Some Thoughts from Louella

Gus Woods had the most infectious full-face smile.  I don't remember him without it.  And, there was this slight giggle under the surface.

 

Thomas Funderburk sure has become a sophisticated looking man.  I remember him as a thin redhead with a serious face.  So glad you can make the visit, Thomas.  I think you are going to have a great time.

 

Tom Wilson and Linda Swanson - wish you could be there.  Tom, have a good trip; Linda, sorry you cannot come a few days sooner but I pray blessings as you clear your father's home for sale.

 

Louella Cherry Spencer

CHS '59ers Memorial Resolution for Gus Woods

   Dru,

  Gus Wood died  on January 14, 1999 at home alone here in Nashville, of a massive heart attack. He was found sitting on his couch. 

  I am attaching a copy of the Memorial Resolution honoring Gus  that I prepared and delivered at the Nashville Bar Association's Annual Memorial Service on November 18, 1999.

 Thanks,

David

Be sure to ask David Parker to email you his beautiful Memorial Resolution for Gus Wood.

It is in a .pdf format.

David Parker at dyp714@bellsouth.net

CHS '59er's tribute to the late Gus Woods

Well Gus was certainly skinny and smart.  And as a matter of fact he basically wrote my term paper for Ms. Phelps after Creed Bates told my mother that I would pass if I completed the work.  We worked on it at the UC library so as not to be seen and I believe it cost me ten dollars, that's $10. My lack of interest confounded Gus but it seemed reasonable to me at the time. I passed!  We were at Fort Jackson in the fall of  '59 and rode back to Chattanooga together that Christmas.  I believe it was last time I saw Gus.  Robert Currey 

 

Lee Reynolds: the late Gus Wood's Birthday

On June 5, Gus Wood would be 70.  I liked Gus. To me, he was fun to be around.  He had a colorful personality and, off and on through the years, I've heard a number of funny Gus Wood stories, some of which he may have initated himself.   Gus was witty and self-deprecating. He joked that, when he was younger, he was so skinny he had to jump around in the shower to get wet and that he could side-step through the strings of a harp without striking a note.  He claimed kinship with Miss Smallwood who, he said, referred to him as the 'small Wood boy."   Gus loved the role of a mischievous scoundrel. At a noon meal at the Rathskeller on Cherry street, Gus once dared anyone at the table to prove that he did not  pay a more studious class member $200 to take his comprehensive exams for him. "I'd have paid him $300," Gus added, with an air of affronted dignity, "but he only got me a C." Everybody laughed.   When Gus was made Tennessee State Safety Commissioner in 1982, I think I was as pleased as he was, and I wrote him a letter of congratulations, mentioning his well-known motto, "When in doubt, cheat. If caught, lie."Gus telephoned me, thanked me for the letter, then asked me why I didn't mention the second half. "What is the second half?" I asked. "If pursued, hide. If discovered, bribe," replied Gus. We both laughed.   For me, Gus was a trip. Even now, I can't help but smile when I think about him. Hopefully, Gus would be pleased that someone outside his family remembers him with affection on his birthday.         Best to all,         Delmar Lee Reynolds   Note: my thanks to David Parker for providing me with Gus's date of birth.  This would have been sent on June 5, but this writer expects to be in Chattanooga on that date. Lee Reynolds confederatesub@yahoo.com www.leeworks.addr.com

Susie Crouch: I'm looking forward to seeing each and every one of you ...

I'm so thrilled to hear from Skipper Cox - he's gonna come Saturday night - the best dancer to ever go through City High School!!!! I also heard from Charlotte Colburn Tinnon and she and her husband are coming.

 

This is a different twist - Sarah Salter contacted Sharon Barker on Facebook and wants to come although she is in the class of '58 but is turning 70 this year. She told me she has fond memories of our class and will be in town June 4th. So, come on Sarah...put a name tag on and we'd love to have you.

 

Vicki Daniel posted a group singing at the Chattanoogan which might be fun - so I would also like to point out that there is a free concert - Night Fall - in Miller Plaza at 7:00 on Friday night - another something to do folks! All in walking distance.

 

I'm looking forward to seeing each and every one of you for our birthday bash.

With love,

 

Susie from North Chattanooga

 

PS to Linda Swanson - fyi: Nancy Pruett's mom in is the Manorhouse - a wonderful place. Wish you could've come - please get in touch when you are in town. I'll try to get together a group and meet you for lunch or whatever.

