ONE MORE OFFERING FROM POET LAUREATE ALAN

Here is the last one for tonight - read on down for the background on this string of posts:

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE JACK'S FORK RIVER
                            for Stacie and Jess
      we joked
   like little house
 on the prairie?

      but why did you
   go down there
 so far away?

      you hate snakes, and every
   week, there are some copperheads
 under your front porch...

      it seems a half dozen
   coyotes are getting closer
 & eyeing your dogs...

      a black bear
   broke into your new beehive
 & made off with all the honey...

      while swimming in the river
   a water moccasin
 got in your shoes, on the shore...

      so what is there
   about it,
 down there?

      there is
   a silence
 coming in at dusk...

      where the haze
   & mist
 rise up from the river...

      as the fireflies
   move with direction, with their
 white, soundless, flight...

      guiding them
   where only they
 know where to go.

ALAN YOUNT, THE COUNT, SHINING STAR OF MUSIC AND POETRY - LEARN MORE

I hope everyone has had a great Christmas season and is looking forward to a healthy, happy New Year.  Seems we could all use a new year!  I wanted to end this year with more information about our KHS65 poet laureate, Alan Yount.  Alan has been featured in the summer 2018 issue of the magazine WestWard Quarterly (WestWardquarterly.com) and below you'll see the article about him as well as one of the poems featured in that article. This issue featured 4 of his poems, but they've published 4 others in the past.  In this issue he was Featured Poet, and with 50 poets in the issue, seems to me that says a LOT!  If you look further back on this blog you'll see more of Alan's poetry.  I think if you click on Snippets from Classmates you'll find them faster, not sure if I put that label on every post!  Alan is a very accomplished trumpet player, and if you attended KHS dances you probably remember his band...  if you wish to give him a shoutout you can email him at a red boat at centurylink dot net.

Alan and I share another connection in that our dads were both at McDonnell and we are pretty sure, corroborated by his mom, that his dad rode in my dad's carpool when he bought a Morris bus to carpool folks back and forth from Kirkwood to 'the plant'.  

I hope you all enjoy his poetry.  I'm not a poetry kinda girl, but I do enjoy his - I can usually understand it!!  

EVER TRY CALLING A CAT?

ever try calling a at?
...good luck with that.
what's the reason
why dogs can be called
and cats can't?
nothing against dogs...
but a cat is nobody's fool.
if you call a cat,
it will be wary, and walk away.
chase it 
and it will run away.
so just go about your day.
like finding happiness or love
a cat will surprise you.
someday the cat will
slip up & curl itself
upon your lap.
and for pete's sake
don't ever
yell out to a cat
like you would a dog
"here shep."

Click on the article to make it larger so you can read it :-)) ! Well sorry, if I make it smaller, it's too small, so you'll have to use the lower scroll bar side to side to read it all, sorry about that!  But it's worth the trouble...another KHS65 friend making us look sooo good!

Kathy Watts Stitsinger 1947 - 2018

Many of you won't remember Kathy, but she was at Robinson with us and a cousin of our KHS65 Classmate Bill Watts.  Bill attended a Christmas party not too long ago and brought along the class picture of my 2nd grade class.  I joined the class in February so had never seen the class photo!  I will be forever grateful for that.  Now he brings us the sad news of the passing of his cousin Kathy.  I remember her so well, an adorable girl, small, sweet, dark hair, delicate features.  She has left us too early from that dread disease pancreatic cancer, which takes so many, including both of my children's grandfathers.  I hope some of you will remember Kathy and think of her fondly.  Thanks to Bill for being in touch with us!!!

Go Here:  https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dayton/obituary-print.aspx?n=kathleen-ann-stitsinger&pid=191066266 for her obituary.

