Coach Ray Walder

I am still waiting on an official confirmation or obituary for Coach Ray Walder, who died recently at age 90.  Ray and Faye have been living with youngest daughter Cathy.  The news has been circulating on various MMHS lists, but the family (as of Feb. 17) hadn't put a notice in the paper. Here is the note in the 1955 MMHS Mounder, which means even those of us who were not athletes, had him for an instructor. I think general science was a required course.

"Science is Mr. Walder's field.  He teaches biology and general science in addition to coaching the fresh-soph football and basketball teams which takes a lot of his time.  Mr. Walder can usually be seen at the games.  He is a graduate of Iowa State Teachers College with his Bachelor of Arts degree."

 

High school tennis by Mike

Based on a 1955 Mounder, I think I know the people in this story. (nbruce, blogger)

"I happen to know someone who holds a world record. He holds the record for the world's longest tennis racket throw. (Unsubstantiated of course, it has never been entered into the official record books because, I suppose of embarrassment). My doubles partner in high school had a terrible temper, it was pretty funny, you know? He'd miss a crucial shot in an important match and he'd jump up and down, hit his racket on the court surface, and sometimes break it.

It was all his fault when I began to manifest the same behavior. ( Notice how I'm blaming him). We were in high school and he and I were winning a match against our rival team from Rochelle, Illinois. The coach, Lew Behrens was watching, and one of us settled under a lob in order to put it away for the final point in the first set, and hit the ball on the racket frame, rather than the strings, and the ball went into orbit over the fence and into the adjacent ball field. Well, I turned in anger and threw my racket high and far. It helicoptered onto the roof of the high school. How am I admitting this? Oh, the embarrassment! The coach admonished me, but not too much to affect my game, but he then loaned me HIS racket with the appropriate threat.

After the match, which we fortunately won, without any more foolish tantrums, I had to go fetch my racket somehow. So, I went inside to find the school custodian, Art Goldberg, and borrow a ladder. I found him in a stall in the Men's Room. The conversation went something like this:

Me: Mr Goldberg, where can I find a long ladder?
Art:  It's in the back.... Why do you need a ladder?
Me: Well I need to get on the roof.
Art: Oh, well it is in the back room behind....... Why do you need to get on the roof?
Me:  Something of mine is up there.
Art:  Oh, look in the storage..... What of yours is up there?
Me: My tennis racket.
Art: Oh. Well, get the ladder out and... How did it get up THERE?
Me: Uhhh.. I threw it there, I guess.

 By this time Art flushed and came out of the stall and said, "Oh it's you, Well I'm not surprised. I'll get it for you this time, but next time you'll need a new racket!"

 Bless his heart.

1954 Mounder photos