Edith Bergstrom (Usher)

Sharon - Congratulations on your retirement.  Are you in the island now?

Linda Garcia (Garcia-Shelton)

Like Cathy, I really enjoy reading the car/athletics/daredevil stories all you men are writing.  I am learning a lot about what happened in HS that was totally invisible to me at the time.  Perhaps I lived in an alternate universe then.  Keep up the writing, and the remembering.

Daniel Orlikowski

Oh, the stories are coming out now. This should be a fun reunion. I know some of the things we pulled we'd never get away with in today's world but hey...

Love your new profile pic Stevie. Thanks for the heads-up text.                                                                                                                                            

Leonard Capelli

The funniest car story I have was when Bob Stockton and I were stopped at a light on Telegraph.  We decided to race, I had a 53 Ford flat head 8. Bob had a good'n plenty colored Plymouth with sludgeomatic push button transmission. When the light changed, we both rapidly accelerated to the best of our ability. A cop passed us on the outside lane, he didn't notice that we were racing. We went to McDonalds and didn't tell anybody we were so embarrassed. 

Carol Strucel (Rohlinger)

Driver's Ed story:  I was driving back to the school, going north on Middlebelt.  When I accelerated to go up and over the railroad tracks, I felt no power.  What do I do?  The car coasted over the tracks, and I pulled over onto the shoulder.  The teacher asked me and the two passengers if anyone knew what was wrong .... no answers.  Well, fellow classmates, we were out of gas.  We all had to hike to the nearest gas station and bring gas back to the car.  To this day, I always know how much gas is in my car!  Lesson learned.

David Fawcett

Does anyone remember  being in a car club? We had a car club (with jackets and everything) the jackets were a gold color with black letters on the back that read "SRTA" with a 32 coup. the letters stood for South Redford Timing Ass. It seemed that there were about a dozen of us in the club.

William Cox

To Cathy Mc;  You are way too kind, I'm feeling more like the "Bandstand" these days!!!!

To Leonard C;  The Bob Stocton I knew, wouldn't have driven 1mph over the speed limit, Mr. Conservative. I knew there was a wild hair, in there somewhere!

                              My car story,  Summer of '62', my family moved to Livonia, from Redford.  My mother & I bought a car to share. Me to school, her to work &  whenever.  We bouht this unassuming white '60' Plymouth, from my uncle, who flipped cars for fun & profit.  What she didn't know was, it was a retired state police cruiser, w/ a big block intersceptor Chrysler engine.  My uncle handed me the keys w/ a wink, and a verbal bit of, in the one ear, out the other, wisdom..............I couldn't wait for school to start in the fall, I could park & hang w/ the car guys in the student lot.  My first car, white, giant fin tail ligts and all........The first day back, a dream spot, right next to San Sietings, very cool,  50's something Chevy.  Stan always had the nicest car in the student lot.  I bumped the gas a bit, an amazing rumble came from beneath that unassuming beast.  Music to my 16yrs old fledgling, car guy, ears....................Heads turned, my presents was noted, they wanted to look under the hood.  No way I kept it closed, & off to class. For a couple weeks, I resisted challenges to run down Schoolcraft, from school to Beech Rd.  On a very nice Friday afternoon, Stan talked me into a little test, he was the nicest guy.  There were 5 or 6 of us, we pulled out of student parking, on the west side of school, lined up down the west entry drive, then pulled one by one out onto Schoolcraft.  Each car did there best burn, heading to Beech.  I'm last, Stans just ahead of me.  Of course his, I think 409, dropped into I think a "56" or "57", Chevy, lite up like I've never seen.  Of course not to be outdone, I've got one of those, lag behind, push buttom drives also!, It finally kicked in, & I put my foot into it.  Back in the day, those Chrysler products were slightly heavier, than a Red Flyer.  I'm the last one out of the lot, I'm burnig rubber, like there's no tomorrow, & hey! I'm gaining on Stan, yipee. Wait, whats this red flashing in my mirror, through the rubber fog behind,.... what???  We all were completely unaware of the Redford, John Law, parked in the teachers lot in the front of school..........I'm the last car, he pulls me over, right in front of school, ugh!!! The boys are now long gone, free.  As I'm fumbleing for my brand new, crispy, license, the officer inquires, " is this a refurb state police cruiser????? Why, yes sir ," it certainly was",  He suggested that I take better care of it, and let me off w/ an "EXCESSIVE NOISE, squeeling rear tires" ticket.  My only one to date, I never was more embarrassed, & never forgot.  I alway told Stan, I would have had him before Beech, his standard, Stan like, responce, PROVE IT!  I never took the second challenge.............The Sleeper MoPar's spirit was put to rest that day!!!!

