Message Forum


 
go to bottom 
  Post Message
  
    Prior Page
 Page  

02/20/09 07:32 PM #23    

Mary Kathryn Vernon

Does anyone know how Jerry Masheter died? He was so young! It would be good to know what happened to the others, too. Do we have time for mini obits?

03/07/09 04:19 PM #24    

Barbara Thompson (Wright)

Jody Wheeler,

I hope you get this; I must have done something wrong after I read your message about Ft. Monroe.

No, I don't remember the General. We were there from 1973-1977 at which time Billy Rhea retired and we moved to San Angelo. We loved Ft. Monroe! Took bike rides, went boating, fishing, and on regattas with the yacht club, etc. The Chamberlain Hotel, too, is so historic and beautiful. I think they have made a military retirement center there.

Good to hear from you and hope to see you at the reunion.

Barbara Thompson Wright

03/23/09 02:04 PM #25    

Howard Ferguson

Real hot rods? That would be Ed Jeter and Don Binkley. Both had Fords of the 30's with high performance engines.

Regarding Ed Jeter - I once wrote his name in turquoise ink on my desk in Webster's Spanish class. And to set the record straight, did admit as much.

Howard

04/04/09 02:22 PM #26    

 

Jamie Jones (Freeman)

Howard...Hi! Thanks for the update on the 'hot-rod' owners in our class. I don't recall that at all! Do you remember anyone in the '58 class? Looking forward to seeing you at the reunion!!

Jamie

05/17/09 03:00 PM #27    

Gennie Wade (Roeder)

Response to #23 Mary ... Jerry Masheter died of a drug overdose in 1962. My new husband and I were visiting in OKC for Christmas and we were actually planning to meet up
with him and a few others that night. Instead, I got a phone call from Donny Spence with the bad news. Very sad ... dumb me, I didn't even know he was using! What a waste ... so handsome and talented!
Gennie Wade Roeder

05/17/09 03:05 PM #28    

Gennie Wade (Roeder)

Jamie,
Wayne Rutherford was class of '58 and we still keep in touch. He was very 'fonzy' back then. He grew up to be very successful and handsomely bald. Also, Bob Arnold had a great bright yellow hot roddish type car. Can't remember what year it was ... I'm thinking it was a ford from the 30's ... but with my memory, who knows!

By-the-way, F.Y.I. I will be entertaining Saturday night,
so I hope a lot of our classmates are staying for the whole reunion and not just Friday night. Looking forward to seeing you Jamie.
Gennie Wade Roeder

05/22/09 11:10 AM #29    

Nancy Wheat (Baysinger)

Who remembers learning the names of the Presidents in rhythm during Miss Morrison's class. I think it was the 8th or 9th grade? I can still do them as far as we went in one school year. Who remembers Mr. Swanson bringing the snake to class and making all of us "hold" it? I didn't hold it....actually wet my pants when Mr. Swanson came toward me with the BIG snake around his neck. Are there any Harding Marching Band members who remember marching in parades and at football games in the awful wool uniforms....ties & suspenders also. I played saxophone and John Corn played trombone and usually sat behind me in concert whereupon he would pull my hair with the spit valve at the end of the horn. Ugh! Just wondering?? Nancy Wheat Baysinger

05/25/09 04:17 PM #30    

Howard Ferguson

Any Tulsa Driller baseball fans out there? MY wife and I see about 10-15 games each season and plan on going again on May 27th when they play Frisco. I hope any Hardingite in the area can join us. We usually sit in the reserve section on the 3rd base side. Look for an old guy wearing what looks to be a Yankee ball cap but it's really YH in the Yankee script
(Yankee Hater) ;-)

Howard Ferguson
918-333-7704

06/10/09 12:17 AM #31    

Robert Maricle

I would say, so far, Jacquiline Hopkins bio tops the list of HHS graduates accomplishments.

Not counting Jerry's 7 failures at getting on the Survivor series or being on the board of Penn Sqare Bank!

06/15/09 01:45 PM #32    

Sarah Kuhn (Welte)

It was absolutely WONderful seeing all of you at the Reunion this weekend! Thank you all for coming.

