MEMORIES – CLASS OF 1942

This is a story I've been intending to write for the past 70 years – off and on! So now before my memory fails completely (and at 87 who knows how long it'll last!) I hope it's still good enough to allow me to get my thoughts on paper! And let me mention at the beginning that I am using a computer to write this. I learned to type in Helen McNitt's class in my sophomore year using an L. C. Smith typewriter – manual because I doubt electric machines had been invented yet! To digress a moment, I once made the remark that I ended my working career with Ford Motor Company as an Executive Secretary competently using a computer. If Miss McNitt could know that she'd still be laughing because my marks were never that great in her class!

During our 40th anniversary celebration, a picture was taken of seven attendees who started school together as kindergarteners:“Bud” Hooper, Foster Wiltse, Florence Martinn, Jeanne Fitzpatrick, Zona Lee Phelps, Buster Blakley and Dan Hobohm. I also found that the following started school with that group and attended West Branch school together for the next 12 years: Betty Jane Benjamin, Edward “Twist”Oliver, Fred Tinker, Bob Crandall, and Virginia McKenney.

I joined the Class of 1942 in 1935 – the sixth grade. I think it was about that time we decided we should have class officers. The only person I can remember electing at that time was Dan Hobohm as Class Treasurer.

Interestingly, we never replaced Dan throughout the rest of our school years. Our officers in our senior year were Zona Lee Phelps, President, I was chosen to be Vice President. Tom Sheppard was elected as Secretary (I don't recall him ever taking a note!) and, of course, Dan Hobohm.

We gained a number of classmates in our freshman year. Several came from the Rose City school, which at the time went only through the eighth grade, to finish high school. I seem to remember that Betty Doll and Vivian Crum were two who came from Lupton. Several joined the class having attended the various country schools throughout the county. The oil business in West Branch also lured several families to the area. And at the beginning of our senior year we gained three more - the Landry sisters (Beverly and Juanita) and Bill McHenry.

The Class of 1942 entered their senior year in September of 1941 – all fresh-faced and naive to the happenings in the world at the time. A highlight of our senior year was to be our SENIOR TRIP! Oh, how we looked forward to that great event. Throughout our entire school years, we all worked toward that goal --saving money from various and sundry sales drives. We were sure we'd have enough to finance a trip all the way to Detroit! However, on December 7th of 1941 all our plans were shattered. I remember hearing the news of the bombing of Pearl Harbor and wondering where and what Pearl Harbor was!

Now what to do with all that “senior trip” money? By the spring of '42, all travel was restricted, gas and tires were rationed, no one wanted to spend their precious gas stamps on a long trip anywhere. But, aha, the farmers in our class were issued extra gas rations, so we threw patriotism aside and used their cars for our transportation … all the way to Houghton Lake – 25 miles! There's where we spent the biggest share of our savings on a well-planned Senior Skip Day. We rented boats, an entire roller skating rink, horses to ride, and two huge meals! While we tried our best to deplete the class treasury, we didn't quite spend all of it.

Treasurer Dan Hobohm cleaned out our bank account and presented each of us a check for around $3.52 the night we graduated!

World War II was in full swing by commencement time and the day after we graduated, we went to the bus station and said goodbye to eleven of our classmates who were on their way to being drafted. As I recall, there were only three or four of the men who did not serve in one of the armed forces … and I know several of the girls served either as nurses. WAACS, WAVES, or in some other capacity. What was most gratifying is that everyone who served came home, safe and sound, at the end of the war.

An interesting aspect of this class, and I think we set some kind of a record, was that six couples within the class were married. All those marriages didn't last, but Grover and Katherine Zettle, Jeanne and Bill McHenry celebrated golden anniversaries a few years ago, and one couple, Beverly and Ed (Twist) Oliver, have been married for over 65 years! Still another statistic is that several of the ladies were married up to five times!

Another interesting fact is that while we had one medical doctor (Burt Parliament), we had two morticians (Bob Crandall and Foster Wiltse). Several classmates went on to become teachers, many of whom came“back home" to teach in West Branch. There may have been more, but Maxine Barber and Florence Martin are two I remember.

There were several outstanding athletes in our senior year; “Twist” Oliver, Bob Crandall, Bud Hooper, Elmo Martin, Bill McHenry, Foster Wiltse and “Buster” Blakley to name a few. “Buster” even tried out with one of the major baseball teams. Zona Lee Phelps was was an excellent basketball and tennis player. I recall that Jeanne Fitzpatrick, Betty Cook, and Lorna Mills were also on the basketball team.

Several of my classmates were charter members of the high school band which was organized in, I think, '36 or '37. Arnold Prissing was the first band director and Owen Reed replaced him. And if I remember correctly it was Fred Tinker on the trumpet, Dan Hobohm and Jeanne Fitzpatrick on saxophones, Zona Lee Phelps and Florence Martin, clarinets … and yours truly played the drums. Oh, yes, Jeanne was also the drum major in our senior year. The band made appearances at football and basketball games, local parades,and many trips out of town to various festivals in the area.

Favorite teachers in 41/42 were Mildred Goldberg. Thelma Burns, Charles Henry, Paul Timkovich, Mildred Blumenthal and, of course, Superintendent A. F. Lucas. Class Valedictorian was Burt Parliament and Phyllis Kelly was named Salutatorian.

You've noticed that I've used only the maiden names of the girls … and that's because I simply cannot remember all the married names at this writing. Many of my classmates are now great-grandparents and it wouldn't surprise me to find that some of them can count five generations in their families. Many of “our”children and grandchildren count themselves fortunate to have attended school in West Branch.

I'm sure I've left out many important events that others will remember and I wish I could confer with them to make this more complete. If anyone would like to add to this story, I will be happy to comply. They all hear from me at least once every five years and my addresses have not changed.

Finally, it's just too depressing to remember all the classmates who are no longer with us so I won't go there.

I do want to send my best wishes to the remaining twenty classmates who should remember standing up on that hot stage of the old Community Building in our all-wool caps and gowns (no lightweight material in those days!) and sweating as we accepted our diplomas on the night of June 4, 1942!

Betty Embury Mgrditchian (BMgrditchian@gmail.com)

(WINTER MONTHS) (SUMMER)

6492-A Hamlet Drive 7769 Manor Circle #103

Englewood, Florida 34224 Westland, Michigan 48185