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Carole Gunter (Snell) (Jenkins)

I remember being told about the assisination by Miss Lee.  We were sitting in the auditorium during our guard class.   We were all in shock and crying

Pat Brantley (Ross)

Don, yes indeed our God is good.  I am praying for you.

Jimmy Lee, the church we attended has taken the slack role also.  Most are not wearing masks and social distancing is not enforced.

Bennie, you were talking about humorous authors.  I would whole heartedly recommend Carl Hiassen as being the funniest guy I have ever read.  Of course Wayne Lake hasn't written one yet.  Haïssen stopped writing after his brother was killed.  Can't remember his real name, but his brother was killed by the man who shot all the people at the small newspaper office.  They had published a cartoon featuring Mohammed.  Well his humor is based on very strange people in Flotida.

beau, we bought a condominium that was 1 of 12 units.  There was no backup generator.  Someone forgot to send the elevator to the third floor when a flood was coming.  Floods come about every 10-12 years in new braunfels.  Condo was on the river.  Cost us lots of money to repair the world's slowest elevator.  I think it's great to find music you like.  My playlist expands daily.  I was in the car for about 15 minutes yesterday and heard music from Hank Williams to Death Cab for Cuties.  Whitney Houston can bring me to tears and Five for Fighting makes me want to sing along.  MusIc is a  joyful part of our lives.  We really need that.  
 

I am hopeful about the Vaccines and really pray that the delivery system goes smoothly.  My parents lived through the aftermath of WWI, the depression, and WWII.  I can live through this.  I have watched more tv than I would choose if there were options.  I have a huge choice and should be grateful.  Our Thanksgiving will be 8 of us in my daughter's backyard.  My son in law is an ER doctor so we wear masks unless we are eating.  He has seen this monster up close and personal.  Two nieces have had it.  One was very ill.  My grandson had a mild case.  We have not lost a family member.  I am grateful.

Richard Gardner

Our band had been invited to play "Hail to the Chief" and "Four Ruffles and Fluorishes" for President Kennedy the night of November 21, 1963 in the Sam Houston Coliseum and I took my little Brownie 8 movie camera and took movies of him and all the other dignitaries (Lyndon Johnson, Ladybird Johnson, Albert Thomas, etc.) Our band director, Burt Roth, gave us the period off on November 22, 1963 because we had played the night before. It was during our band class that we heard the President Kennedy had been shot and died. We were in total shock because we all had just seen him in person the night before. My home movies of President Kennedy that night are now in the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealy Plaza in Dallas. I was also invited to do an oral interview by the museum which is also on file in the museum. They gave Ann and I a guided tour of the book depository building and the museum which was extremely interesting. I still have my clarinet that I played that night.

Steve Puckett '65

I played bassoon or percussion for that event, a banquet to honor famous congressman Albert Thomas held at the convention center.  As far as I know, it was the last time Hail to the Chief was played for him.  The next morning I was on cloud 9 only to later be thrown into the pit of sadness.  I felt so sorry for him and his family, later worrying about the nation.

Glenn Weissinger

WOW.  I did not know that the Walteip band performed at the event.  What an honor and what a memory it must be. 
Happy Thanksgiving to all and be safe.

Richard Gardner

The Waltrip Band also played for JFK when he made his famous speech about going to the moon at Rice Stadium on September 12, 1962. I think we are in the background films (blurred) of all the replays of this speech. Since I was playing in the band, my brother took the 8mm movie of him at that time which is also now at the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealy Plaza. Another tidbit about my 8mm movies of JFK the night before he was killed is when we picked up the film from Sears on Shepherd after being developed, there was a small note from the FBI wanting to know if we had any other related films. When I was being interviewed in Dallas at the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealy Plaza, the interviewer did not know that the FBI notes were sent in the Houston area, he only knew they had been sent in the Dallas area.

Gloria Hornick (Walker)

This was one of the most memorable band experiences I had.  We were in band class when we heard he was shot, so it was doubly hard.  

Hoping everyone has a great Thanksgiving.  We really do have a lot to be thankful for.  

