Saturday, April 30, 2011

from Lee Reynolds: Tornado

Hi all,
  
Possibly it is possible to post this on the blog. Oh, first. I did send in my $50.00 to Susie this morning for the Bessie Smith hall get-together on the 4th. 
   
Our house was directly in the tornado the other day and all of our cars got badly damaged.  Hail the size of , first lemons, then baseballs hit us directly and side-to side. The hail was clear, hard ice. Not white at all, but clear.
 
In nearly 70 years, I've never seen hail like that. All of our cars were badly damaged. My Toyota has a smashed windshield and hundreds of dents 1/2 inch deep all over it. One can lay an egg in some of the dents and it won't roll out.  
 
And it was such a nice little car. It's ruined, but it still drives beautifully. One out of three cars in this area looks like mine, some worse. The insurance office says it is swamped.
 
So I expect that if I do get to come to the 70th Birthday Bash, it will be in that once pretty, now beat-up Toyota. I hope that everyone will understand what happened. I am posting this so that hopefully everyone will know what happened. 
 
I do hope to see everybody and hope we all have  a good time. Again, I greatly appreciate what you folks are doing.  
   
best to all,
   
Delmar Lee Reynolds

Dot Your Calendar!










It's almost time to DOT your June Calendar for our 70th Birthday Celebration!


June 3


June 4


June 5


We're looking forward to being with you!



































Looking forward to Seeing You

June 3-5, 2011~~~ It's a Celebration!~~~ Happy Birthday to all of us!





Friday, April 29, 2011

B'day reservation deadline is May 4th!


Hello classmates!

 

I hope you are safe and sound after the recent severe weather. Thankfully I am fine even though many of our neighbors are not. I have never seen such conditions here at home!  While I huddled in my hall closet with my dog, my flashlight, and my radio, as the storm blew I thought about you and our upcoming 70th birthday party. I realized how these CHS gatherings give me a pleasant respite from life's storms and our complicated world.

 

Each time I am with our class I am proud and grateful to be part of this group. Our shared past at CHS is more than a time fraternity--we share friendship and a code of behavior--which seems very rare today.

 

If you have not made plans to come to the birthday party, please reconsider! There are only 5 more days before the reservation deadline on May 4th! If you are planning to come, how about sending in your reservation and check.  It may be a long time before we get together again!  It will be fun to be with you again!

 

Anne Johnson

 

Thursday, April 28, 2011

It's George Adair's Birthday!

Let's celebrate George's birthday, April 29, 2011.

George, we wish the best on this special day. Enjoy time with family and friends!








































Submitted by Sharon Tunnell












Your hometown news includes heavy weather

Online at http://www.timesfreepress.com/

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

CHS '59er bereavement: So sad to hear this bad news.


So sad to hear this bad news.  Love to Carolyn and her girls. 

 

Please let us know arrangements when available. 

 

With Sympathy, Linda McKinney

 

 

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Death announcement for Hossein Massoud, former husband of Carolyn Thomas Massoud

I was saddened to hear from Carolyn Thomas Massoud that her former husband,  Hossein Massoud, died this afternoon, April 26, 2011. Funeral arrangements are incomplete.

 Hossein Massoud died peacefully surrounded by Carolyn and the girls today about five p.m.

Carolyn's e-mail address is: carolyn.massoud@coldwellbanker.com or ctm324@charter.net

Her home address is 463 Centenary Ave. NW Cleveland TN 37311-4426

Anne Johnson

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Love to all and have a wonderful Easter, Susie






Bessie Smith Hall
Hey Classmates,

Our wonderful, hardworking committee members/lunch bunch friends checked in today. Thanks, Linda Rhoden McKinney and Sandra Belk King - I knew they were coming but was glad to say, "show me the money!" - also, Wanda Sullivan Lamb is coming and helping out with the decorations - can't wait for ya'll to see the posters she is providing - "through the decades". They will be displayed at the Bessie Smith and you'll love them. You will also be able to purchase them if you so desire - Wanda is donating the proceeds to the class treasury.

I am having a meeting at my house on May 12th to finalize and tie up loose ends! I would love to have any of you come or email me and share your input/thoughts. I would also love to have you come to the Bessie Smith on Saturday at 2:00 to help set up. They won't let us in any earlier!!!! More to come on this later.

Get your reservations in soon - It's important for me to let the caterer know by May 4th. Also, the Chattanoogan is cutting off the discounted rate on that date.

Love to all and have a wonderful Easter.

