CRAIG LEWIS

I went to college at Ricks College (now BYU Idaho) and played baseball. Then went on a Church Mission to London England 1971-1973. Came home and went back to school at BYU in Provo, Utah and graduated with Business Degree in Marketing. Received a job with AT&T selling business phone systems in Modesto, CA. Got married in late 1976 to Harriet Manwaring. After 2 1/2 years with the phone company I went in the real estate business and just celebrated my 30th year. I now own Prudential California Realty with 13 offices from Napa and Solano Counties through the northern part of the Central Valley. We have 8 beautiful children and 5 grandchildren with 2 currently on the way. I have been very busy with building our business, Church positions, civic responsibilities, and playing and coaching my kids in baseball and soccer. I still play basketball with the 20/30 year old guys too. Can't quite get it out of my system.

Where do I begin!!! I feel very blessed to have been raised in Nyssa. I wish my kids could experience some of what I experienced. It is different growing up today than what it was then. I remember playing Doctor with my elementary school friends. Then being in Junior High and "dating" an older woman...Elaine Kurtz. Going to High School and being around those older kids was a whole new experience. But one of my most painful experiences was being initiated into Letterman's Club. I was a lowly Freshman and all the Seniors got to swat us with a homemade paddle made to specific requirements. Thick and big (I still have mine). I still have not ever had as much pain inflicted upon my body as then. I even got away with a little extra padding and it still hurt. Then we had to shave our heads and be skin heads. I will also never forget all the teasing in the locker room after practice and games. And of course there was the victory over Vale in football our Senior year (7 to 6) for the first time in 26 years. I will never forget the halftime "butt chewing" I took when I ran a different play than what the coaches sent in and I deserved every bit of it. At least it didn't blow the win for us! Then there was the Senior trip up to the Dam and since I wouldn't drink the beer all the guys tackled me and drenched me in the stuff so my Mom would think I was out drinking that day. I remember all the Friday and Saturday nights that Big John (Juan Elguezabal) and I would drag Main Street with different people. The part I enjoyed the most was before we would go out we would go over to his home and get freshly made, hot out of the oven, flour tortillas and eat them as we drove around...Yum Yum! John always had a nickname for everyone. Do you remember what he nicknamed you? You know I don't have too many regrets in my life but one of the biggest was that I didn't attend his funeral. I didn't think I could handle it because we were such close friends and I wanted to remember him as that large vibrant powerful man. I'm glad they named the Baseball field after him. He deserved it! There were all the card games and penny betting on the bus going to and from places like Enterprise and John Day. Then there were the "sitting on the wall" exercises that Coach Meglan forced us to do (Did it make us any better basketball players....NOT!). But he had to make us pay because we didn't win very many games and it made him look bad. Thank goodness he was only there for one year! It was fun having Mr McGinley as our football Coach when we were Seniors and have this neat ole man chasing us around trying to teach us "Old School" football. I loved that guy. Or how about the times that Swisher would have us prance round a big pot trying to act out MacBeth. And Mendazona cutting up frogs! Of course Calhoun would try to make us all think the only sport that was worth anything was wrestling and playing with a ball was for those that were soft. Well okay maybe he was right! I loved hanging out with Patty Lowe because she knew everything that was going on in the school. She was a great friend.

I have very fond memories of all those I got to know at Nyssa High. I am excited and a little timid about seeing you all. We can all make the most of those cherished memories!