Running Compilation of Items for DUHS - Class of 1953



2003 Feb 22 Member UPdates
2003 Mar 06 Timely Notes
2003 Mar 12 Timely Notes
2003 Apr 13 Relaying of a notice from Professional Planner Creative Class Reunions.
2003 July 7 The INVITATIONS ARE IN THE MAIL -- and associated stuff.
2003 Sep 13 The Reunion WRAP UP.
2003 Sep 29 About Hurricane Isabel 18 Sept 2003.

== 22 Feb 2003 ==========

Vikings of 1953: (( all of this is also at http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2run03s.htm#D030222A )) If you have NOT YET received the preliminary PINK CARD from Creative Reunions regarding confirming your contact information for the REUNION, then PLEASE let me know. Meanwhile see at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2REUNON.htm If any of you have NOT YET received your initial contact card from Creative Reunions regarding our 50-th REUNION on 6-Sept-2003 at the LongBeach Marriott at the LongBeach Airport, then PLEASE contact me and let me know. They should have gone out to everyone in late January '03. If you have ideas, preferences, or (ESPECIALLY) would like to volunteer for any aspect of reunion, then please contact the Crairman, Ben Rogers at email= whimsy2@earthlink.net If any of you can possibly attend the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies on Friday 23 May'03, then you will see our classmate Carl Kardinal honored for his achievements as a Medical Doctor specializing in the research and treatment of cancer. A few good copies of the Senior Class yearbook pages are available for the CHEAP price of $8.50 Post-Paid. The Class's pages on the School's WebSite have been UPdated. [you may have heard of a few of these before but owing to the questionably intermittent availability of the School's WebSite, I'm repeating some..] There is new info for .. Bertha "Brett" Comisaroff, Barbara Genow, Florence Palazzolo, Virginia Parker, Bobbie Petterson, Althea Sand, Jacqueline Tibert, Wayne White. Also it is sad to note the passing of Wanda Hall, Peggy Harris, Richard Haslip, Tom Hollis, David Shandley. Some new pictures are in for Sheelagh Jennings, David Felling, Mike Stelzer, Gary Garrett, Ron Schmiedeke, Norm Collins, Joan Wintermute, Myra Martin, Joan Wintermute, Donna Parvin. See the above stuff at the pages such as ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/ The Class of 1953 Page http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/duhs53.htm The Class List http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/duhs53uu.htm The "Missing" http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2pictur.htm The Pictures Index http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2portyb.htm The Yearbook Senior Portraits http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2pik99.htm The Picnic of 1999 http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/Dymail01.JPG -thru -10.JPG The MAIL-INs If your picture does NOT appear in either of the last two references, then PLEASE send in a recent picture of the portrait/headshot/passport type for inclusion there. If you can help with locating any of the "Missing" shown at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/duhs53uu.htm then PLEASE contact me. If you can help with identifying any of the "unknowns" at any of the pages at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2panojr.htm http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2panorm.htm http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2elempx.htm then PLEASE contact me. RE: PROBLEMS -- There have been some problems with the School's WebSite's becoming UNavailable. Some of the problems are due to troubles at the School, at the District Office, and at the County Office of Education. Some of the problems are due to an absence of a proper translation of the School's URL (downey.dusd.net) to its proper IP-address (209.147.47.21) at various points throughout the InterNet; the reason for this is still UNknown, but it IS now better than it was a few weeks ago. For some diagnostic hints in case of future trouble and an overview of some of the available elements, see the "IN CASE OF TROUBLE" area at ... http://home.earthlink.net/~dhoskins/hughspen/alumni.htm

== 06 Mar 2003 ==========

Vikings of 1953: (( all of this is also at http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2run03s.htm#D030306A )) Have just heard from Bertha Comisaroff, who after a name change and a marriage, is now know as Brett Robin. See her ketter at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2item3a.JPG She sent in a pic of her in 1953 (since she did not finish at DUHS) and in 2003; these will be found at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/Dymail10.JPG Also she forwarded 4 group pics from our Elementary days; these will be found at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2elempx.htm class= DowneyElem Grade 2 Room B class= DowneyElem Teachers during our Grade 3 class= DowneyElem Teachers during our Grade 4 class= DowneyElem Grade 6 - All of the Girls These came with NO NO NO names on them, so I had to dredge waaaaaay back in my grey-matter cells to fetch out some. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take a good close look at all of them and help to CORRECT or ADD-TO the identification of as many as possible. Also she set along the words to our 6-th Grade Graduation song which I do NOT recall being presented at all, but then some things do slip by; see at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/eled06s1.htm or right here. Farwell friends and classmates so true, 'Tis time now to bid you adieu. Sweet memories we'll keep though we part, These school days are dear to our heart. In years we spent together, We learned how to work and play. We wish that we could linger, 'Tis time now we must say ... Farwell friends and classmates so true, We bid you a last fond adieu. Q. Does anyone recall who wrote this? Thanks,, /s/ Hugh

