Clearfield Area High School Class of '59

Mr. Nelson passes away

2012-02-15T11:20:00.005-05:00

Mr. Eldon Nelson, our 9th grade Pennsylvania History teacher, has passed away. I remember him as a quiet, gentle and effective teacher who cared deeply for his students and never sought to embarrass them, even if they offered a laughably incorrect answer (as I once did when he asked me to define "melting pot").

Following is a brief death notice from Gant Daily:

Eldon L. Nelson, age 85, of Masonic Village, Elizabethtown, formerly of Clearfield, passed away on Jan. 31, 2012. Mr. Nelson was born on Feb. 23, 1926 in Madera, PA.

A graduate of Bigler Township High School and the Pennsylvania State University, Mr. Nelson received his Masters Degree in Education. He retired from Clearfield Area School District in 1987 as a Guidance Counselor after 38 years as a teacher and served one term as President of the Clearfield Education Association.

Mr. Nelson was a member of The Presbyterian Church of Clearfield.

He was a proud U.S. Navy Veteran of WW II, having served in the Pacific Theater.

Mr. Nelson’s interests included numismatics, fishing, bowling and crossword puzzles; and he was a Penn State alumnus and avid football fan.

Memorial contributions may be made to Masonic Village, 1 Masonic Dr., Elizabethtown, PA 17022 or The Presbyterian Church, 119 N. 2nd Street, Clearfield, PA 16830.

Rest in peace, Mr. Nelson.

- Dennis Mollura

Feb. 6 - Happy Birthday Barbara Read Carns

2012-02-07T08:07:00.000-05:00

Jan. 31 - Happy Birthday Joyce Moody Fletcher

2012-01-30T22:12:00.000-05:00

Jan. 27 - Happy Birthday Irvin Curley

2012-01-27T08:03:00.000-05:00

Jan. 25 - Happy Birthday Lonnie Kovalick

2012-01-27T08:01:00.001-05:00

Jan. 1 - Happy New Year and Happy Birthday to Rose McCracken Billotte!

2012-01-03T06:56:00.002-05:00

Dec. 28 - Happy Birthday Wilbur Shirey!

2011-12-28T07:55:00.002-05:00

2011-12-24T09:22:00.002-05:00

Dec. 24 - Happy Birthday to Mary Lee Valimont Fulesday!

A belated Dec. 4 Happy Birthday to Bonnie Wilson Hartsock

2011-12-19T07:39:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Bonnie! Next year we'll be on time.

Dec. 5 - Happy Birthday Carol Evans Peterson

2011-12-05T08:34:00.003-05:00

Dec. 2 - Happy Birthday, Penny Hile McCracken!

2011-12-03T01:47:00.002-05:00

Wes Shimmel recovering from health issues

2011-11-30T07:07:00.002-05:00

Our dear friend and classmate Wesley Shimmel was admitted to the Clearfield Hospital recently due to health problems but is now recovering at his home in Clearfield.

Wes says he would be delighted to receive phone calls and cards from his CAHS classmates. His cell pnone number is is 814-762-3662.

His address is:

Wesley Shimmel
Apt. 707
222 Leavy Ave.
Clearfield, PA 16830

Take care, Wes! We hope you have a strong recovery.

Nov. 30 - Happy Birthday, Helen Newpher Spencer!

2011-11-30T06:43:00.001-05:00

Nov. 25 - Happy Birthday, Sandra Merrifield Milligan

2011-11-30T06:37:00.000-05:00

We don't have a photo to share with her classmates, but we do wish her all the best for her birthday and during this festive holiday season.

Nov. 18 - Happy Birthday, Karen Shirey!

2011-11-18T08:19:00.003-05:00

Wil and Karen at a 400-year-old wine cellar in Europe.

We have adopted Karen as one of our own - or, maybe she has adopted us. Whichever, she always shows up at our class meetings, and pitches right in at our big events. Happy Birthday, Karen!

Nov. 16 - Happy Birthday, Orvis Kline!

2011-11-16T08:08:00.002-05:00

Nov. 13 - Happy Birthday, Jim McKenrick!

2011-11-14T07:10:00.001-05:00

Tom O'Day, Jim McKenrick and Herb Maney enjoy a laugh at the 70th Birthday Celebration.

Today is Sandra Unch Williams' Birthday!

2011-11-08T07:12:00.003-05:00

Sandy at our 70th Birthday Celebration with Ed Powell, left, and husband Fred Williams.

Happy Birthday - Beverly Caldwell Law - Oct. 31

2011-11-08T06:37:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday - Ed Carns - Oct. 27

2011-11-08T06:35:00.001-05:00

Update on classmate Chuck Nelson

2011-10-21T05:41:00.002-04:00

Just called Chuck to find out how he is doing. He is doing great.

He says since he retired six months ago and turned off his email to go fishing, he hasn’t looked at it since. I’m sending him some snail mail and invited him to the April meeting.

- Tom O'Day

Mr. Barnes passes away

2011-10-21T05:20:00.006-04:00

George W. Barnes, 7th and 8th grade health teacher when we were in Junior High School, passed away on Wednesday, October 19. Following is a portion of his obituary notice in Gant Dailey:

Born in Williamsport, PA to a union master carpenter and his wife and was the eldest of 14 children. Mr. Barnes was a World War II veteran serving in France and Germany until he was shot in April 1945. He was the recipient of two Purple Hearts, and the Bronze Star for combat leadership. After the war, he graduated from Lock Haven University, where he met his wife, Minnie Belt.

Mr. Barnes later earned a Masters degree in education from Penn State, and spent his working life with the Clearfield and Moshannon Valley School Districts.

Mr. Barnes was inducted into the PA Sports Hall of Fame in 1995 for his longtime dedication to the youth of Clearfield.

Instrumental in bringing Little League to Clearfield youth in 1949, he was also a part of the planning and building of the community and country club swimming pools. A man of high integrity, he instilled in his children and lived his life with a strong work ethic, a sense of right and wrong, and an acceptance and tolerance of all people.

Happy Birthday, Suzanne!

2011-10-20T08:08:00.006-04:00

Suzy with Bev Caldwell, Bill Betts and Jimmy Stewart at her 16th birthday party.