 

Susie

Bud Woodward: 1956 CHATTANOOGA HIGH SCHOOL BAND

1956 Chattanooga High School Band Routine under the direction of Dr. A. R. Casavant

Let's Celebrate Ben Tyber's Birthday!

Personalize a free digital slideshow

Submitted by Sharon Tunnell

Martin-Davis House, Chickamauga, GA

Fifty-eight classmates will attend the CHS Lunch on June 4th


We are excited about the upcoming party weekend. We are happy to have you "sit a spell" and soak up southern hospitality in a charming 1850 farm setting. We'll start the party with munchies and Mondovi wine, donated by the generous David Arthur Wilbanks. In a beautiful and unhurried setting you will be served a delicious box lunch of roast beef, chicken salad and pimento sandwiches, a fruit cup, chips, dessert and ice tea. A tour of the house and out buildings will help you remember days "gone with the wind." The Martin-Davis House is not a museum but a private home of an avid collector of antiques and memorabilia.


Gaynell Hixson Smith will lead way to the historic home provide you with directions. The car pool will leave the Chattanoogan Hotel parking lot at 10:00. It's an easy place to find and about 35 minutes from the hotel. Parking will be a field next to the house. A car load can be dropped off for valet parking. The outdoor area is covered, shady and is handicap accessible. Hosts for the event are Jim Wade, Ann & Lew Waddey, Carolyn T. Massoud, Nancy P. Klein, Gloria H. Sutton, Barbara D. Warner, Carolyn T Darr, Gaynell H. Smith and Anne Johnson. We have room for more!


Contact Anne Johnson by Thurs. June 2nd.

Martin-Davis House

 Reservations received for lunch include:                                            

·        Margaret Llewellyn and Bob Crosby

·        David and Linda Ackerson  

·        Sally Lull Pankau

·        David Arthur Pearce & Anita Wilbanks

·        Wesley Phillips

·        Nancy Poole Klein

·        Judy Shield & James Steinmann

·        Kent and Dianne Shalibo

·        Dru Smith Fuller

·        Martha Gail Smith

·        Ron Stulce and guest

·        Brenda Suit Schmitz and guest

·        Wanda Sullivan & Theodore Lamb

·        Carolyn Thomas Massoud & Don Bergner

·        Carolyn Tuley Darr

·        Ann Tyer & Lew Waddey

·        Jim Wade

·        Bill Waldrep

·        David Wilbanks

·        Anne Johnson and David Weidner

·        Betty Anderson Dunn

·        Carol Cameron & Clifford Ackerson

·        Louella Cherry and Billy Spencer

·        Edna Chitwood Cason

·        Gloria Christian Haney

·        Brenda J. Cooper

·        Barbara Dalton Warner

·        George and Sharon Derryberry

·        Barbara Dalton Warner

·        Pat Donica Crawford

·        Arnold and Jean Ann Ellison

·        Phoebe Fincher McDaniel

·        Mac and Evelyn Funderburk

·        Della Hallum Dowd

·        Jim and Fretta Hilton

·        Marjorie Hine Fowler

·        Gaynell Hixson and Kyle Smith

·        Hope Holcomb Bolger

·        Gloria Hudson and John Sutton

Best Wishes from Tom Wilson

I'm disappointed to be missing the birthday bash but send my best wishes for a great weekend. 


I have a book suggestion to tie into the weekend. It is Bill Bryson's "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid." It captures the 50's in a very humorous way and will bring back a lot of memories. (In case you don't know Bill Bryson, his books are great.)

Tom Wilson

Regrets from Linda Swanson...

This is a picture of my husband Peter and me
from a cruise we took on the Columbia River
in August 2007, Linda Swanson

Dear Dru and Classmates All,

Heartfelt happy birthday to all of us.  I had hoped to join you, but developments with my dad became overwhelming.  I have to be in Chattanooga from July 7 to the 15 with the rest of my family, cleaning out the old family home (100 years of accumulation) and, hopefully, listing it for sale.  I'm not up to making two trips that close together. 

I know that many of you will remember Daddy, as I believe he came to every one of our basketball games.  He is doing his best to hang in there, 97 years old now and living at Manorhouse on Mountain Creek Rd, where they take very good care of him.  Nancy Poole Klein stops in to see him when she visits another friend who lives there.  Special hugs for Nancy; she lost her mother last week. 

Louella, thanks for your email.  It became buried and I have not been able to unearth it.  Please send your phone number.  I'd love to hear directly from Miss Congeniality how the party went.  (My email is laslaw@pacbell.net.)

And Sissy Bowen, I'm so glad they found you and hope I'll see you again some day.

