Car Accidents While at HHS

Car Accidents

I just read over Terry Crowell's piece and if you have not read it, go back one or two posts and read it. She covers so much. Actually, if you ever get one her emails, they are about as long.  Informative as she takes a long time between emails!

My wife used to have an Aunt that lived in the country of Missouri. Aunt Dean was her name and her husband was Uncle Ruby. What a pair. Anyhow Aunt Dean used to write us a two or three page letter and it was all one sentence. She talked about everyone from the mail man to the gas station attendant just like we knew them all!  What a gas!

Anyhow...back to my memories and my car accidents.

Accident One

My first one was actually on a Vespa scooter. You could get a license to drive one of these at 14. This was much faster than the mopeds we have now. Mine would go nearly 60 mph.  A lot of guys in the early 60s had these. About 64 and 65, the Honda and Suzuki mini motorcycles came out and that was the end of scooters.

One day after school I was up on Catchall Tower Road, between Hillcrest and Shaw. I was visiting a female classmate who moved away soon after this. I remember her last name was Edwards, and she had a younger brother, but Chappie probably remembers her name. So I left her place in '63 and was flying down the road towards 441. I was going about 45 ( fast for a 14 year old) and came over a hill and saw that 441 was coming fast. I hit my breaks and the scooter fell on its side and I skidded right through the stop sign , across 441 into the ditch on the other side.  Not hurt too bad, but one of the times my pants needed cleaning afterwards. Have not told this to anyone!

Accident Two
      I was dating Marian Jackson at the time. She lived way out between Horatio and Stateburg. I had to come into the town of Horatio to get home. One night after a good date somewhere...maybe Big Jims, I was coming home kinda late and after getting through Horatio, I hit the gas in my beautiful white '55 Chevy, when I noticed a strange light up above in the shadows of the trees. I did not slow down until I got a little closer. It was pitch dark out there, just this kinda flashing light. At the last minute, I realized that it was a train light that was moving back and forth from the engine ahead.

      I slammed on the breaks and my truck skidded sideways down the middle of the road and the train lights were getting brighter. My truck stopped parallel to the tracks about four feet from them. Just then the train went flying by. It must have been a 40 car train and I just sat there in wet pants again and shook all over. Might have been my closest to death ever and maybe until now. Did not tell my parents ever. Really scared the Shit out of me. I had never, never seen a train on these tracks for years and now there are no trains on this track.

Accident Three
      I was coming back from an event at school one night and crammed in a Covair that Peppie Scott had. It was a cool car, red I think. Peppie did not know how to drive slow. I think we must of had a contest going on to see how many we could get in his car. It held four, But I think we had six or seven boys and girls. Now that was fun. I can only remember Peppie and me!

     We were coming from HHS down 441 towards Shaw, probably too fast, and about where Linda Council used to live, a dog or something crossed the road and we started spinning . Luckily nothing else was coming toward us. We spun around about four times and then went over a hill landing in the yard of Linda Council's house. The car was not damaged. Since we had so many in the car, crammed in there, no one was hurt. It was amazing..I do not think we were drinking either.
      Someone called the police and ambulance just in case. I am sure an observer thought we were all going to die. Anyhow the best part was to come.
      The ambulance folks from the base, said that their procedure required the driver to come with them to the hospital. Peppie complained to them that he was fine, but they made him get in anyhow.
No one got hurt in the spin out, but as Peppie was getting in the ambulance, they slammed the door and caught his hand in the door and broke one or two of his fingers!  HA!  We laughed a lot after he left!

Accident Four
     I was riding with John McTamney in his Simca convertible one night going to a party at Beth Segar's house. We had never been there but it was somewhere out in the country beyond Hillcrest. I still cannot remember where, but it was dark, we had three guys in a two seat car and John was drivin' fast.

 About that time a dog, fox or probably a possum ran in front of us and John swerved and we spun around no telling how many times till we stopped on the side of the road. No one hurt and car was ok. But, once again, it really scared the hell out of me. Even to this day I think of it while driving in country roads at night.




Accident Five
     This one caused the most damage to my 55 Chevy,  my beautiful white Chevy. I was coming back from a show and dance in Camden featuring Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs. It was the night before Thanksgiving in 1965. I was dating Marian Jackson that night and we were traveling down Highway 261 on a beautiful night with my radio tuned into WNOX from Knoxville that I am sure was playing some great soul music.

   Not far from the Rembert road, I looked up and saw a deer in the field way off on the right ahead of us. I mentioned to Marian to look at that beast, when all of a sudden, it started to run toward the highway...fast. I first thought about slowing down, but then I thought I could beat it, so I sped up. That damn deer's head crashed right into my right headlight, crashing its body along the side of my car and passenger door. I stopped and saw all my lights were off. Pissed at the damage to my beautiful car ( I think I worried more of the car than Marian who was not hurt luckily).
      I jumped out and did not see the deer, but in the dark, could hear it stumbling around in the dark in the field next to the road. I grabbed a knocked off piece of chrome from the car and started yelling at the deer really pissed off and wanting to finish it. Smartly, Marian suggested I come back and get the lights working and we leave. I opened the hood and found a loose wire for the lights and got them working and drove her home.
     My future brother in law was at my house that night and said we would go out in the morning and find that deer. We went out early on that clear frozen Thanksgiving morning and found the dead deer in a ditch, frozen. We put that 7 point buck in his truck and took it to his uncle in Dalzell. who skinned and butchered it. We ate venison for the next six months. But the taste of it never took the foul feeling out of my mouth or my memories of that night.

Accident Six
     I think this was in the spring of '66 and I was going to Sumter one night in John McTamney's father's '57 Cadillac.

