Saturday, August 6, 2011

70th Birthday Celebration a great success

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Hello everyone,

First, I'd like to thank all who so graciously assisted me during the "get ready" for the VERY SUCCESSFUL 70th celebration. Thank you all so much.

Our wrap-up meeting will be on the 1st of October at the Shaw library .... that's Saturday , Oct. 1st at the Shaw library from 1:00 P.M. until 3:00 P.M. or so. We have a lot to discuss and decisions to make.  We have positions to fill and future events to plan. Please attend and pass the word to all classmates who are not currently active meeting members.

If you have questions, please call or e-mail me.

See you when the leaves are in full color!!

- Judi Rolley White
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Karl Nagle photos from the 70th Birthday Celebration

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"This group picture is not the one that I will be sending to everyone," Karl says.  "Trying to get 45 seniors to pay attention is worse than getting a bunch of kindergartners to sit still."  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

"Put that right over here," says Sam Lansberry as he and wife Sandy host the Friday evening bash at their beautiful country home in Woodland.

Bob Rose and wife Kathy McGarvey Rose. Class of 1961.

Ed Powell, husband of classmate Bonnie Henchbarger Powell, Sandy Unch Williams and husband Fred Williams.

Wil and Karen Shirey bring some delicious shrimp cocktail to share with the crowd.

Suzy Sherkel Nagle and Orvis Kline share a chuckle over some class photos.

Trina Snoke Evans holds court with Anne Bartley Aughenbaugh, Penny Hile McCracken and Diana Rumery Greene.

Eugene Smith and wife Charlotte chat with Dave Michaels, husband of classmate Joyce Amon Michaels.

Tom O'Day, Jim McKenrick and Herb Maney enjoy a laugh.

Judi Rolley White, Tom O'Day and Harrison Price.

Foreground:  Suzy Sherkel Nagle and Sandy Shaw DeCasper.  Background:  Gloria Rice Henneman and Judi Rolley White.


SHOOOOOOT!

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One of the great things about our  Class of 1959 get-togethers is that we get to share in some of the great Clearfield Area High School moments that we may have missed.

At our 70th birthday party, I had the opportunity to speak with Tom Hartsock, Class of 1953, who is married to our classmate Bonnie Wilson Hartsock.  During the course of our chat, we spoke of our late, great wrestling coach Art Weiss, Sr., who passed away in May.  We discussed Art's coaching style and how he quietly communicated with his wrestlers.

Tom, an outstanding football player and wrestler, recalled the January 1953 bout with undefeated Canonsburg in the third meet of the 1953 season,  Emotions were high with a lot riding on the outcome. 

The Bisons were coming off an undefeated 1951-52 season and riding a 12-meet winning streak.  Canonsburg had a similarly impressive record with four future state champions in the lineup.  Both teams ruled their districts - Clearfield in District 6-9 and Canonsburg in the powerful Western Pennsylvania District 7.  These were not usual opponents.  In those days, Coach Weiss scheduled his teams against the best in the state. 

To top it off, the meet was taking place before 2,000 rabid wrestling fans at Clearfield's  National Guard Armory. 

As the meet was winding down, Canonsburg led 19-16 with one bout to go - Tom Hartsock vs. Gene Smittle at 185 pounds.  The outcome was anything but assured . Tom was tough but so was Smittle, who was undefeated with falls in his two previous bouts.

Weiss, as usual, was calm and direct, saying only, "You know what you have to do, Tom."

Not so with the team's high-strung, outstanding returning state champion, Johnny Johnston, who had scored a fall at 128 pounds.  "Listen to me, Tom.  Listen to me." Johnny shrieked.  " I'll tell you what to do.  Don't listen to anyone else.  Listen to me!"

Of course, implicit in Johnny's message was:  Don't listen to anyone else, not even Coach Weiss.

As the crowd roared, Tom opened the bout with a takedown and back points and led 6-0 at the end of the first period.  Things were going well but the situation was still tense.  He needed a fall. A win by decision would only tie the team score.  Up to that point, he had not heard a peep from Johnston.

Tom chose the top position to start the second period, and Smittle immediately made his move in an attempt to reverse or escape.. 

All of a sudden, Tom heard a piercing scream:  SHOOOOOOOOT!

Right on cue, Tom shot the half nelson and crotch, put Smittle's on his back, and scored the meet-winning fall at 1:10 of the second period. The crowd went wild and Tom was mobbed by his teammates and fans.

"When I came off the mat, I was happy but a little shaken," Tom said. " I asked, 'Did I do all right?, John? Did I do all right?' "

"You were great," Johnston said. "You did just what I told you."

The next day, The Progress headline read "Hartsock's Fall Nets 21-19 Win for Clearfield Matmen"

(Thanks to Mona Mollura Croyle for digging out this Progress sports page.  Click on page to enlarge.)

"Johnny wasn't too happy about that," Tom said.  "In fact, I think he was pretty upset.  I guess he thought he should have had the headline."

Epilogue:

Gene Smittle recovered to win the PIAA championship at 185 pounds the following year.

Tom Hartsock married our beautiful classmate Bonnie Wilson.

Tom wins again.

- Dennis Mollura

Photos from the 70th Birthday Celebration

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Early photos from our 70th Birthday Celebration.  Lots more to come from Chief Photographer Karl Nagle.

At the Friday night bash at Sam and Sandy Lansberry's, from left, Fred Williams, his wife and our classmate Sandy Unch Williams, Barbara Read Carns, and Joyce Moody Fletcher.

Biaggina Accordino Haas, by candlelight.

Joanne Shimel Magnuson

Barbara Read Carns, Joyce Moody Fletcher, Mick Hoover, Bob Rose, his wife Kathy McGarvey Rose, Judi Rolley White.

"Don't take my picture," warns Peggy Jo Thompson Knepp.  Too late!

Peggy Jo and Pat Kinkead Cutler share a moment for the photographer.

Suzy Sherkel Nagle and Rosemary Mollura

"It's about this size," Sam DeCasper tells the group. His wife and our classmate Sandy Shaw DeCasper appears to know better.

Now Sam tries to sidle up to Gloria Rice Henneman.  The weasel!


Sandy demands an explanation.  Notice how she's intimidating Sam as he pulls back as far as he can.

Joanne Shimel Magnuson, Joyce Amon Michaels and Judi Rolley White call out the door prize winners.  The prizes were plant centerpieces in beautiful decoupage baskets created by Judi's mother, Mary.

Norm Kyler, our classmate and friend.



Paul and Gloria Rice Henneman

Tracy Erickson, daughter of Dennis and Rosemary Mollura, with sons Tyler (left) and Tim.

Karl Nagle, as aways, doing his usual fine job of recording all of your events for now and posterity. Watch this site for Karl's great pictures.

- Photos by Dennis Mollura

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