Bennie Schielack

Had a nice meal at the Rice Hotel cafeteria, located in the basement, just prior heading over to the Sam Houston Coluseum.  I remember Wayne Rogers taking some lemon slices with him to the event, to chew on just prior to playing Hail to the Chief, hoping to get some of the other members to "pucker up" and not be able to play as well as normal.  

Hopefully, this was just a few seconds of the band members "fifteen minutes of fame" . . . . . 

Happy Thanksgiving to all, even tho it is a bit delayed . . . . . 

Donald May

Thatis fantastic being able to play for the President.I know the band members are so proud.  The only thing I really remember was that I was in Ms Lee's class when the announcement came over the loudspeaker that President Kennedy had been shot.  At that point Ms Lee broke down and cried.

Wayne Lake

Don, welcome to the zipper club. I hope you are feeling better. Remember, it only hurts when you breathe or laugh and only lasts a few weeks. Walking a couple of miles every day is definitely the fix without a doubt.

Pat, thanks for the compliment I guess, however I have always tried to be serious on this forum.

I had no idea the Waltrip Band was involved when JFK came to town, what a thrill to play for him and then a huge letdown, I’m sure. Bert Roth was so gifted in many ways and we were lucky to have him and so many other great leaders at our school.  I remember when he left Waltrip and he became the band leader at Rice, organized the Marching Owl Band (MOB) – only a few members, without uniforms and they denigrated many SWC traditions especially when they played the Aggies in Houston around 1976 and at ½ time poked fun of recently departed Revelie. After the game the Aggie band members had the MOB cornered in their little band room till they were rescued by campus police. It was nip and tuck for a while but that did not stop them from making fun of the much larger schools with hundreds in the bands with their fancy uniforms and gear.  

Be sure to shop till you drop this year cause Jeff Bozo needs the $, just read that Amazon gets 30% of all on-line sales and Black Fridays Matter more than ever this year.

Duelin’ with the dog gone Duck Hunters fighting for real estate on the flats, wtl

Teddie Jordan

Was there a earlier  event with JFK at Rice Stadium where he spoke?  Waltrip took several Bus loads of us to that event. Either late '62 or early '63. Fran I had started dating and rode together in one of the school buses. 

And Don, that is great news. We have walked frequently and consistently for a number of years. It is a good RX for life. As many as the physical benefits are, it as good for mental health equally. It is a time to think, and commune with nature, a time to reflect, and a perfect time to pray and thank God for our many blessings! Thank you for the update Old friend. 

Patty Payne (Nami)

Don Ellisor

Thanks to so many of you for your prayers and get well wishes. God is good all the time and is over seeing my healing. I was always proud of our band and the Guard. I guess it was not the "cool" thing to do then, so let me say now thank you for all the times you performed both on the field and at various functions. I knew our band was going "to do us proud", it was the Waltrip way., excellence in all we did.

Larry Reid '63

Well I guess my memory is not as rotten as I thought it was, LOL.

I seem to remember playing in the Waltrip High School band for JFK at Rice Stadium. The other thing I remember was that some of our HS Young Republicans held up a Goldwater in 64 sign. Not 100% sure but I think the young republicans with the sign were John Teague and Walter Deptula. I thought E. E. "Butch" Williams would have been one of them but I think Butch would have been with the band. Of course, it could have been the All City Band in which case it could have been Butch. There were other young republicans in the band and we got a BIG kick out of this show of support for the Senator from Arizona. Our young republican's club was so active that we even had our own building that John Teague's father built for us. The small building was off 34th street, next to John's house. 

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Good frosty mornin to youse youtes out there in flyover country.   We had 34 this morning, and 24 last week.   I like the cold weather, just not the cold so much...sorta!

     Talking about the Waltrip band, I'm like Glenn, "wow", didnt know the band was involved in events othe rthan school.  Of course, if the band had marched down my street and  into my room playing, "Stars and Stripes", I probably wouldnt have noticed.  My whirld was so small back then, consisted of School, which I hated, working at the grocery store, which I loved and home, which I was sorta ambivalent.  Every now and again it would expand to include our little garage band playing at this party or that party etc.

     We played at the Waltrip "SOUNDTRACK" event, in our senior year. Mr Rolf was less than happy he had to include us, and rightly so, we were not very good, as musicians go. We got to play one song.  We played in the Spring Branch HS Bruin Brigade the same year, and that band director let us play 6 songs, and we werent that bad.

