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Richard Meek '65

Howdy all. TGIF. Looking forward to this weekend with Miss Paige. I was having dinner with my sister Becky, '68 at Luby's and ran into Jan Brinkmeyer, '65. It's amazing how many folks you can run into at Luby's.

Ted I had forgotten to include Mr. Yeager. By chance do you know his first name? I don't have a clue. The name Baker doesn't ring a bell with me. Don't know if he left before I got there or just faulty memory. Beau I don't remember if Mr. Leonard coached any or not. I do remember him because I took economics from him. I think Truitt did have a school in Cy-Fair named for him.

I'm surprised no one has asked about my reference to this request from Rip Roff aka Llynn Roff. Anyone curious?

Well it time to finish some bidness before calling it quits today. Everyone have a safe and grand weekend!

Keep on dancing,

Rich

Jan Barnes '65 (Nimtz)

Thanks Jackie for retrieving the music playlist.  I (for one) missed it.

Thanks Beau for the nice compliment.  I do my best with camera in hand.  And thank you for your photos and documentary (and Diane's) on your freedom ride.

Lastly, Happy Father's Day to all you guys who have spent the best years of your life rearing your child/children in the right direction.  As most father's know, that duty never ends.  Once a father, always a father.  And with some luck, maybe a grandfather.  With God's blessings, maybe even a great grandfather.  Keep up the good work and have a Happy Father's Day!

Douglas Romans

Rich, et al

Don't know any first names for Yeager or Baker (both of whom I DO, indeed recall at Black) but there also was another coach there named (FN?) Williams, a very tall dark-headed guy.

The main reason I remember his name is because Howard Kondolf once asked him, unthinkingly--"hey, Williams, what are we doing in gym today"--to which many of us gave out an audible groan noting the obvious lack of titular respect!

To which coach Williams promptly whipped out his paddle and proceeded to give Howard his FIRST and ONLY initiation into the strictly masculine pleasures of junior/senior high school butt swats.

DougR   

Linda Webster '65 (Jennings)

Beau & Diane- Happy Anniversary today!

And for tomorrow Happy Birthday to you Beau! and Happy Fathers Day to all you great fathers!!!!

Linda Webster J

Charles Charlie Brawner

Larry Cooper '65

You are right Charles about Coach Yaeger . His name was David and I believe he retired as Principal at Furr HS.

We were all very fortunate to have some outstanding teacher/coaches at Black and Waltrip. You were wrong about one thing however Charles. No one ever "beat up on you ". You were as tough a player I ever played with or against, and believe me , I was around some great ones !

Tell Jimmie Lee hello for me

Jackie Crowe (Finch)

Hope all you fathers had a good one!   BroBeau Happy Anniversary, Happy Birthday and Happy Father's Day - hope you had wonderful celebrations over the weekend!

Jan, thanks, I'm still working on playlist; this was just a start to see if it worked. 

Everyone have a great week.

Hugs,

J

Teddie Jordan

Larry, you did indeed play with and against some some great ones.

Charles, that is quite a compliment.

Beau, what handsome and smart grandkids! Just like chips off of the old block.

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

We all celebrate the '64 City Football Championship, and all our other great teams' winning seasons, but REMEMBER - our basketball team lost City to Austin and that team went on to win State that year - just sayin'

Teddie Jordan

The date was January 20, 1968, the place the Astrodome, which at that time was only about 2 1/2 years new. Fran and I were there along with 52,691 other screaming fans, the largest crowd ever to witness a college basketball game. The game, which will forever be known as the "Game of the Century", was between John Wooden's UCLA Bruins led by Lew Alcindor (later to become Kareem Abdul Jabbar), and Guy Lewis' Houston Cougars led by the Big E, Elvin Hayes. UCLA was undefeated in it's last 47 games and ranked number one in the AP rankings, Houston was undefeated that season and ranked number two in the nation.

Fran and I were seated with some friends in the student section. Larry Cooper was on the floor as a sophomore member of that talented Cougar team, which included Elvin Hayes, Don Chaney, Ken Spain and others!

What ensued that night was a basketball game for the ages. Houston led by 3 at halftime, but it was back and forth the whole game. At the final buzzer, Houston had won 71-69, and the place went wild. It will always hold a special place for me as the most exciting sporting event ever. That game, which was widely syndicated and hyped, and was the first time a regular season college basketball game had ever been broadcast nationwide in prime time, has always been credited with putting college basketball as we know it today on the map.

