Christmas is behind us but...

        I love getting Christmas cards and especially those with pictures.  Here are some of the photo cards I got.

Some love their animals

  Marlene Tiegen '53 and Ralph Weaver

they love their pooches

in Monrovia California

  George Soetje '53

the card from Sagle, Idaho

speaks for itself, "four legged girls"

Some love Adventure

  Duane Gray '53

hiked to the top of Mt Whitney

in September, 2009

"life is good"

 Marilyn Nollac '53 Spears

is pictured in Turkey

cruising on the Bosphorus with Istanbul

"not Constantinople" in the background!

KEEP IT UP GUYS!!!

UPDATE ON OUR SCHOLARSHIP

          The 1953 Scholarship fund stands at $25,754.23 as of December 31, 2009 (interest included).  There have been no new contributions during this period.  Below is background on the scholarship.  A $1,000 scholarship will be given in June, 2010 to a worthy Monrovia High School Graduate.         

            Background on the fund established at our 50th reunion in 2003.  Duane Gray volunteered as chairman and suggested that everyone contribute $200 and we could reach our goal of $60,000 to keep the scholarship operating in perpetuity by the interest generated.  Based on the current economy, that probably will not be the case.  The Monrovia Schools Foundation invests your money conservatively to keep it safe.  The $1,000 will be awarded annually to students until the account is depleted.  The WOW

was established if a contribution of $1,000 or more is made.

To Send A Donation to our 1953 Class Scholarship Fund:

Make your check or money order payable to:

MSF (Monrovia Schools Foundation) Class of 1953

P.O. Box 2447

Monrovia, CA 91017

Be sure to indicate the name you graduated with.  If you wish to remember someone with your contribution please so indicate.  The number after a name indicates how many contributions.  If underlined it is a recent donation.

We Thank and honor the following contributors (note gals are listed by their maiden name if we have it).  Some have donated in honor of another as written in italics.  We have 91 contributors as follows:

Anonymous - 2

Alfred Alarcon - 2

Richard A. Alutin

Robert Alutin - 2

Carol J. (Anderson) Wilmsen

Noma E. (Andrews) Foltz - in memory of her sister, Carol

         Andrews Fuller

Meredith (Babeaux) Brucker

Thomas R. Bandy - in memory of Thomas M. Harvey

Jerry & Celeste Binnings

Jack W. Beschta - 2

Cynthia (Billig) Davis  - 2

Nancy (Billman) Thompson and George Thompson

Eugene Bishop - 3

Donna (Bliss) Vinton

Richard R. Bolton - 3

Lee Brown

Wanda Joanne (Bullard) Bartlett - in memory of husband,

         David L. Bartlett  5  HURRAY !!!!

Keith Burns

Mary Jo (Burns) Dalmont

Kay (Carrol) Collins - 2

Kazon (Collins) Allen

Katherine (Coopland) Horn - In memory of Charlene Gray     

         Niendorff and Carol Sue Ross King - 3

Evelyn (Cox) Carpenter & Dennis Carpenter - In

          memory of Phyllis Carpenter, MHS '57 - 2

Dennis Carpenter - In Memory of Don Ellis - 3 (see above)

Audrey (Crellin) Beatty - in memory Helen & Bert Luebbers - 2

Marg (Crusan) Stockett

Katherine (Delaney) House - 2

Sandra Dunn – in memory of Eileen Jessen

William Dyer

Sally (Eggstaff) Welsh

Loween (Falcon) Mayer - in memory of Myrtle Franklin

Patricia (Fortner) Kinnan and husband Jerry - in memory of

         Vivian Elmgren  - 2

Viola (Fuehr) Panman - 2

Joe Garcia

David George

Janet (Gervais) Crandall

Charleen (Gray) Niendorff (deceased)

Duane W. Gray 3  HURRAY Mai Le Gray Scholarship

Jack E. Groat - 2

Pat (Herr) Overshiner

Joy (Hobbs) Friedmen

James J. Jameson

Veeva (Hamblen) Presnell - in memory of Patricia Hamilton &   Patti Franz - 2

Ann (Hayes) Hobbs - in memory of Patty Franz Clark

Joseph R. Henry

Susie (Hester) Taylor

Richard Hoon - in memory, equally, of Roger Hoon &

         Diane Hoon

Gail Howard - 4

Stan and Jolinda Hughes - 2

Robert Irone Jr. - in memory of those mates that

     are no longer hanging around to contribute. - 2

Gretchen (Kambeitz) Cacciotti

Arthur Kendall (deceased)

