Joyce Barta (Bayersdorfer)

Still got room for lunch at Doyle's?  Joyce Barta Bayersdorfer.

Linda Marmion (Linder)

Joanna handled it. I think it's full. There's always a chance someone won't show. If your going on the tours, I'd just show up!

Joanna Hinton (Garrett)

Joyce, please join us at Doyle's.  I'm sure two more individuals will be fine.

Joanna

Stephen Ray Puckett

A couple of old photos about Stevens Elementary that may bring good memories to some of us.  Supposedly they are from the 1950s.

Roger Felton

Gosh Stephen, I don't know where you manage to dig up all this stuff but just want to say I appreciate it. I'd love to have some old photographs of Cooley Elem.  It was a dungeon of a place with it's thick cold stone walls and that creaky wooden floor that was almost black from a century of soaking up cleaning fluids.  I actually learned to love the old joint.  Gone forever now.

I have memories on just about every square foot of the property.  I particularly remember this red-headed 6th grader who could hit a baseball farther than any high school player I ever saw.  They called him "Rusty" I believe and he'd hit fly balls clear across the playground.  Even one of the teachers(Mr. Steen, I think it was) would come out to see this little kid and try to catch some.

Anyway, you should have been a detective the way you can find stuff that can't possibly exist after 50+ years. 

Hey, if you come across a pic of a blond Vegas showgirl that's signed, "You were right Roger.  The second time was definitely the best!".....  SHE'S LYING!!! 

Stephen Ray Puckett

I think I did run across one that was signed: "Thanks Mr. Felton for all the fun nights.  I put a big red star next to your name in my book.  - Trixie"

As for Cooley, there's one class photo under The Wonder Years.  Terry Seelhurst is in that one, prominant in his Reagan days.   Here's some great photos of Cooley http://blog.chron.com/bayoucityhistory/2011/11/daniel-cooley-elementary-school/#1871101=0

James King

Roger,

That teacher's name at Cooley Elementary was Mr. Steed.  I was in his 5th grade class and he beat Terry Seelhurst, Roger Dyer, Roy Horn and me on a regular basis.  Mr. Steed was an older man and would fall asleep at his desk.  Terry, Roger, Roy and I would sneek out of class and go to the basement.  There we would play marbles until Mr. Steed came around from his sleep and discovered us missing.  He would go to the basement to find us and we would hear him so we would leave by way of the back door on the restroom.  When he came back to class we would be there at our desks and that's when the beatings began.

Roger Felton

That's right, James...Mr. Steed.  He would have been a popular guy during the Spanish Inquisition.  Ivan Jones would be having his daily slugfest with somebody (usually Bill Oaks) and Mr. Steed would come barreling in the basement restroom and haul 'em off.

No, the teacher I was thinking about was much younger...mid 30's maybe...nice looking guy with dark hair.  Maybe somebody remembers him.  He sure liked to catch baseballs.

Thanks Stephen for the photo of Cooley.  The fire one was sad.  I remember one day near the swings I found a coin dated around 1880 I think.  Some kid swinging probably dropped it and had to skip lunch.  There's probably a lot more stuff there nobody will ever find now.

Gosh, Terry Seelhurst.  Haven't thought about him in a long time.  Whatever happened to him? I remember one time in the basement when John Lang was trying to talk Ivan out of a chain fight with Terry.  Now the kids just shoot each other.

Does anybody remember that really cute, petite female teacher at Black.  I think she had a Greek name...unusual anyway.  What I remember most was those really tight clothes she wore with the skirt that was about 3 incles below her belt.  Then, as she lectured about something, she'd walk around the desk and use it for a highchair.  None of the guys knew what she was saying after that.  The only class I almost failed.  I remember her so well but cannot remember her name.

Roger Felton

Ah, Trixie.  What a gal.  She even signed my Aries yearbook.  It says, "The best thing about Roger is that he always pays up front".

It's nice to get a good testimonial once in a while.....

Karen Rouse (Corner)

Mr. Merritt.