Robbie, you're right that Jacquie's bio is tops; but I was totally impressed when you mentioned off the cuff that you'd had a quadruple bypass just 4 months ago, & brushed it off as tho it were a routine event for every 'old fart'. You look completely healthy & strong, and I had commented to Ann Lynn Noble how you still have the same face you had as a little boy, only now with grey hair. It was great to see you.

fondly, Sarah

06/17/09 07:24 PM #33    

Nancy Wheat (Baysinger)

The Harding 50th Reunion last weekend was wonderful! Of course, our Oklahoma weather had to show out a little bit on Friday night. Wow! It was hot. However, the heat did not dampen any spirits or stop anyone from visiting with friends and eating a great meal. Sat. night was also a very special event. The program presented by Sydne & Genie was also wonderful. To have it all topped off by Bob Taylor and his wife Sue was a very special ending to the entire weekend. I think there was a very special 'spirit' abounding through everyone every time we all got together. Many thanks to all the classmates who organized this special reunion. You did an excellent job and I think we all appreciated the hard work that went into 'pulling this thing off'. Awesome! 'Till we meet again......... Love to all Nancy Wheat Baysinger

06/18/09 09:42 PM #34    

Gennie Wade (Roeder)

I Wanted to say thanks to all who organized this great 50th Class Reunion. Everything from the much needed fans (for Friday night use); Chris & Bill's home/yard for our Friday night function; the glasses & cups for all of us to take home; the fabulous decorations and all those hard working hands that placed them on the tables (oh my, cutting out all those pictures of our wonderful teachers & those great 45 records); baloons, center-piece boxes; Jerry's extra house (ON THE GOLF COURSE ... are you ready for that?) in which our group was able to rehearse for our Saturday night show; the clever fact sheets; the bio books! Goodness, have I forgotten anything or anyone? If so, PLEASE, accept my apologizes ... everything was appreciated by all ... especially me!
I have to apologize also for one other thing. I have bugged the powers that be to have a golf game opportunity every time we have a reunion. Well, this year, the opportunity was there & I couldn't take advantage. I can't even hold a mic, much less a golf club. I had a serious elbow dislocation a while back & it left me with increased nerve damage to my left thumb
and it prevents me from even holding onto a mic without excessive shaking ... so golf is pretty much out for me for the time being. Hopefully, I'll be able to play
at our next reunion ... in five years.
Of course, I can't forget ... A big thank you to Johnny Zwick, Zeke Hills and of course, Syd Livingston for joining me in putting together the show for our classmates Saturday night. It was fun planning it and putting it on for each of you. None of us (with the exception of the keyboard player and me) had ever played with each other; the trumpet player (Johnny) and the bass player (Zeke) hadn't played in 20 years; AND with only 2 days of rehearsal under our belt ... we somehow managed to put on the show. Hopefully we were able to add something good and memorable to our fun-filled evening.
Last but not least, I'm so very proud to be a part of such a fabulous bunch of graduates. I have to reiterate
... there were a whole bunch of you that I would know anywhere ... it seems you forgot to grow older. Of course, your personal appearance was secondary to
what impressive adults you became. It was fun seeing
you and I wish I had had more time to visit with each
of you.
Warm regards,
Gennie Wade Roeder

06/19/09 06:15 PM #35    

Sydne Livingston

Hi everyone,

It's my turn to express how wonderful it was to experience the past weekend with all of you. I wouldn't have missed it for the world!! To the committee who put this all together - AMAZING! I have to ditto Gennie -the decorations were so special! I took pictures of a table from 6 different viewpoints to capture all the work that was put into each one. And the wine glasses, cups and fans are wonderful keepsakes. Friday night at Kris and Bill's was fantastic! The only thing that I regret is not being able to speak to all of you. With our rehearsals keeping us so busy, we missed getting to the hospitality room every time.

One of the highlights of our trip was going by Nancy Wheat's house to pick up the music stands (thanks, Nancy for your kind generosity) and having the opportunity to sit at the piano and sing with Nancy and hear again her glorious voice. I love you, Nancy, and loved seeing you.

And of course, we couldn't have done our show without the kind generosity of Jerry and Joy in letting us use their house for our rehearsals. And as I told Jerry, if we do this again, we will be rehearsing on the Golf Course, as by that time, their house will be completed! Thanks, Jerry and Joy!!

We had a ball performing and I was amazed at the talents of Johnny and Zeke. You've still got it, guys!! And of course, Gennie deserves a special thanks for bringing along her pianist, Brett, who wrote the special material and Gennie's arrangements (such a terrific and tasty pianist) and his wife Julia, (great vocalist). And he wrote all the charts for the base, drums and trumpet.

And I was so glad that Bob and Sue performed - they were wonderful - what a special talent! And Ed Foster gave us more than a few laughs! What a great evening! You all were so generous with your applause!!


06/19/09 06:27 PM #36    

Sydne Livingston

Sorry, I submitted this before I had a chance to finish my thoughts. If anyone remembers me, I always had more than a word or two to say!

Anyway, it was so wonderful seeing all of you! And it just seemed like yesterday that I had seen you, not 30 years ago. I agree with Gennie, I would have known most of you without a name tag.