Bob Michaluk

Remember the Senior parking lot across from study hall. My 55 Pontiac was shared by every smoker in the class. Stashed across the two visors was every brand of cigarette known to man and no one ever stole cigarettes that didn't return  them.  I also left the keys in the car.  It was a different world then. Ocassionally someone would make a McDonalds run. At 25 cents a gallon no one ever thought about it.

Well I' m in study hall and my car "driverless" as far as anyone could see" was slowing pulling out of the senior lot.  The teacher carefully asked me questions but none that would require an police alert.  It was like one of those coming of age movie scripts and moments.  I guess they didn't make up all those stories.

David Daniels

What's with all the Rambler stories?  Did Coon Brothers have some magic hold on half of the Thurston parents?  Here's my Rambler tale:

My dad was a die-hard Chevy man for years -- bought a new one every other year starting right after WWII.  What I wouldn't give now to have that red & white `55 of his.  Then . . . in 1959 he went to Coon's and brought home a brand spanking new Rambler.  It will always remain in contention for the title of ugliest car ever.  There's another story about that one that maybe I'll get to another time.  Anyway, just about the time I started driver's ed (Who was our instructor?  How could I forget that?), my dad traded in the ugly monster for a metallic gold `62 Rambler Classic.  Which brings up another question:  How can they call a new model a "classic"?  Rambler brought out the Classic in `61.  It certainly didn't compare to the `55 Chevy, it was not and never will be a classic, but it was several steps above the previous Rambler.  And, at least  the color was pretty cool.

Early March, 1963.  League swim meet -- my last ever time in the pool for Thurston High School.  Don't remember where it was held.  I do remember driving home down Telegraph, so maybe Southfield?  Somewhere out that direction.  And why is Southfield named that?  It's in the northern suburbs.  Does anyone else think it strange that Northland was in Southfield?  The meet was on Friday & Saturday, but several of us, including me, were swimming only on Saturday.  Mracna told us to stay home and rest on Friday night.  Of course I drove out to the meet.  I don't know if he saw me in the stands or not, but I didn't care much anyway.  After tomorrow, we were done with each other.  Meet is over, I'm driving the gold Rambler Classic down Telegraph and turn onto Schoolcraft -- not sure why.   I lived off of Plymouth.  Could be that Jim Kopas (`64) was with me. Jim lived right next to the school, and I probably was taking him home. This part of the story was related to me the following morning in the locker room.  Thurston bus turns onto Schoolcraft, and somewhere between Telegraph and Beech Joey Mracna (coach's pipsqueak, annoying son), says, "Cops got someone!"  Then Joey says, "He's got a Thurston varsity jacket on!"  Finally Joey announces, "It's Daniels!"

Cop had followed me several miles down Telegraph and gave me a ticket for speeding.  Coach didn't say a word about it the next day, but he didn't seem too happy with me.  However, in 2 years on the swim team, I can't recall that he ever seemed happy with me.  I swam a relay and my 100 free.  Best time I ever had by 2 seconds.  Coach said it should have been even 2 seconds faster than that -- last words that ever passed between us.

I had turned 17 less than 2 weeks before this incident, and was greatly relieved to know that because of my advanced age, my parents didn't have to know about the ticket, and they never did.

Robert Nakoneczny

Great stories...and lots of smiles...

Came back from Vail, Colorado where I ski bumed the winter of 1964-65.  Came back in a Lord Alexander, built in Germany after the war...smaller than a VW...18 horsepower...air cooled...5 speed on the column...a real piece of work...not fast...steady.   

Going down Telegraph on our way to the pool hall...Bubb in the back seat...Michaluk in the from seat...two pops under our belts..and someone in the front seat gets the big idea to open the passengers' door....well it opens forward to the wind and not backward...needless tpo say the door wraps back around to the rear of the car and the passenger nearly goes the way of the door...Bubb has a strangle hold on Michaluk and keeps him safely in the car...abet more sober that prior to opening the door. 

Also, Bob (Michaluk) who were you racing (Garbin, Lee, ?)...aka playing chicken with...down a side street in the Fall of the year...between parked cars and both cars made it through safely, but we could not figure out how.  We went back and tried to drive through with the two cars together but could not make it happen.  I think we decided that the acceleration lifted the front bumpers and along with wind pressure allowed the cars to pass unscratcehd.  Amazing feat of driving skill! 

And so goes your insurance permiuns...still smiling...simple times...great times...

Dennis Abraham

hi bob,how are you doing over the years..I am doing great..I am still in area,Westland, and believe it or not,I still attend our lady of grace church...much smaller parish...keep in touch...

Leonard Capelli

For Bill Cox, I have known Mr. Stockton since 4th grade. We keep in close contact. Bob has always been steady, but knowing him in high school and then as fraternity brothers in college, there is a wild side he has kept hidden. 