== 12 Mar 2003 ==========

Vikings of 1953: (( all of this is also at http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2run03s.htm#D030312A )) 1. Raymond Johnson has been found via Alex Petrie's efforts in monitoring the new folks who sign onto CLASSMATES.COM; his latest info will appear on the site soon. PLEASE see if you can help with any of the other "Lost Ones" listed at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/duhs53uu.htm 2.-- FOUR(4!!) NEW Elementary Pics!!! and Sr.High Program As several of you may recall, I've often said that I have some of these pics here but did not know where. Well I went looking, and (as might be expected) they were in the EXACT LAST place that I looked. They are now online at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/eled03af.htm http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/eled04cf.htm http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/eled05cf.htm http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/eled06bf.htm PLEASE PLEASE help identify those with NO names and also those with question?marks in the name. Also I found a clean copy of the Graduation Night Program; it is at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/allclass/L2memtos.htm Some of these have a Robert McGuire who is NOT the same as Richard McGuire; BUT I do NOT recall more than one(1) McGuire. Would appreciate anyone's (especially Richard McGuire's) confirming that the name Robert McGuire has been properly assigned. PLEASE PLEASE also help identify those on the people in recent pictures from Bertha Comisaroff at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/eled02bf.htm http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/eled06gf.htm http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/eled03tf.htm http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/eled04tf.htm AND ALSO ALL OF THE OTHERS LINKED FROM ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2elempx.htm http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2pictur.htm ___________________ 3.-- Another Current Portrait Dixie Jennings/Duncan's current Picture is now at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/Dymail10.JPG ______________________________________________ 4.-- COUPLES Have tried to pick out the uniquenesses of couples with Spouses from our class of 1953 and Spouses from other classes in the School in the 6 groups below .... PLEASE PLEASE let me know if you can think of any others in any of these categories --- DUHS - 1953 Couples -- Spouses from withIN the class: ( ttl=7 ) STILL TOGETHER ... Agnew, Marvin Wm. 'Bud' Riley'53, Carolyn Riley/Agnew, Carolyn Sue Agnew'53, Bud Blackmore, Thomas David Pearson '53, JoAnne Pearson/Blackmore, Jo Anne Blackmore'53, Tom Count = 4 /2 =2 _____________ Widow(er)ed ... Brown/Mannino, Patricia C. Mannino'53, (w.Guy J. Mannino, Guy Joseph Brown '53, Pat Voge/Lennox, Alta Marie Lennox'53, (w.Jim Lennox, James Edward Voge '53, Alta Kearns, Mike Moses'53, Cecelia Count = 4 ==> 6 /2 =3 _______________ Divorced ... Berge/Kruger, Jacklyn Joann Kruger'53, (v.Fred Oleen/Smith, Sherlyn Joyce Smith'53, (v.Dick Count = 2 ==> 4 /2 =2 ================================================== DUHS - 1953 Couples -- spouses from other classes: ( ttl=37 ) STILL ... Altig, Richard Smithers '58, Sharon Bartlett, Leonard Anthony Lowe'58, Mary A. Berg, John W. Grider '55, JaniceC. Cox, Preston David Fleming '55, Lindia Dawson, John Ward Caldwell'55, Janice Fricke/Hayman, Dolores Hayman'52, Don Hoskins, Hugh Thomas Klauser'58, Arliss Hunt, William Sheridan Magnusson'58, Diane Jerome, Richard Booker '54, Donna Katanjian, George Babigan'54, Betty Kauffman/Ferrante, Betty Louise Ferrante'51, Mario Knudsen, Bernard Henry Wyatt'55, Carolyn D. Malchow/Fitch, Una Carol Fitch'52, Burt Miner/Holtkamp, Jill Marie Holtkamp'51, Norman Moore/Brown, Loretta Brown'52, Tom Powell, Kenneth Allen Macon'54, Mary Rudd, Wayne Charles Scherzer'55, Ann Shaw, Jack LeRoy Marshall'56, Clyda Stelzer, Mike Conrad Davidson '54, Deanna Stokes, William Patrick Rundel'54, Carolyn J. Timpke, Howard Arthur Cosner '55, Suzanne Varela/O' Hair, Mary Margaret O' Hair'55, Jimmie E. Watts/Monahan, Mary Ann Monahan'52, Gerald E. Wilks, William 'Bill' Isaac Grey '54, Marilyn Zeuthen, Axel Frederick Maxwell '56, Carolyn Count = 25 _____________ Widow(er)ed ... Dever/Fuller, Sarabelle "Sally" Fuller'52, (w. Robert Harris/Winters, Margaret "Peggy" I Winters'57, (#.Paul Henney/Barnes, Eva Marie Barnes '44, (w.Don Hollis, William Thomas Krebs '56, (#.Carole Horton, Jim F. Neff'55, (#.Dixie Katanjian, George Malin '54, (w.Robin Mc Calman, Victor M. Chadwick '54, (#.Lois Moore, Bill Eugene Schroeder'55, (#.Virginia Pineira/Rodriguez, Sally Frances Rodriguez'52, (w.Dave Weber/Bennett, Barbara Jean Bennett'49, (w.Bob Count = 9 ==> 10 ___________ Divorced ... Huff/Krebs, Elizabeth Ann Krebs'52, (v.Fred Sabala, Frank Waters'58, (v.Sharon Count = 2 =============================

