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It looks like it's been a long time since anyone has posted anything. I guess everyone is busy with life. I wonder who will be at the 55 year reunion? Not sure if we will make it up there from Texas or not. I hope everyone has a great 4th of July weekend!!
This message is for Larry McCarthy, he made a comment about me living in sunny Texas. Well most of the time the weather is good here. Since I retired I wear shorts and t-shirts about 90% of the time. But yesterday afternoon it was 85 degrees, this morning at 7am it was 35. It is 45 at the present time, it will drop to 43 tonight then high for tomorrow 45. Too cold for south Texas.
Mike, when I was Fort Hood, TX (further south than you are) we had a snow storm blow in! Like to think those folks had never seen SNOW! There were cars and trucks in ditches! I had snow grips on my '72 Plymouth Duster, so I never had an issue. -- With the death of Ray Wolf we make it 143 deaths as the headcount.
There have been 3 recent deaths in the Class. Nicolette Rae Wilhoit (sometime in 2020), John Thomas Sexton (June 2021) and William Eric Case (July 2021). This makes 142 deaths in the Class of '68. V/r Larry McCarthy
Larry,
Thanks for sharing the story. I remember all of those people. I met Percy Shockley when I was about 14, he was at Zillhart's house advising them about a deal they were making with KCP&L.
FROM Norm & Jan McGill: Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Had about 6 inches of wet snow this week, and a bit more in the mountains! The Cameron Peak Fire is 100% contained. That is the one north of us at Glen Haven! Talked to a guy from over there, and he lost his horse barn, neighbors garage, so on. A number of houses list! The East Troublesome Fire the one in Grand and the Park is 60% or more contained! Parts of the Park opened back up! Trailridge Road closed to regular traffic! Only 2 deaths that I know of! Hoping for many more wet snows! A knockout blow! We are laying low! COVID-19 jumped up here after everyone evaced to the valley and came back. We are in Red. No in person dining and all that, again! Running 12% positive on testing! No one in the family had anything, yet! Hope we stay that way! Hope you are all well!
I have consulted the highest authority (Randy Shelton) available! He attended all of the games our Junior and Senior years. He does not remember a "snow game," and I don't either. Mike, it could be, since you live in sunny Texas, you may be having visions of a game that didn't happen!!!
Larry, Don't know why but I just looked at our yearbooks. I think Mike was right. The game was our senior year. The opponent was SM East and we beat them 13-7. The yearbook says it was a cold and rainy night. I vaguely remember it was an "away" game so we had to sit on the visitor side of our own stadium. It was mostly on and off rain but near the end I remember a few light snow flurries. Larry Horseman
Randy and I will defer to the better memory of Larry Horseman!! My Mom bought me an olive drab rain suit that I wore to the SME game. Frankly, I don't recall it snowing at any time in the game, but I will defer to the "Memory of Horseman!!"
I played in that game. I was pissed because the East split end kept lining up so I was standing (as a defensive back) in the deepest puddle. I don't remember any snow, but is was cold.
Does anyone remember a football game in our Junior or Senior year where it was snowing before the game ended? Which year was it and who were we playing?
I guess this is my night for thinking back. 7th grade at Hocker Grove was my first year in Shawnee Mission School District. The first day of school I only knew one person, David Widmer. I met him a few weeks before school started as he lived not far from me. The next person I made friends with was Sheryl Gee in Mr. Scobles Unified Studies class. David has passed away but sometimes I wonder whatever happened to Sheryl.
About 15 years ago an older neighbor told me one day while we were talking. He said, you know when you get older they call it the golden years, but it's not it's the bummer years. Now at age 70 I think I can relate to that. Does anyone agree?
