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Jan Barnes '65 (Nimtz)

Many thanks for the "post script" to your recent Forum post, Beau. It means a lot to me that you remember those of us who have lost children. Ed & I still miss our son terribly, and for his son & daughter, Father's Day will never be quite the same.
 

William "Butch" Ginder

SO LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT WE ARE GETTING RID OF THE EYES OF TEXAS BECAUSE ROBERT E LEE MAY HAVE SAID SOMETHING SIMILAR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AGO AND NOW WE ARE AFFENDED BY SOME SIMULANCE TO THE WORDS HE SPOKE.  REALLY. MY MOTHER WENT TO TEXAS AND IM SURE SHE WILL ROLL OVER IN HER GRAVE OVER THIS. 

I SAW WHERE THEY PULLED UP ANOTHER MONUMENT IN HOUSTON TODAY.  THEY WILL BE PULLING UP GRAVE STONES OF CONFEDERATE SOILDERS NEXT.HOW FAR ARE THEY GOING TO GO TO DELETE OUR HISTORY. FOR ME IM SICK OF IT IN CASE YALL HAVEN'T FIGURED IT OUT.

Beau Wann, Jr.

    AMEN BROTHER BUTCH, AMEN...Wont be long, and they'll delete it from the history books.  I even heard they, someone, defaced the tomb of the unkown soldier....!!!!????   Yeah, that's the ticket, he was probably a racist and his family owned slaves.   I dont know, but dont think anyone of my ancesters owned any slaves, dont think anyone had enough money to buy anything, however my ancesters fought on BOTH SIDES of every war this country has been in since the revolution.   COME GET ME ! ! ! !    I'm going to change my name to ROBERT E LEE WANN, yeah, that's the ticket.

    What a day !   Suppose to be my 75th birthday, a take it easy day.  Yeah right ! ! !  I dont recollect taking it easy no matter whose birthday it was.    Gave all three dogs a bath, well , helped Diane give em a bath.   Jack and Dixie-Bell did ok, didnt like water being poured over em, but tolerated it, Izzy-dorable didnt like it atall.   Took both of us to hold her and I'm not sure who got wetter, us or her.  The white on her is a lot whiter now. Can I say White?   She likes to slide through the mud on her belly.

    Among all my other duties and work program, I helped the sherriff round up a herd of goats that almost got out on 290.  They belong to my neighbor.  Dang if he aint always got something stampeding and running amok.  Goats at least stay together in a group, but getting the group to go where you want them to is another matter all together.  But gotter done just about dark thirty.  And that's another thing, why do they wait till late afternoon to run amok?

   Richard and Paige Meek brought a cornbread cake for my birthday yesterday, and what a fine cake of cornbread it was too.  Arn skillet cornbread about 5 inches deep,  drippin with butter...yum.  Plus Paige made a bean and beef concoction to pour over said cornbread, double yum.  I supplied the jalopenos.  Bein as how cornbread is a southn dish, can I say cornbread?

   Tomorrow, Friday and Saturday are going to be very busy. Got mowing to do and weedeating, moving some grape vines and planting roses in their place, and got a  couple more mater plants to put in the groung, and the coup de gras,   cleaning dog nose art off the winderlights  (east Texas for window).   Gee, can I say Texas?   If they make the horns give up  singing the "Eyes of Texas", I think the Aggies have to give up something too....I know,    the corps senior boots, yeah, that's the ticket...

    Ok, time to deplane before I get into real trouble if I aint in it already.
Keep the sun at your six, and "ride boldly ride..."
your frien and resident nobody,  Cephus R inviskable esq

Scotty Croom

happy birthday,beau... been out of loop for a while..got new computer and printer..had to call geek squad to help me   ...still waiting for tx. to open  nursing homes.not for me,teddy..prevents us from seeing mother..hope it happens soon...good dr. report via phone...need some vitamin d....all other labs good....

Bennie Schielack

Aunt Jemima, gone.  Uncle Ben's, gone.  (Will my nephews and nieces still be able to call me Uncle Ben?)  Rice Krispies needs to do something about 3 white characters as their representatives. 

Will Cracker Barrel be forced to change their name?  Will Cracker Jacks have to follow suit?