     Met a girl there named Shelly, and fell in love instantly.  That's the good and bad news all in one, because I never saw her again after that night.  Didnt know how to find her, didnt have her last name.   "The fault in our stars"... 

     I pretty much fell in love daily and sometimes hourly, I reckon.  Youte is wasted on the young, especially true in my case.  Only took me 75 years to get it right, now if I could just remember what "right" is.  Musta done something right, both of our sons turned out "as good as it gets", which breaks down to a 5 star rating I suppose.  Speaking of which, yesterday was our eldests 52 birthday.  Gonna celibrate today.

     A few posts back, Pat was talking about "music" and what she liked to listen to.  Since I can no longer hear  very well,  I like tolisten to opera, or anything classical, dont need to hear much to "sing along" with that genre.  I sing to everything, if I dont know the woids, I make em up, much to the delight of my beloved.  She's probably as healthy as they come, I keep her laughing so much.

    If I hear a word, or see a word like Dawn soap for example, when I'm doing the dishes,  I start singing "Delta Dawn, what's that flawr you have on..."  or "Dawn, go away I'm no good for you..." and, my mind gets hung up on a song,  whether I like that tune or not, and mostly it's "not".

    Here's one for you,  "see that girl...dancin queen..."  Yeah, ABBA.  I like to hear it once in a while, but my brain just wont let go of it.  Then I have to get on you tube and pull up another one like..."take me down to paradise city where the grass is green and the girls are pretty..." now I'll sing that one till the cows come home.

     Guess what?    Our music has been turned into "elevator" music.  Yup!  I listen to the Easy Listening channel on Direct TV, and   I've heard everything from, the beatles yellow submarine to "how gentle is the rain..." to the Everly brothers all done very tastefully by Montovani, the Hollyridge Strings,  Frank Chacksfield and just avbout everyone else.

     Havent heard "Whole lotta shakin goin on", or "What I say",  "Johnny B Goode", or the ever popular marching band standard , "Louie Louie", yet, by Montovani or the Hollyridge Strings, but when I do, guess I'll turn it off. 

      At first I didnt like what they had done to the music we grew up with annd loved.  Then I got to thinking about how we loved it, and our parents hated it, and now it's wound up like our parents music.  Ironic eh!   Dont think they could do "todays" music as elevator music.

     Heard "I cant live, if living is without you..." by the Hollyridge strings, and was racking my brain trying to remmber who did that one....wonder no more, it was covered by about 100 artists, most notably Harry Nillson.  I think it made it to no 1 on the charts.   He died in 94, the same year that Mariah Carey covered that same tune.

    He wrote a few tunes here and there.  The aforementioned song was written by two memebers of  the band "BAD FINGER", who, it's said, never seemed to get it right.  Nilson was at the recording studio recording it, when he heard that Bad Finger was in the studio down the hall.  Nilson asked them to come down and listen to his version, which they did, and they loved it.

     Sadly the two members of Bad Finger that wrote the tune each took their own lives some years later.  Info never said why...I imagine it's that edge between "genus" and "other worldly" that gets folks...

     I"ve loved so many tunes, cant think which would be my all time favorite.  Right now I'm listening to "Just When I needed You Most" by Rand Van Warmer, and now "Everything I own" by Bread...Just too many good ones to call a "favorite".

     Best instrumental would have to be "So Rare" by Jimmy Dorsey back in '56.  He died 3 months after that came out on the charts. Made number one.  But then there's "Moonlight Serenade" by Glenn Miller....heavy sigh...so, dont make me choose...

     MUSIC ! ! ! !   Hats off to all you REAL musicians, like from the Waltrip Marching band and the Dance Band...I can still see Larry working out on the drums in the auditorium.  My mind sees he and the drums sitting in the middle of the orchestra, spotlights on Larry....driving the music with a magic velvet set of sticks....Shades of Louis Belson, Gene Krupa, Buddy Rich....It's a video I often see in my mind.  Amazing how much influence is in music.

     I never did learn how to read music, but  I could "sight read", go figure!  I had perfect pitch, couldnt sing it, but I could tell if some one was flat or sharp, even if it was just a fraction.  Now all music sounds "flat", even the original tunes that I've heard millions of times, go figure!