THIS IS FROM NORM & JAN McGILL living in Estes Park, CO: Larry, we are good! Back home! Daughter and grand daughters back this weekend! My neighbors, she's a police dispatcher and he's on the fire department board, both stayed in! He was at the Country Market on the West side of town, when the fire was stampeding through the RMNP at Moraine Park! He said he was terrified by what he saw coming! Said he was certain it would sweep the town and the entire valley! 60 MPH winds! The work our Rocky Superintendent did for 20 years, fire mitigation, clearing and controlled burns, held the fire with 7000 fire fighters! The snow came, 2 feet, and layed the fire down! The melting snow has held both fires! This past Thursday, they did helicopter water drops all day and got some good lines created! They have dropped all evac notices and have reopened parts of Rocky! Our SHERIFF has said it will take decades to recover, but grass is already coming up through the burn! We have put our stuff back into place here and hope it's more snow and it's out by June! Thanks for checking on us! Next year you will need to bring the girls to see it all! A life time experience!ð???
There are 19 people in our '68 Yearbook that did NOT graduate with us. I started to call each of those non-graduates and received a VERY CURT message from one of them!! I spoke with Elaine and WE decided it was better to "leave well enough alone!"
I graduated with the class of 68 but my Senior picture does not appear in the yearbook. During the summer between my Junior and Senior year we moved into SMN district. So my Mom made a request to the School Board asking if I could finish at SMN. Well we did not get Answer back until about a week before school started.
Unfortunately, we're up to 132 deaths in the Class of '68. I "Googled" all remaining 650 plus class members, and found 6 additional deaths. There is an "Alumni Site" that purports to be "finding missing classmates" from SMN, Class of '68. Elaine and I found EVERYONE!! There is NO ONE MISSING?!
There are fires in Estes Park, CO just north of Norm & Jan McGill's place. Norm & Jan's place is well south of Estes Park, CO. We visit them every summer! Sure hope they are not consumed by fire.
With the increase of COVID-19 cases, I'm guessing the 70th Birthday Celebration has been shelved. Haven't talked with other Reunion Committee Members.
Tom and I upgraded the Faculty Video. It is sharper in appearance and I set the audio at normal speed.
Hate to bring bad news, but Debbie Osborne Weiss reported the death of John Brian Schmidt. John passed away on Jauuary 3, 2019 in Texas. That makes 126 deaths in SMN, Class of 1968. Should anyone else know of deaths in our class it would help the guy that is counting those deaths - me!!
It is disappointing that we had to delay the 70th birthday party event again - I was really looking forward to seeing some old friends. Remaining expectantly hopeful that things settle down so that we can reschedule for late summer, early fall.
Sadly, I have another death to report. Maren Moffitt Mercer passed away on December 15, 2019. Larry Mercer reported the death to "My Event.com," which is our Class Website. He attended the 50th Reunion with Maren. This makes a total of 125 deaths in our class. My daughters tell me "I shouldn't be counting" the deaths in our class. Since I made the "Deceased Panels" for the 50th Reunion (over in the corner), I try to keep them up to date, which forces me to count!!
With the deaths of Deborah Bailey in May of 2019, Don McGowan in July of 2019 and the death of James Cossette in March of 2020 we now have 124 deaths in our class. This is sad to report, so make sure you "eat your Wheaties and vegetables - & by the way there's nothing wrong with broccoli!"
Mike Downie and I have collectively worked on the "mystery" of our fellow classmate, Janice West. (Mike lived in her neighborhood). She did not graduate with us. Rumors are she went to SM West. However, I know one of the AP's at SMW, and he assures me Janice West did not attend SMW, let alone graduate from SMW. Does ANYONE know where Janice West graduated from high school?
BTW, with the addition of Susan Kathleen (Myers) Sheuerman to the list of deceased we have 121 deceased classmates at present.
Since no one replied to my reference to a student related to Basil Rathbone; the answer is Randy Rathbone attended SMN in our Sophomore and Junior years. From George Pierson: “How we survived is a mystery. Richard Rodion Rathbone III, who became a pathologist director of clinic labs for Yale University hospital. As a junior, he was making TNB (trinitrobenzene in the Physics Classroom) which is less stable than TNT (trinitortolunene). This didn’t include “Rodion’s” cannon which fired D cell batteries fueled with 12-gauge shotgun blanks. He blew off the side of his free-standing garage.”
Based on information given to me by Mike Downie, Janice West graduated from SM West in 1968. She, apparently, missed a number of days in succession at SMN and was forced to attend SMW, as she lived in the SMW attendance area.