Now this was a classic and John had never been allowed to drive this car, only that little gray Simca. So this was a big night for us guys to drive to Sumter in a big Caddy. This was a ship too. It was a solid steel animal like none other I had ever ridden in. Don Roberts was riding shotgun and controller of the radio. John driving and I was in the back seat with _______, I cannot remember. We had gone by the base beer store at the base station and bought a six pack of something cheap at probably $1.25.
    We just opened our beers and were driving towards the Sumter Highway on 441 down near the Wiljon's store when all of a sudden a huge cow walked right off a field and slammed into the front of the car. I was in the back seat behind John, and in a slow motion act, the big tank quickly slowed and the cow still standing, passed by my window. John pulled over and the first thing the rest of us thought was all the beer we had in the car. While John cussed the cow and almost cried about what his dad was going to do to him over the Caddy, the rest of us were throwing the cans over the hill next to the road into a field.

    In almost no time, John Frank Williams, the owner of Wiljon's, the owner of one of the largest mobile parks in Sumter and owner of the farm all around where we crashed into the cow, showed up. He was telling us that this was not his cow and he had no idea how it got out and hit us. He really did not want to have to pay John's damage. But quickly, he pulled out his hunting knife and cut the throat of the dead cow as he said it would preserve the quality of the meat if we bled it out quickly. He was thinking he was going to get all this meat for him. But the police came and told us that in this case, the meat would go to an orphanage in Sumter as was the law.
   We were able to drive the car and he dropped all of us at our homes and he went to deal with his dad. We never saw John in this car again. I think he got grounded for sure. There was more to this story, but that will come at another time. A horrendous night but made for great story!

Reunions

Today is Monday April 30, 2010 and I am planning on attending my seventh Hillcrest Reunion this weekend. Yes, that is a lot of reunions, but I am here in SC and have had the responsibility of helping organize a few of them. When Linda Council was alive, she, Patti Wright Stubbs and I would plan the reunions for our class and later work with other class years to have multiple class reunions.

I do enjoy them as my HHS buds are some of my best friends for life. Our HS days were our growing days, both personality and physically. My first year at HHS was just learning the folks as I just transferred here from Newfoundland, Canada. I hung out with some of my older sister's friends like the Cox boys, Jerry and Bill. I still see them at reunions. My sophomore year was a breakout year for me. I was playing three sports ( sucked at football), joined some clubs, was active with my Holy Cross Episcopal church crowd and really became more social with the girls. My junior year was great as I was pres of the class and had the responsibility of raising money for the prom and putting it on.

In past reunions I have had fun seeing folks that I worked with on the prom.... Don Roberts, George Woodsby ( only one reunion!), Roland Alston, Marian Jackson Fowler, Mary Pam Gaylord,  Connie Neal, Beth Ann Casey, Ernie Wilkes, Terry Crowell, Patti Wright, Linda Hankins, Bonnie Cole, Herman Ford, Linda Council, Liz Riddle, Sherry Artrip, Dot Way, Dave Shelton, Kris Shekitka, Barb Dunn, Chappie McCown, John McTamney and Adrianne Rockhill.  My date that year for the prom was Kathy Harris and I think she will be at the 2012 reunion.

My senior year was a blast. I have continued to see folks from this year at the reunions. One great thing about these is that even though our class was small, I did not get to really know some folks. At the reunions, you get to renew friendships and learn about what you missed at school.  I was always busy every afternoon my senior year as I was playing four sports and always had practice and then game nights. Much was going on while I was playing. Yes, I knew my sports buddies, but missed much playing around with friends after school.  So, in the reunions I had found out other activities.
Some of the reunions I have linked up with my senior classmates like Anita MacLellan, Freddie Johnson, Pam Jackson, Susan Eckweiler, Ginny Fisher, Vic Cabas, Jean Byrd, Kathy Burrows, Kay Hooper, Nora Harris, Joyce Benenhaley, Charlie Stubbs, Clarence Strickland Gary Murphy, Rae Griffin and Molly Bush.

There are some folks I have never seen at reunions: Lou Ann Busselle, Louis Galvin, Mary Holsopple, Billy James, Don Wilson, Dot Way, Bruce Shelton, Glenda Schojdt, John Ryan, Mike Pearson, Chris Drnjavic, Rita Hatfield, Terre Volkmar, Joe Mazurick, Sylvester Smith,Mary Holsopple, Lana Jerden, Linda Matheson, Leo Abate, Ed Pearcy, Linda Mathis and Mike Pearson.

Now we have been in touch recently by email with Linda Matheson, Lou Anne Busselle, Lana Jerden, Bruce Shelton, Ed Pearcy, Louie Galvin, Frankie Skinner and John Ryan.

The folks that I can always count on attending are Don Roberts, Nancy Bradshaw and husband Rusty, Ernie Wilkes, Roland Alston, Bonnie Fisher, Marian Jackson, Linda Council ( while alive), Chappie McCown, Kay Hooper, Patty Wright Stubbs and husband Charlie.



Now if you are still reading, I hope those names raised a memory with you. It may be a class you were in with one of these folks, you dated one, went to church with one, road a bus or hung out at the bus stop, played a sport with one, fought one or made love to one! ( or wanted to)

Some folks do not like the reunions as their HHS days were not the best. I can understand this. Many of you were there for just a year or two and our folks were not hospitable. Personally, I wish I had time to date about 20 of you classmates of '66. I hated asking girls out. I hated being turned down or thinking that I was going to be turned down!!!

So we have a reunion May 3,4 and 5 2012 in Sumter and it looks like a very small crowd for '66. The reunion is for classes 60 - 66. I am not planning as it is mostly the class of '62 who are having their 50th and they have about 40 classmates and spouses coming. It still will be fun!