For the record they faced each other again in the NCAA tournament at the end of the season and UCLA won that matchup and went on to win it all.

So when Larry Cooper compliments Brawner on his basketball skills, it comes from a man who really has played with and against some of the greatest players to ever compete at the college level. And Larry, the fact that you were recruited by and played for a team with those talent levels also says a lot about your skills, and is something all of us from Waltrip and our community are proud of!

Richard Meek '65

Greeting all. Ted I was at that UCLA v. UH game in the Astrodome also. A truly memorable game. A game that you just went away going WOW!!! Something I don't think I'll ever forget. This discussion about Charlie Brawner and Larry Cooper is something to ponder. This kind of talent and personalities are a continual thread running through the Waltrip student body when we were all there. Then if you step back and look at the individuals we went to school with as adults it is even more amazing. The accomplishments and the quality of people they became is really something. As we've said many times on this Forum we were truly blessed to go to Waltrip and get to be part of that experience. what is even better is that through this Forum and the various parties and reunions it keeps on going. I'm proud and truly blessed to be a part of this group and to get to call you friends!

Rich

Larry Cooper '65

I just want to take this opportunity to let everyone know I have recently retired and warn everyone I plan to become an active participant on this forum !  I have really enjoyed reading all of the threads and the reflection back of our wonderful memories. I truly thought I had a good memory until I read Teddie, Beau, Scotty, Richard and many other's comments and stories. Teddie and Richard made me smile when they talked about the UCLA game.  I could not miss a shot in warm-ups that night only to know I would have a better seat than Teddie and Fran had !!

That was really a nice compliment Teddie and Richard said about me and thank you. We can all reflect back on our life decisions and know , for the most part, all has worked out well for us. I could have played for other schools and was really unhappy sitting the bench for 3 years, but I would have never met my wife Barbara and had our 2 wonderful daughters. Being an educator for 42 years was very special also.

Hope I can get to Fudd's soon...............

Charles Charlie Brawner

Larry, thanks for the nice words.  Guys like me with less talent had to work harder to keep up with younger, better players.  Hey guys, I was there too.  Drove in from SFA with some Frat Bros to see the game of the Century played in the 8th Wonder of the World.   #1 vs #2  and a two point game with an exciting finish.  Pretty cool...

Lloyd Pond

Hi everyone.

Still around, just been quiet lately. I have enjoyed a wonderful backuard full of wildflowers this spring . They have fade now but are tall enough that new fawns  can hide out there. Where are their Mamas? The Bambis are well camofloged and I can walk right up to them with out seeing them, Then they jump up and run off. Guess I will need Beau's Tractor Service to get the meadow cut in a few weeks

We have done lots of baby sitting with the grandkids. They wear us out prretty quick!

Summer vacation plans are a trip to Red River NM and Portland later

Jackie Crowe (Finch)

Love the forum - y'all are the greatest!   And Larry, happy retirement and welcome aboard!!   Cannot wait to hear more from you!  And please come to Fudd's - next date is July 10

Happy Birthday, Jimmie Lee!!!  Hugs, J

Paige Talley (Meek)

We remember and remember and remember... would that make the Forum our memoirs and will Jackie compile the Waltripian Memoirs? Wondering about books, are there any authors from our classes? What books? I would like to add them to my library. 

As I am not retired I gotta get back to work... Paige

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

Thanks for the B-Day wishes, Jackie.  Paige, yes we have 1 author from our class that I'm aware of - Bunny Paine.  She's just had her 2nd novel published.  Those of us who went to school with Bunny from Garden Oaks on up, remember her always in the process of writing a book, and it's paid off. 

Also, Leonard Critcher, who was a class or two ahead of us, had his first published recently and has the sequel in the works.  Check AMAZON.

Larry, hope you will enjoy your retirement and we look forward to hearing your comments on the forum.

Richard Meek '65

Morning all, if I'm not mistaken Eileen Caudell from the class of '65 is a published author. I think she writes mysteries.

Larry, congrats on your retirement. I look forward to your comments and seeing you at Fudd's. It'll be nice to have some younger company from the class of '65. Although I think our youngest regular attendee is Diane Wann, '72 (?).

Keep on dancing

Rich

Dance like no one is watching

Beau Wann, Jr.

