The town Commercial League baseball

If you lived in a small town 50 years ago, you probably either followed or played or sponsored a sports team.  These fine young athletes were sponsored by Dewey's Gulf Service, and they took second place in the Commercial League during the first half of play.  The competition were teams from the Moose, VFW, and Corbett Oil.  Members of the "Gashouse Gang" are (kneeling left to right) Jim Watt, Bill Lundholm, Harold Hanke and Orion Brunk.  Standing left to right are classmate Dave Bartow, Stan Messer, Bob Hanke, Bob Bartow, Dick Duffy, Don Morehouse and Bob Rawes, as identified in the July 21, 1955 Mt. Morris Index.

Bill L., Murray T., and Dave S. all played on these teams and have supplied me with some additional information not in the above article. Bill reports that in the mid-50s it was a strong league with Lou Behrens in charge.  You had to be in high school to play, but he remembers that Dick Highbarger played while still in elementary school because he was such a good hitter. There were also college age men on the teams.  Murray says the teams were built around the pitchers (he was a pitcher). Dave's recollection includes the teams for the younger players too.  He says, "The leagues were pretty much run by Lou Behrens. Depending on age, sign-ups were at the gym or at school. The Playground League, ages Jr High through Sophomore were: Police, Townview Dairy, Ogle Cafe and Zickuhr's. Commercial league was for anyone Junior through adults: Corbett-Coffman, VFW, Moose and Dewey's.

How team captains were selected, I don't know. However, Lou would get them together and each captain would select a player off the list of those signed up until all were selected. As teams were only as good as their pitcher, the first selected were guys like Darrell Cory and Bill Lundholm."

Thanks to all who contributed to this article!

Summer movies at The Lamb, July 1955

If we got tired of swimming, golf, playing baseball, hanging out with friends, roller skating at the White Pines, or meeting at the summer band concerts and needed a break from babysitting, mowing lawns, helping mom in the garden, detasseling corn, or working part time at one of the many small businesses . . . there was always The Lamb Theatre! Here's an advertisement, supplied by Lynne and Nancy, our busy historians, for Daddy Long Legs with Fred Astaire and Leslie Caron, Blackboard Jungle (shocking! says Lynne) with Glenn Ford and Anne Francis, which helped boost "Rock around the clock" to #1, and of course, the Saturday kiddie show (my favorite) Riders of the Purple Sage (1931, based on Zane Grey novel) plus 4 cartoons. Ah, small towns in the 50s--we probably didn't appreciate the peace and quite then, but isn't if fun to misremember!

Report on the Class Breakfast, July 3, 2010

In the middle of June we got to thinking there would be no breakfast this year because the Fourth fell on a Sunday. Lynne and Nancy didn't want to see a tradition die, so they decided the class could have the breakfast on Saturday with no problem at all. Nancy talked with the folks at the Dogwood Inn, which is at the site of the old truck stop at "8 mile" at the corner of routes 64 and 26. They have a huge room there and they promised we could have it for our breakfast get together. It did in fact work out very well and we could visit without bothering other people.

It was a day of perfect weather and the restaurant set up things very nicely for us. The breakfast was at 8:30 am and many arrived early to visit. This year instead of "Ladies Only" as we've done for years, we invited the guys and also spouses. We had 19 in attendance and it seemed to work out perfectly. Sylvia read a funny little poem about reunions through the years and how each one changed through the years. Letters and e-mail from absent members were shared. Camera flashes went off and a group picture was taken at the end.

Those attending were Sylvia and Dave, Mary Jane and Dwayne, Moe and Nancy, Ron and Faye, Nancy and Don, Sara and Bill, Glenn and Donna, Jean, Lynne, Marion, Diane, and Jerry B.
Report by Nancy and Lynne with candid photos to come.
Update with additional photos.

Dear Class of 1957

Here's a 2 hankie and 3 belly laughs letter from our class president, sent to Lynne for the breakfast event on July 3, 2010.

Dear Classmates-

Let me say first that I am sorry to not be able to be with you this weekend. You all are the greatest people in the world. I wouldn’t trade my experiences with you for anything . What wonderful memories I have of the plays, the sports, the proms, the classes we all had together through elementary school and high school. Latin with Mr. Kinsley, chemistry with Mr Burstrom, gym or PE with Lew Behrens, English with Mrs. Burstrom, 7th and 8th grade with Mr. Rahn and Mrs. Westfall.