For everyone check out www.whitehair365. It is a blog and more, created for people our agr or people that hope to be. I write an article on the evolution of the high tech industry from the sales and marketing perspective. There are a lot of good writers contributing. You will enjoy it. 

Robert Nakoneczny

Dennis...OLG...so many years ago!  Is Bob Buchette still a priest?  I've not thougt about OLG in many, many years!  See you at the reunion. 

George Goodchild

I've been reading what went on while I was in HS, apparently oblivious to the parking lot episodes.  Of course I didn't drive to school -- no car but a 59 Ford Country Squire station wagon, which my dad needed for work.  I do remember that our drivers ed teacher was Mr. Wood.  He taught me to always get my keys out of my pocket prior to getting into the car.  I still remember him every time I get into the car.

My only car story took place at 4:30 am when I stole a brand new 61 Thunderbird, drove it down to Hines Dr to the Stark road 1/4 mile race strip (unofficial of course).  I just wanted to see what it would do.  I completely forgot that there was a sharp S curve at the end, that went thru the trees, and a traffic light after that.  I had laid the needle all the way over.  It said 135 mph, I'm not sure since I shot into that S curve, realized my life was about to be over, didn't take my foot off the gas, flew thru the red traffic light, stood on the brakes after that, and took the car back to the Sunocco station on Plymouth road where it was always parked.  It was parked there because LeRoy Wood's uncle drove it thru the back of his fathers (LeRoy's grandfather) garage, so he couldn't park it on Columbia where we all lived.  (LeRoy lived with his grandfather and had given me a key to the car, as well as 10 other kids as it turned out.)  I do remember gas at the cheap station was 19 cents a gal.

I had a Detroit Free Press paper route, and the morning paper was delivered at 3:30 am, which is why I was up at that time at the age of 15.  I had never driven the car other than early in the morning.  One Sunday evening I got the bright Idea of taking the car and going over to my girlfriends house with it.  I sneaked out of the house. I had NEVER taken it out when there was traffic, but I did.  Turned onto Plymouth road, made sure I was only doing 35, Plymouth was a 40 mph zone, got down to the mini-putt / trampoline center close to Inkster Rd, when the single red bubble went on behind me.  With the State Police on my tail, I pulled into the trampoline center.  A state cop stuck a shotgun in the window and told me to get out.  I was spread-eagled on the hood, and everyone at the trampoline center came over to the fence to see what was going on.  Some of you could have actually been there, but I wasn't looking for witnesses to attest to cop brutality, so I didn't check out who was at the fence.  They took me down to the post on Grand River, called my dad, put me on an earpiece so I could listen, but not talk.  Dad said, "Keep him in jail!"  They had to talk my dad in to coming to get me.  It was the longest ride home I ever had in my life.  Later I learned that five other of Thurston's finest had been caught in the car too, but I didn't even have a learners permit, let alone a license.  Years later, when I needed a top secret clearance to be a cryptanalyst I had to put this incident in my bio.  Military intelligence could find no record of it.  It was then my dad told me that the cops told him they were'nt going to give me a police record at 15, when so many kids had a key to the car.  That's my car story.

Robert Stockton

Hey  Len.  I remember our “race” down Telegraph, the cop was yawning as he rolled passed.

Wasn’t  your old Ford our get-away car the night we water ballooned that crowd of guys down in Garden City, in their main hangout on Ford Rd? They chased us back to Redford. Luckily you managed to stay just enough ahead of them to pull into the church parking lot. When they got there, seconds later, all they saw was an empty lot. Right behind the parking area was a thick wood lot. Just behind the long bike rack there was a two-track lane that ran through the woods. In the dark with the lights off they couldn’t see us, but we could see them. Four or five car loads of pissed off guys driving back and forth on West Chicago and Inkster knowing we had to be right there. It was one of many “I’d rather be lucky than good” moments that kept us out of the slammer and got us safely through a situation that could have turned messy. I firmly believe we had at least one Guardian Angel riding shotgun with us during those years and I’m glad that he still seems to hang out with us from time to time.  

Hey Joe and Jerry, you remember playing “Little People”?

To Bill Cox. I didn’t think I was keeping secrets. By the way I’m glad to say I’ve still got a few wild hairs, only now they’re all gray.

Bob Michaluk

Nakoneczny was being polite as usual. I opened the door being a smart ass because we were going slow on Telegraph that the cars were wizing by us and I was going to get out and walk.  That door swung to the right and made this car (similar to an Izzetta) turn 90% right in traffic and send us sidways accross telegraph.  It looked like an old time movie Bob hanging on to a steering wheel smaller than a dinner plate, I am holding the door handle with both hands and Bubb was holding me.  You know there were so many of these times like the street race that we had to have guardian angles watching over us. I figured God did not have the time to make a plan for us. he was way to busy just trying to keep us alive. 