== 13 Apr 2003 ==========

Vikings of 1953: Several of the class have gotten a general broadcast message from "Creative Reunions", the "Professional Planner", with which we have made arrangements for the Class' 50th Reunion. Some of us who have gotten the message have been UNABLE to visit the WebSite referenced in the URL in that message, because it simply comes-up "blank". When I alerted some of the Steering Committee to the problem, then I learned that some of them did NOT even get the message -- much less have any success or failure visiting the WebSite. It is UNclear to me as to whether it was Creative's intent was to send such a message to ... A. ALL of those for whom they have email addresses B. ALL of those who have registered at Classmates.Com C. ALL of the above So I am now forwarding a copy to ALL of those for whom I have email addresses. If you already received a copy from Creative, please ignore and excuse the duplication. If you have any technical problem with visiting their site, then please notify them of such via email to ... , with a copy to me at ... Although there is no particular ability to establish any correlation, it does not seem to me that my having registered at classmates.com has caused any particular spam email, so it might be wise for the rest of you to do so, too, in order to possibly increase your chances of receiving whatever messages that Creative might send out in the future. /s/ Hugh Their original message with a minor syntax change follows ..................... ____________________________________________________________ Reunion Reminder ____________________________________________________________ This message is from Professional Planner Creative Class Reunions. Hi, Hugh Don't forget! The Downey High School Class of 1953 Reunion is coming up soon. Don't miss out on the fun! Here are the details: The Easter Bunny comes and goes as quickly as the spring...and so will the Downey High Class of 1953 Reunion! Plan ahead and save some money. Purchase your reunion tickets through the month of April and receive $5.00 off each ticket price. To mail or fax in your order, go online to http://www.creativereunions.com and go to 2003 Reunions. Find your school's name and click on it. Click on the Easter Special to view and print the order form. You can also get personal assistance from one of our friendly operators by calling 1-800-700-6607, Monday through Friday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm PST. Don't forget to remind your classmates about this special (if they haven't heard about it, they're probably not signed up with Classmates.com!). The more classmates we contact, the BIGGER THE PARTY! Hope to hear from you soon. P.S. Please disregard this message if you have already purchased your tickets. - Creative Class Reunions and your Reunion Committee For more details, visit your reunion page at Classmates. http://www.classmates.com/go/e/1453293/RR030303M/RE1 Thanks for being an important part of Classmates and have a great time at your reunion.