In 2016 we will have our 50th. I guess we should be planning for this one.  Last year was our 45th and it was at the beach and I think only 4 showed up from our class. I did not make it. Now put this on your calendar and we will probably have it in September or October during a Homecoming weekend. Hillcrest is a Jr High School now and the new high school, about 15 miles away is Crestwood. Still... we will have a HHS reunion and with your help, it will be glorious!

My next blog will give some updates on our folks.

Terry Crowell Kindley ( she now calls herself Lily sometimes)

MEMORIES

* Couples: The red-headed guy you mentioned with Patty Davis was Steve Smith.  I know this because I "dated" his brother Bruce in junior high and our freshman year until his father retired and they moved back to Tennessee. Steve came to one of the reunions I missed because I remember seeing his picture on-line later. Bruce was voted Freshman Class favorite with Susan Carrison my freshman year.  (OK. a little clarification here.  I started with the class of '67, but ended up skipping my sophomore year. At Shaw Junior High, there were about ten of us who took Freshmen English, Algebra I and one of the history classes when we were in 8th grade, so by the end of our freshmen year we had enough credits to be juniors the next year. Tommy Jacobs was in that class with me. As far as I know, we were the only ones who stayed at HHS and graduated in '66.  That's funny because I haven't thought about that in a long time. That's actually how Kathy Burrows and I became such good friends. I was in her English II class my first year and we hooked up like long-lost sisters and remain close still today.)

*Hot Cars: You left out the 64 1/2 Mustang my father bought--gold, white top, black interior.  Even though you lived around the corner, you probably didn't see it  a lot because I was usually in Don Wilson's car.  I mainly drove the white Lincoln Continental Marian Jackson and I nicknamed "The Tank".  It was so huge and seemed to "float".  It was like trying to drive a boat down those narrow country roads. After Daddy retired, he took over my grandfather's aviation business in Charlotte and he ended up parking "The Tank" at the airport where his plane was.  It was so big that he eventually turned it into a gigantic tool box for all of his tools! You did mention Don's parents' car, and it reminded me of a night when for some reason his father let him drive it for our date.  It must have been a special ocassion or something because I remember that both of us were dressed up.  Don's back yard connected to my back yard (which was very convenient!), but he always drove around and picked me up. We had only gone past the junior high school when Don lit a cigarette and immediately tossed the lighter out the car window. He was used to using matches in his car since it didn't have a lighter, so we spent a good part of that date walking up and down the road looking for the lighter since we weren't supposed to be smoking anyway. Yes, we did find it, but I laughed so hard while we were looking for it that I almost wet my pants.  (Nowdays, at this age, that would have been a certainty.)  And this reminds me of one more funny incident with Don and cars---the drive-in movies. As we were getting ready to leave after a movie one night, they made the standard announcement about remembering to remove the speaker from your window before leaving. I can still hear Don saying how stupid it was that people had to be reminded as he drove off ripping the speaker from the post (since it was still hanging on his window)!  I also remember a stretch of the road going to the HS that measured a perfect quarter of a mile and the late night competitions that sometimes happened there. I remember almost all of the cars you mentioned. I know I remember John Kelly's daddy's T-Bird (?) with the hard top because I vaugely remember that in messing around with it one day, one or more of us were almost trapped in the trunk since that's where the top went when it was lowered.  Actually, John probably did it on purpose. I do remember it being a very cool car.  I think I also remember one of your cars being totalled by a deer--- is that right or another figment of my imagination?

The Teachers:

Dear Mrs. Sanders---I, too, remember her predictable digging of the elusive bra or slip strap and when I first started teaching and felt the need of an adjustment of my own, all I could do was giggle thinking of her. BUT, I'm still not sure how or when it happened, but we had several individual conversations about history and one-on-one, she was a wonderous source of information. She could actually make it very interesting with the individual stories she told, rather than dates, names of battles, etc.  One influence I know she had on me was her insistance in calling the Civil War the War Between the States explaining that in a civil war, one side was trying to take over another the other side's government,. Her contention was that the South was trying to create their own government, not take over Washington's government. Be what it may, I still call it the War Between the States much to the entertainment of some people. I had already developed an interest in history in elementary and junior high, but believe it or not, I'm actually glad I had Mrs. Sanders because she kept my interest alive. 

Of course, it was an experience having Mrs. Jackson since Marion and I spent so much time together. I remember that at one point, we were in the same class together. I had spent the night with them, so I rode into school with them that morning. When we got in class, Mrs. Jackson told us to get out a sheet of paper because we were going to have a pop test. Marian screamed, "Mama, you didn't tell me. That's not fair!" Mrs. Jackson just gave her a smile and began with the first question. She was always the epitome of professionalism.

Mrs. Gantt was the cheerleading sponsor, so I saw her a lot out of class at practices. She was definitely one of the sweetest ladies I can remember. Her husband, Mr. Gantt, was my 6th grade teacher and a great one, too. One of the fringe benefits of having him was the fact that he used to play American Legion ball with Bobby Richardson and they were great friends, so in the off-season for the Yankees, he would come back to Sumter and visit. He always spent a half a day or more in the classroom with us. Boy, did we think we were special!

I remember a lot of other teachers, too, but I can't remember the name of the long-haired, guitar playing Spanish teacher who taught me to sing about a cockroach in Spanish!

Mr. Merritt was a special person to me. He had been my principal in elementary school as well as high school. I think in the back of my mind I felt like he was being promoted with me. Anyway, over the years, he came to know me and my family well. I always thought highly of him.