R. J. & Diane Koch

Shirley J. (Martin) Minter

Mariellen (Matthews '54) Armas Staller - in

         memory of Paul Armas '53

Dennis C. Mavity

Kathy McClanahan – in memory of Arlene Wilson   

Fleur Mitchel

Marilee J. Musgrove-Brown – in memory of Phyllis Cooper

Bert and Arlene Munsell

Rene (Napier) Eder - in memory of Vivian Elmgren, MAD

   History Teacher - 2

Marilyn (Nollac) Spears - 2

Jocelyn (Orth) Pyle - 2

Joanna (Payne) Jones - in memory of Gail Bermeister - 3

Kathi (Phelps) Henry - in memory of Charlene Gray

         Niendorff - 2

Pat (Pilon) Garman

Roger Pollard - in memory of Gary Adams ‘54

Joe Rayle - in memory of Clyde Harwick and Chuck Collins - 2

Mary Ellen (Romney) MacArthur, Ph.D. - in memory of 

         Thelma Thompson, mentor and friend

Sally Ann (Scharfe) Jacobs

Lasley (Scholl) Biven - In Memory of Art Kendall - 3

Barbara (Scott) Ruff

Fred Selin, in memory of his wife, Norma Selin - 4

Kathleen (Shepherd) Campbell - in memory of Patty Franz

                             Clark - 3

Patricia (Shimp) Mordecai

Larry Shoberg - 2

Bob Shugert - In honor of Phil Parker

Carolyn (Snyder) Jordan  - In memory of Muriel Holmgren,

         Robert Long, & Ed Ryan - 4

George Soetje - In Memory of George Meyer - 2

Charles and Mariam (McFarland) '52 Stein - In Memory of  

         Bernice Carpenter - 4

Marilyn (Strauss) Carpenter

John A. Sturgeon - in memory of Art Kendall - 4

Marlene (Teigen) Weaver - 2

Marlene Town – in memory of her husband Dick Town

David Walling & Waly - 2

Bruce Wasserburger - in memory of Art Kendall

Carol (Weber) Bryan

Stewart Weitzman

Peter Wynn

Thanks to all of you! 

Go Green MAD!  Those that want to go for a  “Hurray” ($1,000 or more) will have “Hurray” and your name in GREEN on Our Page, 1953.  But, Only if you wish.

Many thanks to each one of you!

Remembering Junior High School in 1949

I guess we all have those "oh my gosh" moments.  Here is one that happened recently.  An old 8th grade operetta program dated May 12 and May 13, 1949 dropped out of a 2009 Christmas card.  The program enclosed with Mary Jo Burns '53 Dalmont's card caused me to remember lyrics I learned when I was 13 years old.  A tune reverberated in my brain,

"If you need an artist's model I feel sure he'll fall for me … my success is guaranteed!"

Yes, a 60 year-old notice of the operetta "Paints and Patches", the junior high students' presentation from FIRST AVENUE SCHOOL in Arcadia, set my brain humming.  Keep reading to the bottom where that program is posted.  Maybe YOUR name is in it.  Do you remember the songs and lyrics?

In 1949, I was skinny and badly needed braces.  My father, a high school graduate from Danville, Illinois, worked in a California machine shop.  In his off hours he and my mom remodeled old houses they purchased for very little.  Mother was born in Ireland and attended school only through the 3rd grade.  By the time I attended First Avenue, my parents and I occupied and they sold four homes in El Monte, Monrovia, Duarte and Arcadia.  We lived in our tiny fifth home at 17 Wheeler Street, Arcadia.  This house was later a dry cleaners (my parents tried that business).  Then, the folks became real estate brokers and my home was a live-in office during my time at MAD.   I was a terrible show off, always getting in trouble in grade and Junior high school.

 From the looks of the program (shown below) everyone had to participate.  Remember, back then the "arts" were in integral part of education. The speaking and solo singing roles needed an audition.   After auditions, the part of Miss Perriwinkle was given to me as a comic role for the May 13th performance.  Marilyn Nollac sang and danced on May 12th (Mrs. Lucille Nollac choreographed).  Short of my mother begging that I still be allowed to perform, my first stage performance might have been delayed until high school.  Water-on-the-knee developed from a fall and I had to wear an ace bandage. Darlene Frommer is the 3rd name shown in the program above Kathleen Phelps.  I feel sure I performed instead of Darlene (she is not pictured as a graduate from MAD).  I made the role even more slap-stick…and limped!!! 

Many students who went on to Monrovia Arcadia Duarte High School participated.   Some on the list below are gone, but remembered.  Others still read Our Page, 1953. 

Charles Wilson

Don Roberts

Pat Shermer

Karen Lewis

Barbara Briggs

Joan Lawler

Carroll Frey

Marilyn Nollac

George Calderwood

Bill Dyer

Bob Olson

Richard Whitehead

Harry Yates

Mary Jo Burns*

Richard Plimpton

Rita Montanez

Barbara Sockman

Jacqueline Forman

Gretchen Kambeitz

Marilyn Strauss

Mary Pascevic

Rita Keddie

Myran Willey

Joy Hyder

Joe Henry

Barbara Malloy

Robert Irone

Phyllis Cooper

Janet Gervis

Veeva Hamblin

Lasley Scholl

Carol Jacobs

*Mary Jo Burns Dalmont remembers that this was the first performance where she and Richard Plimpton were paired up at the piano.

 What are your memories…about yourself or others?  Email: writekathi@juno.com

 A Thought to Ponder:

The sovereign cure for worry is prayer.

William James

courtesy Jean Bouchebel, World Vision International

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

 

A friend sent an early "Valentine" to see if it will make it around the world by Feb. 14th. For God so loVed the world,      That He gAve            his onLy           BegottEn                  SoN                 That whosoever       Believeth In Him         Should Not perish,       But have Everlasting life." John 3:16