Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Wistful Wednesday: 1932

In 1932 Far Guy’s Dad graduated from High School.

1932 High School Graduation

That is his Dad Marvin in the third row.  Down a row and toward the middle is Gene, that is the guy that Far Guy is named for…I will just let you guess what his full name was.  Not too many people use his full name anymore…a few cousins, his sister and sometimes me.  Anyways Gene was Marvin’s best friend in High School.

See that gal in the first row?  That is Jeanette. She would eventually teach Social Studies…and become a spinster school teacher. ( I had her for Seventh Grade Social Studies or maybe Eighth Grade…I was in her classroom that day in 1963 when JFK was assassinated and all the girls were crying.) 

I am certain she became a spinster school teacher with her hair just so, a hankie almost continually clutched in her hand, skirts half way to her ankles and blouses with high collars because of one of the boys in this class…possibly Marvin.

There was a class play.  Sometime during practice the lights went out, AND whilst it was dark as night someone had the audacity to grab Jeanette and kiss her on the lips.  She fainted.

The story was always told with a chuckle and a twinkling of an eye.

I am certain I have told the story before, but seeing this old photograph reminded me of it.

Recently at the museum I ran onto the 50th Reunion folder from this class.  I made a copy and I will make a copy of this photo to include in the folder for the museum’s High School Memory Room.  In that folder from 1982 there was mention of Gene Cowles death.  Marvin was at that reunion back in 1984 and so was Jeanette. (Jeanette died in 2006.)

Graduation Day that year was June 2, 1932.  You never can tell what you will run into at a museum:)

June 2 1932

June 2 1932 list of graduates

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15 comments:

linda m said...

Very interesting picture. My parents were class of 1938 (both were born in 1920) I wish I had their class photos. It would be so much fun to look at them.

DJan said...

They look so much older than we did when I graduated from high school. Maybe it's the way they are dressed. That newspaper was very interesting, looking at how different it is from today's. I love your old photos.

Karen said...

It's always fascinating to see the clothes styles. Obviously for the guys, rolled up shirt sleeves was the 'in thing'. Marvin is the only one wearing a t-shirt.

Far Side of Fifty said...

linda m, Check with the Historical Society/Museum in the area they graduated from:)

thecrazysheeplady said...

So we AREN'T just remembering wrong when we say the papers used to be filled with more than just bad stuff.

Grandma Barb's This and That said...

Fun seeing the old photo and newspaper. I had to chuckle at Jeanette fainting after being kissed. :0)

Intense Guy said...

I love that old photo - it practically begs and screams to tell it stories... such as the endearing one of the kissed spinster!

nancy huggins said...

I Love to look at old pictures like that ( even my own school pictures LOL) It was a much better life back then...Fainted??That is to funny

Primitive Stars said...

Hello, always enjoy your old picture posts and the newspaper clipping is priceless, Francine.

troutbirder said...

Poor Jeanette. But then there was more too Emily Dickenson than met the eye as well...

Red said...

This was it! No individual photos for these guys. Each life was a fascinating story.

Anonymous said...

i enjoyed the photo, newspaper and story!

Linda Reeder said...

Great story! Poor Jeanette.

Rita said...

If Jeanette fainted at a kiss...well, maybe marriage really wasn't for her after all. ;)
They really do look older. Not only the way they dressed back then, but they seemed more mature, responsible, and well behaved. Maybe that is all an illusion.

L. D. said...

I have a few piles of newspapers that my mom saved from years ago. I still have not ventured into the pile to see what articles she had saved them for but some were the moon landing and JFK's death.