I am sending a contribution (made out to Anne Johnson) to help pay for the birthday cake.

Dru, Susie, Sharon and Anne—you are all amazing.  I don't have any idea how you put these amazing messages together, with all the old pictures.  I enjoy reading all of them, especially the comments from George Will.  So I'll close with one of his lines:

Playing with house money (since May 23),

Warmest greetings,

Linda Swanson

150 Madrone Avenue

Larkspur, CA 94939

(415) 927-1990; FAX 927-1950

cell: (415) 971-5141 (TEXTING ONLY)

Hi Mac.... We know you as Thomas.....Welcome Home!

Welcome home on June 3rd. We will be so glad to see you again! Yes, I remember days in band with you and that 'cool' red headed flat top! Just in case you don't remember, or if Evelyn has not seen these pictures....here you are!

'Looking forward to seeing you!

Sharon

70th bash

Hi Dru,

I can't believe that a week from today I will traveling to Chattanooga and will be seeing classmates that I have not seen in 52 years. WOW! I know that I will not recognize anyone nor will they recognize me so this will be fun seeing people who are so different from what we were like in the day so to speak. I was a skinny red haired boy with a flat top and now I surpass 200 lbs and am bald and have been most of my life. I am going to try to attach a pic of me currently so when I show up you might know who I am. 

My wife, Evelyn, and I will drive over on Friday hopefully arriving in the afternoon around 3PM and are staying at the Chattanoogan both Friday and Satureday nights. We plan to attend the "warm up" hosted by Bill and David. We have plans to have dinner with Kent and Dianne Shalibo and other friends that night. Kent lived just 3 doors down from me on Signal Mountain and we grew up together.  He and George Derryberry and I were like the three musketeers doing everything together as we grew up on the mountain.

I have only seen one of my class mates since graduation. Thanks to your blog I have e-mailed with quite a few people. One person was Jeanne Mabry who was my ROTC sponsor. I am sorry that she will not be attending. She sent me a journal that she wrote back when she and her husband rode out Katrina. It was both frightening and fascinating as she documented each day's events. She hasn't changed that much. Still wears her hair short like she did when we were in school together. The one class mate that I have see was Dottie Eldridge. She e-mailed me and after several weeks we met for lunch in Black Mountain and had a wonderful time remembering all the things we did together in the band back then. She lives in Hendersonville and I live in Statesville and Black Mountain was a good central spot to have lunch together. I watch the pictures Bud provided of the band playing and listened to it intently. What memories that brought back.

Well as you can tell I am very excited about us all getting together and it is only a week away. I hope the weather will be good. My wife and I enjoy traveling in our toy that we have had about 10 years, a 99 black Corvette convertible. So if you see it you will know it is me. Of course it is always a hat for me when the top is down, my bald head doesn't like the sun like it use to. LOL! 

So see you on Friday Dru.

Ervin Medlin "Thomas" "Mac" Funderburk, Jr.

PS: Given the chance I will be happy to tell the story of how I got all those names. And that isn't all of them. HA!

CHS '59ers

Hey Classmates,

 

It was good to hear from Betty Anderson Dunn - so glad she coming to the birthday bash. I also heard via email from Bud Woodward who is also joining us and today Bill Dickert found out that he and Ellen can join us for the party and for brunch. Glad they are coming too.

 

Remember, it's not too late - got a change of plans - come on and join us.

 

Love from North Chattanooga,

 

Susie

CHS '59ers

I cannot believe the boy that I grew up with, played   cops and robbers with and "had gangs against" grew up into such a distinguished gentleman.  Many happy birthday's Eric Reece.   I'll never forget our years as across the street neighbors on Dartmouth Street.

Cindy Lichtenstetter Wilson                                            

CHS '59ers

FYI - Jim (McKinney) and I will be late to the party and look forward to seeing everyone. We hope to visit some of  you Friday nite too.  Love, Linda McKinney

 

CHS '59ers

Looks like a nice crowd planning on attending...so far.  Hope more show up.

Margaret Llewellyn Crosby.

Let's Celebrate Eric Reece's Birthday!

This picture collage generated with Smilebox

CHS '59ers

What a crowd. Sorry I won't be there, but I will be looking for lots of pictures and writeups/comments from everyone. Best wishes to you all for a grand old time. Jeanne Moore

CHS '59ers

For your information:  

 

8:30 p.m. on Friday night in the Foundry (bar) at the Chattanoogan the Robert Crabtree trio will be playing.  They are really great. We heard them last night on the Delta Queen. Thought some of you might want to go down after happy hour and enjoy the music.