First Amendment is being shredded daily . . . . . We, as a nation, are in serious trouble . . . . .

Beau, Happy BD.  I turned 74 Monday.  I feel every year each AM, but once I get stretched out on the golf course, I feel much better.  I play with a group of other seniors, a 90 year old dentist, 85 year old MD, 80 year old extension agent, 77 year old insurance agent, and me. We play a scramble and today we birdied the first 3 holes and I managed to make Eagle on 4 (a par 5).  These guys always make me feel like a youngster.  I'm always energized after play, grab a bite to eat and get after all of the chores I've put off to "play".  Mowed the grass, edged two driveways and three walkways and weed eated the ditch before golf, golf, bad experience at Whataburger, paint trim in the rent house, sand some trim, work on sprinkler system for new flower bed and 4 additional beds, watered potted plants, cut some limbs off of a Crepe Myrtle.  I'm finding old age is not for the faint of heart.  

Stan Wright

I have read with interest some of the postings of late. It's an interesting time in which we find ourselves. It is our generation`s first experience with a pandemic, if you discount the polio epidemic of the 50's. I remember then when Mom wouldn't allow me to play with friends from noon to 3 because during the summer she believed those times were the most vulnerable for contracting the disease. Here we are with social distancing, schools closed, people working from home, many restaurants shuttered and thoughtful people wearing masks in public. It's a challenging time to seek safety. It's a challenging time to act wisely.

And then in the midst of that we are confronted with marches, demonstrations deploring acts of racism. There are calls for the taking down of monuments associated with the Civil War, the renaming of products like "Uncle Ben's" and "Aunt Jemima". It's a time of pandemic and social unrest. And our postings reflect this.

It would be interesting if we could be helped in sorting out the latter by hearing from our African American alumni as to their feelings about all this. But of course, we can't. We had no Black fellow students. We had no Black teachers or coaches. Only custodians. And who can remember their names. I had no friends of color and only one Hispanic whom I met in college. I would be ignorant if hadn't eventually served as a hospital chaplain. There I visited with Blacks, Indians, Hispanics and Asians. It was on one such visit that I met Mr. Muse. A Black man who had served in Europe during WWII. He was dying of leukemia and required daily blood transfusions. He and his name are etched in my memory because of his color and because of the "musings" he shared with me. He was the first person I had the courage to ask, "What was it like to grow up as a black man here in San Antonio? " I wish I could tell you all that I heard over a number of visits. He revealed hurts without the slightest bit of anger. Like when he returned from the war and his white veteran friends received government backed loans to buy homes. He said no bank would make a loan to him. Not even the bank president that used his catering service. He told me how all the good hospitals in town were segregated and white. The hospital in which I met him was the first hospital in town to allow black patients. And that was only one room which was donated by a black businessman in the 60's when the hospital was built. He told me things which I never would have known unless I had been willing to listen.

It has occurred to me that I spent much of my life willfully ignorant. I dared not ask people on the fringes of society, people different from me, "What has your life been like?"

I wish I could ask Mr. Muse, "Sir, what do you think of Confederate statues"? Or "Uncle Ben"? Or "Aunt Jemima"?

I would listen.

Susan (Suzi) Smith '66 (McMillian)

Stan, thank you for such a thoughtful and timely post.  These are difficult times, for sure,  but could be such a time of growth if we could just listen.  I have reached out to black friends to do just that;to ask some of the hard questions and listen to the responses.  Our three children went to Waltrip, graduating in 1984, 1987, and 1988. In 1983, when our oldest was a senior and a cheerleader, Waltrip beat Booker T. Washington in football for the first time.  The students streamed onto,the field in celebration, and the stands erupted in chaotic pride.  Our younger children were in the stands with us, and in their excitement, were trying to figure how long our losing streak had been.  "When did Waltrip open", one asked.  And I found myself explaining that Waltrip did not play Washington during our years there.  "But, it is the closest school" they puzzled.  "Separate, but equal" the catchphrase of those times became impossible to defend.  

Some of the current actions may seem inane on their face, but we are not qualified to judge.  Is it such a lot to surrender to ease some pain? Keep asking questions and listening to answers without defensiveness and maybe we will emerge a better society.  