Today is Suzy Sherkel Nagle's birthday!

If you happen to see her on the street or in a restaurant, bar or ice cream parlor, wish her a great one.

Editor's note: Birthday greetings are now a regular feature of the CAHS blog.

Our classmate Keith Crowe passes away

2011-10-20T07:42:00.013-04:00

Sad to report our classmate Keith Crow has passed away. Following is a portion of his obituary notice from the Breeze Courier, Taylorville, IL.

Keith H. Crowe

Sept. 14, 1940 - Oct. 3, 2011

Keith H. Crowe, 71, of Taylorville, IL passed away at 2:30 p.m. Monday, October 3, 2011, at Taylorville Memorial Hospital, Taylorville. He was born September 14, 1940, in Adrian, PA, the son of Thomas E. and Jennie Croyle Crowe.

He married Nancy E. Thompson on October 19, 1961, in the Christian Church at State College, PA. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He was a traveling evangelist, missionary abroad and local minister. Surviving are his wife, Nancy; daughters: Debra (Bob) Williams of Union, Ohio and Denece (Thom) Dodson of Montrose, CO; and five grandchildren.

He was born September 14, 1940, in Adrian, PA, the son of Thomas E. and Jennie Croyle Crowe. He married Nancy E. Thompson on October 19, 1961, in the Christian Church at State College, PA. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He was a traveling evangelist, missionary abroad and local minister. Surviving are his wife, Nancy; daughters: Debra (Bob) Williams of Union, Ohio and Denece (Thom) Dodson of Montrose, CO; and five grandchildren.

- Submitted by Joyce Moody Fletcher

Bette Lou's husband Bill Shull passes away

2011-10-19T08:05:00.001-04:00

Sarah Lyons Poole e-mailed me Tuesday afternoon to say that Bette Lou Welsh Shull's husband, Bill, had passed away.

Bette Lou had called Sarah this past Saturday to inform Sarah of Bill's death.

According to his obit on the internet, he died suddenly of heart failure on Sept. 28, 2011, at a hospital in Milford, DE. He was 74.

They were married in 1959, had 4 children, and 6 grandchildren.

His funeral service was held Oct. 2nd

I'll be sending a sympathy card from the Class of '59.

Bette Lou's address is:

23126 Deer Run Ct.
Denton, MD 21629

- Joyce Moody Fletcher

Linda Smith Dale came up with this gem - from 1945

2011-10-18T05:15:00.005-04:00

This page from The Progress in April 1945 is dim, but it's worth clicking on and identifying a number of our classmates and other childhood friends. In an unfortunate sign of the times, the children's parents (with one exception) are identified only by the father.

Thanks, Linda!

Oct. 1 Committee Meeting: Why are these folks smiling?

2011-10-17T06:40:00.013-04:00

Judi Rolley White is happy to finally turn over the role of chairperson. Tom O'Day is glad to finally wrest control of the unruly group. Tom, in his inimitable leadership fashion, gives a full report on the day's activities and decisions further down the blog.

Bonnie Henchbarger Powell gives a wink and a nod to the fun and frivolity.

Wilbur Shirey is delighted no one suggested him as the new chairperson.

Joyce Moody Fletcher wonders why the group can't get serious.

Sandy Unch Williams and Joanne Shimel Magnuson take detailed notes in case they are needed in court.

Peggy Jo Knepp Thompson and Dennis Mollura let it all wash over them.

Tom anxiously awaits the results of the secret ballot for chairman. If it doesn't go his way, he will invoke the "hanging chad" rule for recount.

Judi wonders why Tom is making it all so formal.

Karen Shirey makes dinner reservations at Moena.

Ed Powell takes it easy.

It's good to be the King...uhhh Chairman.

A portion of the dinner crowd at Moena. From left, Dan Mollura, Denny White, Judi Rolley White, Joyce Moody Fletcher, Bob Thompson, Peggy Jo Knepp Thompson.

- Photos by Karen Shirey and Dennis Mollura

Chairman O'Day summarizes Oct. 1 meeting

2011-10-17T05:43:00.009-04:00

October 8, 2011

The CHS Class '59 Committee met Saturday, October 1st, 2011 at the Shaw Public Library.

Results of that meeting:

1. Tom O'Day will serve as chairperson for the 2011-2012 period that ends October 2012.

2. The next meeting will be Saturday, April 21, 2012 at 1:00 PM in the Shaw Public Library Conference Room.

3. The annual summer class get-together will be Saturday, August 4, 2012 at Parker Dam. Details will follow in the spring.

4. At the April meeting each year, a new chairperson will be appointed for the following year.

5. The committee formally adopted the stated purpose or mission:

To maintain contact with classmates for the purpose of continuing to nurture, celebrate and support our friendship in happy and difficult times”:

Methods we will use to achieve our mission:

1. Plan a summer function each year for the class.

2. Send birthday cards to classmates from the committee each year. Special occasion cards also will be sent when information becomes available.

3. Continue the chsclassof59 Blog on the Internet (www.chsclassof59.blogspot.com)

4. Obtain as many emails of classmates for faster and less expensive communication.

Committee members with specific responsibilities:

1. Birthdays and Special Occasions- Joyce Moody Fletcher- jmoody@atlanticbb.net

2. Emails and Change of Addresses- Wil Shirey- wshirey@pa.net

3. Blog Information to be Placed on the Web- Denny Mollura- dmollura1@verizon.net

4. Any of the Above Information to be Passed On- Tom O’Day- today1@nc.rr.com

5. Secure Parker Dam picnic site- Judi Rolley White (completed) - chiefdenny@earthlink.net

A Message to get out to all Classmates:

Our committee meetings are open to all classmates. One does not have to assume any responsibility. Simply come by to the meeting to observe, participate or just have some fun with old (former is a better word) classmates. And if one does not like to meet, join us for dinner at a local restaurant around 5 PM after the meeting.

Thanks to all of you for helping make the planned functions over the past years a success. I hope to see all of you at the April 2012 meeting along with additional classmates.

Tom O'Day

Orvie brings Joyce Amon back into the picture

2011-10-17T05:07:00.004-04:00

Saw this photo on the blog (see below) and just couldn’t resist taking a quick try at helping Joyce (Amon, front row, far right) rejoin the group!!