     Wow, what a cold dreary wintry day it is, expecting snow any moment now.  Guess I'll sing off for now. Hope all is as well as can be expected for all concerned, all youse youtes...

Keep the sun at your six and "ride boldly ride..."

Your frien and resident "music man" ,  Cephus R Off Key esq

Teddie Jordan

Cephus, I always enjoy your thoughtful posts, even when they require me to actually use my long neglected Memory. I well enjoy the memory of your band, that you always refer to as you garage band, although I never actually saw y'all in a garage that I remember. And like you I have nothing but wonderful memories of Larry Reid his awesome performance as a drummer in their WHS auditorium performances. There was never any doubt by his performances that he was totally enjoying his performance as we were too, one of my blessings is having been able to catch up with and enjoy Larry in recent years. He is an excellent representative of WHS and our early to mid sixties vibe!
 

My question for you Beau is who was y'all's drummer? Was it Robbie Boswell? , I can definitely remember him playing, but almost think he was on guitar and singing, but maybe drumming?

Bennie Schielack

I remember one incident where there were two drummers on the stage, and they took turns, first one played away, then the other gave it a go.  While the second drummer was banging away, he dropped a drum stick and just repeated the same one handed rhythm over and over and over.  I do believe he got a standing ovation, but maybe just a hugh ovation. It was quite a moment.  Reminded me of when, during the "piccolo solo", one of the tuba players stood up, just for comedy relief.  

I do not remember playing for any political event other than the dinner/fund raiser @ the old Sam Houston Coluseum . . . . . wonder why I was not included for the Delmar event . . . . . 

On another note, don't know if any of you remember or went to school with Howard Engstrom.  He played while at Black JH, I believe, then his family moved out 290 somewhere.  He ended up being featured soloist @ UH and unless he has retired, is principle Trumpet @ Calgary Symphony.  Never did play at Waltrip, but I knew him because his family lived 2 doors down from mine for a while, when we were about 11 or 12 yo.  I remember his father was, in the past, a pilot and one of his jobs was to ferry Charles Lindberg around the US on his victory tour following his solo flight across the Atlantic . . . . . (Unless I was told a fiction)

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Hey TJ, Robbie played guitar,  Ricky Strickland was our drummer sometimes, Jody Hundel was our other drummer.  Lonnie Guiberteau was lead singer and rythm guitar player. He passed away this summer. Jimmy Hillsher has seem Jody from time to time.   I call us a "garage" band because that's generally where we practiced, our garage, Robbies Garage, or Lonnies garage.  That's generally where most bands get their starts, somebodys garage.

     Remember a family,  Stacy or Lacy was their last name.  They lived south of 34th and west of Shepherd. I think t he whole family played one instrument or another.  Saxaphone comes to mind.

Teddie Jordan

Thanks old Friend Cephus, Rickie is the drummer I could picture clearly up there playing drums for you guys in my old brain, but now it is clear! Tell us the story about the performance at the Top Hat on 34th again?

And I realize that now that we are 39, clear is a relative thing! We just heard on the news that Baskin Robbins is celebrating their 75th anniversary! We say why don't they invite all of their  contemporaries who share that age to have a free ice cream birthday party at one of their stores to thank us for all of the years of our support !???

Beverly Hengst (Allen)

Ricky Strickland sent the following email to Barbara Raines:

Prayers for janet she fell in the bath room Saturday morning & broke her hip she had surgery late this afternoon & replaced a ball joint in guarded but doing good because of her age & health its going to be slow going janet & I  had a rough nite last nite I have not sleepin 24 going nite nite

Please remember both of them in your prayers.

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Thanks for the alert on Janet, and thank you for all your good work on this site.  I forget who said that the "bathroom" is the most dangerous place there is, and they were of course correct.  We have "grab bars" in only one of our bathrooms, which is the one that I use. I've found that I HAVE TO  exaggerate  and concentrate on my movements, no matter what I'm doing.

    I have taken for granted my "youte" and natural ability to move about.  I guess after being a klutzy "Jerry Lewis" character all my life, has prepared me somewhat for being an older youte, MR KLUTZY...OMgoodness, I am a walking major klutz on steroids. 