Merry Christmas from The Count

A Christmas gift - from our KHS65 poet laureate Alan (The Count) Yount: Alan has been published several times this year, not the least of which is in the WestWard Quarterly issue of this summer. He was their featured writer and poet in that issue and I share one of the 4 poems they published, the others will come later but here's his Christmas offering: 

Why Write a Poem, About a Quail?

why write a poem, about a quail?

somehow...
from some, unknown way,
there comes a reason, why words
just come to you.
when first...
looking at the shape
of a poem,
you think something is missing
then...
like a quail is startled,
while walking a hedgerow...
more words
fly out:
something taking flight...
somehow...something
is there now, on paper
that was not there...
...just a fleeting moment
...before.

Our class is so blessed to have such talented people who have been in our midst for so long. Alan sends Merry Christmas wishes to all of our KHS65 wonderful friends.

ANOTHER OF US GONE WAY TOO SOON - RIP MARY ANN DUEKER TROMBLEY

 Another of us gone too soon.  Thank you to Claudia Margedant Schleuter for letting me know.  I missed this becaue at the time we were out of town for over a week, so I didn't see the obits for awhile. Mary Ann lived right across from St. Joseph Hospital and was part of our Brownie and Girl Scout activities.  She was a good friend to many even back then.  May she rest in peace and love.

Obituary for Mary Ann Trombley

On Friday, July 29, 2018, Mary Ann Trombley, devoted wife, mother, grandmother and friend to all, passed away suddenly. Mary Ann will be forever remembered by her husband and best friend Ray, son Greg (Tricia), adoring grandsons (and the light of her life), Luke and Liam, sister, Cindy, in-laws, cousins, nephews, niece and countless friends.
She’ll be remembered for her huge smile, tight hugs, amazing laugh, kindness, generosity, love for her family and the ability to make most anyone she came into contact with feel like the most special person in the room.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, August 9, from 5-8pm., at Bopp Chapel in Kirkwood and a short service will be held on Friday, August 10, at 12:45pm at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery with lunch and celebration of her amazing life to follow at Mike Duffy’s in Kirkwood.

ALAN THE COUNT YOUNT IS AT IT AGAIN, THIS TIME A WWII ERA POEM AND BILLIE HOLLIDAY

Alan has had another poem published on jerryjazzmusician.com, the jazz blog.  Here is the link, and be sure to scroll down to a different photo of him.  I think his previous one about Charlie Parker is my favorite but they are all great!  If you scroll back a bit, maybe to September, you'll see that one, and it has a nice comment by one of our classmates, Alan's fellow musician and bandmate, and alto sax musician par excellence   - two wonderful music makers in our collective midst.
Enjoy! And THANK YOU Alan for bringing your artistry, of both types, to your KHS65 pals.

Janet Louise Zopfi - beloved KHS65 graduate gone too soon !

I have posted Janet's obituary on Facebook but it appears I forgot to post here.  We are so sad to be losing these friends and classmates.  I guess we can't be surprised as we age, but it really is very sad and besides, we all seem to be wondering the same thing, where have our lives flown?  Janet was very much loved by family and friends.  Our classmate Pat Moisio remained friends with her all these years and visited her not long before her passing.  It is so gratifying to know that even as we are dying, we are surrounded by our beloved KHS65 life long friends.  See her obituary for more information and thank you to Pat Moisio for alerting us to her illness and death.
See this link for her obituary

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?pid=190655867

SADLY WE LOST YET ANOTHER CLASSMATE, RIP STEVE FICK

Thank you to Fred Henry for sending me the results of a recent search he did for his very good friend Steve Fick.  I will see if I have some of the correspondence I had with Steve in fairly recent years and if I have it, will post.  Gone way too soon!  

