Arletta Parnell (Glankler)

Thanks Dorothy, I thought it was Black, but I was not totally sure.

Roger Felton

What a great memory, Suzanne.  I would bet that wedding was the beginning of a love that lasted a lifetime.

Roger Felton

Arletta, I was thinking of Black just the other day.  You know, one of the reasons I was so proud to be a student there was it was called "Frank M.Black Jr. High School".  It had those magic words "High School" in it.  How cool was that!

But, at some point, some boneheaded bureaucrat had the bright idea to change "Jr. High School" to "Middle School".  What's the point of that??  Middle School sounds like after 7 years you're only half-way there.  Who could take an ounce of pride saying they were a panty waist "middle schooler?".   Had to be something that came down from that mass of morons that make up the Dept. of Education.  But don't get me started...

Ok, get me started.  I bet the Dept. of Education was the same bunch of bozos that ordered our coaches to wear those embarrassing sweatshirts that said "Black Ath Department" on the back.  I'd laugh so hard I couldn't do my duckwalks in gym.

Hilda Carol Smith (Godell)

Regarding the joint pain - from someone who's had multiple hip and knee replacements - anything that helps is worth the effort.  And, drinking the residual whiskey or gin is not that much of an effort!

Robert (Ben) Carbo

Hey Stephen Ray Puckett,

I arrived in Columbia, SC on Tuesday, 10/6 to work auto insurance claims resulting from the 1,000 year flood over the weekend.  Lots of homes, autos, roads and bridges destroyed.  You are fortunate the storm's worst damage is south of you.

Arletta Parnell (Glankler)

Your right Roger.  We felt like big boys and girls when we got to Black Jr. High.  Now they feel like they are the middle child, "when will I grow up".  I would gladly go back to the middle child stage, (although I was the first child) lol, and know what I know now.  Ever wonder how our lives would be today.  I know I would have become the surgeon I wanted to be.  What did you want to be back then?

Mary Holland

Catching up on posts..... I was interested in the horse riding stories because I had a horse all through high school, too. My parents said that my sister and I could have horses if we could pay for our horses and pay all of their upkeep. My sister was older and had more money in her savings account so she got her horse first. I didn't think I'd ever be able to buy a horse because i just had about $35 in my savings account and back then an unregistered riding horse usually cost $125. When I was spending a week with my grandmother in East Texas I ran across a horse for sale, $165 with saddle and bridle. When my parents came at the end of the week to pick me up we went out to look at him. My dad wanted me to be able to get him and so Mother made a deal with me that she'd give me the rest of the money and I would pay her back ironing her and dad's clothes for ten cents apiece. I took the deal! Thirteen hundred of my dad's dress shirts, my mothers "June Cleaver" dresses and assorted other clothing and my horse, Travis was all mine!  My three dollars per week allowance let me rent a place for him in a twelve-acre pasture with a couple of cows in it, on West Little York Road. I'd just gone and knocked on the doors of every house with a pasture until I got to that one. The man hadn't ever thought of renting space for a horse so he asked me if two dollars a month would be too much! We shook hands, I gave him the two bucks and got my horse out of our back yard. He even built a stall with a little pen in front of it for my horse! My sister and I were extremely different and weren't close at all, and she left for college that FalI so it was just me and my horse. I never had a riding companion but I didn't need one. All I needed was Travis. He'd been ridden but never really trained. I'd never ridden but had read all of the books I could find about training and caring for horses. I never read the Black Stallion books or any other hores themed fiction; I just wanted to learn the reality of horses. I took a horse that was named Spooky when I'd bought him and taught him to trust me and to work on such light cues that if you watched you wouldn't have been able to see them and to canter slower than most horses walk. I'd learned those things from reading about the Spanish Riding School and their Lippizaner horses. From the Western Horseman magazine I taught him to slide to a stop from a gallop and to do roll back turns. We were a real team. It would have been nice to have had someone to ride with me but I was used to being alone. I never had a friend until I was in college but with my horse I never was lonely. All these years later, after having had many good horses, an Argentine polo pony that was half Argentine Criollo and half Thoroughbred, A good Arabian mare that foaled a beautiful filly for me and other horses, even raising Appaloosas, If I had a time mechine Travis is the only horse I'd go back and get.

Patricia Bissonnet (Bissonnet)

What a wonderful story, Mary Holland.  So many interesting people in our class--leading so many interesting lives.  I wish I had known more of them, including you!