I missed the death of graduate James Lee Hall in 2012. I assure you his death was NOT mentioned in the 3 search engines I was using, when I was compiling the photos for our Commemorative Placards. I also contacted Edward Nance that lived with the Hardesty Family for about 4 years. Ed explained Barbara Hardesty (pictured in our Yearbook) left high school to get married and never graduated.
William (Bill) Zwiegel passed away this morning 6/23/19 at Greenwood Retirement home in Lenexa, KS. He was Class of 1968. He is survived by his wife Patti Zwiegel of 48 years of marriage. His daughter Nicolle Jackson Class on 96' and son Christian Zwiegel Class of 93'. Brother in law Mike Garcia Class of 68'. Celebration of life will be announced at a later date.
Hello, my name is Steve Crase and I graduated from Shawnee Mission East in '68. I know, typical Lancer, lost and lonely. :) I'm writing here because I am looking for one of your Class of '68 classmates named Bob Kauffman. I thought it was spelled Kaufman but your listing of grads for the year show it as Kauffman. Bob was the best man at my wedding in 1971 and I fell out of contact with him back in the '90s. He isn't shown on the Deceased list of this 'site so I hope he is still with us. I have Googled his name without success but hope someone here can direct me to Bob or let me know if he is still alive or not.
Thank you very much,
Steve
If you attended the 50th Reunion you should know the answer to this question: who attended SMN that was related to the famous actor Basil Rathbone (you know, the guy that played Sherlock Holmes in the 1940s)?
The guy I'm thinking about was our very own Student Body President, Dr. George Pierson! I can recall him walking the sidelines trying to capture "dramatic moments" in several games. His own words were; "yep I spent 3 years with Dektol and tri-X film. I worked at the Bruce Smith Drug Store in the camera department next to their soda fountain."
For three years a photographer “roamed the football sidelines” at Shawnee Mission North. He was dedicated beyond belief! Any idea who our “roaming photographer” was?
I think this one has been out there long enough! The man that seldom platooned was our very own Murrell Hayes. It had to be intimidating to opposing teams. I also went to every game, but all three years. Best to all!
Always wondered what it was like for a halfback at say, Topeka West, Turner, or SM South? Bad enough they have to face the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” on the SM North defensive line, but there was this “guy” on the SM North Team that “never platooned.” He would play fullback, then stay on the field and play linebacker. The kid from any opposing team had to know his “head was coming right off!” Anyone know the guy “that never platooned?”
Are you thinking of Allan Steelman? Class of ‘67? He was a fullback at North. Don’t remember if he played defense though. Although, he went on to be the starting Middle Linbacker at K-State.
Larry, I went to all of the football games Junior and Senior year, but there is no way I know the answer to your question. Many of the memories of 50+ years ago have been pushed out to make room for new ones. You have a great memory!
I wish I could remember the football games! I must have gone, I think. I remember walking to and from the games with Ruth Jackson who lived on Johnson Drive down the street from my house on Hardy to SMN. One night we found a cat that was hit by a car, and we took it to my house. I don't remember what the exact sequence of events were, except that it made me cry, and the cat died. We were both in the Pep Club, and I remember the basketball games (easier to understand than football!). It was all fun as I remember, and I knew who was who in sports. I think track was more interesting for me, which is why I admired Bob Bornkessel so much! Track is easy to understand. Football, not so. I am no help, Larry, but I will channel my deepest memories.
Click here to see the full story/clients/75339/File/images/Shockley_memories_wbackadvice.jpg
Thanks for sharing the story. I remember all of those people. I met Percy Shockley when I was about 14, he was at Zillhart's house advising them about a deal they were making with KCP&L.
There are fires in Estes Park, CO just north of Norm & Jan McGill's place. Norm & Jan's place is well south of Estes Park, CO. We visit them every summer! Sure hope they are not consumed by fire.
With the increase of COVID-19 cases, I'm guessing the 70th Birthday Celebration has been shelved. Haven't talked with other Reunion Committee Members.
Tom and I upgraded the Faculty Video. It is sharper in appearance and I set the audio at normal speed.
BTW, with the addition of Susan Kathleen (Myers) Sheuerman to the list of deceased we have 121 deceased classmates at present.
Thank you very much,
Steve