"Stephen H. Fick, 69, of Concord, MA, passed away peacefully surrounded by friends March 2, 2017 following a stroke. Steve was born in Ames, Iowa. His family moved to Kirkwood, Missouri during his childhood. Steve graduated from Kirkwood High School in 1965 and from the University of Michigan in 1969. Steves last careers were in information technology and he worked for several companies that designed publishing software. Steve spent nine years of his retirement living in Concord, MA. Steve was an avid bicyclist and he enjoyed spending time in nature and exploring the conservation lands in Concord. He also enjoyed gardening at the Concord Hugh Cargill community garden and volunteering regularly for several organizations. He is survived by his brother David of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Steve leaves many friends in the Cambridge and Concord areas and especially in the New England Mata Amritanandamayi community. Friends are warmly invited to a graveside gathering on Sunday, October 22, 11:00 am, in the newer section of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, 361 Bedford Street, Concord.

Published in The Concord Journal from Oct. 14 to Oct. 26, 2017  Reading Fred's email and the obituary reminded me of a great correspondence I had with Steve awhile back.  He began by commenting on and augmenting my veteran posts during the time up to our 2015 KHS65 reunion.  If you remember, we were looking for information on all our Veterans to honor them at the Reunion.  Steve sent me information on and contact info for several KHS65 veterans.  Additionally we got into writing some sports stories, herewith one from January 6, 2015: 

"I remember that well. Richard Hodill and I were among the many who got a great

laugh out of seeing Mike [Bosworth]make those shots. 

Incidentally if you happen to have a copy of the yearbook from our junior year and

take a look at the page about the cross country team (as constituted in the fall of

1963, that is), you can see a little joke that Richard Hodill and I played on Miss 

Butts, who was the yearbook advisor. Rich and I were both in her Journalism class,

in which the yearbook was produced. There had been a tradition among the yearbook

staffs from year to year, of playing a small joke on her while still aiming to 

create a very high quality yearbook. An opportunity fell right into our laps. 

Coach Lenich, who did not know Mike Bosworth from football because Mike was not a 

football player, nevertheless knew him, although not well, from gym class. 

To our amusement, whenever Coach wanted Mike's attention, he always called him

"Boswell". So Richard and I listed him as "Boswell" in the yearbook. We told Miss

Butts for months that we had put a mistake in the yearbook, but she never found it." After actual publication we explained to her what we had done, and why. She didn't cut our grade or anything."

           :There were several emails during the October '14 to June '15 period, mostly about veterans and their locations, experiences, etc.  And a bit about the KHS65 sports scene.  Do scroll back to this time-frame to reread or read for the first time, our sports history is such fun!

BASEBALL SEASON MAY BE OVER BUT IN KIRKWOOD KHOURY LEAGUE WAS A HIT

From our classmate Bruce Antle comes a wonderful memory.  The photo isn't great, but he'll try to get a better image... even if you weren't a baseball fan in grade school, check this out, a great story!  I've posted the scan of the article Bruce kindly sent just today, I'll try to fix it up so it is larger to view on the blog when I get a chance...THANKS again Bruce!  Happy Fall to everyone!

BASEBALL SEASON 1958 Khoury League with the Only Woman Manager in Kirkwood

It was the summer of 1958.  We were all in the fifth grade, most of us attended Keyser Elementary School on Geyer Road.  I played second base and outfield. Lew Williamson and Gary VonDerheide were my best friends.  They would also play second base and outfield. I was pretty good at fielding because my dad would always play catch with my brother and me.  He would throw us grounders as well as high flying balls. I wasn’t much good at hitting. Probably because we didn’t practice hitting, the picture window of the family room would have been within range.

At registration time, we were told, “No team if you don’t have a coach or a manager.”  

John Harris’s mother, a fifth grade teacher at Manchester school in the Parkway District, not wanting to disappoint her son and the boys, spoke up. “If they would allow a woman to take on the office, she would do it.”

She would be the only woman Khoury League manager in Kirkwood.  She recruited Mr and Mrs Vern Schmidt who volunteered to be coaches for the boys.

Sponsored by the Kirkwood Western Auto, the team finished second in the Bantam C League that year.  