    I drop almost everything, cept, breakable stuff, thank the lord.  Bending down to pick up anything, is just torture, soooooo I have about a hunert million grabber things to help in that sityation....now If only I can remember where they are.  

    When I drop something, if there's nothing to hold onto, then I go in search of a "grabber" and by the time I leave the room on my "grabber quest", I've forgotten what it was I was going to do.   Then Diane comes along, and I ask her what am I doing, and of course her not being a psychic, (she sure needs to work on her phychoism)  she has no clue.  Then she generally finds the object de on the floor and picks it up and misplaces it so I cant find it.  Laurel and Hardy are alive and well living in Chappell Hill, 77426.

     I'm down in the back today !   Maybe I should just pick a day when I'm NOT down in the back and announce that.  Anyway we drove down to Katy to have brunch with our grandaughter Haley, who just turned 21.  That is a 2 hour round trip venture, and of course at least an hour or so down there.

    I can hardly walk after driving more than 30 minutes. Takes me a good 5 or 10 minutes to get moving, but the pain never goes away, just sometimes it's worse than other times. I've learned to live with it, but driving sure does make me remember it. And, I am so uncomfortable whilst trying to celebrate, it's no fun atall.  Had to take my ears out because the restaurant was so noisy, I couldnt understand what anyone was saying LOUDLY.  So what's the dif, ears or no ears, I'm not part of the conversation. 

     I've made the announcement to our famiy, that if they want to celebrate anything, and they want me to be a part of it, come to Chappell Hill, 77426.  I wanted to drive down to see my sister in clear lake, but that's almost 3 hours one way, and a hard 3 hours, so the talking wires or waves will have to suffice.

     I think I will go in on Christmas eve to the Oaks Presbyterian service, and that will probably be the last time this year....well duh, right?  I've always said, "a mind is a terrible think".  Living out in the country, I dont miss going anywhere other than the store, and dont miss the "big city", cept I miss the Oak Forest I knew as a young youte, and I miss all youse youtes.  

     WOW, that was some noreaster from the north west eh what!  We were anticipating something along that line being due here, so we were prepared.  Nothing in the pool this time but leaves.   Man, that wind was "whuppin" about, 25 plus mph.  Well dopey, you live on a hill...oh yeah, there is that !

     Hey TJ, when I have more time, and dont have to make my post short, like todays, I'll recount the "GREAT TOP HAT LOUNGE CONCERT"  and Bambi the stripper...oh man, my self is all a twitter just thinking about that adventure.  

     Ok, gotta run for now, gotta take the recycle and trash into Brenham.  Be leaving the pups at home this time, too cold.  OH NOOOOO, LITTLE MISS, GET OFFFFF...that crazy cat jumped up on my keyboard and almost sent this laptop and me into cyber space....GET DOWN BAD KITTY...

     Time to depane before I wind up in timbuktu courtesy of my cat...Keep the sun at your six "and ride boldly ride..."

your frien and resident klutz, Cephus R Not ambidexterous esq

Beau Wann, Jr.

       JANET, GET WELL,  RICK, GET SOME SLEEP, WE BE PRAYING FOR YOUSE...

Beverly Hengst (Allen)

Beau,  the next time you have a long drive, add extra time and stop every 30 minutes.  Get out and walk around for a few minutes and then continue on.  I find that really helps me on trips.  I just can't sit for long periods without getting stiff and sore. 

Christmas Eve at Oaks Presbyterian Church brings back many fond memories.  That was a tradition until my parents passed on.  I am glad you are still keeping it up.

Merry Christmas to you and Diane. 

Teddie Jordan

Beverly, I have great memories of those Christmas Eve Candlelight services with my Mom and Dad at our beloved Oaks Presbyterian.

And Rick, prayers for Janet's recovery from hip surgery.  Prayers for both of you and for your family.

Teddie Jordan

And Beverly, I also have a problem now driving on trips. I can go about an hour and a half before I have to stop and walk around and stretch. My right side sciatic nerve is the blame. But I am starting to believe that it is also related to blood flow in my lower body, I can walk for an hour and I'm ok, but make me sit behind the wheel and drive for over an hour and I'm crippled and in painwhen I first get out.