I definitely plan on attending the next reunion. Or who knows, maybe I will be back before then. If anyone gets back to New York, please let me know. We will definitely get together. I would love to see you!!

Love and warmest regards,

Syd Livingston

06/20/09 02:53 PM #37    

Bob Taylor

Well, I thought I was going to have to drag Sue screaming and kicking onto the stage Saturday night. The show put on by Gennie and Syd and Johnny and Zeke and company was so good, so polished and professional, that Sue kept nudging me and whispering, "We can't possibly follow that!" I can't say how much I was moved by your generous response. I've been bragging about it to my fellow band members.

As others have said, I'm deeply grateful to everyone who worked so hard and so creatively to put together such a wonderful reunion.

It was great seeing you all.

Bob Taylor

P. S. My reunion photos are posted here. Wish I'd taken more.

06/25/09 07:23 PM #38    

John Zwick

Update for Jamie about mysterious guys who had hot rods.

The guy from the class of '58 who had the '32 five-window Deuce Coupe was Charley Cox who I traded it to for another car. I bought it while in the 9th grade and worked on it until I gave up on it as hopelessly dangerous so traded it to Charley in the 10th grade.

Charley Cox, I and a few other guys (none Harding students) established the OKC Draggins hot rod club while I was in the 10th grade, while I still only had a learner's driving permit. I was elected the club treasurer because nobody trusted anyone else to hold the dues without stealing it. The 1958 NHRA Grand National Drag Races were held in OKC. I served on the pit crew of one of our members who raced his 1940 Ford with an Olds engine. I stayed in the Draggins until it went defunct in 1959.

Bob Murrell and I bought our first car together while in the 8th grade which was a 1928 Model A Ford roadster. We told our fathers we just wanted to learn how to work on cars and repair Murgatroyd Grundoon's broken transmission. After we fixed the transmission the first weekend, we drove the car all over for the next couple of years. We even took some of our girls friends for rides. During one such occasion, I started to make a left turn which caused the the right passenger door to fly open and my girlfriend flew right out through it. Luckily, she landed in the grass just beyond the curb and mostly just bounced. I recall she was a little chubby which helped. Bob Murrell and I turned around to go back and found her waiting at the curb with her thumb out for another ride.

My next car in the 9th grade was a 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe with a big 48 Lincoln V8 and running gear all mounted on a flimsy 1930 Model A Ford frame. A guy who worked as an undertaker sold it to me. I traded the car to Charley Cox who was dying to have it. I asked him not to get himself killed in it.

Charley Cox traded me my third car: a 1948 Chevy two door sedan that looked brand new but had an almost blown up engine. I worked on the engine with some Draggins members to get the engine quiet enough so I could sell it. I did sell it to a man who gave me $180 dollars for it. By then, Charley had realized the 32 Deuce Coupe was a "rat rod" and he laughed about the two cars saying, "John, we sure did give each other a good screwing when we traded our cars." I laughed and agreed.

My next car was a 1930 Model A Ford roadster with no engine which was given to me. It simply sat in my back yard until I sold it just before graduation.

At the beginning of the 10th grade, I used the $180 dollars from selling the Chevy and some help from my father to buy a black 1952 Ford business coupe which sat at the curb at a house right across the street from Harding. The owner turned out to be a boot legger who did a poor job of installing a 1956 Cadillac engine in the car. I bought it and first repaired the slipping clutch whereupon my Fordillac commenced to blow up one transmission after another for a total of seven. The final blowup shattered the trans case.

By reading Hot Rod magazine I learned that only a late 1930's Lasalle transmission would stand up to the Cad engine. I found one in the auto salvage yard which was across the street from the Fairgrounds, installed it with a new Cadillac clutch assembly and, presto, the car ran for two weeks in a row. It ran until the strong engine, clutch, and Lasalle transmission then blew up both universal joints and fractured the drive shaft. After I got a heavy duty drive shaft and universal joints, the differential then started to whine. Most of this experience with the 52 Ford took place over two years from the 10th through 12th grades.

My 52 Ford was a truly ugly "junk yard dog." Yet, it was scary fast and caused me to buy used tires for the rear wheels about every two weeks. It was most fun to have "stop light" drag races on Classen Blvd. after going all the way downtown to "drag Main St."

Because the 52 Fordillac didn't run very often at first, I bought a 47 Chrysler sedan for $75 which always ran and was the only car I kept after graduation.

