Memorial Day 2018.....CHS CLASS OF '51...REMEMBERING GENE WALKER

"We will meet you in the morning by the
     bright river side...when all sorrow
         has drifted away..."
             ...Old Southern Gospel Hymn


          Clovis High School


                     CHS Class of '51

DR. R. GENE WALKER

I didn't really get to know Gene until 

September of 1945 when the La Casita 

and the Eugene Field elementary  

school kids went to Clovis Junior High 

and the seventh grade.

In later years I found out that he and I

were in the Clovis Junior Police 

that met every Saturday morning at

the Sunshine Theater for a movie, ten-

cent popcorn, and a "briefing" on how

to keep a lookout for "perps," and 

also avoid being one. 

We had gray/blue uniform shirts with

shoulder emblems, all bought at

Levine's, and Gene was the 

Chief of the JuniorPolice.

At Junior High, he and Phyllis took 

Spanish 1 from Ms. MacFarland and 

danced the Jarabe Tapatillo in a 

musical at the Junior High gym..

In my mind I can still see the 

class-to-be of '51 graduating from

ninth grade one bright May morning…

marching in from the gym's N.E..

door to the stirring and unforgettable

strains of "POMP and CIRCUMSTANCE."

Gene was there in the school orchestra

playing his cello and looking sharp in

his orchestra suit. I was impressed and

that day was etched on my mind...we 

were young and feeling grown up on

that sunny May day of 1948...and really

beginning to feel like tackling life.

On to high school, where Gene and I were

in Boy's Chorus, Mr. Miller's Chemistry

class, and Spanish Three---taught by one

of our favorite teachers of all...Dora

Russell. We all had Spanish names and

Gene told me a few years ago that his was 

"Rafael," since Ms. Russell said there was

no "Gene" in Spanish. (I had forgotten kids'

Spanish names...)

There were ten class reunions over the 

years and the class owes much to Gene 

and his wife Phyllis (also CHS '51) for their

faithful efforts in planning class events.

After I began writing MIL'S PLACE, Gene

and I were often on e-mail with each other,

with some bit of class news...maybe a loss

of another classmate. ... sadly...

We lost track of a third of the class and he

told me several years ago "I'm afraid there

aren't that many of us left."

An interesting thing occurred early in 2017.

I saw a picture of the Methodist

Church's Men's Bible Class posted on a 

Clovis memorial calendar. It was somewhat

non-denominational, I think, and I wrote 

Gene with some questions about it.

Turned out that he himself had taught that

august class at one time and he sent me 

a packet of his lessons as a matter of 

interest and said: "You can keep these."

They were interesting, well-done, and I 

keep them as a fond memory.

Gene and Phyllis were in Albuquerque 

from time to time over he years and 

some of us CHS '51 "kids" would get 

together for breakfast or lunch at Daily 

Grind or Whole Foods.

He left us in 2017 and it was a big loss

to our beloved Class which graduated

that long-ago day in May, 1951.  Gene 

had spent his life in his dental practice

there in Clovis. He had many friends.

The class had lost a leader.

In fond memory....we will not forget...

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