William Nunnelley

glad to hear you are recovering,  best of everything...

Jeanne Hathaway

VISIT WITH BEN AVERITT

I just sent an email with this info and a link to YouTube to some of the folks who were at the last Rust Control meeting,but I'm also posting here becasue I know others will be interested.  Julia & I and my sister Lynn (WHS Class of '73) had the privilege of a wonderful visit with Mr. Averitt last Friday at his home outside of Athens, KY.  He has health challenges but is still sharp as a tack and still giving wonderful lectures on African wildlife as you can see in this brief little video I put up on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSAx_NbFKcE&feature=youtu.be  Enjoy!  And make the effort to get out there and see him if you can.  I know he will be thrilled to see you!

James Nimocks

Wow, Ben Averitt! I still remember his lectures on "Rhodesia" and traveling Africa through his classes.  He taught me that "Jack" was short for "John" (okay, I was kind of ditsy (?sp.) as a sophomore) as in Kennedy. I remember his incredible enthusiasm for his topics and his satisfaction when he saw us light up (our minds, that is) in his classroom.

BTW "Rust Controllers" there is a general reluctance to attend reunion type functions like this among my general acquaintances. You all have done a great job of linking us all together and sharing those memories that were so special to us in those years. I  don't think this level of participation, enthusiasm and all round sharing exists among many high school graduating classes.

 I think Larry Gillette and maybe Ellie Henderson were in my sixth grade at Stivers Elementary.(Random elderly thought,sort of a senior brain f*rt). Any other "Stivers survivors" in the WHS '63 class?

I will probably full retire in October of this year. Been at it for about 37 years now, maybe time to slow down. Looking back, the LAST thing I thought I would be was an MD. It's been a great ride though, and as my friend Steven Stills says "It's no matter the distance, it's the ride"

A 55th reunion is a great idea. I didn't realize how I missed you guys until I saw you all again as a group. Strange!

Fondly,

Jim Nimocks

Thomas Hart

Stivers grad!

Ellinor Henderson

Stivers for 6th grade, Greathouse 1st-5th, Mrs Crawley's for kindergarten.  Definitely remember you in Mrs. Hunter's class class, Jim.

Emma Rieser (Borders)

Jim, I also was at Stivers in Ms. Hunter's class.  You must come to the next reunion.  We all have so much fun!

Jeanne, thanks ever so much for your excellent video of Mr. Averitt.  I would love to go visit him.  I only had him for one class and the pep club, but he was always one of my favorites. All the videos you have shared have been works of art!!

Michael Moore

Ah yes. O. J. Stivers. The first and, hopefully, the only school built entrirely of asbestos. Known locally as "The Cardboard Experiment." Miss (yep, we still used Miss in those days) Stumbo 4th; Mrs.(?) Bibb 5th; and Mrs. Charley 6th. In love with Miss Stumbo and Ms. Bibb, Mrs Charley, not so much. Attended Lyndon in 2nd and 3rd so I think that we inaugerated the school.

Rod Larmee

Ahhh... Stivers in the 6th grade... the joys of dodgeball and the safety patrol.

Jim, does the name Miss Mavis Engle ring a bell?

Jennie Donnelly (Green)

I went to Greathouse in 1st grade and Stivers in grades 2-6. I was in Mike Moore's class with Ms. Bibb and Ms. Charley.  I also had Ms. Engel.  I remember watching every single World Series game in Ms. Charley's class.  My parents also bought our World Books from her.  I had a lot of good friends at Stivers.  I do remember that I was forced to wear ugly, navy blue oxfords to school in the 4th grade because they were the only shoes at Byck's in a 5A width and for some reason I had no other pair of shoes that fit.  While we were lined up at the classroom door to go to lunch, Warner Maxwell (RIP) yelled out, "Don't step on Jennie's blue suede shoes! ". I am still mortified. 

