National Honor Society election 1956

No date on this Index photo, but it says we were juniors (1955-56), and in the Yearbook photo the girls are wearing white shoes, so induction must have been in the Spring, because you know we all followed those fashion dictates in those days. The Yearbook reported that only 15% of a class can be elected, and the Index said the upper 25%, and both that the standards were rising. The class of 1956 had 8 members, ours only 5.

King and Queen of 4-H--Dwayne and Mary Jane

You can click to enlarge and read the story about two members of our class, Mary Jane and Dwayne being crowned King and Queen of the Ogle County 4-H clubs in Spring 1956. Nancy L. another class member was included in the Royal Court. What a lovely slight this must have been during the candle lighting ceremony.

Lynne completes 700 mile walk during summer 2010

Possibly she didn't get those last few miles in--but last I heard, with 3 days of summer left, she'd walked 670 miles. Walking 5 miles a day is nothing for her. Now think about how small Mt. Morris is! She must know every tree, bird and bus driver by name!

Imagine what our track team could have done in the old days if the teams were co-ed!

Train photos by Wesley Fane and Steve Smeadly.

Reviewing the 1956 football season at MMHS

About three and a half years ago I posted this slide show and story by Lynne about the 1956 losing football season. It's kind of nostalgic, so maybe you'd enjoy reading it again.

Memories of another campaign

Classmate Lynne and her sisters have been active in the 2008 campaign, and it brings back some memories of their mother, Rose.

"We know Mom would be happy with our work for Obama, as this reminds me of her work for Adlai Stevenson in 52 and 56. She loved to tell the story of the lady that gushed to Stevenson, "Oh, all thinking people will be voting for you," to which Stevenson replied, "Madam, that isn't enough." I can remember our dining room table full of envelopes, stamps and sheets of information and her ladies working and chattering away. Supper on those autumn nights was always early and homework was done on your bedroom floor (I had a desk by '56). They'd go door to door, too and off to Rockford and Chicago to rallies. They had a lot of fun. I think they knew they were losing, but losing with class, as Mom would say...."

A Losing Season

[Note from Norma. This is my first attempt at a slide show--needs a little work, and I'm not real techie. I think if you click on "view all images" you can see the whole photo instead of having a head chopped off. And I'm missing a few photos. I'm working on it!]

Contributed by Lynne

The fall of 1956 in our town was typical of most small midwestern villages of the time. Trees had turned, air was chilled, school had started. We went off to our senior year expectations high. After all, our Mounders had won 'em all in '55.

However, as the record shows, '56 was a different kind of football season. We learned how to lose and I learned to love football. Football became a life long love affair. (I admit here to not fully understanding the game until the early '70's when a dear man explained it in detail--many times!) If memory serves, the worst game was against Polo in the pouring rain--40 to zip. I stood in the rain ruining a new jacket and a pair of saddle shoes, a near tragedy to a 17 year old girl.

As a older lady dedicated to physical fitness, I walk behind our old high school. The track is still there and in quite good repair. Spring, Summer and Fall will find me there and in the fall my five mile walk takes me back fifty years. All it really takes to trigger this flood of memories is a whiff of wood smoke and "my eyes have a mist of the smoke from a distant fire."

The bleachers are gone, the lights, the goal posts and the announcers booth. But, if you listen you can hear the band squeaking and squawking their way across the football field to form the "M" formation or hear Chuck Wean calling the game, the sound of a ref whistle, hearing the student body, parents and villagers as Sara Y. and Nancy G. extol us with "Rickety, Rackety Shanty Town. Who can hold those Mounders down? NOBODY!

"Though much is taken, much abides." Maybe it wasn't about winning after all.