Christmas Greetings from Mike and Judy

Bob Buser, class of 1956

"I am certain you remember Bob Buser (class of 56.) Yesterday evening he was at the Shell station. Bought a cup of hot chocolate, had a heart attack and died. That's all the details I have. No obit in the paper yet. Will keep you updated.

We saw Bob mainly in the Summer. He was announcer and sound technicion for the Kable Band. Had not heard of him having any medical problems. He and Sylvia sat together at Sara's mothers funeral a couple months back." Dave and Sylvia

Update: Rockford Register Star, Dec. 25, 2008: Robert E. Buser, 70, of Mount Morris died Monday, Dec. 22, 2008. He was a lifelong resident of Mount Morris. The oldest son of Gail and Harriet (Conrad) Buser, born July 26, 1938. He was a graduate of MMHS, class of 1956, and went on to the University of Illinois, getting a degree in mechanical engineering. Later he returned to achieve his master's degree. He loved the Illini and stayed connected by his work on the Engineering Alumni board. Bob was also involved with the Kable Concert Band. He announced the band for the past 25 years. He was on the board of the Mount Morris Senior Center, and he would never miss the Fourth of July parade in his blue 1950 Dodge truck with the Dixie band. Many may remember Bob in his famous black and white 1953 Ford that took him to Rockford every day, over 600,000 miles, and earned him a Phillips 66 Trop Arctic radio commercial and a spot on WGN-TV. Bob worked for Sundstrand Aviation and then Hamilton Sundstrand for 43 years. He worked an additional two-year contract to finish a pet project, the F22 Raptor. He loved his job and the places it took him, and the people he met and worked with. Family was very important to Bob. He is survived by his fiance, Doreen White of Mount Morris; brothers, Frederic (Rita) Buser of Byron and Charles (Deborah) Buser of Leaf River; niece, MaryAnn (Rich Akers) Fredericks of Milledgeville, Anne (Mike) Felton of Norcross, Ga., Kaila (Jim) Slade of Hanover, Amy Buser of Missoula; nephew, Nathaniel (Amy) Buser of Byron; one great-niece; four great-nephews; cousin, Gretchen Diab of Mount Morris; and aunt, Elva Buser of Mount Morris. Funeral at 11 a.m. Monday, Dec. 29, in Finch Funeral Home, with the Rev. Larry Jameson officiating. Burial in Adeline Cemetery in Adeline. Visitation from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28, in Finch Funeral Home in Mount Morris. Memorials have been established for Kable Concert Band and the Mount Morris Senior Center Elevator Fund.

Neighborhood sporting events

Mike contributes this memory of the old neighborhood:

"There was a barn in the back of the house where we lived on Main, but the barn in back of that belonged to Otto and Mae Herzfeldt. Greeley Myers and I built a basketball court in the upper story of our barn where all the neighborhood guys would gather to play hoops--Nels Potter, Mike and Dave Powers, Duane Blake, Gerald Blake, Greeley, John LeVar. Others I seem to remember playing were Marv Leopold, Jon Martin and maybe Lloyd Pretsch and Steve Brinker. Maybe Greeley would remember more detail. We used to choose up teams and smell armpits--(big joke back then). They all participated at one time or other, until someone fell through the floor and landed on top of Marge Tice's car's hood. He wasn't injured but put a considerable dent in the aforementioned auto. This not only made an impression in the hood, but also one on my father and Miss Tice. We promised to repair the hole in the floor before we played again, but that did not make my father happy. He removed the ladder that was nailed to the wall where we gained entrance to our gym and the future basketball schedule was cancelled.

There were great baseball games too in back of the Powers house in that field. I think that a car wash is there now. I don't remember any games in the street. I remember Dave Powers got hit in the head with a ball, but no damage except a large hematoma. His head looked like a basketball with a growth. All I can remember him saying was "I'm telling Mom"."

Class of 1959 Reunion site

Don Snodgrass has created a really nice website for information about the 50th class reunion of the Mt. Morris class of 1959 here. I've added a link to it over at the left.

Dave and Sylvia are everywhere!

You'll have lots of fun watching this video--to support the Mounder statue project. You'll recognize Dave and Sylvia, the class movers and shakers.

Click Video to download and view a video created by committee member Judi Cassidy DeKoning.

The ram was chosen as a school mascot by the classes of the mid-60s, so the class of 1957 missed out on that, but you can support the cause. Here's the committee:

The Mounder Statue Committee, Doug Wean, Chairman; Rod Miller (Vice-Chairman); Linda 'Jewett' Miller, Sarah 'Sally' Gray, Judi 'Cassidy' DeKoning, Lenny Wells, Joyce Carr

To see more about the progress, or to help with expenses, click here.