Lindy Clarke (Hall)

Mary Holland, yes, I still feel emotional when I think about my horse, PepperRika, which I got for my 14th birthday. I had been hanging around the Silver Spur Stables, on 34th, owned by Gary, Randy & Ben Brandt's grandfather, for a year or two. This was way before Waltrip was built, and I lived on Wakefield, used to ride my bike there EVERY day. I used to clean stalls and do chores, so that he would let me ride one of his horses on the daily group rides. I had to fend off that old man's "advances" sometimes, but no problem, I was a tough kid. Prior to that I read every horse book the libraries had to offer, but I really learned a lot about horses from that old man. He was a fountain of knowledge, and a very hard-worker. When I finally got my own horse, I was over the moon. There were so many kids (& a few adults) that hung out at the Silver Spur, some owned horses, some were just friends of someone that did. Some went to "our" schools, some went to various Catholic schools, and we all got along so well. I don't recall a single fight. 
This was before the 610 Loop was built, and when they built that thing, it cut right thru our woods where we used to ride and have hayrides (approx once a week). We were just devastated when 610 was built. 
Later, I moved my horse to some land over off Mangum & 43rd, behind Denver West?'s house. Denver's house was next to a 7/11 or U-tote-em, facing Mangum, and in back, behind the railroad tracks was a huge chunk of forest-y land. It was quite nice, and closer to my home, since we had moved to Mangum Manor on Poinciana.
Roger, the guy you mentioned that owned a white horse, Cornell or something like that?, I didn't know him, and I'm perplexed, how could I NOT know him? If he had a horse and was so close by... I shudda.
Some of the names from Silver Spur Stables, in no particular order, and spellings might be "off":
the Brandt boys (of course), Jimmy Carnifax, Raphael Hansen, Ty Rather (Dan Rather's nephew), Donna Lupoli, Carolyn Hutchins, Linda & Freddy Bray (lived next door to stables), Patrick Swayze (at age 7-8) and his dad, Bill DiStephano, Stephanie DiStephano, Jerry Baack, Bobby Dreggor, Sandra Bryant, Larry Robinson, Dan Baker, Sandy Frey?, Bobby Seale?, David Ringo (later, my boyfriend), Steve Woerner..... well, that's funny, I thought I could name at least thirty.... so many more.... will have to think on it. 

Arletta Parnell (Glankler)

Mary, I loved reading your story. It shows what can be done with such love and dedication.  I too ironed clothes for money.  I did ours and a neighbors who had 4 kids all in Catholic school and worn uniforms.  I was so sick of those uniforms. LOL!  Imagine kids today ironing clothes. I am not even sure where my iron is. Thank God for dryers.

Sandy Spears (Koslosky-Siddall)

Hello y'all.

Loved horses but lived in a dream world - read all the Black Stallion books, never thought I'd actually have a horse. Carol Chappell and I hung out at Memorial Stables. Saturdays we'd pay for a ride then hang around and help out for a free ride at the end of the day. I bought my first horse from that guy - a thoroughbred that could cross any road or bridge but was afraid of cows. It's funny that several of us lived in the same area but didn't get a chance to share our love of horses. I lived in Mangum Manor on Saxon, down the street from Roger, and didn't know he had a horse. Hey, Rog, you could have scored big points with me had I known you had a horse. :-) Guess we needed a horse club. As an adult I sponsored a 4H Equestrian club for the kids in Austonio, Tx so they could hang out together. I don't think Austonio's on the map (Hwy 21 70 miles east of College Station or 70 miles west of Lufkin - went to college in both directions)

I earned money ironing my dad's shirts, too. But I only got a nickle! Sounds like I could've used some coaching from my peers. 

Roger, the kid on the corner next to our house had a horse at a barn across the bayou but got thrown one day, hit his head on a rock I think, and died. I thought it was white, I can't remember their names. They moved soon after. That kid was a neighborhood menace - picked on other kids and animals. Couldn't believe they bought him a horse. 

Wow, the memories y'all dredge up. ;-)

John Leediker

Hi all....I really regret missing the reunion...it sounds like it was a great time and brought many old friends together along with old memories. I am wondering if there are any reunion photos posted anywhere....I have not seen any, but would like to. Best to all.

-John

Linda Marmion (Linder)

Hi, Sorry you missed it. Look on Joanna Hinton's page. More will be posted later.

Roger Felton

I know what ya mean, Sandy.  I have so many great memories and it seems they were all off campus from Waltrip.  Remember the Mangum Manor park?  Fun place for playing tackle football, throwing boomerangs, and watching those two guys fly their model airplanes at a zillion Mph.  Best part was when they collided into balsa confetti one Sunday afternoon.

Back before I could drive, Dad would let me back the car out of the garage and wash it in the driveway.  For 60 seconds I was a real big shot.  Seems every time I'd be washing the car, Pam LaBonte would come riding by on her bike.  Lord that girl was cute. I'd smile and wave but never could get her to stop.  I was at the point where I was going to lay out in the street so she'd either stop or use me for a speed bump.  Never got the chance cause she stopped riding by one day...disappeared...poof.   Maybe if I'd have had ole Charlie horse in the front yard when she rode by she might have stopped...or at least looked my way.  Always wondered what happened to her. 