Who can forget the PE classes where we chose partners and learned to square dance? Happy memories… like…be sure to shower before you go into the pool and dip your feet in the disinfectant pond. How about the hot dogs in the canteen when we were playing pool, the marching band at the football and basketball games with Beth Amsrud, watching the Kable Kolts at the Community Gym, singing in the mixed chorus, playing football for JR Worley, Rusty Egan and The Whiz Kids basketball team who came one game shy of going to the state tourney, the dairy whips and hot dogs for lunch at Mt Morris Dairy for 26 cents, sticking straws on the ceiling at Felkers by dipping the ends in our marshmallow cokes and blowing them up to the tin ceiling, (how about a Green River?), penny candies at the 5 & 10 cent store, Cremo Baker and his popcorn stand at the bandstand on Saturday night, cruising Main Street on weekends with loud mufflers and Chief Palmer and Dan Claussen watching for rowdy behavior, filling up the jalopy at Harry Horton’s Mobil station for 18 cents a gallon, the great badminton games in the high school gym, soccer and baseball on the diamonds on the playground, King of the Hill on mounds of wintry snow, picnics at the Pines where we played the faculty in softball, all this and more makes us what we are.

Goodbye to Sharon, Mary Lou, Jerry, Larry, Norman, Tomas, Duane, Don, Klaus, Libby and Neal--God bless them all. We miss you guys. Have a great party, everyone. I love you all.

Judy and I live in Owensville Missouri now and extend an invitation to you all to visit.

 Mike

The 35th Class Reunion, 1992

The Mt. Morris High School Class of 1957 celebrated its 35th class reunion by "Going back to the good ole days" and recreating their 1954 Sophomore Homecoming float. It won a first place that year and was the first float to ever beat out the Seniors.  It was also the first float to ever use spray paint instead of colored napkins. Taking four weeks, 9500 napkins and two gallons of paint, class members met at the High School Bus Garage and put many hours into this labor of love, but had lots of fun and socializing, too. For the re-creation, a stuffing party was scheduled for Thursday, July 2, 1992, when local classmates and those from afar joined together to visit and finish the float. Classmate Salley O., a teacher at the high school, took other members and two retired teachers on a tour through the Junior and Senior High Schools. Food and drink plus 50s music was an added bonus for the evening.

On Friday evening July 3, thirty-four classmates attended the 35th Reunion at the White Pines Inn in White Pines State Park. They entered the Pump Room through a cluster of red and black balloons. Each table was decorated with red and black balloons with bases of red and black foil paper on mirrors with votive cups and red candles with red napkins on a white table cloth.

The social hour began at 6:30 p.m. and during that time a group photo was taken by Ken Heern Photography. There was much fun and emotion as classmates greeted each other. Many had not seen each other in over 5 years or longer. Following the smorgasbord of roast beef, fried chicken, and nostalgia, Mike B., 1957 class president, welcomed all class members and had many thanks for all who helped so faithfully working on our special project. Mike gave a short entertaining talk and a card was circulated for an ill member unable to attend. Afterwards, many class members went on to the Alumni Dance held at the Mt. Morris Moose Club, providing an opportunity to visit with other alumni.

On July 4, thirteen ladies of class met for their annual breakfast at Peters Cafe in Leaf River. Then it was time to get the float ready by 12:30 and hoist the 9' tall skunk onto the carpeted hay rack with a beautiful garden of over 60 handmade flowers made of tissue paper. Even the wheels had a fresh coat of paint and the wagon tongue was wrapped in red and black crepe paper to show off our accomplishment. A 1954 John Deere tractor owned by Mary Jane and Dwayne pulled the float to the music of the Statler Brothers singing "Class of 57." A lot of classmates walked the whole parade route behind the float and many others joined along the way. By the time the float passed the reviewing stand there were 23 class members walking with the skunk looking down with a big smile on its face. Following behind them was a 1964 Pontiac Convertible owned and driven by classmate, Jerry W., with his special guest, Lester Mayes. The float won a 2nd place ribbon in the float division, but to us it was a first place winner from beginning to end.

Traveling to the reunion from a distance were Dick Z., Justina K., Sharon G., Nancy L., Myron B, Mike S., Mike B., Glenn R., Duane B., and Marvin M. Near-by and local members attending were Salley O., Jean M., Sara Y., Ron D., Steven B., Francine K., Nancy G., Melvin K., Mary Jane F., Dwayne Z., Sylvia T. David S., Norm G., Diane B., Nancy S., Ebba L., Melvin R., Bonnie W., Sylvia H. Libby M., Marion D., Priscilla D., Darlene H., and Glen O.

Another reunion was in the planning for 1997 in five years.

(Submitted by Nancy S., the class archivist and diarist)