Tony's Eighth Grade Graduation. June 2021

 Tony graduated and even marched as COVID restrictions were lessened the last couple weeks of school.  (However Tony did stay home for a week as he had been close to someone who developed COVID at school.  Tony even received several citizenship awards even though he was only at Kingman Middle School for a quarter.   Liza McNeil was in town and attended with us.  With remote learning Tony really had a hard time with school.  He did great before that.  Of course he started at Veritas School but he finished strong at Kingman Middle School.

Charity Portraying Louisa May Alcott, CIvil War Nurse

 When Charity was in eighth grade At Hyde Middle School I helped her with a class project.  It was on the Civil War and Charity decided to do a reenactment of Louisa May Alcott.  I found her story in some Civil War Books I had and wrote a script for her.  I never saw her actually perform, because this was in her school class.  However I saw her rehears several times and she looked beautiful and was doing a great job, pretending to help the wounded soldiers.  I understand she did so well the teacher kept a video copy so he could show subsequent years how to do a good job on the assignment.

Weldon Second Grade Picture in the Paper

 

  The Othello Outlook caption reads: MRS. BUCK'S SECOND GRADERS point proudly to their bulletin board asking all about Halloween. The children enjoy the artwork, and delight in the results of their handicraft as can be seen by their attitudes and poses in the picture.  It was published Nov. 1, 1962.  I was in kindergarten which was held at the high school while second grade was at the elementary school.  Weldon is the second from the left.

My Trip to Carbondale, Illinois

Campus Lake; I could not find swimming place

For my fifth and sixth grades we lived in Carbondale, Illinois.  My dad's first job after graduating from the University of Denver with a Masters in Library Science was at the library in Carbondale at Southern Illinois University.  We lived there for two years, 1967-1969, arriving just before school started and then returning to Utah just before school started again.  We moved from Hyrum, Utah to Carbondale, a 24-hour drive.  Mom drove the car and I remember that some how we found ourselves in East St, Louis and mom was worried about all the traffic, and the people of African American descent.  We were coming from Washington and Utah and were use to just a few people of color instead of just about everyone.  

Upon arriving at Carbondale we moved into a home on S. Emerald Lane.  We attended Parrish Elementary School.  We arrived in the late summer and were not use to the humidity.  We would try to beat the heat at Campus Lake.  I remember they had lifeguards, and a swimming skills test to see if you could go to the raft were you could dive or jump into the water.

The camper was parked in the back

this and following pictures are Parrish School and playground

Shopping center at Emerald and Main.  

I attended Parrish Elementary School for fifth grade.  I remember my teacher was elderly.  I was in a play at the school and pretended to be pirate who lost his neck bone.  It was a Halloween play.  The bus would take us a long way around to get to the school.  However if you were willing to jump a creek it was really a very short distance to the school; Over the creek and through a park.  Sunset road goes over the creek now; but when we lived there it did not and you had to go all the way around.

A short walk to the end of our street was a shopping center where there was a Krogers and a Woolworths.  There was also a McDonalds.  The place where we spent a considerable amount of time was a slot car racing track.  In fact they had two or three.   We never participated for lack of funds but we would often go and watch.  Sometimes the races would go for a long time.  One time someone was ready to win when he crashed his car.  

On time shortly before we moved, a bunch of community kids were playing.  We pretended we had a rope and were stretching it across the rode.  There was no rope but we were pretending.  We got some cars to come to a screeching halt.  One time an older kid acted all official and said there was a hazard ahead.  

Our second year in Carbondale we moved to Evergreen Terrace, married student housing.  However the apartment wasn't ready on time; so we lived for a couple weeks in the high-rise apartments.  

 Evergreen Terrace was a housing complex which was being built.  There was a basketball playing place.  When we first moved there the grass hadn't yet taken so the basketball hoops were in the middle of a mud field.  Bob and Dan McKess also moved into the complex.  We played a lot of basketball.   Dan was so into basketball he would hang from the Jungle gym trying to get taller.  Bob was in fifth grade and Dan in fourth so they were younger than me as I was in sixth.