John Leediker

Linda, thanks for the pointer...I found them. Joann, thanks for the great pictures.....lots of familiar faces, and it looks like a great time was had by all. Regards and best to all, John.

Genie Hackenjos (Kistler)

Roger,

The LaBontes were our neighbors in Mangum Manor.  Pam and I were best friends, in each other's weddings, etc.  She attended Reagan Sr. Hi because here dad was a history teacher there.  She married anther bulldog, and they have now retired in the Spring area.  We had lunch together on the Friday before our reunion, and I sent her a copy of your post -- hope you don't mind!!!

Roger Felton

LOL, Genie, don't mind a bit.  I had no idea her dad was a teacher at Reagan...so was mine.  Dad taught chemistry at Reagan.  Bet they knew each other.

Stephen Ray Puckett

Pam, sophmore in the 1964 Reagan yearbook:

Roger, it's likely your folks knew each other at Reagan.  After all, their pictures were on adjoining pages in the yearbook!

Roger Felton

Hey, thanks Stephen.  I swear you can find anything.  You don't happen to have a map of the Lost Dutchman Mine do ya?

Stephen Ray Puckett

You're welcome.  No, I don't have a map to that but I can point you to the supposed area of the lost treasure of Dutch Schultz.  A version of the story:  http://mysteriouswritings.com/the-lost-treasure-of-dutch-schultz/  I've tramped around the area a few times but never looked for the treasure.  That whole area is mysterious to many folks and was sacred/mysterious to the earlier Indians.  The story of Rip Van Winkle was taken from tales of the area.  I once spent the day with Tom Paul, discoverer of the 'Hammonesset Line', a line of mysterious old stonework, etc., which goes through the area where the treasure 'maybe' is buried.  https://grahamhancock.com/kreisbergg3/

Roger Felton

Wow, what I'd give to do something like that, Stephen.  As a teenager, I spent two summers in Tucson and just fell in love with the mountains and the many mysteries of Arizona.  From the Painted Desert, to the Petrified Forest, the Meteor Crater, the Superstition Mountains, Tombstone, Old Tucson, Desert Museum, Grand Canyon....geez, the list goes on forever.  Took those two summers to see it all.  Bought an RV and went back a few years ago.  Still just as fascinating as ever.

Stephen Ray Puckett

Dad's grandfather-figure was a noted sheriff in the southern Iowa and northern Missori areas which was pretty wild before 1900 - problems with Indians & bandits such as the James gang, etc.  Dad was fascinated with the stories of the old west so we went west most every summer (and a few Christmases also) so I too got to spend a month or 2 every summer enjoying the wonderful Southwest.  I loved the scenery, especially the green coolness compared to hot brown Houston. Loved, loved it!   In 1988 during the Oil Bust I pulled up stakes, left Houston and headed west. 

Lindy Clarke (Hall)

Genie, I didn't realize that you lived in Mangum Manor, too. I remember you, probably from Black Jr. High, but never knew that you lived so close. 

Mangum Manor Park... great memories... our house backed up to it.
In our backyard, which still had some brush, like a small thicket, my father found some VERY old barbed-wire tangled in there, not much, just a couple feet of it... but it was fun to think about what that land may have been during the Old West. 

When we bought that house, brand-new, the developers said that there was to be a swimming pool built in that park... but it never happened. I drive by there sometimes... and still no pool. Nowadays, that wudda been a lawsuit.
Anyhow, do you "Mangum Manor kids" remember that most of the trees at the back of the park, near the fence, were PEAR trees? Loaded with fruit. I wonder if they are still there. I loved to lay on the picnic benches and stare at the stars or clouds.... (safety never seemed to be a concern back then). 
 

Genie Hackenjos (Kistler)

We moved to Mangum Manor the spring of my 7th grade year.  We were on Saxon, in the block west of the Park.  Yes, I too remember that there was "sposed to be" a swimming pool.  Every summer we would hopefully watch for signs, but no pool ever materialized.  You must have been on Poinciana??  We almost bought a house on Poinciana before we bought the one on Saxon.  I guess I never realized all the Waltrip folks who lived in Mangum Manor!

Roger Felton

I remember those pear trees.  Used to climb them and pick a few.  Did that until I grabbed a dead limb one time and fell on my back and cracked a rib.  Still had that pear in my mouth.  Really glad nobody was looking.

Yeah,no swimming pool in the park.  But I figured they must have been talking about that big wide ditch near the swings.  But could only swim after a really good rain.  I always wanted to take that scenic tour and hop in that flooded ditch and float down under Saxon and out the culvert to Brickhouse Gully.  I think the fact that I'm writing this is proof I never tried it.