I remember other teachers I had, but can't seem to be able to recall any incidents in class or whatever.  There is one teacher I will always remember, and that, of course, is Mrs. James. I had her for my junior and senior English classes,  I worked on the annual my junior year and was editor my senior year so I had quite a lot of contact with her. I loved her classes (with maybe the exception of split infinitives!), but her strictness with the grammar paid off in college. More important than that was her approach to literature.  I come from a family who loves to read. (I remember when I was younger, my mother decided that my brother, my father and I would not be allowed to read at the table anymore. My father always had the newspaper, and my brother and I always brought a book, comic book or something to the table since we thought it was the norm to read while you were eating. After all, we didn't do it in public or when we had company. Well, the new rule didn't last too long because a fight broke out on who was going to get to read the cereal box at the table! My mother gave up and said we were beyond hope, but at least she had tried.) My point is that I entered Mrs. James classes as an avid reader, but I left as a lover and student of literature with a desire for more. (At this point, I'm sure there are many of you gagging, rolling on the floor, or at least on your way to mix a stronger drink, but Hell's Bells, if I can't tell the truth now, then when can I? At this age, I have no shame!)  Mrs. James was the teacher I needed because she did expect so much from us and held us to such high standards. She is the reason I majored in English, and continue reading and learning even in retirement. (Or maybe I just have too much time on my hands!)

*Places and Happenings:  There are so many places  and things that bring back memories that I'm just going to list some now and tackle descriptions, incidents, etc. later!

 Big Jim's, Lilford's ( ?) Restaurant, Wateree, the store across from school (?), the base pool,  the tennis courts, base theater, and the Teen Club (You made me remember that one and I spent a lot of time there---must be selective memory or something.)

The Pines,---Am I crazy, or did we really meet somewhere in the woods called "the Pines" to party?  And if we did, where was it???? 

I can't remember the name of the store that was built in Sumter that had the first automatic doors , but they attacked Marian and me. We had gone to the grand opening of the store, but were more fascinated with the doors that would open and close all by themselves when someone came up. We stood on the sidewalk a while watching them operate and then decided to get a closer look at how they worked.  Well, while we were studying the doors, someone came up, the doors were activated and because these doors swung open automatically (instead of sliding as they do now), Marian and I discovered ourselves penned behind the doors up against the stores glass wall. We laughed to the point of tears at which time the manager came out to see if we were hurt. We explained that we were just thoroughly entertained and would come back to visit again.  Where is a camera when you need it? The visual of the two of us smashed between the doors and the wall like bugs still makes me laugh.

All of these bring back memories, too:  cheerleading, American Legion games, fund raisers, Oakland Plantation, Thomas Sumter's Tomb, Sam Young's Riding Academy, Stamey's Auction, Carolina Cup, Dinkens Mill Pond and intergration. These are all things I've started writing about and maybe I'll actually finish them.

The most special place to me was always Pawley's Island beginning in the second grade. It is the one place I won't ever allow my mind to forget regardless of everything else it loses! I'm sure so many can share memories of Pawley's or just the beach. I'll enjoy writing about it.

The train just left the station. (That would be my train of thought again.) I'll let you decide if you can use any of this, but I'm having a ball doing it just for my own sake. 

Once again, I'm really looking forward to Friday, and who knows, maybe my communication skills will improve enough to keep up with you and others better than I have been!

                                                                           Peace Out Brother! 

 (Sorry, just another one of my flashbacks!---Not really. I may not remember everything, but I know for sure I never said, "Peace Out, Brother!"  I just couldn't think of a way to close this thing, so I'll just sign off WITH LOVE AND LAUGHTER---Terry)

Best Friends

We all look back and fondly remember our best friends from high school. These are the kids we learned about life together. We learned how to talk to and get dates. There are so many things that helped to develop and mold the rest of our lives that could not be done without best friends. I am just going to mention a little from my first years at Hillcrest.

Lake Wateree

I move to Shaw the summer between my 8th grade and freshman year. My folks bought a the third house built in Oakland Plantation, the first belonging to the Oakland's first realtor, Bobby Livingston's mother. Since no one lived there, it was hard to meet new friends. Luckily I had an older sister, Glenda, who was attractive and boys found our house in no time. So my first friends that summer and year were older for a while. Jerry Cox, a jr, was one of my first friends. A fun guy with a vw bus that would haul a bunch of us summer and weekend nights to Big Jims and Coles in Sumter. We went to the Base Lake Wateree site, Butches and the old Teen Club. Frank Davis was in that mix too as was Rusty Simenson. As school began I started hanging out with some more kids my age like John Kelly, Jim Crosson and Chris Conlon.

Holy Cross Episcopal in Stateburg

I was interested in girls my freshman year, but they were not really interested in me, mostly upperclassmen. So as a freshman, we just flirted, met up at the Teen Club, skate rink nights, the base movie and the pools. My sophomore year things picked up. I bought a Vespa scooter that gave me some mobility around the base and between HHS and home. I played football, basketball and ran track this year so I was with these guys the most. I tried to be with the cheerleaders as mush as possible. My folks joined Holy Cross Episcopal Church in Stateburg and I became close friends with the boys and girls there. Chappie McCown and Tim Gipe were going there and we became friends.

My junior year I became good friends with John Kelly and later Don Roberts and then George Woodsby. I helped John rebuild a old 1953 Jaguar that year that we later took to the beach. Don and George and I became best friends mid year and to this day Don and I are still best friends. Don's wife Mary Lynne and my wife Kim, moved to Shaw after we graduated from HHS, and we have been best friends as couples all of our adult lives.

My friendship with George and Don was great. Here we really learned about adolescence, girls, parents and cars.George and I both had 55 Chevys and Don had a 1962 MGA... very cool! We hung out at Big Jims, Teen Club, each other houses and on various jobs. George and I worked on the Gillespie farm together and Don and I worked at a steel mill in Columbia. We had many great times... too many to talk about in this blog... I will save some for later posts!

Buses

I was a school bus driver part of my junior and all of my senior year. I really had some great experiences doing this and it was something I wanted to do from my freshman year. It seemed all the cool people drove buses. I think it was only boys who did it, although Mrs. Freeman, the cafeteria lady drove one of the midget buses that was always the first to leave the yard.