Goot eefenink mine waltripians...Been absent without leave here on my most favorite activity...THA FORUM...Been woikin on the "sugar shack" (remember that tune?) Floors finally finished, in just the living room and library...got the rest of downstairs and upstairs to go...got painters woikin on the new siding...You know, I could have built the astrodome for all the "remodeling" I have done here, for the last 18 years...will I ever get it right ! ! ! ? ? ?

I remember that game...well, I was out of the country then, and we could only get sporting events a week after they happened...all my inlaws and outlaws were UH grads, and went to that game...I didnt know them then, but they filled me in on it later...much later...WOW, Larry was on the team???? How fine is that? I never liked basketball, mainly because I was no good at it...come to think of it, I was no good at ANY sport...well, recess and lunch, but seems there are no events in the Olympic games for recess and lunch...maybe if they had a "RUNS WITH SISSORS" category...

Basketball...I was as graceful as a pregnant giraffe on rollerskates...I remember watching Charles B play, and Brian Copeland, and Glen Smith, et al...even the guys not on the basketball team, that played when we played in gym class...well, I cant count me as actually playing...usually just got a pass bounced off my punkin head, cause I wasnt paying attention, or too slow...you guys were future pros, as far as I was concerned...I just marveled at the athleticism you guys possesed...made me want to play...then when I tried...Nope, not gonna happen...you know what got me the most???? THE HEAD FAKES...that got me everytime...whoever had the ball would dribble, and give a head fake, I would go one way, and they would go to the basket and score...Is that legal???? I know it wasnt fair...

I'm thinking of turning pro with the "runs with sissors" thing...Man, I am so blessed to have been a part of the Waltrip class of...

Had to miss church Sunday...Tile guy was finishing up...finally through at noon...Dont like missing church, but sometimes it is unavoidable...

Fathers Day...seems hard to fathom...WE'RE ALL FATHERS NOW...I read with interest, Leon Hales column about surrogate dads...I had a few back in them halcyon days...Mr and Mrs Theissen were great surrogate parents, and wonderful role models...Mr and Mrs Boswell were like my parents away from home, which was quite alot...My dad passed away in the spring of 96 just one month shy of his 77 birthday...I know some folks lost their dads very early on in life...I remember I went to Shorty Vaughns dads funeral when we were in High school...I could see the hurt in his eyes...hard growing up without a dad or mom...sometimes just as hard growing up with em...

I dont think I would like to relive my life, or go back...I can pick out some of the great moments in my life, just as I am sure "all yall" can...one I wouldnt mind seeing again, FIREFLIES, OR LIGHTENING BUGS as we called them...over 200 species of those delightfully luminescent creatures...lots of differences in their "light flashes"...seemed like the air was so still in the summer evenings...the fireflies blinking on and off, seemed to signal..."it's a fine night to play, come join us"...I think I miss that the most...oh, and riding the train from here to Little Rock, Ark to visit my grandparents...sometimes we'd get the express, and then sometimes we got the "Milk run"...If you listen closely, you can still hear the conductor hollar out..."Palestine...all off for Palestine"...then the train would come to a stop...doors would open, and a rush of cold air with the smell of diesel would waft down the aisle...Seemed we always traveled at night and it was always cold...

I miss suppers at my grandmothers...all the kinfolk around her huge round clawfooted oak table...the smell of just about every vegetable and meat, assaulting your "lets eat" senses...sliced tomatos that just smelled to high heaven with that wonderful "rose like" smell...(they are cousins to the rose by the way)...
The banter around the table...looking on with "hungry eyes" waiting for the blessing to be overwith so you could dig in...well, after all the menfolk and womenfolk were served...didnt mind being last though...made the food taste even that much better...

Even had room for dessert back in them days...CHOCOLATE PIE, OR HOMEMADE ICE CREAM...oh my what wonderful memories...

Oak Forest Elementary even had some good memories...lunch mostly and recess...cept, I never could hit the ball in softball, and I didnt even know that you could strike out and not swing the bat...kick ball was a little better...still not very good at it though...believe it or not, I liked Mrs. Simpsons class because she MADE you give your best...all the patriotic songs, and poems she made us memorize and recite before class started each and every day.

Junior high was ok sometimes...mostly when I got to spend the time with all our classmates, not in class...I did like Mr Miller, our home room teacher...he had a TR3 methinks...he always seemed happy, and treated us all like...we mattered...