Patty Payne (Nami)

Patty Payne (Nami)

Frank Lynn

Stan, your post was very thoughtful and well written. Miss Parrot would have been proud. Our generation in many ways, did grow up in a bubble.  Now we must face the injustices and social issues that should have been addressed long ago but were not. It is a very complex issue with no easy answers. Recently, an article by a black writer said we cannot destroy or the ignore the art and literature of the past such as statues to confederate generals and movies such as “Gone With the Wind”. It is our history but we need to deal with the issues in a compassionate way. For example, he suggested a disclosure preceding screening of “Gone with the Wind” stating the film depicts a way of life almost two-hundred years ago that does not reflect the mores and attitudes of current society.  Maybe offending statues could be put in a statue park that reflects history but does not glorify the individual. Back in the 1990s, just after the fall of the Soviet Union, I worked in Bulgaria. The statues honoring the events and individuals of the communist error were moved to a park. People could see them, but they were not displayed in prominent locations.

Jerry Eppner

Well said Frank, Stan and Suzi.  It is a complicated issue.  There have been times over the last few years when statue removal, etc has come up and I had to wonder what difference does it make.  But I always come back to the truth that that is a white man's thought process.  What if I was black?  Would I feel differently?  Almost certainly! The truth is our class like many in our generation grew up in a segregated world.  No black classmates.  No black teachers.  Whites only drinking fountains and restrooms in retail stores and public places.  It had to form a lasting impression on our psyche.  Some of us have been fortunate to be exposed to the black culture later in life and to appreciate that we are all the same, some of us just have a different skin tone.  I was lucky to work with a number of black people during my career at Dow.  I never saw them as black or white, just colleagues.  My wife and I have a few black friends that we cherish.  But there is sitll that lingering influence of our formative years.  I was really surprised to learn that there is an effort underway to have deeds for property in Oak Forestthat were written in the 50's and early 60"s rewritten to remove deed restrictions that state "occupancy by whites only".  Yes, that discrimination was banned decades ago, but there are still remnants of that era around us.  It is a time that for many of us is in the past, but for many people today, particularily our black cititens, it is still a time that they have to deal with.  

I just hope and pray that we can all move forward and look forward to the date where everyone feels equal.

Teddie Jordan

My favorite song we would sing in my early Sunday school days at Oaks Presbyterian Church was "Jesus loves the little children, all of the children of the world, Red and Yellow, Black and White, All are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world"!
 

Teddie Jordan

Another image that I truly agree with. 

Teddie Jordan

OK, One more of the images that I believe is true, and I'll shut up. 

Scotty Croom

i have a friend, reformed alcholic,whose store was torched in minn.such a shame   

Sharon Brenner (Lisa)

Thank you Stan, Susie, Frank, Jerry and Teddy. I seldom post here  but I really appreciate your thoughts and comments. Enlightenment for sure. 

Diane Vandel (Siebels)

Thank you, Stan, for your opening post and everyone who has added their insightful comments.

Mary Weidner (Williams)

Don't know if anyone has heard that the Sears store on North Shepherd is closing! It will be a big change not to have this store as a landmark! I still live in what was my parent's home on West 39th Street. There have been lots of changes since our high school days but with Sears closing the last of our old landmarks will be gone. I remember the Sears of our  time as having the smell of great popcorn and then there was the candy area where you bought in bulk! Chocolate covered peanuts for a nickel!! Anytime we needed anything, Sears would be the first place my parents would go. I also remember catching the bus to go downtown with Sherry McWhorter outside of Sears under the big open covered pavilion. It was here where their were water fountains for "colored" and "white". Back then we dressed up to go downtown to shop at Foley's and to L C Cafeteria (where you went underground on the escalator and they had something called "chicken fried steak"!) In the bus there was a sign that said, "colored to the back". This was our world and we just accepted it. We all loved our "colored" ironing lady, Jessie. We certainly had no money but everyone had an ironing lady! Yes, I guess we lived in a bouble! I will miss the Sear's sign as a landmark and I hope the store is replaced with something the neighborhood can be proud of. 

Dennis Johnson

I truly appreciate the past few posts.

Beau Wann, Jr.