== 07 July 2003 ==========

Vikings of '53: This is also at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2run03s.htm#D030707A * ANNOUNCEMENTS IN MAIL The Official Announcement/Invitation to the events of our 50-th reunion appear to have been mailed out. Mine came in the mail on Sat 5 July, as did many others. Please watch your mailbox carefully, and if yours does NOT arrive by Fri 11 July, then please let me know. Hope to see you all here. Whether or not you can attend, PLEASE do return the Questionnaire in order to MAXimize the package for your classmates. Absences will only be excused with a note signed by a parent or guardian and notarized. The list of the "missing" is somewhat INcomplete; please see at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/duhs53uu.htm for a more complete list; if you can help with locating any of those, please contact me. The inclusion of "Sheryln Smith" in the missing, is INcorrect; our Sherlyn Joyce Oleen Smith is VERY MUCH in touch. --- * Personal Contacts Might IN-crease Attendance --- The "already responded" list includes everybody who responded to the initial mailing of the Pink-Card; it does NOT mean that they are going to attend. In order to make YOUR reunion a super event, we need to MAXimize the attendance -- possibly personal contact would help. Many folks have super-good cell-phone deals with UN-limited night and/or weekend time. If you are one of those lucky ones and are so inclined, please try to call as many as possible of your classmates as listed at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/duhs53.htm and urge them to attend. If everybody starts with the A's, then there will be a lot of duplication, so suggest starting with your letter of the alphabet and work in both directions until you discover that someone else has been working the other way. --- ** Ancillary activities -- Please note the potential for a golf event; if interested, do contact Daryl McClusky at 310/543-2697; he's recovering from a knee-replacement, but hopes NOT to have the high score. Thru the efforts of Mike Stelzer and Alex Petrie who are up-fronting the manufacturing cost, there will be DUHS-1953 baseball-style caps on sale at the event. These will be VERY SIMILAR to the one I'm shown wearing on the page at .. http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/Dymail05.JPG They should make excellent souvenirs and will be sold pretty much "at cost"; hopefully the supply and demand will match very closely; if you note that the supply seems high as the night draws old, then suggest that you consider buying to avoid any left-overs. The probability is VERY HIGH (still in the planning) that the event will be video-taped and that copies will be available thru the mail afterward. This will be done by a professional, so should be better than my attempts at the 1999 picnic. --- * WebSite --- The School's WebSite had been up-down-up-down-up-down-up-down in the past few days; stability is not a priority with the District, but should smooth out after the long weekend. There are problems with the name-identifications on the page at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2panojr.htm There is a duplication of photos on the pages at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/eled05b1.jpg http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/eled05c1.jpg These were pointed out by Sally Harris' husband, Ralph Lawson, and he's NOT even a member of the class. Shame on the rest of you for not finding these first. --- * New Photos ONLINE --- Please note the set of photos at which has recently been updated to include Sandra Himmelfarb and Richard "Pete" Beck; See at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/Dymail01.JPG -thru- -11.JPG If yours isn't among them or in the set at .. http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2pik99.htm then please send one in. --- * Latest Address Info --- Most recent "finds" are Judy Lowman/Acquistapace (who will move soon from PrescottValley,AZ, to Menifee, CA, -- near SunCity). a new addr for Dick Altig, and an email addr for Richard "Pete" Beck. The latest updates of Address info is now at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/duhs53.htm Hope to see you all here. /s/ Hugh =============================