Cynthia Hightower (Taylor)

Roger,

Remembering Mr. Steed and Cooley days, do you remember when John Lang put paste in Mary Nell, last name maybe, Bryant's (?) shoes and I spread it all around and took the rap?  Mr. Steed started smiling when I confessed, he didn' t believe me!  I was sent to the Principal's office!  After that experience, I decided to leave the pranks to those best suited for them, namely, Ivan Jones and John Lang. 

Cindy Hightower Taylor

James King

Very good Karen, Mr. Merritt was the other male teacher at Cooley.

Roger Felton

Thanks so much, Karen.  Mr. Merritt, yep, that was his name.  Good teacher if I remember correctly.

Cindy, you getting in trouble at Cooley just doesn't compute.  Sweet little angels just don't do pranks...right?

I'm almost positive that was Mary Nell Bryant.  I can still remember that shy little girl's face but musta missed the paste in her shoes.

Do you guys remember the wooden desks we sat in at Cooley.  Had that pencil groove at the top and a place to put your little ink jar.  You'd put the lid on your ink container and turn it upside down, then open the lid and the small reservior of ink was right on the inside lip. 

Then we'd take our Shaffer ink pens, stick 'em in there and squeeze the "bladder" with that tiny lever..then release and it would suck up the ink and you were all set to write the 15,000 pages it took to outline every chapter of our history book in Mr. Steed's class.  Those desks were all stained with decades of kids spilling their ink. 

I remember taking a small wad of paper and sticking it in my ink jar.  Then took my ruler and flipped that blue blob up at the ceiling....(geez, Cooley had high ceilings).  Then I noticed that I wasn't the first kid to get that bright idea.  I wonder if those little blue ink wads were still stuck up there when the joint burned down in '61.

Funny the goofy things you remember from so long ago.

Roger Felton

Hey gang,

Don't know about youse guys but I'm getting excited about the Gala Renunion coming up.  I was thinking about all of my old friends that I never get to see anymore.  Roy George emailed me to say he was coming.  I literally owe the guy my life when he paddled out on a water-logged surfboard to save my drowning hiney that got caught in an undertow down in Freeport. 

Then there's Tommy Wade who gave me more great stories to tell than anyone has time to hear in a day. 

There were many more but I was just thinking about one of the nicest, friendliest guys I can remember at Waltrip.  A super guy who'd do anything for anybody at any time.  Bobby Elskes. Had a sister, Fae in our graduating class. I always admired Bobby because he was just simply cool.  I never saw him down about anything.  Always up and smiling.

Then one day I heard he stood up and threw a chair across a classroom.  Don't know the reason but was so out of character that, to this day, I still think it had to be a rumor. Never saw him after that.  Anyway, he's one heck of a guy who I hope to see again sometime.

Linda Marmion (Linder)

Me too!  Just two more weeks!  Be sure to registered if you haven't. 

Joanna Hinton (Garrett)

I told Robin Trimble I had packed my bags twice and just finished packing the final decisions on what to bring - all I need is to pack the toothbrush and paste, put it in the car and I'm ready for the long drive to Houston.  I'm, getting really excited.

Linda Marmion (Linder)

You make me laugh!

Arletta Parnell (Glankler)

All packed and leaving Friday the 21st for the long drive to Houston.  Very Excited.

Dorothy Fowler (Montgomery)

Have a good drive, Arletta. Can't wait to see you.

Linda Webster

I am asking for some positive thoughts, and strong prayers from all my former classmates tomorrow. I am having two tests to try and find my originating malignant tumor. I want it to be found and removed.                                        

Thanks to all, and will see ya'll at the reunion.

Linda Webster

Arletta Parnell (Glankler)

Linda, I have lifted you up to my prayer warriors who do a wonderful job.  About 300 of them.  It is in his hands, and will be found.

William Ginder

linda

my thoughts and prayers are with you

good luck with your tests

butch

Joanna Hinton (Garrett)

Linda,

My prayers are with you.  I am a true believer in prayer and God will hear all that pray for you today in your testings. 

In His name I send to you my love.

Joanna

Jan Barnes (Nimtz)

My thoughts and prayers for you today Linda, that the tumor can be found and eliminated.

Steven Jay Stoneburner

Will add you to our Pryer list at Church