       Goooooooood evening Chappell Hilllllll, and all the ships I see.   Let me add to the above, no matter how bad one has been treated in the past,   there is no reason for LAWLESSNESS.  We have laws for a reason, I may not agree with some, but just because I disagree with the law, or you because you are black or white or polka dot, or martian, or democrat or republican or went to Reagan HS,  doesnt give me or anyone  the right to riot and burn things down.  Regardless of how one was treated 200 years ago or 2000 years ago, or 2 days ago, does not excuse bad behavior.  AND SHAME ON THE MAYORS AND LEADERS of the cities for condoning this behavior ie Seattle etc.

     I had no friends of color growing up, just a sign of the times,  except the two men that worked at Mangum supervalu, Clarence and I forget the other mans name, but I believe they were treated with the same respect that most men were treated with back in those days, at least by me.  I made .60 cents an hour, and they made considerably more, and well they should, I was a punk kid and they were grown men with familys.  It never occured to me  to be envious or even upset because they were paid more than I.  It really never occured to me that there was a difference except skin pigment.

    I did have "Mexican" friends, now latino or hispanic, but I'd never heard those words back when I was young dumb and full of bubble gum.  I remember one young man, and he was older than I, named Ray.   He prepared me for "bootcamp" with his shoe shining ability.  WOW,  his shoes were like mirrors, and so were mine when I got the hang of it, then bootcamp boots were a breeze.  Other stuff in BC not so much, but I made it as did many a young boy on the verge of manhood. 

   Once out in the "fleet", I had probably an equal number of black and white friends that all shared one thing in common, surviving, that and the love of music and booze of course.  My "blood Bros" tried to teach me to dance, but I was a hopeless cause.   The biggest cultural shock, was not the color of skin, but were the guys from different parts of the country ie New York, Boston, California, Arkansas, Louisiana, South Dakota...my very best friend, who just recently had a stroke, was  half Souix and half Swedish.  Another  good friend that died May 26, 1968 during the tet offensive,  in the stinkin delta in Kien Hoa province south VN was Cherokee.

     One of my friends in the patrol squadron was from Baaastaaan Ma.   He was all Boston.  When the two of us would get together, neither understood what the other was saying.  All the other folks in the  squadron thought that was the funniest thing, my southern drawl " all yall"  and his Boston Accent, "paaaak the caaaa in the gaaaaage" or words to that defect.  

     One of my very best friends in the squadron was a young black man that could have been the poster for Join the Navy.  His uniform was immaculate as was he.  I think he was from Philadelphia.  He talked about Johnny Mathis being "Queer" his words, that he had met him at a party back home. I thought it was just "guy talk", but as it turned out, he knew what he was talking about.   A couple of months before I was to rotate out, he told me that he was getting a medical discharge.  My first thought, was "oh no, he's sick".  I asked him if he was going to be ok, and he just laughed and said he would be fine.

    I never pursued the medical discharge of my friend, or asked him about it again, and it finally occured to me some 30 years later that he was gay, hence the medical discharge.   He never acted that way to me.  He was a very eloquent speaker, well read and educated.   How naive and dumb could one person be, as I was back in them good ol days.   Even if I had known he was gay, it wouldnt have made a difference to me, what drew me to him was his eloquence in speaking and his love of music and reading and seemingly superior intelligence.   I've often thought about him and hoped he was doing well.

    I'm not completely dumb and naive, I know there are differences between the races, hells bells, there's differences between folks in the same race, but as Mr RK  so eloquently put it, "cant we all get along"?   Apparently not !   There's ignorance and there's stupid. Ignorance can be corrected, Stupid is forever!  

     One of this country's favorite first ladies, was Eleanor Roosevelt, and one of her quotes was "no one can intimidate you unless you let them". She probably came up with "the only thing we have to fear,  is fear itself"  or words to that defect, which FDR used. 

    Well anyway, the fear we have to fear now, is lawlessness and the inexcuseable non leadership of our leaders in not quelling the disturbance.   It's been my experience that if you are to survive savagery, you have to be more savage than your opponent, or you lose.   If you live in the same forest as a grizzly bear. you either have to move or kill the bear, or be lunch. 

    Time to deplane, so keep the sun at your six and "ride boldly ride..."
your frien and resident pontificator, Cephus R inviskable esq. 