Just before graduation in May '59 I advertised the 52 Ford for sale in the newspaper, calling it a "boot legger's special." The car had a toggle switch under the driver's seat which could turn off all the lights in the rear of the car. It also had special tabs welded into the trunk. The guy I bought it from said the tabs were where he bolted in two stainless steel tanks of moon shine. I sold it back to another self-professed bootlegger, warning him that he would have to replace the differential before trying to outrun anyone.

Eddy Jeter did build a really beautiful hot rod Ford roadster. Dash Brigs was building a Ford coupe with a Chrysler engine in his garage. Don't know if he ever finished it.

There are bound to be others

Warmest regards to you Jamie. It was wonderful to get reacquainted at the reunion.

Great regards to all of you wonderful people in the Harding Class of '59. Can't begin to express how great to was to see everyone. Can't believe how great everyone looked to me.

Johnny Zwick

06/25/09 10:29 PM #39    

 

Jamie Jones (Freeman)

Hej! (Swedish for hello) everyone. The reunion exceeded my expectations. It was so fantastic to see you again. FYI: since I was the only one with a 'film' camera at the reunion, I decided today to go digital! Don't you just love technology?

I've already volunteered to be on the next reunion committee. Can't wait to see you again!

06/25/09 11:11 PM #40    

 

Jamie Jones (Freeman)

Thanks for all the hot rod info Johnny. I never knew all that was going on. Guys and their cars! The name Charlie Cox sounds familiar but I can't find him in the year book. Was he a year ahead of us?

Hope your lip has recovered. You were so fantastic as were Zeke, Syd, and Gennie. What a wonderful treat for our 50th! Hope someone made a recording to share.

Let's keep in touch!!

Jamie

06/26/09 01:25 AM #41    

John Zwick

Hi Jamie.

Charley Cox wasn't the kind of guy who would be interested in graduating. I lost track of him after the 10th grade. He either moved, joined the military or just got lost somewhere. He stopped participating in our Draggins hot rod club after our 11th grade or what might have been his 12th. He lived way out on North Western Ave. closer to John Marshall HS.

My lip has completely recovered. Thank you for the kind query. Lynn Hepp once asked me "after you play your trumpet a lot, does it hurt to kiss?" I replied that my lip never hurt too much to kiss.

Funny that Richard Burton used a similar line in the movie Cleopatra when he replied to Elizabeth Taylor who asked, "You've just returned from battle Antony, aren't you too tired to make love?" Burton said, "I'm never to tired to make love to you, Cleo."

Warmest wishes to you Jamie.

I promise to stay in touch.

Johnny Zwick

06/26/09 02:51 AM #42    

John Zwick

Hi Gennie. Hi Mary Kathryn Vernon. Hi to everyone who would like to know how Jerry Masheter was lost to us.

I say lost to us because that's how shocked those who were very close to him were to learn of his death. Zeke Hills was closest to Jerry and was with him for several hours the evening before Jerry died which happened several hours later in the early a.m.

One fall day in 1962, Jerry died in his own bed in his parents' home of a cerebral hemorrhage. His parents and Zeke were told it could have been a congenital defect just waiting for blood vessels to burst.

Jerry and Zeke were room mates their freshman year in music school at North Texas State University. Jerry attended the Berklee School of Music in Boston his sophomore year. In mid-1961 Jerry went to LA and stayed with Hugh McCurley, a friend of ours from OKC. Jerry did his best to play guitar and sing in some small clubs and also tried to get into acting.

Jerry returned from LA in 1962 without having any luck in LA. A week or so before his death, my first wife Margaret and I asked Jerry to dinner at our little house on Cruce St. in Norman. He was really glad to see us but seemed pretty "down." Years later I learned he was upset over a girl he left in LA.

I met Margaret at OU in the spring of 1961. We dated about four months before splitting up. Margaret then dated Jerry for about a month and a half in the summer of 1961. They split and Jerry later went to LA. Margaret and I got together later that summer and after a few weeks got engaged. We were married in December 1961. Margaret, Jerry, Zeke, Hugh McCurley and I all remained close friends, even after first Hugh and then Jerry went to LA.

I believe Bobby Taylor made the kindest observation about Jerry I have ever heard. During the "great political email bash" after the 45th reunion, Bob observed that he always remembered seeing Jerry in study hall, lost in his thoughts and staring into what seemed some mysterious, far away place. Maybe eternity?

Maybe Jerry got lost someplace, in that great somewhere else, hopefully playing with that great big jazz band in the sky.

In Jerry's memory I rewrote some lyrics to the traditional blues song "Birmingham Jail" which I heard on the album "Peggy Lee Sings The Blues," which is now out of print. Music Masters CIJD 60155F. Recorded in 1984 at Clinton Sound, New York and released in 1988. It can probably be found used on Amazon.com.