Mary Pat Spencer (Hankla)

Jeanne thanks so much for the video of Mr. Averitt.  I think he was at UK for a year or two right after we graduated.  Anyone remember that?  Even more fun was the memories of Stivers,  I was in Miss Charley's class & what I remember most was what an unatheltic bunch we were & how embarrassing that was for her.  Once, after our usual trouncing by another 6th grade class in our  daily volleyball game, we came back to class for an English grammar lesson.  We were given several sentences to diagram,  all in the same vein, but the one I remember verbatim that still makes me smile was "Our class does not have the ability to play volleyball well." I'll bet we all diagramed it perfectly because she really was an excellent (if a little weird) teacher.

Ellinor Henderson

I remember that I always felt like a giant because I was so tall so early, 5'7" in fifth grade.  That changed when I went to Stivers and we played volley ball almost every day.  Warner Maxwell and I were the tall guys, and always got put on the front row so we could rotate across it and smack the ball back to the other side.  I finally found something good about being a giant!!!!!

James High

Ahh , MR.MOORE , it seems we were classmates at Stivers in the fourth grade . I , too , was in love with the Godess Stumbo ! But , still horribly uncoordinated at  that age , I loathed dodgeball  and was always getting creamed during it !  However , my " love -hate affair" was soon over after  what seemed a move of about fifty feet ( we departed Herr Ln. to live on Old Brownsoro Rd .) and I was transfered to Ballard Elem. off Lime Kiln Ln. near River Rd. for fifth and sixth grades . Just adored the wonderful old place ! ( There is a prevelant myth that  Ballard High is located upon where the then closed elem. school used to be . A very dignified and sentimental notion but absolutely false . It was , in fact , founded on what was previously  farmer Yokum's  PIG FARM ! Perhaps that explains the swine-like behavior of some of the later B.H.S. students.)  Also ,  like you ,  I was at Lyndon before Stivers . It seemed like the "Elementary Express"to me--never moving much but always winding up somewhere else !   While occasionly throwing hedgeapples at the pigs . 

Lee Boylan

I also am alumnus of Stumbo, Bibb and Charley. Stivers' small district gave it the look and feel of a private school. Waggener was such a wake-up call from the real world, yet it, too, was relatively tame. My neighborhood was moved into the district of another school for sixth grade, but I got the choice to stay behind for my final year.

Mrs. Stumbo was a classy dresser as well as posessor of good genes. I don't think she needed the money from teaching, so it must have been us cool guys that got her up every morning.

I saw Miss Charley in a department store years after Waggener even. Two younger people accompanied her, family I guessed. Her hair was completely white and she came up to me from behind and tapped my shoulder. By then I had outgrown her. She had a big smile, and I said, "Miss Charlie, hi!" She didn't say anything so we both just grinned at each other and went separate ways. I only realized later that she knew my face but didn't remember my name. I should have introduced myself, said, "Stivers '56" and then hugged her. Oh well.

Emma Rieser (Borders)

Jim,

i belive the old Ballard School is where Chance School is now. It is preschool through 5th grade. I substituted a bit there several years ago. Although they have some renovation & additions, the old building is still very charming. I believe Martha went there as well. Hope you are feeling better. We missed you last Rust.

Back to Stivers: I remember the volleyball games with great fondness. Like Elly, it boosted my confidence because I was a good server. Even though Ms. Hunter was my teacher, I loved Ms. Charlie. I thought she was so "cool!" And yes Rod, I remember the Safety Patrol with our armbands. I have pictures of both the girls & boys. Fun memories!

James High

Emma, Thanks for the input on the Ballard School. I dont recall Martha being in any of my classes--the really neat Mr.Sam Fleischer for fifth grade or the dreaded Mrs Alice B. Kennedy for sixth (yeah,the elementary that replaced Ballard is named after the old dragon) --but it's been awile since romping around those great hills the buildings where on. The kids I rememer best were Bucky Fetter ( think he went to Eastern or Country Day ) , George Southwick , and Richard Siegel who both went on to W.H.S. I'm sure many more also came to Waggener. It would be fun to hear if they attended Ballard and perhaps about some of  their memories or experiences.