== 13 Sept 2003 ==========

Vikings of 1953 (and others):: All of this is at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2run03s.htm specifically ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2run03s.htm#D030913A WOW did we have a GREAT TIME -- or what ? ! ! ? The date of Saturday 6 September 2003 will long be remembered by those who attended. Am not clear as to the final count, but there were 160 places set, and no one can recall an empty chair. "Some of the best laid plans etc., etc.." - - Still not sure how it happened, but owing to apparent time constraints and the hijacking of the schedule/event by the DJ, I never got around to making my "Logistics" pitch to answer all of the questions that I'd been asked, relate what I'd learned about the class, make observations about the past of DUHS and the Downey area, beg for updates, and plea for comments about in the future. SOOO, those of you who have InterNet access may now read it and a few other things, linked from the page at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2reuin0.htm specifically, the item at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/L2reuin3.htm Bob Siemann's wife, Dee, made a beautiful quilt as a door prize; eventually a picture of it will be posted on the WebSite; even though she was not a DUHS grad, she seems to have expressed a great understanding of the School in her excellent craftsmanship. Donna Parvin was the holder of the winning ticket and feels that it such a great work of art that she wanted to somehow share it with others, so has designated herself as the first "Keeper of the Quilt" and will share the honor; accordingly, it will be brought to the next reunion to be passed on in similar fashion to the next lucky ticket holder. To those of you who took candid pictures of any of the reunion activities and have them in -.JPG digital format, please send along files of the best ones, and I'll try to post them on the WebSite. If you were to have any good duplicates then please send one to Margie (Morrow) Smith, 1850 Fairway #44, Chino Hills, Calif. 91709 (ph.909/597-2958) as she is planning to make a scrapbook to share the next time. One of the links from the first URL above is to some tivia questions. So far, no one knows the answer to the one about the Mosaic; if you think that you know, then please help unlock the mystery. If any of you picked-up any new E-Mail addresses from others that are not on the page at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/duhs53.htm would appreciate your sharing them with me. A long-standing error in yearbooks, my files, and elsewhere needs the be set straight: it's Lois Patersen, not "-son". Does anyone have any idea what ever happened with the Patricia Patterson and Patricia Peterson or how they might be located? The media's talk of hurricane Isabel in the Atlantic reminds me: what ever happened to Isabel Shapiro? Please note that there are still souvenir hats for sale; the price and ordering address are still UN-decided but watch the WebPages. Similarly, there are still copies of the Senior Picture pages of our '53 Volsung available for the "cheap" price of $8.50 postage-paid from Hugh Hoskins by sending your check to him. The old Episcopal church which used to stand on the south side of 5-th street across from the home of our band director, Caesar Mattei, was de-constructed and re-constructed at Knott's Berry Farm in 1955. It is now going to be moved again to another location on the property; this will give better access to the church and better construction opportunity for amusements to the new owners of the Farm, Cedar Fair LLP - http://www.cedarfair.com/ KEEP IN TOUCH -- SEE YOU NEXT TIME, -- BUT ONLY IF YOU KEEP IN TOUCH! Know that most of us don't like to think about our own mortality, but please ask your families to inform us whenever you might join those Viking Norsemen in Valhalla. Meanwhile - Watch for stuff at ... http://downey.dusd.net/~dhsalumni53/ Yours for a smoooooth interim period,, /s/ Hugh T. Hoskins, DUHS'53 =============================

== 29 Sept 2003 ==========

Vikings of 1953 (and others):: The following two messages are the only first-hand account that I've received from anyone in the path of Hurricane Isabel. They come from Gerald "Jerry" Monahan of Downey Union High School class of 1952 who is married to the former MaryAnn Watts from my class of 1953; they live in Virginia Beach, Va. _____ From: "Jerry Monahan" To: "Hugh T. Hoskins" Subject: Hurricane Isabel Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 16:24:59 -0400 Dear Hugh, Isabel has come and gone. On hurricane day Thursday Sep 18th, we lost power at 8:00 in the morning - no computer > no e-mail - and got it back 6 days, 12 3/4 hours later during the evening of Sep 24th. Mary and I as well as our children and their families had no injuries. Our damage amounted to some small limbs broken from our trees and leaves everywhere. Some of our neighbors were not so lucky. My daughter's neighbor had a tree uproot and fall into his living room. There was quite a bit of similar damage here in Virginia Beach as well as the neighboring cities and countryside. There are also still quite a few folks who remain without power today. Thank heaven we only have a storm like Isabel every so often. She was the first bad tropical storm we've had in 20 years. It can be another 20 as far as I'm concerned. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers. Jerry and Mary ____ From: "Jerry Monahan" To: "'Hugh T. Hoskins'" Subject: RE: Hurricane Isabel Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2003 19:37:20 -0400 Hugh, Mary and I have a three B/R ranch about 12 miles in from the beach. Isabel came ashore about 90 miles south of us between Cape Hatteras and Wilmington, NC. She followed a West by Northwest course inland about 80 miles then did a hard right and ran up through Virginia along the Interstate 95 corridor. This placed us in the NE quadrant of the storm for quite a few hours. This quadrant of a hurricane has the highest winds and embedded tornados that do most of the damage. About a half-block from us are the headwaters of a river that flows south about 25 miles into North Carolina's Albemarle Sound. If Isabel had come ashore as a force 4 or 5 we stood a good chance of flooding due to the powerful storm surge pushing water back up the river. These storms can really pack a punch! As for the power outage, I had purchased a 2.5KW generator to run the frig/freezer and a couple of lights. We fired it up when it quit raining after the storm and ran it about 6-8 hours a day. I didn't hook it up to my computer because our cable was down hence no broadband connection. Fortunately we had telephone service throughout the storm and it's aftermath. We didn't lose any food and had enough non perishable food to last us a couple of weeks if need be. We had filled the cars with gas and had about 9 gallons of gas for the generator to last until retailers came on-line. All-in-all we were pretty well fixed if services and retailers didn't open for a week or so. I'm glad we didn't have to test our plan too far. Jerry -----