Bus driving training was three days and for me it was held in the little town of Pinewood, where Furman High School was located. The first day we had classroom lessons, then took a written test. If we passed, we continued the next two driving test days. We also had an eye exam the first day. I knew I needed glasses, but hadn't gone and gotten them yet. So I memorized the eye chart, forward and backwards down to the 5th line. I could only see the third lines without glasses. I passed, but could not really see. I did get glasses sometime the next year, but did not wear them... too geeky.

Most of the kids got newer decent buses. I got a 1956 Ford. Now in 1965 that was not too old, but most of the kids had buses from the 60s. I think we were paid $37. a month no matter how long your route was. Some of us had bunches of kid and they told us to take two trips to get them home safely. I always had football or basketball practice after school, so I did not have time for two trips. So I crammed nearly 70 kids in my bus that was only supposed to take 38.  Kids were crammed in so much that I joked that babies could be conceived in the back and I would have no clue!

I basically only had five stops. Like everyone going toward the base, I stopped at the Jr High and the Elementary Schools. I then continued down 441 and stopped at the Opa's grocery store, then out to Hiway 76 and dropped off a ton at Cherryvale Trailer Park and one more trailer park about a half a mile down 76. Nothing exciting.

I parked my bus on my street in front of my house in the Oakland Plantation subdivision. We were supposed to check tires, oil and gas every day. I never did as the mechanics were at HHS every day doing this. So one morning, the bus was knocking bad. I picked up my Hiway 76 crowd and it was really raining. I should have stopped and checked, but it was raining to hard. By the time I got to Opa the engine was shot and I "blew an engine rod" and the bus was dead.
The next day I was given a substitute bus. It was a 1953 Chevy clunker. I had that piece of crap for a month while they fixed mine.... such punishment.

The day mine was finished, they took me to the bus garage in Sumter to pick up my bus with a new engine in it and they told me to break it in slowly. All buses had a govenor on the carburetor to keep them going no faster than 38 miles an hour. As I brought mine back to HHS that day, I noticed that I could go 40, then 45 and then 50 mph. They forgot to put a governor on the carburetor!!!  Now I will not get into the stories about my bus, but I had it up to 84 mph once with only a couple of boys. Now I never went faster than 50 with kids on board. In the last three months of the year I had it with the new engine, the mechanics never noticed! My bus became the bus of choice to drive baseball and track teams to away events. I do have many stories, but think I should save these for campfire,  barroom drinking or reunion times!  Ask me!

Cars

It seems that high school boys know all about cars. I don't think my son knew all the cars' models and engines when he was in high school during the 90's. BUT during the 60"s I knew all the cars, by year, model and engine size.
My first vehicle was a motor scooter.... a Vespa. They are still around today... a hit on the college campuses. Scooters could be driven at 14 and many folks had them. They were replaced by Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha mini motorcycles. I never did that route but bought a 1954 Vauxhaul.... a little English Ford. But then as a Jr I bought a 1955 Chevy Two Door Belair Coupe.... white with black and red interior. It was hot! I loved that car with it's 265 cc eight cylinder engine with 3 speed on the floor ( I installed it).  George Woodsby had a yellow 55 Chevy Belair, but his was not a coupe!
Before I bought my Chevy I drove my parent's cars on my dates. Studebaker and Chevy.... big front seats but really family!
Don Roberts had a 60 MGA that he shared with his brother, but for dates, he used his parents Pontiac Catalena. This was a great car that I double in several times and his brother Tom still own it today. Sometimes when I was without date, Don would borrow my 55 Chevy, with the big front seat and give me the MGA since I had no girl to smooch.
Let's see what I remember...
Marian Jackson's folks had a big Plymouth with a 383.
Roland Alston had a small Dodge Dart that hes swore would beat me in quarter mile...( did not show up to race)
John McTamney had a small Simka that he and Adrianne would fold down the front seats all the way.
Don Wilson's family had a hot 1965 Chevy.
John Kelly and I help rebuild a 1954 Jaguar that we took to Pawleys Island. He also had a 1964 Ford with a 406,      4our speed and his dad had a 59 Ford hardtop convertable. Very cool cars.
Tim Gipe had a big Thunderbird and Bruce Thomas a small old white one.
Pete Aynesworth always had VW Bugs
Gary Murphy had a white Dodge convertible... hot!
Lou Ann Busselle had a burgundy Olds 442.   very hot!

I know more but will have to think about this

Teacher Memories

Now all of us can remember our favorite teachers or teacher. As a former teacher myself, I tried to emulate my favorite one, Mr Elmore. He was great in the classroom. He had a great sense of humor and made learning fun. Now he was algebra and did I struggle at Hillcrest and college too. So maybe I had too much of a good time and did less learning. Maybe I was not destined to use algebra in my life. I did major in science, political science and later picked up a masters degree in library science. But no one ever asked me about algebra.

I remember when I was first teaching ( it was Hillcrest) there were a bunch of young teachers there. When we were at HHS, I got the feeling our teachers were just days away from social security. In this category I put Mrs Sanders, Mrs Jackson, Mrs Cuttino, Miss Gaston,  Mrs Kenny, Mrs Estornelle, Mrs Cooper, Mrs McCutchen, and maybe Mr Merritt. ( I did cheat and look up three of these teachers in the annual)

I do not have many memories of these, but just snippets. My homeroom teacher in 9th grade was Miss Gaston. She made us all read a verse from the bible each morning. John Kelly really objected and refused, but she persisted. When it came John's turn, he said the shortest verse in the Bible...."Jesus wept!"  Ha... she went speechless!