This was just a quick “photo shop” try at fixing some of the flaws.

I’ve racked my brain trying to remember this photo and the best I can come up with is Ed Pavlinsky was the photographer early in our soph year ('56-'57) and I think he took it. I was “in training” and his assistant until about mid- November, when I took over as the camera guy, and Bob Lingle came on board to help out.

We had some 4x5 film holders that were from WW1 I think and several of them “leaked” light. I finally started keeping track of what pictures were taken with what holders and found 3 of them to be “bad”. Had to smash them and tell Pop Weidner they got stepped on at a “shoot” outside the Auditorium (of home rooms) and broken! He wasn’t going to let me throw them away!!! Curious as to how this pic “got out”. Normally – we showed them to Pop and he kept them.

Maybe he gave them to Betty.

- Orvis Kline

Reunion memorabilia decorate Old Town Dairy

2011-10-12T07:33:00.001-04:00

As Judi Rolley White reported earlier, we have donated the photo board and a framed copy of our 50th-year reunion souvenir booklet produced by Suzy Weisshaus Speicher to the Old Town Dairy in Clearfield.

The photo board and framed booklet now occupy prominent places in the Dairy, which also displays other memorabilia and photos from the 1950s in Clearfield.

You will recall that a photo of the huge mural at the Dairy graced the front cover of our 50th Reunion booklet.

Photos by Judi Rolley White

Note from Judi: 2011 wrap-up meeting days away

2011-09-26T06:55:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone,

Just a reminder .. .the 2011 wrap-up meeting is Saturday October 1st at 1:00 in the conference room at Shaw Library.

This is an important meeting to elect a chairman ..volunteers now step forward !!...... and to look ahead to the up coming "Good Old Fashioned Picnic" on August 04,2012 at Parker Dam pavillion #2. Remember the great times that we had there!

The chair transition will be swift and painless because the only thing to be done for 2012 is to set the meeting dates and to see that the different committees are functioning as needed. Additional issues will be presented by the new chairperson. We also need a chairperson to take the 2013 seat, if you all vote to continue our get-togethers.

If you can't come, have someone call you on a cell phone so you can take part and give your input.

Until Oct. 1st, take care, drive carefully,and think about volunteering.

- Judi Rolley White

Wil and Butch meet on the Continental Divide

2011-09-26T06:51:00.019-04:00

Wil Shirey, left, and Alton "Butch "Davis

Recently Karen and I were on our way to Calgary, Alberta, Canada and had to switch planes in Chicago.

We landed at O'Hare and had just completed our one-mile hike from concourse C to concourse F. We walked into the Air Canada waiting room when I saw this hand waving in the corner like some kid in Annie Kochis' Latin class who actually knows the answer.

And guess what? It was the kid in Annie's Latin class who usually knew the answer and went on to teach Latin for many years in York, Pa. Alton "Butch" Davis and his wife Carole were on their way to Calgary to join the same bus tour of the Canadian Rockies on which we were registered.

Butch and Carole were traveling with friends and we were meeting friends in Calgary so we didn't spend a lot of time together on the tour but it sure was fun when we did. Some of our classmates" ears had to be burning.

Incidentally, the mountains and glaciers around Banff, Jasper and Lake Louise were magnificent. We also passed by the ski jump from which "Eddie the Eagle" tried to soar during the '88 Winter Olympics. The only "bison" we saw was Butch, but we did see bears, elk, big horn sheep and mountain goats. If you haven't been there, you might want to add this trip to your "bucket list."

Just for proof, I've added a picture of Butch and me at Logan Pass in Glacier National Park in Montana.

See you all next summer at Parker Dam.

- Wil Shirey

2011 wrap-up meeting set for Saturday, Oct. 1

2011-09-22T10:29:00.007-04:00

Fall is upon us, the leaves are turning, and it's time for our 2011 wrap-up and planning meeting. Mark the date and please join us: Saturday, October 1. from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Shaw Library conference room. As is our custom, we expect that a group (we hope everyone) will plan to have dinner together that evening.

One of the primary agenda items will be to select a new chairperson for 2012.

Come alone or bring your spouse, your friend or your significant other .... just come and plan on putting your two cents in ... it is your class and we'd love to have everyone participate in the discussion.

Looking ahead to next year, we tentatively have scheduled a Good Old Fashioned Picnic on Saturday, August 04, 2012 at Parker Dam Pavilion #2, from 12:00 noon until ????. This is the Saturday of Fair Week, so those who wish to take in the last day of the Fair, see the entertainment (and win the car) can have a full and enjoyable day.

The earliest one can reserve a pavilion is 11 months to the day prior to the scheduled event. Our Chairperson, Judi Rolley White, arose early that day, hopped on her computer at 7 a.m. and made the reservation at the earliest possible moment.

To keep everything simple with little or no workload for our classmates, the picnic will be an informal affair with no planned menu or scheduled events. Just bring your family, food, drinks, and table service, perhaps a covered dish to share with classmates, and plan on having a great time visiting and sharing a good time together. Remember, no alcoholic drinks allowed in state parks.

Thanks, Judi, for being your usual on-the-ball self. We appreciate all you have done in your two years at the helm.

Thanks, too, to Joyce Moody Fletcher, who continues her hard and never-ending work keeping our class roster and records up to date, sending cards, and making sure that everyone is informed of what's going on with our classmates. Thanks also to Joyce Amon Michaels, Joanne Shimel, Sandy Unch Williams and Linda Smith Dale for helping to plan and pull our events together.

50th-year Reunion picture board and booklet now on display

Our picture board from the 50th reunion is now on display at the Old Town Dairy along with framed pages of our class booklet produced by Suzy and Terry Speicher. Why not plan to stop in, have lunch, and rekindle the fond memories of our high school years and 50th reunion.

You will recall that the drive-in mural at the dairy was featured on the cover of our 50th reunion booklet.

Give me a "C"! Give me an "H"! Give me an "S"!