We had plenty of neighborhood kids for playing.  One local became part of our Boy Scout Troop.  One African American boy we called Speedy Gonzalez because he was so fast.  We would play football at the park next door.  They also had a baseball field.  My mom was swinging there and somehow fell with her fingers caught in the chain, which caused her arthritic pain after that.  The swing is no longer there.  

our apartment on the bottom floor.

basketball courts

our door

We were next to the Evergreen Park, which also had the Carbondale Lake.

On the other side of the housing with Williams Field.  It was a nice ball diamond when we were there and hosted the little league all-star game which I watched.  I kid named Travelstead form my sixth grade class played and made some incredible catches in the outfield.  

It was on the other side of Evergreen Terrace that I asked a kid to shoot me in the finger with a bee bee gun.  I wanted to know how it felt.  I stood back a ways and held up my thumb.  I didn't think he would actually hit me, but he did.  It hurt pretty good, but didn't break my skin.  

Another time a kid was playing with a copperhead snake by the lake.  I didn't venture close and thought he was stupid playing with a poisonous snake.  

Still another time my brother organized a big baseball game against other kids in our area.  We both recruited different local players.  Weldon got my sister's fiancé, Clyde, to umpire.  It was a very competitive game.  We played on the diamond which was next to our house through a gate dividing the park and the apartment complex.  (the diamond before the lake pictures.)

Weldon, Charlie and I attended Unity Point School, which was a K-8.  I was in sixth grade.  Weldon was in eighth and played on the basketball team.  The basketball games were pretty fun, and I remember the cheer, "U.P. up and away."  Us boys thought that was funny.  Carbondale has a system were everyone plays in a big single-elimination tournament.  Weldon played in the middle school tourney.  To a lesser extent they also had a sixth grade tourney.  I was on the team but never played.  Bob McKess did play.

Unity Point

This photo shows expansion to the north of the school.  Use to be we had black top with baskets and then grassy area there.  They have extended the school and move baskets forward closer to the road.

I played minor league Little League baseball both years we lived in Carbondale and the diamonds were by Lewis School and our church.  I played catcher both years.  The first year we had two African American boys pitching.  They were pretty good.  Our teams was probably in the middle of the pack in terms of record.  I  pitched one inning, walking the first three and then striking out the next three.  Nobody scored.  One game we were ahead of the other team but our pitcher lost his control and the other teams was scoring with walks.  Finally a very large player form the other team was on third.  He was a slow runner.  I let the ball go pass, ran to the back stop and grabbed it and returned to home to tag him out sliding into home.  We won the game.  However my coach did not like the move very much.  I think he thought it was poor sportsmanship to take advantage of the slower runner.  

The second year McKess boys' father coached.  He had lots of players form Evergreen Terrace area.  We were very good.  We did not lose any games.  Again I played catcher.  We only had one competitive game all year and this was the championship game.  For the most part everybody played half a game.  We had a large team.  The only game I played the full game was the championship game.  I caught the first half and then played first base the second half.  One of our players had been moved up to majors so we had less players.

The diamonds are still there.  I remember accessing the diamonds from Lewis Road.  However now the access if from the road by our old church. I did not see the snack shack.  This is were I drank my first Coca-cola.  It may have been psychosomatic but it gave me an upset tummy; so I never was a fan of Coke.

second year diamond

first year diamond

t-ball diamond

We attended the Carbondale Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Our church building is still there, however it is a different denomination now.  It didn't have the big walkway thing on the front but instead had a tall steeple.  The chapel was to the left of the entrance and classrooms and a cultural hall to the right.  To the left of the building, when we attended church there was a swampy area.  It attracted lots of fireflies in the firefly season.  One time while we were there swimming a Patterson girl fell into one of the swampy ponds.  I was next to her and quickly pulled her out.  

Our branch was part of the Carbondale District, so this must have also housed the district offices.  I sang a solo of "I Wonder When He Comes Again" for Primary and for a primary district meeting.  Steve Nielsen was the Branch President.  (I and his daughter Cindy us to pass notes.  We also had our first church dance although very young.) I was ordained a deacon the Sunday before we moved back to Hyrum, Utah.  Mom served both in the primary for a time and as the relief society president for a time.  