Bob Michaluk

I want to make a suggestion.  Instead of the class making available a printed phone book with details what if we produced a comming of age book about the class of 1963.  It would include all the information you would expect but would be compiled of stories like you read in member chatter.  Stories from everyone. Stories in the timeline along with photos when possible and headlines.  We have all seen the movies about kids and their discovery.  This could be our story.  When compiled afor distribution at the reunion it would be quite a book, maybe a movie.  I can handle getting it produced  but only with help from you.

1) First David needs to circulate this request to everyone.and be point man for communication I will publish the book.

2) Second we need some volunteers who can write.  I assume with a class of three hundred students there has got to be at least four English Majors who can write.  We take stories like you are reading in chatter and have our ghost writers rewrite them into great short stories.  Those stories will be combined into the book. Credits should be given.

3) AS the book is compiled a story line will be developed to give the book desireability.  

4) Upon completeion a book will be published and everyone gets a copy hopefully at no cost as we sell the extra copies and movie rights.  I know some book publishers and I am sure some of you know of others.  I will take the story requests and process them to the writers.  I will take finished stories and have an editorial board review them before anything is published.

5) the class of 63 is the star, always

Does anyone remember 8th Grade Camp?  Any photos?

So what do you folks say?

Linda Garcia (Garcia-Shelton)

I volunteer to ghost write a fictionalized short story from one of the incidents recounted on the site.  This is a great idea.  The editor of the collection, Bob M, should be in charge of the assignments.

Stephen Leuchtman

I was an English major and have had to do a great deal of writing in my legal career.  I would be more than happy to work on the project suggested by Bob and Linda; and, in fact, I've already written a number of short stories (unpublished) based on our high school days. My contact info is on my profile, and on my website, leuchlaw.com.  This is an exciting idea!

William Cox

Bob M. I'm not much of a writer, but do know a great idea when I hear one, what a awsome concept.  Obviously, you've  kept that creative right brain gear.  Great idea Bob.............................  

Catherine Micallef (Kosikowski)

Darn, I guess the car thing ran out of steam.  It was totally entertaining for days.  

On the girl side, the only BAD thing I can remember is staying overnight at Lynn Lucas's house, with Sue O"Malley, Marge Zinn, Linda Zinn while several girls stayed in the car and distracted the attendant putting gas in, (18 cents a gallon), a couple of us took the toilet paper and then ran around town in our pajamas toilet papering houses.  Not very exciting! Come on girls, we must have more to share.

Ok, graduation night I had a sip of Stan Sieting's Colt 45, YUK, still hate it to this day. But loved Stan, God bless him for his service to the USA, his Mother was so proud of him, he was a Green Beret. She would come into the bank I worked at on Plymouth road and show me pictures, one day she came in and told be Stan was killed in action. So sad.

Daniel Orlikowski

Oh Cathy, you mentioned cars and Colt 45 and that brought up another incident with Leuch and, if memory serves me well, his dad's Rambler American once again. I think John Bishop and maybe Jim Todd were with us on this one

Daniel Orlikowski

Oops, hit the wrong key and lost it. Yeah I think Todd and Bishop may have been with us  and Leuch may correct me on that but we were in the Big Boy parking lot, sloshed on Colt 45, and Stevie, of course it was always his fault ( LOL ) backed into some guy and sprung the hood of the guy's car. He called the cops and we had to follow them to the station. On the way we were stuffing our mouths with Chlorettes and other breath masking agents. They questioned us, we lied, and they let us go. Steve may have some details to add but that's the way I remember it. We'd never get away with it today. Oh and Cathy , you mentioned Lynne Lucas, she and her husband, Joe, paid us a quick visit last summer when they were here in Colorado. Nice to see them .  

Daniel Orlikowski

Oh and one more thing. Sorry, I'm in a hurry. I think Stan Sieting was one of the first from THS to die in Vietnam. So sad. So sad. May he and all the others we've lost rest in peace.

Leonard Capelli

Bob S, yep a lot happened in that church parking lot. It was a 53 Ford, flathead 8 with an automatic transmission.  The best feature was the back floors were rusted through in places. Do you remember we were having a few beers after scaring kids necking at Hines. We put red plastic over my spotlight and flashed it as we drove along. We stopped and a couple minutes later, the real cops were coming up. We put the beer through the whole in the floor and put the rug back over it. The cops looked all over the inside of the car, and finally left. Fortunately they didn't look under the car. The trail ran back to the nuns houses down the street.