I had Mrs Riley Bradham for world history. Now she made this real boring. Later  I learned she was an excellent golfer and left every day to hit the links after school. Well her mind was elsewhere. My class was mischievous and maybe I played a role. She locked the door always between class so she could run and have a smoke. Several of us took turns putting a pencil in the lock and breaking off the lead in the door, so a key would not get in to open it. She never was really pissed, but tried, called Charlie the janitor, and he got it open. Once they had to take off the door.  No one ever caught!  ( later I taught world history at HHS and she was teaching the same down the hall...we never talked)

Mrs Sanders brought her husbands Ku Klux Klan outfit to class one day. She said it was not his but a neighbor's, but we all knew. I loved US History and Government. I wish we would have had someone to make it come alive more. I just remember her reaching down the top of her dress and pulling up her bra or slip strap every day... we would wait for it and giggle!

We had a Latin teacher that died during the first or second year and then we had Mrs Stevenson as a long term sub. I do not think she had Latin since high school. We learned little. Thanks to Kris Shekitka for being a Catholic acolyte and  knowing all the Latin... it saved us. Later we got Mrs Cuttino. She was ok, if you liked Latin.
My senior year some of us needed another credit, so a couple of us took French under Mrs Kerfoot Kinney.
Now she was footsteps away from the nursing home. John and I had a great time there. We had some freshmen in there that were in awe of us and we took advantage... especially with the girls. Mrs Kinney would have us take a vocabulary test every day. First she gave us 15 minutes to learn the words and then she wrote on the board the french  words and never looked back at the class. Every one was talking, sharing ( cheating) and then we gave the papers to someone in the isle next to us and we graded them in class. What a waste of time and education.

A quick note to some others...Mrs Estornelle loved my experiments... alcohol effects on hamsters ( my dad's Canadian Club) and the liquid oxygen one I got from the base. She loved off the wall stuff. She did not love me blasting glass everywhere while making hydrogen.  (her grave is 8 ft from my spot at Holy Cross Church in Stateburg... scary!)
I never had Mrs Jackson, but I did have her daughter... not in the sexual sense...but we did date and had some excellent times making out in her living room right next to Mrs Jackson's bedroom!  I never made out at HHS. I might be in the minority here.
I do remember and may come back later and talk about Mrs James, Mrs Shuler, the coaches, Mr Alston, Mrs Gantt and one more that I cannot remember her name in 9th grade, but she was beautiful!
Oh yes.... Mr Merritt and Mrs McCown!

1965 Football Season

My senior season was one of the best teams Hillcrest had ever dressed out. Whenever we have a reunion, several teammates always bring up our great senior season and what it meant to them. I am afraid that some of those memories are starting to fade and I really want to get them down in writing and hope others can remember and share some of the great times
Our Wildcats were seven wins and two defeat. The two losses were to the two teams that won the state title in their divisions... Lower Richland and East Clarendon. I cannot remember too many of the other games, but some of the plays of these games have stuck with me for over 40 years.
Let me see if I can remember the players. I played right guard, George Woodsby was center, Clarence Strickland was tackle and I Rick Ransbottom was the right end. On the other side of the center was Charlie Stubbs as left guard, Don Roberts as tackle and Chappie McCown as end.  Not this was on offense. I am a little fuzzy about defense. I know I played left end, then Don Roberts as tackle, I think Charlie Stubbs was also left guard. I think George Woodsby was center and Kris Shekitka was right guard, Clarence Strickland was right tackle and I can not remember who was right end.

Now the backfield was often changing. I know John Kelly was always the quarterback. The Lindler twins, Bill and Dick were often in the backfield as was Charlie Craven. I think we had others in the offense as well, but I cannot remember. In out defensive backfield, I think we had Kelly, the Lindlers and maybe Craven too. Someone has to help me out here.

I entered Hillcrest my freshmen year and had never seen a football game in my life. My first one was at Lamar and I had not a clue what was going on. I really did not learn that much by my sophomore year, but I went out. Hillcrest teams had a reputation of never having a winning season. If they won 4 games it was a victorious season. I figured I would probably play a little. I was athletic and in good shape. Later that year I made the varsity basketball team and the track team. But apparently I did not take to football too well, or at least the coaches did not think so. We only had about 23 players on the team. I went to most every practice, ( except the 4 days I missed while in the hospital for being dehydrated) and dressed for all be two games.  However, I never was sent in to play one play all season...not once!!! I have never forgiven those coaches....never.  The next season I started every game and almost played every minute all season.... go figure!

I bet Chappie, Don, Charlie and Clarence remember the games and the season. I have memories of the East Clarendon game when I had to punt because Kris Shekitka was hurt. I was terrible. I may have cost us the game. I recall Lower Richland because we played in the Sumter City Stadium and both of us were 6 and 0 at the time. Mooney Player, their coach ran a trick play in the beginning and we did not catch it!  They scored on the first play and we never recovered. We lost 13-7 I think.

I want to say that my year with those guys were the greatest. We became a team and great friends that have stayed that way until today. We sweated, showered, and slaved together on the hot summer, dry field of the HHS practice fields. We were respected in the school, in the community and among parents. I think that season gave us all a sense of pride that many of us still have today. My hat off to you guys! And the girls who cheered us on and dated us too.

Couples Holding up HHS Walls

The fun thing about this blog is that whenever memories of HHS come into focus, I can just jot them down and share.

Halls at HHS. Ever since I was a freshman, the halls have been held up by dating couples that find a favorite place and lean up and share sweet nothings with each other. HHS had no other place for folks to do this. There was no kissing and little touching, cause the teachers did not allow such PDA. However, between classes, during lunch hour, before school and when ever the chance allowed, couples would maybe hold hands, face each other and hold up the walls of the hall. Right now, I see Patty Davis and a red headed guy. Tim Gipe and Margaret maybe, but Timm would never hold still for very long. Wait... I think I see Dot Way and Dave Shelton and Don Roberts and Anita McClellan. I am sure I see Beth Ann Casey, but she is hiding her man's face as is John McTamney and Adrianne Rockhill! John and Adrianne invented PDA!