Love from North Chattanooga,

Susie


Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Marsha Moore Cunningham: EASTER/PASSOVER GREETING

Want to wish the 59ers "all you gorgeous guys and dolls" a BEAUTIFUL Easter and/or Passover which ever the case. Hope it is the best ever since 69+, right! May your baskets be full of eggs filled with all the things we've come to cherish: love, laughter, joy, health, faith, new adventures...the whole litany of adjectives that touch home with us now. And, of course, most assuredly lots of chocolate for the many chocoholics!!!!

WELCOME TO SPRING as well - we are so looking forward to a new season! It's been especially bad for those of us in the N.E. & Midwest. We so need a reprieve! I send a bunch of wishes your way. Have a good one!

 Marsha Moore Cunningham

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

The Pleasure of Your Company is Requested!


The pleasure of your company is requested. Please join us in celebration, June 3-5.

Monday, April 18, 2011

IT'S A TRIPLE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION TODAY!


Beverly Hodes Gilbert, Shirley Hodes Millender, and Irwin Hodes are celebrating their birthday! Best wishes to all of you for a fabulous day with family and friends.

Happy Birthday today to Beverly, Shirley & Irwin!






Submitted by Sharon Tunnell

Sunday, April 17, 2011

KITES ARE FLYING IN REHOBOTH BEACH, DE TODAY!


Kites are flying today in celebration of Nancy McFarland Dicken's birthday!
Happy Birthday, Nancy! Enjoy your day to the fullest!




A few months ago Nancy challenged us to know the location of Rehoboth Beach, DE. It really looks like a delightful place!









Submitted by

Sharon Tunnell

Saturday, April 16, 2011

TO: CHS '59ers


I have considered wearing a badge which says: "Please excuse me if I don't introduce myself. I can't remember who I am." By the way, my back is much better- thanks to all the nice folks who both e-mailed and called about that. We have a wonderful bunch of folks in our class. I'm very proud  of all of us. May we all live forever and be happy every day of our lives. God bless all,
 
    Delmar Lee

Mr. Hospitality...




Hey Classmates,

Mr. Hospitality himself has checked in and says, "I have good days and bad days! Some days I can't remember my name. Then other days I can't remember my name!"

I'll help him out - it's Bill Cross! Thanks again to Bill for hosting the hospitality room. We'll see him Friday around 5 p.m..

Wesley Phillips also checked in - he is joining us for the party and brunch. Wes was very generous to include a donation. Thank you Wesley.

Love from North Chattanooga,

Susie

Friday, April 15, 2011

from Gloria Hudson Sutton

Northside Jr. High
Remembering Chattanooga Middle School
by John Shearer
posted July 21, 2004

One of the most visible local schools – Chattanooga Middle School – recently was given a second life. Although it was initially one of the surprise casualties in the Hamilton County Schools’ budget cuts announced several days ago, a subsequent meeting by officials led to the decision to keep it open.

Located at a prominent location at Mississippi Avenue and Dallas Road, the school – which is now a museum magnet school – was known for many years as North Chattanooga, or Northside, Junior High.

Northside had opened at the site in 1931. Plans for it were officially announced in early 1927, when North Chattanooga was growing into a popular suburban community. At that time, the school was scheduled to open within a year or so.

Initially, news reports called it a high school. It was to be constructed to house 800 students, with the possibility of expanding into a larger building.

An old newspaper story from that time refers to W.H. Sears as the surpervising architect. The highly acclaimed R.H. Hunt designed a number of local schools, including the similar-looking Chattanooga High (now Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences), but no information could be found on whether he designed Chattanooga Middle with the help of Mr. Sears, or if Mr. Sears did all the work.

The school features a classic style of Gothic architecture, giving it literally and figuratively a towering appearance when viewed from the expansive grassy lawn in the front.

When the school opened, the basement-like first floor housed a library, study hall, four classrooms, boys’ and girls’ lockers, a manual training room, a drafting room, cafeteria and kitchen. The second floor featured offices, a teachers’ room, seven classrooms, an art room, and a combined auditorium and gymnasium seating 1,200.

The third floor had chemistry and general science labs, a cooking department, an exhibition dining room, a sewing room, a fitting room, a nurse’s room, and four general classrooms.

Not long after it opened, Northside became one of the more popular junior high schools in the city school system. Dr. C. Wayne Shearer taught at the school from 1955-57 and remembers students came from all over. “We had students come from Georgia,” he said. “They had to pay out of state tuition. And we had a lot come from Signal Mountain and Lookout Mountain.”

In those days, prospective teachers were interviewed by the superintendent, not a principal, so Dr. Shearer interviewed with Dr. Lawrence Derthick regarding a job there. Dr. Shearer also interviewed with superintendent Dr. Sam McConnell of the county schools, who was interested in having him teach science at Hixson High. But Dr. Shearer had just moved from Memphis and was trying to get an optometry practice started in Red Bank, so he was able to get an agreeable schedule at Northside in which he could teach English classes mostly in the morning, do lunch room duty and then head to his optometry office about 2 p.m.