Pictured: Front Row - Cheerleaders Kathy Pierce, Mary Sue Fillo, Nancy Beckman

Middle Row -  Bruce Antle, Lew Williamson, Gary VonDerheide, John Harris, Steve Huber

Back Row - Larry Lazier, Denny Liddle, Warren Orlick, Mike Kramer, Mark Lawyer

Standing in back- Manager, Mrs. R.A. Harris

Also on the team but not pictured were, Dickie Schmidt, Eddie Sunder, Larry Reutter, Pat Erwin and 
David Mueller. There were also two more cheerleaders Cathy Modray and Carol Summers who
either could not be present on the day of the picture or were out of town. 

It is mind-blowing that very many of these people are still in touch with one another and with our class. I don't know Larry Reutter, Pat Erwin and David Mueller, but you Keysor kids probably do. Carol Summers moved to Massachusetts before we hit KHS and now lives in California. Her parents and mine were best friends, my parents being the god-parents of her little sister. She's only been back once, for a reunion in the 90s, or maybe 2000. Larry Lazier is still here, a retired Kirkwood Fireman who had a great career right here 'at home'. We think Dickie Schmidt was Richard Charles Schmidt of our class, not Rick Schmidt as I speculated earlier. We have no information on R C Schmidt at this time. I have lived near or not far from Manchester School for years! It's still a beautiful red brick building, now housing a popular bridal shop. Cathy Modray was just with us a couple of weeks ago at our mini Reunion at Karen Lowe's home in Kirkwood....

THANK YOU again Bruce for sharing your memories!

LOTS OF RED & WHITE IN OUR LIVES, CHECK THIS OUT!

I don't know the year this was taken, Junior High I'm pretty sure.  Back row l to r:
Priscilla Flint, Sandy Schneider, Georgann Meinhardt, Lynn Blackwell, Pat Dunbar, Sue Croce, Mary Ann Dueker, Chris Kleemeier, Kathy Staten.  Bottom l to r:  Sandy Sullivan, Sue Kraft, Joyce Moller, Susan Merritt I think, Gail Sutton, Jamie (Jamieson) Linton, Sharno Merritt I think, Pat Corpening, Sherri Stiff, Joyce Leslie Ker :-)). Sharon please correct me if I got you two mixed up :-)) 

I don't know the year and I don't know why I was never a Candy Striper, I later spent 10 wonderful in the hospital biz! We all lived close to the then St. Joseph's Hospital on Couch Avenue.  Mary Ann Dueker lived literally across the street.  We were all in the same class at KHS65 & at Robinson School and many of us in this pic in the same Scout troop. Mrs. Meinhardt, Mrs. Ker and Mrs. Stiff were our leaders, maybe others but those are the ones I remember best. Mrs. Stiff taught us how to play Bridge! Staten, Sutton, Linton and Stiff all moved before we graduated, although Sherri not far, in fact barely out of the Kirkwood School District. The Suttons went to the church I, Mollers and Krafts did but we lost track of them years ago. Flint, Corpening, Blackwell, Dunbar, Dueker, Meek, Moller, Sharon Merritt, Stiff & I are still here unless someone has moved recently. Croce still in Missouri. Georgann is in FL, Ker in oh darn, I think Arkansas? Kraft in MN, Anyone know where any others are, I'd love to know?

When I was working on this, I was thinking about Lynn, Joyce and Georgann living in those wonderful homes on South Geyer Road and it reminded me that the other day I was coming home through Kirkwood and noticed that 1117 S. Geyer is being torn down - likely to make way for an ugly McMansion ...  luckily there are very few of those situations on South Geyer which is a good thing.  Go here:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/1117+S+Geyer+Rd,+Kirkwood,+MO+63122/@38.5643498,-90.4160149,3a,75y,320.26h,90.77t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sV-H6PeGNsG1gLzmGn7WLrA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!4m5!3m4!1s0x87d8ce7ec70a190d:0x1ff55e45247aa568!8m2!3d38.5644691!4d-90.4164761
to see the house that's going...it's across the street and down a block or so from Lynn and Georgann.