"OKC Jail"

Lyrics by John W. Zwick

May, 2001

Down by the station,
The station so low.
Late in the evening,
Hear the train blow.
Hear the train blow, love,
Hear the train blow.
Late in the evening,
Hear the train blow.

Roses love sunshine,
Violets love dew.
Angels in Heaven,
Know I love you.
Roses love sunshine,
Violets love dew.
Jerry's in Heaven,
I sure miss you.

Write me a letter,
Don't send an email.
Send it in care of,
The OKC Jail.
OKC Jail, love,
OKC Jail.
Send it in care of,
The OKC Jail.

I grew up in our family's little house in the 600 block of N.W. 47th St, just a few blocks from the Santa Fe rail road tracks. Every night just after midnight while I lay awake in my bedroom listening to music on the radio, I heard a distant train's steam whistle as it crossed 36th St. I heard the same train whistle again much louder and brighter as it picked up speed through the 50th St. crossing.

I asked my father what train would come west from the 23d St. Union Station every night so late. He replied to me, "It's the midnight train to the West Coast, Johnny. It's a very important train, it's a passenger train just like the one we used to ride so often between Oklahoma City and Chicago when we lived there.

Trains are magic. Too bad we have to travel like sardines now in airplanes.

Best wishes to everyone who knew and liked Jerry. I never met anyone who didn't like him, even when he was quiet.

Johnny Zwick

07/30/09 10:46 AM #43    

Tom DeSpain

Hi Johnnie... I was (also) a member of the OKC Draggins Hot Rod Club. I still have my jacket! However, it's gotten smaller over the years and no longer fits.

Charlie Cox lives in Edmond. He retired about a year ago as Chief Steward of the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission. I have lunch with him about once-a-month, along with some other old Harding-ites; David Carey, Bobby Tubree,Paul Austin plus a couple of old Classen-ites.

Tom DeSpain

08/03/09 09:29 PM #44    

 

Jamie Jones (Freeman)

Well it seems that the older one gets, the faster time flies! This is the first time I've been back to this site since leaving for an overseas trip 6/26. I'm home now and settled back in to a somewhat daily routine.

Once again thanks to the reunion committee for a wonderfully fantastic time! The only disappointment was there just wasn't enough time to visit with everyone!! How soon can we have another reunion? I've already volunteered to be on the next committee. We don't really have to wait another five years do we? The least we could do is have some localized mini-reunions.

Johnny - thanks for answering my hot rod q's. Wow - I don't remember all those cars...did anyone actually drive them to school? If so, I was completely oblivious -a girl thing I guess. When I read your e-mail just now, I thought I did remember Charlie Cox but when I checked the '58 yearbook, it was Charlie Harris I had pictured. Was Charlie Cox short and have dark hair? Also, thanks for your explanation of Jerry M's death. I was told the same thing by several others at the reunion and I believe that. I certainly appreciate your wonderful adaptation of lyrics re: Jerry.

Tom DeSpain - you drove a hot rod too??? And if you live in Edmond, why weren't you at the reunion? Or were you there and I just didn't get to see you?

Gennie/Syd/Johnny/Zeke - where is the CD of your performance Saturday night? I know it was recorded at the last minute. What an absolutely wonderful memento that would be of the 50th evern if you don't think it makes the grade. I'd be more than willing to pay for a copy!!

Speaking of copies - special thanks to Bob Grace for his tremendous generosity in printing our bio-books! I'm sorry I didn't get to see you Bob and thank you in person.

Kudos to everyone who took pictures and shared them...and to Jerry who posted them. The one I was most anxious to see was of Jody and me dancing. Surely someone took a picture of that!

It was so great seeing you again and I look forward to a next time!!

Take care and keep in touch!!

05/19/10 11:12 AM #45    

Howard Ferguson

Now that we've survived all of these years would anyone care to share their best "aha" moment?


03/29/14 04:22 PM #46    

Mary Kathryn Vernon

Someone wanted to know where Bill Shadid is.  I don't know where he is, but it is possible he fathered Anthony Shadid, the Pulitzer Prize winning correspondent who died in 2012 in Damascus, Syria.  He was born in OKC in 1968, so he would be about the right age to be Bill's son.  


01/03/15 11:36 AM #47    

Judy Crawford (Dancy)

Hey, Patsy! Birthday comin' up...so it's time to send birthday blessings to you. Trust it will be a special day for you w/ family and/or friends celebrating your life. Plus, a great year filled with good memories. Love and best wishes - Judy Crawford Dancy


go to top 
  Post Message
  
    Prior Page
 Page