Although nearly 50 years have passed since then, Dr. Shearer can still picture and hear the students in his mind. “I can hear them yet on the stairwell,” he said. “The kids would run up and down the stairs as classes changed.”

Among the students he either taught or mentored were female real estate pioneer Gloria Sutton and future county commissioner and Southeastern Conference football official George Shuford. Mr. Shuford was one of several good football players Northside had at that time, Dr. Shearer remembered.

1956 Northside graduates
The principal then was Col. Carl Gevers, a retired Army colonel from World War II. Among the fellow teachers Dr. Shearer remembers were future Brainerd High head football coach Ray Coleman, and shop teacher Don Chamberlain, whose classroom was across the first-floor hall from Dr. Shearer’s. He remembers trading a pair of eyeglasses with Mr. Chamberlain in exchange for a bookcase Mr. Chamberlain and his students made and which Dr. Shearer still has.

The art teacher was Fannie Mennen, who headed the popular Plum Nelly art show at her Lookout Mountain, Ga., home site for a number of years, while the physical education teacher was Nan Elberfeld of the “Kid” Elberfeld baseball family of Signal Mountain.

“It was known as a good school,” Dr. Shearer said. “All of the teachers demanded a lot out of the students.”

Based on the popularity of the North Chattanooga community today, one can only imagine what the school site might have become had the school closed and been sold as surplus property. The historic building might have been preserved and converted into condominiums or offices, or torn down and a new development built in its place by an enthusiastic builder.

But it will not close and be a museum to the past, but instead will continue to serve as a museum magnet school of the present and future.


Thursday, April 14, 2011

Come on down, Delmar and Christine...

Delmar,
 
I'm so sorry about your back and we would love for you to come even if it means not letting us know until right up to the last day. Christine, of course, you can come.
 
Susie
 
 

Birthday bash


Hi Dru (and Lee, too)—

I love you folks so much and always have such a good time at the get-togethers and have been looking forward to this one. I've never been to a single one of my own high school reunions, because I can't stand most of my former classmates. I consider myself a sort of honorary member of *your* class—I hope that's okay—so if Lee can't get his back sorted out (and I really hope he can, because hurting like he is isn't fun), can I still come to the party?

Christine
Class of…ah…'59?
Christine Reynolds
Electronic Resources & Serials Management
Hodges Library, Univ. of Tenn. Knoxville
reynol00@utk.edu

(865)974-6912


from Delmar Lee Reynolds

Hi All,
    Out of consideration and respect for all you good folks who are putting on the nice 70th birthday bash for us, I feel I ought to let you know about this:  since early December I've been coping with severe lower and upper back problems, primarily stemming from that car wreck I was in 35 years ago. Ironically, I'm in good health otherwise.  But at present, I have problems riding in a car and sometimes in walking distances.
    I'm doing everything I can to deal with this and I'm still hoping I can come to our party the weekend of June 3-5.
    I'm grateful to you all for doing what you're doing. I still hope to be there at the party. At present I couldn't. Hopefully things will change for the better before then. If you would let the appropriate folks know about this, I'd be very grateful.
    Much love to all you guys,
    Delmar Lee

Lee Reynolds
confederatesub@yahoo.com
www.leeworks.addr.com

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Postal service needs your business...

Bessie Smith Hall
Dear Classmates,

The Postal service needs your business...get those cards and letters in with reservations to our birthday party!

David Pearce aka Arthur Wilbanks has sent in his money - it'll be great to see him and Anita again and also another thank you for his generosity in furnishing wine for Friday evening's hospitality room. I also heard from Jim Wade - glad he's coming to the party.

Marsha Moore sent the sweetest note with a great big donation for "the blog so that I can enjoy the gaiety vicariously or other expenditures you deem appropriate". Marsha goes on to say how much she appreciates the time and effort in our endeavors. "The gala should shine like '59 and once again be a huge success." I am so sorry Marsha will not be able to attend. I know I'll miss her.

That's all for today....

Love from North Chattanooga

Susie

Sunday, April 10, 2011

JOIN US IN CELEBRATION!







News from Susie...

Bessie Smith Hall
Hello classmates,

This past week I heard from Mike McAfee and our very own wonderful committee members Anne and Gaynell. I also got a sweet note from Rick "Cuz" Mitchell. He and Angela are coming Saturday and Sunday and Rick was very generous in his donation. He tells me Angela has just about recovered from a broken wrist she sustained in January! He sends 'Blessings to all'.

Tom Wilson sends his regrets...he and Diane will be in Sweden!!!!

That's all for now....

Love from North Chattanooga,
Susie

Party on!