken, New Jersey, as one of six children. After his high school years, his family moved to St. Louis. He earned his undergraduate degree from Southeast Missouri State, his master's degree from University of Missouri at St. Louis, and his doctorate from St. Louis University. Dr. Burns began his career in education as a teacher at Beaumont High School and later moved to University City High School before coming to Kirkwood.

After his retirement in 2002, Dr. Burns continued to mentor, tutor, and teach. He was an adjunct faculty member at several universities in the St. Louis area. Franklin McCallie, former KHS principal and close friend and colleague, refers to Dr. Burns as "one of the most caring, creative, and effective educators I have ever known."

It was Dr. Burns' wish to be an organ donor. Upon his passing, his liver was donated so that another person might live. Dr. Burns is survived by his wife, Debbie, and two sons, Richard, KHS '97 and Jesse, KHS '00.

Family and friends are planning a "Celebration of the Life of Dr. Rick Burns" to be held this coming Saturday, January 14, 2012, in the Keating Theatre, Kirkwood High School. Doors will open at 10:15 a.m. in the Walker Commons for friends to mingle and share memories of Dr. Burns. Family members will be available in the Walker Commons after the ceremony to greet those who loved and admired Rick Burns.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested donations go to the Rick Burns Fund, which supports Kirkwood High School students. Checks should be made out to Kirkwood School District, memo line: Rick Burns Fund, Community Relations Office, 11289 Manchester Road, Kirkwood, 63122. All donations are tax-deductible.

A Little Patriotic Music - especially for all our Sailors!

Here is a little movie clip made by my brother Kert, KHS69, aboard the USS IOWA. He filmed her voyage from Benecia to Richmond, CA for drydock repairs, and is generally filming her progress as she is given a new life. This clip will bring a smile to most faces I'm sure, but certainly to you sailors and you gals who have always loved a guy in a sailor uniform! You can click the links on the right or anywhere that you see Kaviski1 as those are his videos, the Benecia to Richmond is there on the right..great scenery! Thank Kert for sharing with Bigsis and pals.

Who Remembers Jake?

What a treat on a tired Saturday night to receive an email from pal Mike Caldwell in northern California with a great photo received from his sis Sue. Those of you who lived in the part of Kirkwood served by Jake's store at the corner of Rose Hill and South Geyer will recognize the photo instantly I'm sure. Sue Kraft, Pat Corpening and I used to babysit for his daughter's children, (Sharon somethingorother, Jake Barnholtz was his name - her name will pop into my head at the oddest of moments) )she looked just like Jake! We made a fortune babysitting on New Year's Eve, spending the night, getting the kids up and fed while the parents slept in, then we took OUR boys out for New Year's Day Brunch....what fun. Of course we stayed up at least til midnight, mostly yakking on the phone and eating chips and cream cheese dip! (cream cheese & instant onion soup mix) - a miracle we survived all that salt!
Let this photo take you back a bit to a simpler time.

THANKS Sue and Mike for sharing this. It brought back a ton of memories for me, but that'll have to wait for another post! Yes Mike, he sold cigarettes! And we were sent there to buy them for our parents, no one asked for an ID! PLEASE BE SURE TO READ THE COMMENTS FOR THIS POST, JAKE'S FAMILY IS SO EXCITED TO HAVE THIS PHOTO OF HIM AND THE STORE! THANKS FOR GETTING IN TOUCH!

Paula Fauks Riney's Father Leaves an amazing Legacy

Here is the obituary from the St. Louis Post Dispatch for Paul S. Fauks, father of our classmate Paula who, with her family, still lives here in St. Louis and attends some of our Reunion activities. We send our very best wishes for peace and love to her family:

Paul S. Fauks

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Fauks, Paul S. Paul passed away on January 4, 2012. He was born in Oklahoma City, OK on May 31, 1924 to Carl Fauks, DVM and Emma (Kuntz) Fauks. His siblings include the late Frieda, Margaret, Elizabeth, Caroline and William Fauks, DVM, Oklahoma City, OK. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Barbara Edith Clare Fauks, his three children Paula Riney (Rodger), Pamela Woddail (Chuck), William Fauks, five grandchildren Pamela (Riney) Walkenbach (Steve), Thomas Woddail (Kristen), Kelsey (Woddail) Nolten (Eric), Richard Riney (Meg), Michael Riney and two great-grandchildren Melanie and Paige Walkenbach. He received his B.A. in Journalism from Oklahoma City Univer sity in 1950. Paul's life was summed up in a news article as Boats, Baseball and Birdhouses. Boats reflect his first career in the Navy. This included his landing on the Normandy beach on June 6, 1944 as a signalman guiding ships in for landings through his service as an officer on a variety of ships (USS Arenac, USS Blue, USS Virgo, USS Mount Katmai and USS Pictor). He retired as a Lieutenant Commander from his first career as the Executive Recruiting Officer in St. Louis. Baseball was a thread running throughout Paul's life from his early days playing with his brother Bill on the American Legion teams in Pierre, SD. He lettered in baseball in his junior and senior years at Central High School in Oklahoma City, OK. He continued his American Legion connection as a player, coach and President of the St. Louis County American Legion, where he led his team to a National Championship. He was inducted into the area's Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame in 2000. This was during the time he made the step from the Navy to the major league as a member of the front office with the St. Louis Baseball Cardinals. During his time with the Cardinals they made five trips to the World Series, winning two world championships. Paul was the driving force behind compiling a comprehensive history of the club from its beginning to 1967. Throughout his life, Paul was a woodworker. He spent many hours in his workshop creating fine furniture as gifts to family and friends. When he turned his focus to birdhouses he created 51 models and built over 10,000 birdhouses over a seven year period. Paul was a lifelong animal lover and an active member of the American Legion and VFW in Kirkwood MO. The family would like to thank the caregivers at Sunrise Assisted Living of John's Creek, GA, Comfort Keepers and Evercare Hospice for their kind attention to Paul during his final months. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to an animal shelter of your choice. Farewell, but without sadness, for we are connected by a cord of love which stretches forward and backward to eternity. Services: Funeral arrangements will be made by Crowell Brothers Funeral Home, Norcross, GA and Bopp Funeral Home, Kirkwood, MO. A memorial service will be held at a later date.