Teddie Jordan

Mary that news is sad, but has been expected. In many ways looking back, that Sears store, the aroma of Popcorn as you entered, the candy counter, the bus stop, was at the core of our lives back then. Our family would sometimes go there just to enjoy AC and browse around and visit with friends! I would go straight to the farm and ranch department in the back where we entered, and wear out the saddles! And open until 9pm on Monday and Thursday nights. 

Teddie Jordan

Cephus, Clarence Moore, was the older brother, and Vernon was the younger. They lived out in Acres Homes off of West Montgomery. I drove Vernon home after we got off of work more than once. Turn left right before the cemetery. And I always enjoyed Clarence's story about how he worked on his wedding day, a Saturday. He said Mr. Otto told him he could take a two hour lunch that day, but because it was a Saturday and busy, he had to be back by 130, and he was on time. Vernon called me TJ like everyone did, but he always added, TJ, the Dee Jay! I enjoyed them both, always fun. ( Vernon told me once about an English teacher who would look around the class at the raised hands to answer her question, and after he would stand up and tell her the correct answer, she would say, Tell me more Vernon Moore!)

Beau Wann, Jr.

         Hey TJ, thanks for the info. I remembered Clarence, and now I remember Vernon.    You sir have a phenomenal memory.  That sounds like Mr Vanek, giving him 2 hours for lunch to get married.  But  service to the customers was very important to the business back then.   And boy did we ever give good service.  our fellow employees felt like family as well as our customers.  I still remember some faces, but not many names.  Only one comes to mind, Mrs Fly, Sandys mom and Sandy had a sister whose name I've forgotten.

       Very sad indeed. Spent a lot of time in that particular Sears, my mom worked upstairs in the credit department from the time it opened in 1950 till she retired in 84 or 85 methinks???    thanks TJ for the picture. Spent many a time at that bus stop waiting for the "shuttle" to take me back to Oak Forest, or waiting for the Heights bus or the one that went downtown via shepherd to Washington Ave to somewhere on Main street, maybe in front of foleys.

     Just to the right of the bus stop was an entrance/exit into sears, long since walled up, but that's where the boy scout dept was, just inside that door.   The back door to the parking lot along Crosstimbers was generally where we went in, and goodness the smell of popcorn and roasting cashews and coffee would almost bowl your nose over.   Then on into the sporting goods dept with the smell of the leather saddles, sight of guns and fishing equipment, boats and outboard motors was eyecandy to a young fella.  Music dept was in the general area, where I got my first guitar and learned to play "Ghost Riders in the Sky".

    Fear is not the only thing we have to fear, but the fear of violent change, which seems to be happening all over.   Never thought I'd live to see the distruction of our wonderful and beautiful country.  The country that so many fought and died  to preserve.  We''ve lost the "freedom of speech",  with the inception of the law against "hate speech".  Who's to say what hate speech is?   I guess whoever is in power and or aquieses to whoever is rioting.   Which amendment will fall next?   I would hope, "freedom of the press" since it is mostly them that are fanning the flames of hate, then watch em scream, "NO FAIR".

    I hate change, and the "times they are a changing", and not for the better I fear.  looks like there will be nothing left of any of our childhood haunts except memories.   At least we have those kind of memories, Sears, Woolworths, Foleys, Garden Oaks theatre,  Whites, Western Auto, Mangun Super Valu, Trixie,  behind the lunch counter at Dugans Drugstore, Prince;s drivein, The Pig Stand, Kaplans,  Sony Looks, 2Ks, Rumpleheimers, Jimmy walkers in kema, Hempstead Drivein, remember the Texan Drivein next to the hempstead drivein theatre?   I remember getting a shrimp and fries basket with a rootbeer there for   $1.25.

     Baileys on Crosstimbers?   LC cafeteria downtown?  The 9 floors of Foleys downtown, Oak Forest Bank, and the list goes on and on...reminds me of a poem called "Nothing Gold Can Stay", aint that the truth!

Well, such are the musings of a romantic, dreamer, and old man.  I suppose this is how many an old man felt in the waning years of his life, those that is that were allowed to get old and not die on some beach named Omaha, Utah, Gold, Juno etc, or on an island named Iwo Jimo, Okinawa and Hacksaw ridge, or the "anonymous battle" in the "dogs head" area of Vietnam.   It took 40 years for those soldiers to get recognized and recieve the "presidential citation" that they were put in for 40 years earlier.  