2011-09-22T09:32:00.010-04:00

Here's a nice photo of our cheerleaders from (we believe) 1957. From the files of Betty Lou Welsh, who sent it to Sarah Lyons, who sent it to Judi Rolley, who sent it to the blogmeister.

Front row, from left: Pat Rummings, Sandy Nicolas (sp?), Betty Lou Welsh, Jane Winslow, Joyce Amon. Unfortunately, the camera had either a light leak or the back was opened prematurely, washing out the right side. Sorry, Joyce.

Back row: Mary Helen Kepner, Judi Rolley, Joyce Billotte, Sarah Lyons.

Judi believes the photo was snapped as the cheerleaders were taking their positions for a formal shot, probably by Orvie Kline or Bob Lingle. Orvie can tell us whether he remembers the moment.

70th Birthday Celebration a great success

2011-08-06T22:45:00.001-04:00

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

2011-08-06T22:08:00.010-04:00

"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!

2011-08-06T16:29:00.028-04:00

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

2011-08-06T15:04:00.008-04:00

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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Party Time!

2011-07-28T21:47:00.003-04:00

It's finally here!

Friday evening, July 29, we're all invited to party at Sam and Sandy Lansberry's beautiful country home in Woodland, starting at 5 p.m.

Sandy once again has the home (choose one) remodeled, redecorated or expanded and all ready for the celebration. Our hosts are providing the meat and beverages. We are asked only to bring ourselves, a casserole, dessert or other dish to share.

Directions: At Exit 123 (old 20) of I-80, travel north 1/2 mile to Pleasant Valley Church on the right. Turn right on Egypt Road and travel about 1 mile. After passing Doc Welker Road, pass four houses on the right. Next driveway on the right is Sam's and Sandy's. Address is 958 Egypt Road.

Saturday we party again at our 70th Birthday Celebration at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Clearfield.

See you all there!

Attendance update for 70th Birthday Celebration

2011-07-28T01:15:00.005-04:00

So far, 95 classmates and guests are planning to attend on Saturday, July 30:

2 Biaggina Accordino Haas
4 Joyce Amon Michaels
2 Anne Bartley Aughenbaugh
2 Judy Bell Starr
2 Blaine Bloom
2 Bob Bloom
2 Margaret Borst Bloom
2 Gary Bolton
2 Sandra Brown Everist
2 Ed Carns (Wife: Barbara Read Carns)
3 Lea Davidson
2 Donald Fontenoy
1 Nancy Godin Ordonez
2 Bonnie Henchbarger Powell
2 Kirk High
2 Joel Hoffman
1 Wilda Homman Williams
1 Betsy Kephart Kruckenberg
1 Ed Kitchen
2 Orvis Kline
2 Peggy Jo Knepp Thompson (Bob's 50th @ The Country Club)
2 Lonnie Kovalick
2 Norman Kyler
2 Sam Lansberry
2 Merlyn "Herb" Maney
2 Earl McCracken (Wife: Penny Hile McCracken)
1 Jim McKenrick - COMING FROM SOUTH CAROLINA!
3 Dennis Mollura
2 Joyce Moody-Fletcher
4 Tom O'Day
2 Sandra Ogden Black - COMING FROM TEXAS!
2 Emma Pennington Conklin
2 Gloria Rice Henneman
2 Bonnie Robbins Witherow
2 Judi Rolley White
2 Sandy Shaw DeCasper - COMING FROM GEORGIA!
2 Suzanne Sherkel Nagle
2 Joanne Shimel Magnuson
2 Wilbur Shirey
2 Eugene Smith
2 Linda Smith Dale
1 Trina Snoke Evans
1 Cathy Tarner (for Lew Marrara)
2 Ron Turner (Wife: Judy McKinn Turner)
2 Sandy Unch Williams
2 Kathryn Valimont Norris
2 Bonnie Wilson Hartsock
2 Lois Wisor Buck

Saturday's Events:The 70th Birthday Celebration will be held Saturday, July 30, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Clearfield beginning at 4 p.m. and lasting until we decide to end the party. This is the same day as the Golden Bison and Alumni Association dinner. Given the different start times, it will be possible to attend portions of both events for those who wish to do so.

More details on Saturday's events:

- The celebration is free for those attending, thanks to funds in our treasury and donations from local business establishments.

- Dress is informal. There is no set program and no celebration booklet is planned.

- The meal will be simple - pizza and hoagies. Soft drinks and water will be provided. Classmates who wish to bring a dish to share may do so.

- Tablecloths will be in keeping with a pizza parlor decor. Empty wine bottles will be used as candle holders. Judi Rolley White's mother, Mary, is providing some beautiful, colorful decoupage baskets for use as centerpieces. Thank you, Mary, for our wonderful classmate Judi, and for these unusual centerpieces. We know the the baskets are a lot of work, and we appreciate your contribution to our event. Hope to see you sometime during the weekend!

- We may decide to bring indoors the beanbag toss game, which was a big hit at the class picnic last year. Board games also may be offered.

- Tom O'Day and Guy Graham will organize a golf outing for those who wish to play.

- Joyce Moody Fletcher

.

Judi Rolley White calls for help

2011-07-14T06:14:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone,

I must ask for some help on Saturday for the birthday event on Saturday, July 30, at the Clearfield Knights of Columbus Hall.

I won't be my normal "rip and tear around" self and assistance in setting up and cleaning up OUR stuff would be appreciated. You see, I'M NOT GETTING OLD, I just have learned why my knee is not doing as it should since the total knee replacement. Both the top and bottom appliances have come loose..... YUK!!!

The fix is not yet determined, but removal and new hardware seems the only idea so far, and that is sometime later. In the meantime, it swells, gets hot, hurts, and rocks back and forth laterally. Oh yes, I'm really looking cool !!

The tables need set up and covered and the normal stuff put out. The decorations are minimal and the food is easy and will be gotten together the day before. As always, my husband Denny will be the "hauler" and carrier ... just feed him and he will work!

We will have a great time and then, those of us who want, can go to the Alumni thing and enjoy the cash bar and the band ... all for ZERO DOLLARS.

Wow! On top of that, we will have a smashing time at Sam's the night before and all we have to bring is a dish to share.