Where we use to attend church

I attended the Carbondale Ward while I was there.  The ward is part of the Cape Girardeau Stake.  (Cape Girardeau was part of the Carbondale District when we lived there.). The church building is on the other side of town, on the old high way 13 which goes to Murphysboro.  It was Father's Day and they served the men pie.  I had banana cream.  The primary kids also sang.  It was fun.  However nobody form the old days.  It had been over 50 years.  A few people knew the Childers who were by Blazer Scout leaders.  

primary singing

Carbondale Ward

And advantage to living in Evergreen Terrace is we were close to the Southern Illinois University campus.  The football stadium and baseball field were just up the street from us.  We would attend both as we could get there on our bikes.  The football team was never very good, but the baseball team was very good.  They actually played in the college world series during this time and took second behind Southern California.  The basketball team was also good during this time.  Our dad worked in the Morris Library.

Itchy Jones Stadium was first used in 2014.  It was built over the top of the Abe Martin Field which was the field we visited.  

Recently renamed Banterra, this building was there when we lived there and was call SIU Arena.

Saluki Stadium was first used in 2010.It took the place of McAndrew Stadium after 73 seasons

Another interesting place in Carbondale is Crab Orchard lake.  This is a very large lake with lots of boaters and fishermen.  Sail boating was big when we lived there and my father took us once.

Giant City State Park is next to Carbondale.  We went their several times, once with a school field trip.  The state park has steep cliffs and narrow trails.  We must have visited in Autumn because I remember walking along leaf-covered trails.

During our two years in Carbondale we saw much of the town.  We sold light bulbs for scouts and visited many in the town; right in town and also the outskirts. We lived in Carbondale when both Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King were shot and murdered.  

Idaho Falls: Lincoln School Lunches

We lived in Idaho, with grandma Wright, for the second half of my first  grade year.  We had left the farm in Othello and were in transition.  Lincoln Elementary was almost directly across from Grandma's house.  Even so, we usually ate lunch at the school, although some days we would go home; but the lunch period was short.
They had the policy you had to take three bites of everything before you could throw it out.  One day for lunch, they served ghoulash, elbow macaroni with stewed tomatoes.  I don't know about anyone else, but I still don't like stewed tomatoes, and even less so in the first grade.  I tried to not eat them.  But you had to have your plated examined before you could toss it.  I remember the principal or an assistant hovering over me as I was required to eat the stuff.  Later I would get smarter and put crap like that in the milk carton.  I got on spoonful down, but I had to chew slowly.  The second spoonful was too much.  I lost everything I had eaten for lunch, and maybe some breakfast. 
The guy sent me home.  But I didn't go.  I felt great afterwards.  He saw me later and asked why I hadn't gone home, and I said I felt fine.