    Heavy sigh ! ! ! ! !

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Good soggy mornin to youse youtes !   We;ve had about 3 inches of rain since Satiddy last,  and that is a good thing fo sho.   All's quiet on the western front cept a little thunder ever now and again.  Angels banging on heavens pots and pans, if you will, and even if you wont.  Good an explaination as any I reckon.

     Pretty much clinging to home, as one should I suppose.  Too muddy to go down our road anyhoo.  Hope it drys out by friday morning, got an oil change appointment at Ranch Harley in College Station.  Made it 2 weeks ago.   Dont know what's up with that, all the dealerships have a two week wait.  Was a time I could just drive in unannounced and get an oil change among other services. Can't be that many Harleys on the road, can there?Oil well, just have to taker as I can.

     Now the FARM AND RANCH REPORT,  brought to you by;  The Mine Safety Appliances Co. "everything for mine and industrial safety" such as the Dustfoe #66 respirator. Just the thing for fresh breathable air;  And also Cloverine Salve, for cool soothing relief from whatever ails ya....There are about 3 dozen ears of corn in the Wann garden, several cucumbers and necks of crooked squash.  The lazy jalopenos have finally decided to join in on the fracas of actually producing fruit, what a concept eh!

     This portion of t he Farm and Ranch report is being brought to you by S. Andral Kilmer M.D.s Swamp Root for aiding the kidneys in their necessary work, and we all know what that entails, getting rid of last nights moonshine,   and by Hamlins Wizard oil liniment, est 1865,  for all your aches and pains...Clydes goats,  Winkin Blinkin and Nod, have once again been trespassing and assaulting the greenery around Sam Wann Hill and Izzys ridge.  No discernable damage was done, so no charges were filed since the perpetrators have agreed to pay restitution with a free load of fertilizer.

    The preceeding announcements were brought to you in part by Father Johns Medicine for colds and allergies, and Packer's Pine Tar Soap est 1869, "you will enjoy it's clean piney odor". Now on to the news;

    There's good news and bad news, the good news is there is no news, and the bad news is there is no news for all yall expectin news, which is news to me, so I'm singing the blues bout no news and cat mews and church pews and beef stews....looks like I killed it.....lawd stop me before I kill again....

    And now the weather report brought to you by Old Spice, since 1776, "Look like a man, smell like a man" and not an old goat...CHIMACS has recorded 3 inches of rain since last Satiddy, including  just over an inch today, and is still raining this very dadburn minute.  Maybe some clearing by late this eenin and definetly tomorrow fo sho. 

    And now the Classifieds section, brought to you by  the following;  Stanback Headache powders, " snap back with Stanback" and Alka Seltzer,  "Plop Plop Fizz Fizz, oh what a relief it is";
Harley Jones has 3 15 inch rims for sale that will fit a ford truck not newer than 1965. They are just a little worn as one would expect since they came off a 1965 ford truck. He would like to get  $15 dollars for them, or $ 5 dollars each whichever comes first: He doesnt know what happened to the fourth wheel, if he finds it he will let us know...betchu cant wait for that announcement eh.....  Letti Longstreet has 1 laying hen and one Rhode Island Red Rooster for sale, $2 dollars each, either live or ready for the frying pan. Seems they got into her garden and ate all the seeds she just planted;

.    Church updates are brought to you by God;  Saint Barnabas day was June 11, and whoever made off with the communion wine glasses, please bring them back.  Never mind, someone brought them back on St John the Baptist day celebration June 24th, seems they got into Martha ledbetters picnic basket by mistake. Martha Martha Martha, how's that home course going on "how to cure kleptomania"? A little backsliding?;
We will be celebrating St Peters day this June 29th, well, we dont actually want to go see St Peter just yet, but will celebrate his life and devotion to Christ. "Always be zealous for the truth and to be careful not to deny our lord".

    Keep the sun at your six and "ride boldly ride..."
your frien and resident nut radidio announcer, Cephus R not a broadcaster esq    

Bill Traill

Beau, must be our turn this morning !!!