See you all soon, Judi

Mary Newman Montano has knee surgery

2011-07-14T05:53:00.002-04:00

Our classmate Mary Newman Montano underwent knee replacement surgery on Friday, July 8th, at Alexandria, VA Hospital. When she's released from the hospital, she'll be going into rehab.

During this time period, she's asked that we hold all e-mails until she gets back to her home.

You may send get-well cards to Mary at her home address:

Mary N. Montano
6034 Richmond Hwy. #111
Alexandria, VA 22303

Get well soon, Mary!

Some sad news to report on CAHS classmates

2011-07-14T05:42:00.003-04:00

Althea ‘Mickey’ High, wife of our classmate A. Kirk High, passed away on June 27 at their home. She was a member of the CAHS Class of 1960.

Mickey retired in 1993 from Bell Telephone after 20 years of service.

In other sad news, Giles Lanager's brother, Jim (a/k/a "Bones") passed away; Connie Selfridge Coons' mother passed away; and just this week, Barry Peoples' brother-in-law passed away.

Our prayers and condolences go out to all the families.

Tom visits Jerriann and Dane

2011-06-29T07:40:00.007-04:00

I met Jerriann and her husband, Dane, in Hot Springs, AR for dinner. I was touring the Ozarks with two other friends and we made the stop in Hot Springs. We had a pleasant evening. Jerriann and her husband are doing well and playing much golf. We shared some pleasant memories of growing up in Clearfield.

- Tom O'Day

70th Birthday Celebration just around the corner

2011-06-26T22:41:00.014-04:00

Can you believe it? We are just about a month away from our 70th Birthday Celebration July 29-30, and we can't wait to see everyone again.

The weekend's events will kick off with a Friday evening get-together at the home of Sam and Sandy Lansberry. Dress is informal, and you are asked to bring a dish to share. Once again, we are indebted to Sam and Sandy for opening their home to us and their generous hospitality.

Remembering Don McGarvey

2011-06-26T18:55:00.048-04:00

By Dennis Mollura

I never wanted this blog to be about death and dying, but at this point, it’s difficult to escape.

My Tannery Row and neighborhood friend Don McGarvey (CAHS Class of 1960) died at his home in West Decatur on Monday, June 6.

His death notice provides the usual details. He leaves his wife, Patricia (Lumadue) McGarvey, whom he married in 1967; a daughter and two step daughters; eight grandchildren and one great grandchild. Two sons preceded him in death. He retired in 2000 after 35 years at PennDOT. He then worked with Greenhorne and O'Mara Engineering Consultants of Harrisburg. He was a Methodist by faith and a PIAA basketball referee and baseball umpire.

As is the case when a good friend passes, there’s so much more to say, so many memories to relate. Since they don't appear to be written anywhere, it’s up to his cousin, Kathy McGarvey Rose, wife of our classmate Robert Rose, and me to fill in the palatte of his life.

First, Kathy:

“We are at Wolf's campground in Knox, Pa at our camper,” Kathy wrote in her condolence message at the Kevin A. Beardsley Funeral Home website. “ We are here for the summer. I was shocked to hear of Don's passing. … I have such cute pics of Don and me growing up. I always thought he looked like "Spanky" on the Little Rascals.”

In his death notice, there is no mention of his studying drafting at Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne, which accounts for his long career at PennDot.

There is no mention that he was a fine basketball player and football lineman at CAHS.

There is no mention that he coached Clearfield’s American Legion youth baseball teams to success and led the Clearfield Indians to JC League championships in 1971 and 1972 (the first since 1957) and runners-up in 1973 and 1974 as a power-hitting player-manager and first baseman.

Finally, there is no mention that he was an ex officio member of Tannery Row in the East End of Clearfield. He was the grandson of Miles and Annie McGarvey. Miles worked at the tannery and Annie was a seamstress of some note. They lived at 711 Elk Avenue. Although he didn’t actually live in the neighborhood, Don was around a lot. My earliest recollections of him are at the age of five or six. Ultimately, he and his parents, Clair and Thelma McGarvey, settled at the corner of East Fourth and Daisy Streets, just a few blocks from our neighborhood. He was a polite, well-mannered playmate, and we claimed him as our own.

And, yes, he did very much look like “Spanky” of the Our Gang and Little Rascals comedies. We called him “Donny" -- never Don -- until junior high.

Don always was taller and heavier than the rest of us, save for Terry Howell and Eugene Myers at a comparable age. In his early years, he was quiet. Very quiet. He also was slow afoot and not much of an athlete, usually chosen third from the bottom in pick-up baseball games -- ahead of only Jack Diehl and me. Although not a star on the tannery field, Donny soon matured, slimmed down, got into great shape, and surpassed all of us in his athletic prowess and achievements.

We were a tightly knit group on Tannery Row. In the summers of the early Fifties, Glenn Myers, Don and I traveled to the "Y" each afternoon to swim and play table tennis, always stopping for a Clearfield Dairy double or a triple-decker along the way. But by 1956, Terry and Denny Howell moved uptown, Glenn was focused on his band music and social life, and Denny Howell had a paper route. That left only Don and me to maintain the neighborhood passion (some would say obsession) with baseball.

Since there no longer were enough players to field even a four or five-man pick-up game, we made up our own two-man games and played them through a full nine innings, keeping score with the actual lineups of teams such as the Pirates, Red Sox and Phillies. The games we created were either highly creative or a sign of demented youth, depending on your point of view. For example:

 We bounced a rubber ball off the brick wall of a nearby church or wooden shed or fence. One player had to field the ball cleanly and throw to first – to the other player. And you could not “pull him off the bag.”

 We threw the ball over our house, from one player in the front yard to the other in the back. Because you couldn’t see the other player, you never were sure when the ball would be coming or from what height or angle. Sometimes the ball would just miss bouncing off the roof overhanging the porch, and you had to dive for it. At other times, the ball would bounce on the porch roof and fly over your head. Great fun until a couple of Don’s throws struck the electric power line serving the Hoshko house. Boing! I can still see Bill Hoshko leaning out his upstairs bedroom window and, in screech owl-like fashion, shouting to Don: “You (expletive deleted). I’m going to call the cops!” That ended that.