 

See you soon,Vicki D.

 

From Susie: Guess who's coming to dinner

Ackerson, David & Linda

Adair, George & Carlene

Arnold, Tim & Becky

Barker, Mickey & Cathy

Bolger, Hope Holcombe & Bill

Bowen, Sissy/Melanie Hampton

Cason, Edna Chitwood

Chambers, Linda Rogers & Richard

Cobble, Mickey & Linda

Cooper, Brenda Breneman

Crawford, Pat Donica

Crosby, Margaret Llewellyn & Bob

Cross, Bill

Crouch, Susie Turner

Darr, Carolyn Tuley

Derryberry, George & Sharon

Dowd, Della Hallum

Ellison, Arnold & Gene Ann

Etchison, Glenda Orrell

Fowler, Marjorie Hine & Kip

Fox, Alvin

Fuller, Dru Smith

Funderburk, Ervin (Tom) & Evelyn

Griffith, Nancy Gordon

Haney, Gloria Christian

Hayes, John

Hilton, James & Fretta

Jacobs, Dotty Eldridge

Johnson, Anne & David Weidner

Johnston, Nancy Pruett

Klein, Nancy Poole

Lamb, Wanda Sullivan & Ted

Llewellyn, Carl & Suzie

Massoud, Carolyn Thomas & guest

McAfee, Mike

Mitchell, Rick & Angela

Moore, Trudy Walker & Billy Sam

Moore, Trudy Walker & Billy Sam

Pankau, Sally Lull

Parker, David & Sandra

Pearce, David Wilbanks & Anita

Peterson, Ken & Nancy

Phillips, Wesley

Reynold, Delmar & Christine

Schmitz, Brenda Suit & Clarence

Sear, Gerald & Sheila

Shalibo, Kent & Diane

Smith, Gaynell Hixson & Kyle

Smith, Kent & Eleanor

Smith, Martha Gail

Spencer, Louella Cherry & Bill

Steinmann, James & Judy Schild

Stott, Robert & Elsa Hightower

Sutton, Gloria Hudson & John

Tunnell, Sharon Barker

Waddey, Lew & Ann Tyer

Wade, Jim

Waldrep, Bill

Warner, Barbara Dalton & Porter

Wheeler, Charley & Eileen

White, Vicki Daniel & Roger

Willbanks, David

Wright, Lynda

Wright, Sandra Wooten & Tom

and hopefully, Lloyd and Marty Stanley and Betty Anderson Dunn. Looking forward to seeing everyone soon.

Love from North Chattanooga,

Susie

Photo of Miss Pryor with two '59'ers

Lee Reynolds, Miss Pryor, Nancy Poole Klein

Hi Dru, I ran across this photo of Miss Pryor with Nancy Poole Klein and me.  I thought I would share it, as it was taken Oct. 26, 1986, at our former C.H.S. more than 27 years after we graduated.   I would think that it is one of the fairly later photos of Miss Pryor taken while she was still able to get around. Just a sort of golden oldie. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the 70th bash.     Best to all,     Lee   Lee Reynolds confederatesub@yahoo.com www.leeworks.addr.com

CHS Marching Band via Bud Woodward

Note: Expect a slight delay before the video marching band begins. Be patient.

`

CHS Class of ‘59 Fifth 70th Birthday Party Planning Committee

Minutes 

from the May 12, 2011 meeting

Our fifth planning meeting was held Thursday, May 12, 2011 at the home of Susie Turner Crouch. Also present were Della Hallum Dowd, Gaynell Hixson Smith, Vicki Daniel White, Sandra Belk King, Anne Johnson, Linda Rogers Chambers, Linda Rhoden McKinney, Carolyn Tuley Darr, Kent Smith, and Barbara Dalton Warner. David Weidner was a guest.

Susie chaired the meeting, and members focused on the four events comprising our birthday party. Friday evening’s “Meet and Greet” from 5:00 to 7:00 will be hosted by Bill Cross in the hospitality suite at the Chattanoogan, and complimentary wine will be provided by David Pearce Wilbanks. Committee members may bring snacks, but we decided that since we will be headed out to dinner few snacks will be needed.

Saturday’s lunch from 10:30 until 1:00 at the historic Martin-Davis House in Chickamauga is hosted by Anne Johnson, and we have 54 attending as of today. Box lunches will be served, and there is plenty of room to relax and visit. Gaynell is in charge of carpooling.