Stories I Like: Cipher in the Snow

Cipher in the Snow by: Jean E. Mizer
It started with tragedy on a biting cold February morning.  I was driving behind the Milford Corners bus as I did most snowy mornings on my way to school.  It veered and stopped short at the hotel, which it had no business doing, and I was annoyed as I had to come to an unexpected stop.  A boy lurched out of the bus, reeled, stumbled, and collapsed on the snowbank at the curb.  The bus driver and I reached him at the same moment.  His thin, hollow face was white, even against the snow.
"He's dead," the driver whispered.
It didn't register for a minute.  I glanced quickly at the scared young faces staring down at as from the school bus.  "A doctor!  Quick! I'll call from the hotel...."
"No use.  I tell you he's dead."  The driver looked down at the boy's still form.  "He never even said he felt bad," he muttered, "just tapped me on the should and said, real quiet, 'I'm sorry.  I have to get off at the hotel.'  That's all.  Polite and apologizing like."
At school, the giggling, shuffling morning noise quieted as the news went down the halls.  I passed a huddle of girls.  "Who was it?  Who dropped dead on the way to school?"  I heard on girl half-whisper.
"Don't know his name; some kid from Milford Corner." was the reply.
It was like that in the faculty room and the principal's office.  "I'd appreciate you going out to tell the parents," the principal told me.  "They haven't a phone and, anyway, somebody from school should go there in person.  I'll cover your classes."
"Why me?" I asked.  "Wouldn't it be better if you did it?"
"I didn't know the boy," the principal admitted levelly.  "And in last year's sophomore personalities column I note that you were listed as his favorite teacher."
I drove through the snow and cold down the bad canyon road to the Evans place and thought about the boy, Cliff Evans.  His favorite teacher!  I though.  He hasn't spoken two words to me in two years!  I could see him in my mind's eye all right, sitting back there in the last seat in my afternoon literature class.  He came in the room by himself and left by himself.  "Cliff Evans," I muttered to myself, "a boy who never talked."  I thought a minute.  "A boy who never smiled.  I never saw him smile once."
The big ranch kitchen was clean and warm.  I blurted out the news somehow.  Mrs. Evans reached blindly towards a chair.  "He never said anything about bein' ailin'."
His step-father snorted.  "He ain't said nothin' about anything since I moved in here."
Mrs. Evans pushed a pan to the back of the stove and began to untie her apron.  "Now hold on," her husband snapped.  "I got to have breakfast before I go to town.  Nothin' we can do now anyway.  If Cliff hadn't been so dumb, he'd have told us he didn't feel good."
After school I sat in the office and stared bleakly at the records spread out before me.  I was to close the file and write the obituary for the school paper.  The almost bare sheets mocked the effort.  Cliff Evans, white, never legally adopted by step-father, five young half-brothers and sisters.  These meager strands of information and the list of D grades were all the record had to offer.
Cliff Evans had silently come in the school door in the mornings and gone out the school door in the evenings, and that was all.  He had never belonged to a club.  He had never played on a team.  He had never held an office.  As far as I could tell he had never done one happy, noisy kid thing.  He had never been anybody at all.
How do you go about making a boy into a zero?  The grade school records showed me.  The first and second grade teachers' annotations read "sweet, shy child"; "timid but eager."  Then the third grade note had opened the attack.  Some teacher had written in +a good, firm hand, "Cliff won't talk.  Uncooperative.  Slow learner."  The other academic sheep had followed with "dull"; "slow-witted"; "low I.Q."  They became correct.  The boy's I.Q. score in the ninth grade was listed as 83.  But his I.Q. in the third grade had been 106.  The score didn't go under 100 until the seventh grade.  Even shy, timid, sweet children have resilience.  It takes time to break them.
I stomped to the typewriter and wrote a savage report pointing out what education had done to Cliff Evans.  I slapped a copy on the principal's desk and another in the sad, dog-eared file.  I banged the typewriter and slammed the file and crashed the door shut, but I didn't feel much better.  A little boy kept walking after me, a little boy with a peaked, pale face; a skinny body in faded jeans; and big eyes that had looked and searched for a long time and then had become veiled.
I could guess how many times he'd been chosen last to play sides in a game, how many whispered child conversations had excluded him, how many times he hadn't been asked.  I could see and hear the faces and voices that said over and over, "You're dumb.  You're nothing Cliff Evans."
A child is a believing creature.  Cliff undoubtedly believed them.  Suddenly it seemed clear to me:  When finally there was nothing left at all for Cliff Evans, he collapsed on a snowbank and went away.  The doctor might list "heart failure" as the cause of death, but that wouldn't change my mind.
We couldn't find ten students who had known Cliff well enough to attend the funeral as his friends.  So the studentbody officers and a committee from the junior class went as a group to the church, being politely sad.  I attended the services with them, and sat through it with a lump of cold lead in my chest and a big resolve growing through me.
I've never forgotten Cliff Evans nor that resolve.  He has been my challenge year after year, class after class.  I look up and down the rows carefully each September at the unfamiliar faces.  I look for veiled eyes or bodies scrouged into a seat , in an alien world.  "Look kids," I say silently, "I may not do anything else for you this year, but not one of you is going to come out of here a nobody.  I'll work or fight to the bitter end doing battle with society and the school board, but I won't have one of you coming out of here thinking himself into a zero."
Most of the time--not always, but most of the time--I've been successful.
Jean E. Mizer, "Cipher in the Snow," NEA Journal, November 1964 53; 8-10.
http://billywardlefamily.blogspot.com/2013/02/movie-review-cipher-in-snow.html
link to my review of the movie and the movie