 We played after dark under the street lights at the intersection of East Fourth and Daisy streets, throwing ground balls toward the other and requiring a clean pick-up and throw to first. The bouncing ball had to stay within the curbing; otherwise, the thrower would be charged with a walk. Bouncing or spinning the ball past the other player was difficult. You could toss the ball high in the air, requiring a catch with no bounce.

 We played Wiffle ball while calling balls and strikes. There were designated distances for singles, doubles, triples and home runs. Calling balls and strikes kept the pitcher honest. A fair number of outs were by strike-out, and only few hits “left the park.” It was a delicately balanced game. Winning was not easy.

To most, these games were trivial, even silly. To us, they were serious and meant to be played with passion and integrity. Case in point: One day, on a rocky, clay parking lot of an East End church, we were playing the bounce-the-ball-to-the-other-player game. In this scenario, the player who throws the ball is both the "batter" and the "first baseman." Tight game. Bottom of the ninth. Don ahead by one run. I'm at bat, throwing toward him. Two out, two on in scoring  position. I spin the ball to his right. Bad hop. No way he gets it. But he does! Backhands the ball and throws off-balance, low and off the bag to first.

I win!

Wait! I lean to my right, stretch out on the clay, spear the ball backhanded in the web of my glove, foot still on the "bag." Don wins! I get a scraped elbow and Don wins. I make the play of the game but Don wins.  Would he have done the same for me? Of course.

Day after day, week after week, mornings and evenings, we played these games.

Afternoons usually were reserved for trips to Clearfield Dairy and swimming and table tennis at the “Y.” If anything consumed us nearly as much as baseball, it was table tennis.  I started playing the game first and take some credit for helping to develop his game. Our matches were close and fast-paced. Over time, he became the better player -- better nerves and less likely to blow a lead. I once had him down 20-13, needing only one more point to win. He scored nine consecutive points and won, 22-20.

On Tuesday evenings, we attended Boy Scout and later Explorer Scout meetings at the Trinity Methodist Church. We achieved the respectable rank of First Class Scout and earned a fair number of Merit Badges.

For some reason, Don was a Red Sox fan – a team that he could not reliably follow on radio, TV or even in The Progress. Why not the Pirates or Phillies? I believe it had to do with the Howell boys’ unmerciful disparagement of any team other than their favorite, the Philadelphia A’s. We fans of the dreadful, last-place Pirates bore the brunt of their ridicule. By avoiding the Pirates and choosing the Red Sox, who were in those days far better than the A’s, Don found safe harbor. By and by, we Pirates and Red Sox fans had the last laugh when the A’s shipped out to Kansas City in 1955 and the Pirates won the 1960 World Series.

One of the great things about hanging out with Don was the kindness and generosity of his parents, Clair and Thelma McGarvey. They always watched out for us, welcomed us into their home, occasionally fed us lunch, and generally looked out for us while we were in their range of vision.

One summer evening in 1960, Clair pulled us off our game at the East Fourth and Daisy Street intersection and said: “I’m thinking about taking a half day tomorrow and driving us to Pittsburgh to catch the Pirates and Dodgers. What do you think?” For a poor boy from Tannery Row, whose family did not own a car and who seldom traveled outside of town, it was Christmas in July.

As fate would have it, a fairly consistent rain started overnight and continued through the following day. Game over, right? Not quite. When Clair came home, he offered the following;

“I’ve been checking on the radio and the game is still on. I think we should attempt the trip. We’ll head toward Pittsburgh, go at least as far as Indiana, and see what happens. At least we’ll have a good meal at Bruno’s. If the rain stops, we’ll be early enough to get some good seats at the ballpark.” What a guy!

So we headed out. We had the good meal and traveled on to Pittsburgh. The rain stopped a few miles down the road, and the sun shone brightly on us and Forbes Field. We obtained good seats behind home plate and watched a 2-2 pitchers’ duel between Pirate ace Vernon Law and the Dodgers’ Johnny Podres. Both pitched into the tenth inning.

In the tenth, Charlie Neal hit a home run off Law, and it looked like curtains for the Pirates. In the bottom of the inning, with one out, Joe Christopher, a fleet-footed reserve who had stroked his first major league hit the night before, smashed a line-drive double to right-center. Dodger ace reliever Larry Sherry replaced Podres and got Dick Groat on a fly ball. With two out and on an 0-2 pitch, Roberto Clemente hit a slow hopper over the mound. Somehow, some way, Clemente barely beat the throw to first, and Christopher scored from second on a bang-bang play at the plate. Think about it. Two close plays, both Pirates safe, a run scores, and the ball never leaves the infield. Now we were tied, and the fans were delirious. The next batter, Dick Stuart, looped a single to right. The slow-footed Dodger right fielder, Frank Howard, was late getting the throw to the infield. Clemente came around all the way from first and easily beat the throw at the plate.  Pirates win!

Here's how the Pittsburgh Press described the action the following day:

Baseball is a game of inches all right but it’s also a game of feet -- flying feet. The inches were charged against the Dodgers last night (a reference to the close plays at first and the plate) and the feet -- flying feet -- belonged to Joe Christopher and Roberto Clemente, who turned an almost certain 3-2 defeat into a positively breathtaking 10 inning 4-3 Pirate victory on sheer speed alone.

The stadium was rocking, and we waited until most of the fans had cleared out. Any “rational” person would have hustled to the car and immediately started on the 115-mile trip to Clearfield. But Clair McGarvey was not your typical rational person. Instead, he said: “Let’s walk around outside the ballpark and soak up the celebration." And we did, even at one point sharing a crosswalk with Podres. Although the Dodger pitcher seemed in a pretty good mood for someone who had gone nine strong innings only to see his team lose in the tenth, we decided not to intrude upon his privacy or ask for his autograph.

It was a long, late trip home, but we were happy and wide awake.

My last adventure with Don was the summer when he returned from Fort Wayne. I unexpectedly met him on the curb in front of the YMCA during the Clearfield County Fair Parade. We had a nice chat and decided to get together the following evening. I don’t recall what we did, maybe cruise around town in his 1958 Ford. Before going home, we decided to get some, you guessed it, Clearfield Dairy milkshakes -- not beer like “normal” young men, but milkshakes. We hadn’t progressed much past our youth.

