Elaine Kurtz Cockrell

I was born in Nyssa, attended Adrian for 1 1/2 years of elementary, and then moved to Nyssa. I finished 8th grade there and left upon my parents' divorce in 1964. I returned each summer to Adrian, where my father's farm was. I always ached to return and felt like I missed out on the close relationships we had there. I haven't seen many Nyssa alums except at Eastern Oregon College, from which I graduated in 1973. I went there, hoping to return home. I tried to get my brother Kelly to come with me. He said he would if Paula Parks came too. (Anyone know of that family's whereabouts?) Peggy Farmer wrote that she'd love to have me come, and since she and her family are hosting a lot of the festivities, I decided I was brave enough to return.
I have been married to my husband Bud for 38 years, this summer. I graduated in education, was a teacher for 21 years, and now in administration for the past 13. I sing in the church choir, play in the bell choir, and read for pleasure. We are thinking of retiring in about three years....

I remember Dan Martin, social studies teacher, taking David Gallegos by his hair and slamming his head against the wall because he hadn't learned. I remember crying in the hall at my locker because my parents were divorcing, we were moving to Salem for the summer, and I couldn't carry all of my locker contents home. The same Dan Martin sat me on his lap, comforting me and then took me home. Such a different time we lived in.

I remember the October party at ??? where Kelly kissed Paula Parks, and we were soooo excited. When the folks told us it was the last song to dance to, we took turns moving the arm back on the record.

I remember swimming on the swim team, the best in the breaststroke and having to swim so fast to beat Ruth Ann McGinley in the only stroke I could.

I remember the Girl Scout troop that Barbara Tenson's mom ran. I remember their house and the fountain in the back. And I remember Barb, Ann, Barbara whose parents ran the florist shop, and others of us in scouts.

I remember dancing at noon in the halls of the junior high when it would be raining outside. I remember Chipper Burningham running in to tell us that President Kennedy had been shot. I remember bowing our heads for a moment of silence, when I knew a law banned us from doing so, but we were anyway.

I remember so much. I hope you remember me.