Waltrip was tolerable, only because of "all yall"...I was a good socializer, but bad student...One good memory was helping Teddie put a transmission in his white 55 chevy...we were at a filling station at TC Jester and 610, or Ella and 610...we worked on that all night...I felt so special being included in that endeavor...I knew absolutely nothing about transmissions other than if you dont have one, "it wont go"...Iremember dropping the center shaft in the dirt, and knocking all the needle bearings off...Teddie was sure patient and kind...

I liked the juke box and lunch...Mr Leonard...Mrs Blount...Mrs Kahla...Mrs Hawkins and a few others although their names escape me at this time...

No thank you, I dont think I want to go back in time...got all those wonderfull times stored right here in my punkin head...sometimes I forget, but then one of you good folks will mention something on the forum that jogs the cogs in my head and then I remember...like the UH/UCLA game...hearing about it overseas seemed like fantasy to me... couldnt fathom the importance and specialness of it...

I remember the first two Super Bowls...didnt much care about them...we got them a week after they were played...didnt have satellite feed back then...I always imagined them putting the tape on a ship, an aircraft carrier...had to be a carrier, those were the best ships around...All the Submariners would get first run movies and sporting events and best food available, long before anyone else....they deserved it...got to go on a sub once...not good to have claustraphobia and be on a sub...of course I never let on outwardly...but they knew...

guess I will sign off for now...I was just gonna say hi...but you see how well that worked out..
your frien and brother...Beaucephus DOD

Richard Meek '65

Beau Diddley I think you are correct there's no point to going back. Although I would like to do that to correct some things if I hurt someone's feelings even if it was unintentional. Can't do that so I just try to be kinder to people in the present. Just remember the words of comedian Joe E. Lewis, "You only go around once in life but if you do it right once is enough." There's the ticket, "do it right"!

Rich

Jackie Crowe (Finch)

Doug Romans!   Happy Birthday!

Hugs, J

Robert Derrick

Good memories Beau,

reminds me of what my daddy used to say at dinner time if you were a young'in. The old foks went first and you just had to take an ol'cold tater and wait.

RH good quote from Joe.

Douglas Romans

Thanks, Jackie and all the others who sent me an "H/B".

DR

Jennie Anderson '65 (Dylan)

I feel I must post this.  I used to have a crush on Larry Cooper in 7th grade.  I think it was because he was the only "boy" taller than I was!  Just thought I would share that in honor of Larry's retirement! I am relaxin this summer and have more time to read Beau's stories.  I think some of, well much of his folklore, would make a good movie.  Has anyone seen Lizards and something...on True TV.? I love watching those people.  Beau, if they had reality TV then you and your clan, including us, would have been famous!  My great/grand, neice, whichever it is, will  see New Direction tonight.  Reminds me of the time Janne, Candy Landis and I went to see the Beatles here.  I still have the $5.00 ticket, hidden away. I don't know if any of you knew Candy's parents, Dick and Nancy.  He played baseball for the Houston Buffs and were our neigbors on both blocks we lived.  They were behind us when we lived on Cheshire, then we moved to Candlelight Park next door to them when they moved.  I guess you call that neighborly.  Anyway, Nancy passed away this week.  Please remember them in your prayers this week. Linda Webster and I went to see the funniest movie a few weeks ago, "Berne".  If you haven't seen it yet, please do, it is so funny and a true story that took place in Carthage, kind of like Beau's writings. Again, I would like to remind everyone to please keep a check on your eyes for age-related macular degeneration.  I was told yesterday I will need the injections, two a month, one in each eye for the rest of my life, if I want to see. Each appointment takes about 2 hours and then I go home and nap for a couple of hours because of the Bedadine burning. So, please stay on top of your eye health.  His nurse said someday he sees 68 patients a day, can you imagine and he is one of 10 doctors in the group?  One doctor per office per day.  They go to Nacogdoches, Lufkin and other places.  Their name is Retina Consultants, in case you need to see one. I see Dr. Wong. I am thankful they can prevent blindness.  Have a fun summer and I look forward to hearing about some of your travels on the forum.  We are having a family reunion of our immediate family, which has really grown, in Edisto Island, SC.  5 little grandkids, and 7 little great neices and nephews all together reminding me of the fun times I had with my cousins in Oklahoma every summer. Cannot wait!  Have a great day everyone!

Jennie

Scotty Croom

lola and i swam in from orlando, this am...storm landing in doubt...will head to biloxi on tues. am