Fun... over the years I can remember so many couples and few are still married. The earliest I remember were Jack Earter and Mary Ann... they are still married. Jack a lawyer and Mary Ann an English teacher in Sumter. What a long time romance. Please folks add some names. Add your own if need be. No... not me!

Hillcrest Jr Sr Prom

Everyone remembers the life around the Jr Sr prom, especially at HHS. The prom of 1965 was one to remember and the one of 1966 is one for another post.

So... planning, fund raising, decorating, dressing, attending and after parties was one of the great events of the class of 66. Now I do admit that I had a part in it as the class president of the Jr class was responsible for managing the big event and that year it was me. I always wanted to be a class president, but maybe not the Jr year. What did I do to deserve this!!

I just looked up in my annual to see who were the officers that year and to see who did all the work! Dave Shelton was VP! Dave must have left by then, cause I do not remember him in any of the activities. Marion Jackson and Connie Neal were the other officers. I know that Connie and I worked together because she was treasurer. I do remember going to her house in the evening to settle some finances. This was fun as many had the hots for Connie and I think I found more than one reason to go to Connie's house to settle either the finances or my interests in her!

We did all kinds of fund raisers , cleaning houses at Shaw, washing cars, running a flea market in Rembert. I remember the Rembert event as we had few folks show up so we all played around with trying on the clothes that were donated.

We had to raise about $3000 to pull this off. This included the band, decorations, food and damages. Yes there were some damages as our fountain on the half court line at the center of the gym leaked and the court always had a little rise where the fountain was as it got wet and swell up a little. Coach Pringles has never forgiven me!

I am thinking Roman Holiday was our theme, but I can be corrected. Building all the decorations was so much fun. I know from some of the photos in our annual some of the folks that helped. Someone must have been taking photos during this time, besides someone from the annual. I wish we could find some and at least post them on this blog. We have that one photo in the annual with Louie Galvin climbing up the tallest ladder in Sumter with looks like me and Chappie holding this decrepit, bending ladder. If any teacher had seen this we would have been whipped!

I had to get the rotating glass ball hanging in the center of the gym from a teacher at Ebenezer High School who had one he rented. He came and hung it and got it wired and working. This was one of the first times I really had any relations with someone from one of the local black schools in Sumter. It actually made me think about the segregation that was happening in our lives. Hillcrest was the first segregated school I ever attended.

I cannot really remember much from the prom. I took Kathy Harris and did not treat her too well. I was still worried about all the happenings, including the food, the band, the process, photos and everything. Probably why I have blanked out so much from this great night. Kathie did berate me for not paying any attention to her and she was right!! I asked her about this at the 2006 reunion, but she does not remember!! HA!

I know many had fun that night and I would love for folks to leave some comments here. Please share. I wish someone would tell me what I did or did not do

My two kids, Alle and Collin both went to their school proms and things are really different now. The kids pay to come and there is no fund raising by the jr class. I think the fund raising brought our '66 kids together. Today... dates are not so important. Girls and boys go in groups or by themselves. I always felt sorry for the many girls who did not get invited to come to the prom. Our class had so many great looking girls that just did not have the opportunity to go to the prom. Many of the guys were just to shy to ask someone.

So like all of the posts of this blog, it is about my recollection and that is what I post. I would like to here from some of the folks I remember planning and doing the prom like Don Roberts, George Woodsby, Marian Jackson, Connie Neal, Dave Shelton, Kathy Harris, Anita McClellan, Bonnie Fisher, Kris Shekitka, Barbara Dunn,Dorothy Way, Patty Wright, Don Wilson, John McTameny, Adrianne Rockhill, Liz Riddle, Gary Murphy, John Kelly, Linda Matheson, Lana Jerden, Kay Hopper, Claudia Taylor, Mary Holsopple, Linda Hankins, Nora Harris, Ray Griffin, Brenda Gordan, Louie Galvin, Herman Ford, Susan Eckweiler, Beth Ann Casey, Anna Cerda, Terry Crowell, Jane Dennis, Kathy Burrows, Vic Cabas, Lou Ann Busselles, Nancy Bradshaw, Sherry Artrip and Roland Alston.... these are some of the names that come to me. There are more and I want to hear from everyone.

From Cotton Field to Golf

In the summer between my Jr and Sr year I decided I was too old to just be cutting grass as I had been doing for a couple of years to earn my spending money. I had been cutting grasses at Shaw and around Oakland Plantation, but was bored and needed more money. I did work a while at the Peach Packing Plant of Barnett's farm. Several of us HHS folks worked there for a dollar and hour! Bad thing about it was we were only paid when we were running peaches. While waiting for the peaches to come from the field we sat around, slept on mattresses and told stories. Sometimes we waited till 2 am for peaches to come in. If we left we were fired!

I learned about how manufacturing worked. Many of the women packed the bushels so that the good peaches were always on top and others loaded. It was hot and itchy with all the peach fuzz. The peaches were still hard and not yet ripe, so there was little eating of them! I had a good job for a while of putting the bushels full of peaches in the water cooler machine. It was cool on those hot days. I quit after a few weeks and went to the farm job. I do remember the song Satisfaction was out this summer and it was our work song about little money and hard work.

My next job that summer was working on a tractor, spraying cotton on the Claremont Farms for Sam Gillespie, father of Weezie and Sambo. I had to learn how to drive a big tractor and get around on a farm. It was boring sometimes going up and down long rows of cotton spraying those boll weavels, but I learned much about farming and that was good. Much of the farm I sprayed is now the golf course in Stateburg, Beech Creek Golf Course. We play here during out reunions.

