"MERRY CHRISTMAS" CLOVIS HIGH SCHOOL, CLASS OF '51

That long-ago day in late May of 1951, just before 

or just after graduation (who can remember?) a

never-before-scene occurred right there on the

CHS "campus," on the scruffy lawn in front of the

band shell.

Someone had set up a volley ball net and a

handful of CHS '51 kids were playing volleyball!

It was late morning and I was one of 'em! The

whole world was young, then, and we were all

ready to tackle life.

I doubt that was an ache or a pain to be found

anywhere in the bunch; all were seventeen or

eighteen. Mostly---the latter. We thought we'd 

live forever.

If someone had said: "You know, don't you,

that a hard life of work is ahead, and all of you

will be 80 or 81 by 2014, we'd have shrugged

it off.

Alas, many of our comrades who started out 

with us in 1939 in Eugene Field and La

Casita Schools, have fallen along the Trail.

Maybe half of us or more...who call tell...

We've later seen many of these life-friends along 

the way, here and there and at ten reunions,

as noted in a previous article. There are a number

that perhaps felt no kinship or interest in "the

class," and we've never seen or heard from

them since graduation.

The sounds of "POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE"

had barely faded from our ears, and they were

gone forever.

Many others of CHS '51 have attended some or 

all of the ten reunions. 

MIL'S PLACE, since its inception on 3/31/11,

has been devoted to early Clovis and CHS '51

memories, and has pieces written by CHS '51 

and '53 grads.

In going through my archives recently, I found

a well-done publicity paper, advertising the 

CHS '51 FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY CLASS

REUNION, TO BE HELD SEPTEMBER 14,

15, AND 16, OF 2001. It was prepared by

the committee headed by Betty (Snyder) 

Culver, Bill Kinyon, and Phyllis (Lee) Walker.

This piece, giving reunion information, and

names already registered, and other vital facts,

brought warm and nostalgic memories to me.

Thus I have decided to send it out this Christmas.

as a kind of nice remembrance of old times,

old experiences,  and old comrades. And... it 

is likely that there are few of these 50th reunion 

publicity sheets still extant.

************************

QUOTING:

"OUR 45TH REUNION WAS A FUN-FILLED TIME

OF SHARING MEMORIES, EXPERIENCES---

RENEWING CHERISHED FRIENDSHIPS, AND

(FOR SOME), MAKING NEW FRIENDS. 

WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING EACH OF 

YOU, OUR CLASSMATES IN SEPTEMBER, 2001,

SO MAKE YOUR PLANS NOW!

WE WILL BE DISAPPOINTED IF YOU AND YOUR 

SPOUSE OR OTHER SPECIAL GUEST CANNOT

ATTEND!"

A busy time of interesting activities was planned, and

supervised by committee members. 

Jerry Crook and Bill Kinyon  hosted GOLF.

Bus tours of Cannon AF Base, CHS, and Homes were

planned. An auction was planned to be supervised by

Frank Blackburn and Dave Collins.

The last evening a banquet was planned at a fine

restaurant---"THE LANDING," at Cannon AFB, west

of town, with Jimmy Whatley presiding.

Ah, but the smoke was yet rising from the wreckage

of the New York TWIN TOWER event of September

11, 2001, when the time came for our reunion. The

Cannon Base, as well as all military installations, was

on high alert and closed to the public. We had a really

delicious meal at Holiday Inn, instead.

As a part of this Christmas-time memory, I thought it

would be interesting to record again, once more, 

those class members who were "signed up" to attend:

Phyllis (Lee) Walker.               

Audrey Cole Jacks
Gene Walker.                          

Marilyn Jones Woodard
Janelle Vandiver Pershall.       

Rita Sharp Lancaater
Jack Murphy.                           

Lili Jameson Ashby
Elizabeth Harper May.              

Dolores Petty Paskiewicz
Wayne Hancock.                      

Bill Kinyon
Jo Heying Shown.                    

Wanda King Snipes
Dave Collins.                            

Art Snipes
Jim Whatley.                            

Joyce Green Parker
Robert Elmore Lansford            

Milburn R. Moore
Ruth Foster Sikes                     

Betty Madera Holloman
Sondra Price Bewley.                

Earl Riley
Ida Mae White Roberts.            

Jo Ann Williams
Jerry Roberts.                           

Charlotte Kelly Camerer
Marcia Stebbins Pearson.         

Jerry Crook
Dorothy Trigg Hannebutt.           

George Martin
Bob Stebbins.                           

Betty Snyder Culver
Sherman Williams.                     

Norma EAly Patterson
E.J Jouette.                                

Don Todd
Dixie Sanderson Peterson.         

John Sieren
Sue Barnett Hale.                       

Levi Brake
Bill Hale.                                     

Ellen Wells Ellison
Bobby Griffith.                             

James Timmons
Claire Stroud Hofer.                    

Johnny Pickering (Hon.)
Frank Blackburn.                         

Albin Covington

************************************************

STILL QUOTING:

We are missing and have no addresses for the following

class members (MIL's note--this was in 2001)---

Don Campbell.                       Ramona Garcia Gonzales                             

H.N. Carter                             Barbara Ann Hart

Gene Clements.                     Charles Odom

Wilma Foster Martin

"WE WERE A 'SPECIAL CLASS' AT CHS AND ALL OF US

MADE UP A 'FAMILY OF CLOSE FRIENDS AND FRIEND-

SHIPS' WE WANT YOU TO JOIN US....SEND US A NOTE.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM ALL OF OUR CLASSMATES."

**************************

MIL: A CHS '51 reunion was held in 2003 in Kerrville, Texas,

Jim Whatley's town and planned almost single-handedly

by JIm.

Wanda King Snipes, with the help of several CGS '51 members

planned reunions in Albuquerque in '06 and '08, the latest

one being the 57th. We missed the SIXTIETH.

It has been over thirteen years now since the MAGIC 

FIFTIETH...HOW TIME FLIES!  

Gene Walker and I try to send out a bit of class news now

and then...and like to keep up with CHS '51 members.

Any news of any one of them would be greatly appreciated

by Gene or me.

There are probably fifteen or more posts on MIL'S PLACE

re our beloved class.

Print this one and don't lose it---much info about the 50th,

and if you are like I (Miss Clark, did I get that right?), it

is good to read the list of names over, now and then.

A MEANINGFUL AND HAPPY CHRISTMAS SEASON TO 

ALL, THIS DECEMBER 25, 2014.

*******30******

BY MIL

12/01/14

(We were having our CLASS picture made on September 15,

2001, there at Holiday Inn, and many were hobbling up

onto the risers---like choirs use, and many's the riser I've sung

from--- and I made it up with my sore knee, and I leaned my 

arm on Sherman William's shoulder, one row below, and said:

"Sherman, hope you don't mind," and he looked around...

and just smiled an "okay.")