Vicki will investigate a bus service owned by her neighbor, so there is a good possibility of bus service to the luncheon as well as to the Bessie Smith Hall. Information will be sent out soon.

Our main event on Saturday evening from 5:00 until 10:00 is the Birthday Bash at the Bessie Smith Hall; as of today we have 100 attending. The Big Table is providing a sumptuous meal of grilled chicken and pork tenderloin with a peach, pear, and apple chutney; the famous Big Table salad, asparagus, roasted potatoes, squash casserole, and rolls! They will also provide a cheese tray prior to dinner plus all utensils, and they will cleanup following dinner! Wine and beer plus non-alcoholic beverages will be served. Rosie von Cannon at The Vine is giving us wine at little more than cost; a special treat will be Susie’s daughter Beth as bartender! Linda Chambers, Wanda Sullivan Lamb, Vicki, and Susie have visited the Bessie Smith Hall to plan decorations; a highlight will be Wanda’s collection of posters of the decades from the fifties to the present which will be auctioned to the highest bidder! Carolyn is securing tablecloths.

A Cake Gallery birthday cake plus Whipped Cupcakes miniature cupcakes compliments of the Steinmans will be our desserts, and Linda Chambers and Susie have arranged for these yummy treats. If we have our 50th reunion nametags, please bring them, but we will have others available. Most of us agreed that casual dress will work well; slacks, capris, sundresses, etc. for the ladies and khakis and polo or casual shirts for the guys.

Sunday’s event is the famous Chattanoogan brunch starting at 11:15 for $24.

Please note that the Big Table will take reservations until Tuesday, May 31 and the Chattanoogan until Thursday, June 2, so if you have not made reservations please plan to join us and send Susie your check promptly.

Respectfully submitted,

Barbara D. Warner

We've got it all together...

It was great to hear from Muecke and Cathy Barker and Nancy Poole Klein. Nancy's mother has been having some very serious health issues and is doing somewhat better so Nancy feels like she'll be able to come.

After the meeting last Thursday I collected checks from Linda Rogers, Carolyn Tuley, Della, Vicki and yours truly - so glad we're all coming too

We had a good meeting and I think/hope we've got it all together. The food is going to be aplenty we'll have wine, beer and cokes with a nice array of cheeses, dips, etc. for our social hour. The cake is adorable - at least Linda and I think so - the cupcakes are delicious and we can thank the Steinmann's for complimenting them.

David Parker suggested we take a group picture - he's got a fancy/smancy Nikon camera - so before dinner at 6:45 we will gather for a Classmates picture before we get full and fat from our yummy dinner!

The Bessie Smith has plenty of parking - behind the building (you can enter that way as well), the side of the building - come in the front and parking on the street and enter the front door. We are looking into getting a van or shuttle to take you folks from the Chattanoogan to and from.

We will have nametags, plain and simple this time unless you have yours from the 50th. I still have mine and if so, bring it and wear it! There will be a table set up right before you go into the Bessie Smith hall from the front door. So, those of you who come in the back door - go get your nametag!

The Bessie Smith lends itself to casual dress unlike a country club atmosphere. So, please enjoy slacks and a golf shirt guys and capris and a cutesy top ladies! The Chattanoogan brunch is also casual.

We have a little over 100 coming at this point and I'm looking forward to seeing everyone. Till then....

Love from North Chattanooga,

Susie

CHS Marching Band via Bud Woodward

CHS '59ers birthday planning committee meeting

Pictured are Vicki White, Susie Crouch, Linda McKinney, Linda Chambers, Anne Johnson, Barbara Warner, Carolyn Darr,Kent Smith, Sandra King, Gaynelle Smith and Della Dowd.

 

Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2011 9:52 PM

Subject: Planning Committee Meeting

Attached is a picture of our meeting tonight at Susie's.  Looks like we have wound up all of the loose details of our Birthday Bash and we are all so excited.  Looking forward to seeing all of our classmates there.

LINDA CHAMBERS

CHS '59ers birthday planning committee meeting

Pictured are Vicki White, Susie Crouch, Linda McKinney, Linda Chambers, Anne Johnson, Barbara Warner, Carolyn Darr,Kent Smith, Sandra King, Gaynelle Smith and Della Dowd.

 

Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2011 9:52 PM

Subject: Planning Committee Meeting

Attached is a picture of our meeting tonight at Susie's.  Looks like we have wound up all of the loose details of our Birthday Bash and we are all so excited.  Looking forward to seeing all of our classmates there.

LINDA CHAMBERS