James Nimocks

Volleyball at Stivers. I remember we played volleyball in an auditorium with a particularly low ceiling so that all we had was a small "window" through which to serve the ball. Bouncing off the ceiling, pretty common,  ended your turn. But for us it was "normal".

i remember freezing my butt off standing at the back of the playground and at the rail crossing on Hubbards Lane in the winter, ready to save the life of the three or four kids that passed me in the morning. I was tremendously proud of my patrol boy belt and badge. An unmistakable sign of growing up.

next post I'll reminisce about being bullied in seventh grade, Mrs Juanita Guess being the poster child for COPD, Jim Wadlington and his henchman, Dayton Stansbury,  and how eight years later I finally got a tiny revenge. 

Love your memories!

Thomas Hart

Thanks for all of the Stivers memories! It was our TV in Mrs Charley's room! I guess my dad carried it over there! Volleyball was great. Didn't we have an after school volleyball program?

was Ms. Heck one of my Stivers teachers? That name pops out of my head. 

Ellinor Henderson

Jim! Another survivor of Mrs. Guess' 7th grade core class! I can't wait to hear what you remember! My most horrific memory of her class will have to be saved for an in person conversation, too weird to put on this site!!!

Susanna Japs (Isakson)

I went somewhere in the Highlands for Kindergarten and maybe First but I went to Ballard from 2nd through 6th

Brady Brown

For those of us who enjoy reminiscing (which I seem to do  more of that lately…) about Stivers and such,  be sure to check out the link “Al Ring’s Waggener and St Matthewes History Site", on the “Links to Other Sites” page in the left margin of this site. There are a couple of extensive collections of memorabilia about Stivers as well as other area schools, with news articles, photos, report cards, teacher lists and other ephemera. 

Heather Scarlett (Hurley)

Yes, highly recommend Al RIng's web site as there is all sorts of info about Waggener, St. Matthews, etc.

Marilynn Curtis (Jackson)

You all remember more about Stivers than I ever will! I remember being in Ms. Hunter's class, and who could forget Miss Charley (even if we weren't in her class) but that is about all. The memories  I do have:    recess playing kick-ball ; learning to do a highland fling for some international festival we had out on the playground which our parents attended.; music classes (!) with Ms. Thomas(?);  several of us painting the window of the St. Matthews toy or hobby store for Halloween.  

.

Ellinor Henderson

I remember having our desks in circles in Mrs. Hunters class. I also am still embarrassed about my performance in our class play, ""Mother for Mayor". I think I got the mother part because I was the tallest! Sue Pardo was one of my "daughters" in the play. I also remember having the class over to my house for a picnic. We played volley ball in the back yard.  I did the window painting thing in 5th grade while at Greathouse. We did the windows at the St. Matthews Model Shop. I remember Marilyn's picture which won her a spot on the Wilder painting team.  I was in the glee club, nothing like that show on TV!!!!! I know the music teacher had to coerce boys to be in the glee club, not that any of them but Warner Maxwell had a very deep voice!

James Nimocks

Does anyone remember the name "Howard Archer" as in "VMI ,built on a bluff and based on the same principle" or "every word that drips from your ruby lips". Perhaps eighth grade at WHS?

Richard Dicter

Are you kidding me Doc Nimocks?  I'm surprised there wasn't reveille with a bugle in his classroom. You didn't mess with him.  He was all over my butt 24X7. It was like being water boarded without the H20. But I grew to really like Archer, and thought he was all about being a very good teacher.  He had red hair I think, and he definitely taught 8th grade at Waggener. I remember the exact room with several rows of lockers across from it.   It was a little like Gitmo, but when I look back and appreciate how many excellent teachers we had, and how they were really dedicated,  like a lot of things  as you get a little older I appreciate them more. We really had a group of terrific teachers and  even more terrific to put up with people like me. No one could forget Howard Archer. Ever.

I think to an extent Mr. Archer liked to VMIize his 8th grade classroom.  I ran into Archer several years later after Waggener and we had some laughs.  He  looked pretty much the same.  I also remember he and John Burgin went round and round and I ran into John who was a police officer with Louisville Metro Police in UL's ER when I worked there as a student.  Archer would have liked the outcome that John Burgin became a cop.