It is a gas to walk up and down this course with my classmates. Years ago we had about thirty classmates out for a round. 2006 we were smaller and only '66 folks showed up. These are all somewhat serious golfers, especially Don and Rusty. Nancy is the best female of the Hillcrest golfers.... and this may be a challenge for the next reunion in Myrtle Beach in 2010.

Don Roberts, Chappie McCowan, Rusty Atkinson, Nancy Bradshaw Atkinson, John McTamney

Photo by, Sometime Golfer too... Bob Noe

2006 Reunion at Beach Creek Golf Course

Two A Days Summer Football Practice

Football practice for high school students begins today in SC. This bring back terrible memories... the smell, the heat, the yelling, sweating, heavy breathing and again... the smell.

We always wondered if this was the year we would win. Hillcrest did not have a great record of winning!

I can so remember these hot days on the scruffy fields of HHS. I had been working out to prepare by running, lifting weights and tossing the ball around. But no one told me of that running on all fours and pushing that damn sled.

I can hear Coaches Bradham, Pringles and Kolb just yelling over and over to quick lollygagging and be a man. Coach Pringles was telling us to forget our social lives...forget girls! He said, " there are as many girls in the world as there are pebbles on the beach." Amazing how we remember these little things 40 years or so later!

Guys like Don Roberts, Clarence Hodge, Charlie Stubbs, George Woodsby, Chappie McCowan, Kris Shekitka and Bruce Shelton were with me as members of my class just struggling, yelling, sweating and cussing ( under our breath) every one of those two a days.

I know some of you girls may be reading this and are thinking how crazy this was and they are glad they did not have to go through this. YOu are damn right.

As I write this I am also reminded of the smell of cut grass and my face in it! The smell of BO and that salve we put on ourselves for all the sore muscles we had permeated the air.

Best of all was the little store we had on the corner of 521 and 441 across from the school. They had the best, coldest drinks! What was the name of this place. What happened to it? I do not think it was there in '65 when I was whipped after practice.
Any other memories>
Bob

Lunch with Mrs Freeman

I was at a bakery today and when seeing the cinnamon buns, I could not help but think of Mrs. Freeman and some of those good foods. Some folks brought their lunch, but for the price of ours...maybe 25 cents what a deal.

Now I would like to just talk about some of the highlights of our lunches. Fried Chicken... Now that was good food. Am I right to think it was on Wednesdays? Cookies.. now I loved the peanut butter cookies that weighted about a pound. Many folks did not like the cooked tomatoes and rice, but it was one of my favorites... let's see... spaghetti, collards, yeast rolls and of course, cinnamon buns.

One of the unique things of Hillcrest in the 60's was having the K-5 kids in the hall waiting for lunch in the morning. Those kids ate about 10:00!! I remember walking the halls and seeing those kids lined up with their teachers scared to talk knowing their teacher would slap them if they talked to a teenager or anyone!

My daughter would love the green trays we used. Even at 30 she still does not like her food to touch. The sectioned trays would be great for her. I do remember that the athelites were given extra food in the line. This was good.

I taught school for a few years after college. I always made a habit of quickly knowing the cafeteria manager and the head custodian of the new schools. Having a good relationship with them could really make life better at any school.

I also remember that little bus that Ms Freeman drove.It was the first one and no one could move their bus, until she did. As a bus driver, I remembered that we sat their gunning our engines and just waiting. When she started for the gate entrance, everyone took off to be number two... We were crazy!

Charlie the Custodian

Many of you remember Charlie, but most do not remember his last name. I don't. I talked to him often and once or twice I took him home to a little house just north of HHS on 521. He never really complained and he had reason to!! He had to clean the boys and girls bathrooms with all the smoke, butts and junk in there!  I do not even have a idea how old he was. Heck, he was probably as old as I am now, but he did look old and did move slowly.

Did anyone ever see him run, or move quickly. Maybe some of the HHS folks who started first grade at Hillcrest remembered a young Charlie.

I want to offer a toast to him. He never complained, kept a clean school, was always friendly to all students and teachers... yet we called him by his first name and did not know his last. Maybe it was just me. My memories are of him wearing a long sleeve green shirt with dark pants and suspenders. He always had papers folded in his pocket and I think he smelled of chewing tobacco or snuff. It was not distracting... Just a Charlie smell!

  

Please write your memories of Charlie too!

One of the things we can never shake from our lives is the school we grew up with. Well, actually it is the kids you grew up with while you were at your high school. HIllcrest HS will always be with us right there in Dalzell.

Now most of us have never really been to Dalzell, nor really know where it is. We never walked the streets, went to the post office, police department, fire department or even the movie theater. ( was there really a movie theater?)

Most of the folks we've worked with always have known the town where they went to high school. Many of us with dads in the air force only knew Shaw as our town. Many students lived in Wedgefield, Rembert, Hagood, Horatio, Stateburg or Cherryville and really never visited Dalzell. Back in the 60s, Highway 521 took you directly to Sumter from Hillcrest, and it passed right through Dalzell. Today, our fair city is bypassed on the way to Sumter.  . So... where is Dalzell. I want to see some folks give some stories about Dalzell

Dalzell is the Place to Be

We are coming up on the 50th and 40th reunions of a number of Hillcrest High School grads. For those of you who cannot count or have forgotten how to add and subtract, the folks of the Class of '58 and '68 are getting older this year. They have reached a milestone that they thought would never happen in their lifetime.
They can still see the school on the hill with Charlie as janitor just working up and down the halls mopping. The '58 folks remember that the new Hillcrest had just opened up and everything is new, but the cows still stick their heads in the windows and with the wind coming from the south, everyone could smell the cows and manure.