On a back road heading somewhere toward Goshen, Don unsuccessfully tried to juggle his milkshake and light a cigarette. He secured the milkshake but finally dropped the cigarette between his legs. His immediate reaction was to take both hands off the wheel and stare into the disaster zone.  Oh, my!

The road went uphill and turned sharply left. We went straight, cleared the crest, and rolled completely over, landing on four wheels. Neither of us wore seatbelts. I’ll never forget the slow motion-like sights of our headlights first flashing into the sky and then bouncing off narrowly missed trees -- followed by the feeling of being punched in the stomach,  the harsh sounds of collapsing metal and shattering glass, and the illusion that the rolling-over never was going to stop. I ended up in the back seat with only a small cut on the right earlobe. Don was unhurt except for his pride and total loss of a good automobile.

After surveying the wreckage, we walked all the way back to Clearfield, happy to be alive and sad about the car. Shortly after starting out, Don whipped out his Zippo and heaved it into the woods. I'm not sure whether it was a moment of anger or a vow to quit smoking, but I will tell you this: He sure zipped that Zippo a far piece.

We walked through the night for maybe two hours or so and finally hitched a ride with the Clearfield police near Dead Man’s Curve. We informed them of the accident, but they weren't too concerned since we were unhurt and the crash was outside their jurisdiction. For us, it was a night to remember.

I was with Don only a few times after that. He came to Rosemary's and my wedding in 1965 and had a good time. His gift was a set of TV tray tables with colorful autumn leaves. Years later, around the mid-Eighties, I unexpectedly ran into him and his wife, Pat, on Market Street in center-city Philadelphia. I was working with Bell Atlantic. He and Pat were attending a conference at the Philadelphia Convention Center. It was great to reconnect after 20 or so years.

Years later, my brother Dan and I met him at the former County Market in Clearfield. By this time, he had retired from PennDot and was working with the Harrisburg engineering firm. We spoke at length about the reconstruction of Route 322 through the Lewistown “Narrows.” He was thoroughly familiar with the project and related the environmental concerns and the history and resolution of the long-delayed project. He seemed in good spirits, and we promised to get-together soon. We never did.

Now, 13 years later, I am shocked and saddened by his death. He was only 68. As is the case in long-neglected friendships, I wish I had seized the many opportunities to keep in touch and savor even more of those great moments together. Too late now. Way too late.

Rest in peace, Donny McGarvey. You are in my memories and my heart. Always.

Arthur J. Weiss, Sr. - 1909-2011

2011-05-15T23:47:00.012-04:00

Today the entire Clearfield Area High School family and wrestling fans across the state and the nation mourn the passing of Arthur Joseph Weiss, Sr. on Friday, May 13 - little more than a month after the death of his and Renee Weiss' only child, Art Weiss, Jr., who passed away on April 11 of complications following surgery in Shepherd, Montana.

Art Weiss, Sr. is revered for his feats as a hall-of-fame wrestling coach, so much so that The Centre Daily Times of State College published an in-depth story of his life and career even though Mr. Weiss had no direct connection with either the town or the university.

To me, Arthur J. Weiss was much more. He was a gentleman, a teacher and, above all, a friend. He coached wrestling as he lived his life -- with perseverance, much success, humility and charm.

He may well have been Clearfield's most widely known and respected citizen.

During Art Weiss' 25-year coaching career, his wrestlers compiled a record of 184-37-3 with 14 undefeated seasons, 20 district team championships in 22 tournaments, 99 individual district champions, 24 individual regional champions, and 24 wrestlers earning 31 individual state championships (still a state record 52 years after his retirement).

But near the end of his long coaching career, things did not go well for either him or the team.

I was a student manager for the wrestling team during his final three seasons, 1956-57 through 1958-59. While the team compiled winning records each season, these were three of the most difficult years for Coach Weiss.

In 1957, for the first time since the state wrestling championships were established in 1938, Clearfield did not qualify an entry for the tournament.

When the new high school opened on Mill Road in 1956-1957, we were shocked to learn that, somehow, some way, the administration and school board had failed to provide a wrestling practice area in the new high school. Not only was there no practice area, the team was barred from using the gymnasium for practice after school because that time was reserved for the basketball team.

During that season, the team was forced to practice in a too-small, makeshift space in a yet-to-be furnished classroom area in the vocational education wing of the new school.

The next year, part of the old vocational education building along the river was converted into a pretty fair wrestling practice area with lots of room and ample heat to allow the wrestlers to sweat off their excess pounds.

But symbolically and in reality, the situation was a fiasco for the school board and the administration. One can hardly imagine how it came to pass. More than once, Coach Weiss and his wrestlers had to make an emergency trip to the building to save the practice mats from the river's rising waters. Even The Progress, which traditionally refrained from stirring up local controversy, wrote a scathing editorial.

The full story never was revealed. Some say it was an oversight. Others maintain wrestling had become too big, and it was a deliberate attempt to knock the sport down a notch. My old newspaper publisher and mentor at The Progress, W.K. Ulrich, once opined to me, simply: "They kicked it in the head." Most likely we will never know.

Also in 1957, we lost two of our high school classmates and cheerleaders, Thelma Graham and Mary Gail Clark, in a horrendous automobile accident one Saturday morning in February on a wet amd icy road near Port Matilda as they were en route to the Clearfield-State College wrestling meet. At least two other cheerleaders were severely injured in the crash. Mary Gail's younger brother, Sam Clark, was the star freshman 95-pounder on the team. One can hardly imagine the grief that Sam and the Clark family, Thelma Graham's family, and the other victims' families must have felt.

I shall never forget the grief that we as friends and classmates felt the Monday morning after the crash, especially while listening to Wilbur Shirey read the 23rd Psalm during the morning devotions.

In Coach Weiss' final season, 1958-59, the team compiled a 9-3 record but was not competitive against its toughest opponents, Johnstown, Lock Haven and State College. For most teams, this would have been a standout season. But for Coach Weiss and his team, clearly some of the luster had temporarily come off Clearfield Wrestling.

Through it all, Coach Weiss soldiered on and did not complain, at least publicly. He was too much of a gentleman to make a fuss or embarrass the school district.

Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of a succession of great coaches - Jerry Maurey, Ron Park, Neil Turner, Garry Barton, Jeff Aveni and others - Clearfield soon returned to its rightful place as one of the top dogs of Pennsylvania high school wrestling.

And, the school board and administration at least partially redeemed themselves by recruiting these outstanding coaches and by naming the gymnasium in the succeeding new high school in Hyde The Arthur J. Weiss Gymnasium - a great tribute to a great coach.

Rather than writing an in-depth personal perspective on the full life and career of Arthur J. Weiss, Sr., I believe it is best to let others tell his remarkable story. Following are stories that appeared in the area news media - by Jessica Shirey of the online Gant Daily and Guy Cipriano of The Centre Daily Times. While there is overlap in the two stories, there is so much fresh information in both that I hope you will take the time to read them carefully and savor the love and respect that Mr. Weiss earned from those whose achievements he inspired.

Rest in peace, Arthur Joseph Weiss, Sr.

- Dennis Mollura

Jessica Shirey of Gant Daily Profiles Art Weiss, Sr. Life and Career

2011-05-15T21:26:00.005-04:00

May 15, 2011 at 9:55 AM by Jessica Shirey

Editor’s Note: Clearfield wrestling’s legendary founding father Arthur J. Weiss Sr., perhaps best known as the dean of Pennsylvania schoolboy wrestling, passed way the morning of Friday, May 13, 2011 at the Clearfield Hospital.

Weiss’ last wrestling appearance came Jan. 28, 2011 in Clearfield High School’s gymnasium, which bears his name. He arrived at center mat and flipped the disc, receiving a standing ovation before Clearfield wrestled Lewistown. Weiss was 102 years old.

A memorial service for Weiss has been set for 4 p.m. Saturday, May 21, 2011 at the Clearfield Presbyterian Church. Interment will be in Hecktown Hope Cemetery, Nazareth. A reception and receiving of friends will follow his service in Westminister Hall.

The following is a profile piece written about Weiss by this writer and previously published in Clearfield wrestling’s alumni newsletter following the program’s 75-year anniversary celebration in 2009. This writer updated the initial piece for its current publication.

CLEARFIELD – Arthur J. Weiss Sr. laid the foundation for Clearfield wrestling’s excellence in 1934-35. His teams’ swift ascent on Pennsylvania schoolboy wrestling dominance also inspired its growth into the current 77-year legacy.

Weiss’ success has built the state into a wrestling warehouse and also set the foundation for Pennsylvania as a national power, where it arguably holds top position today. His teams rose to dominance by 1937 and remained so through most of the 1950s.

Only eight Pennsylvania natives had earned NCAA Division-I Wrestling All-American medals at the beginning of the Weiss-tenure at Clearfield. However, the state’s All-American count multiplied by 10 for a total of 82 during his 25 years as head coach.

From 1928 through 1960, Pennsylvania registered 98 All-Americans and was third nationally behind Oklahoma (260) and Iowa (113). Of those, Clearfield registered seven individuals for its combined 12 All-Americans for the ninth spot nationally for high schools with the most and was the only representative from Pennsylvania.

During his Clearfield coaching tenure, Weiss conducted high school wrestling clinics, fostering the sport’s growth across the Keystone state. Pennsylvania subsequently had five high schools climb into the Top 16 for the most All-Americans nationally from 1961 through 2011.

In fact, a quartet of Pennsylvania high schools claimed spots in the Top 10 during the previously said timeframe. State College held the fifth position with nine wrestlers and 14 All-American medals. Easton, Trinity and Lock Haven rounded out the bottom three with eight wrestlers apiece. Easton collected 17 medals while Trinity and Lock Haven had 13 and 12 medals, respectively

Pennsylvania has since surpassed both Oklahoma and Iowa, taking over the top spot via 504 All-Americans from 1961 through 2011. Pennsylvania currently has the most with 602, including 512 since the end of Weiss’ tenure at Clearfield.

Oklahoma currently holds second and Iowa third with 531 and 463 total All-Americans, respectively. Ohio (326) and Illinois (312) rounded out the top five states.

Clearfield head coach Jeff Aveni believes Pennsylvania’s wrestling roots lie in the basement shower room at his alma mater, where the legendary coach held his early practices 77 years ago.

“It’s what you want to be as a coach and a wrestler. You want to live up to the standards that he’s set forth. Clearfield wrestling, as a whole, all started with Art Weiss,” he said.

Aveni grew up in the program and learned from those surrounding him while a competitor and later as an assistant coach. He said those morals, values and overall work ethic had long ago been instilled in the Clearfield wrestling program.

When he thinks about the Clearfield mat program, tradition comes to mind first. Weiss’ philosophy has been passed from generation to generation and also influenced the mold for his present program, according to the 11-year head coach.

“It all started back with Coach Weiss, and I’m positive that it did,” Aveni said. “All these practices are still being carried on today. If you speak to our kids, we talk a lot about tradition. We speak about putting on that Clearfield singlet and what it represents.”

Background
Born near Nazareth Jan. 12, 1909, Weiss became keenly interested in sports as his brothers were all athletes. He captained the first football team as well as both the basketball and baseball teams before his high school graduation in 1927.

Following high school, he studied at Perkiomen Prep in Pennsburg and was a member of the basketball team. He once arrived to practice early hoping to work on foul shooting. Instead he discovered the doors were locked to the gymnasium.

“I heard some noise over in the corner of the building and found some guys wrestling around. I had this real wise guy pull on my leg. He was a pretty big fella – a heavyweight. I didn’t know any wrestling moves, but I pinned the guy,” he said with a chuckle.

Unbeknownst to Weiss at the time, the school’s head coach had come into the practice room, and said “how about coming out for wrestling?” Weiss told the coach he didn’t believe in quitting another sport.

Weiss later wandered back to wrestling practice and was out for the team for a few weeks. He said despite his growing interest in the sport, there was little time to pursue it, as he continued his education at Albright College in Reading.

In 1932, Weiss earned a Bachelor of Science in Education and accepted his first teaching position at the Clearfield Area High School. He taught both science and mathematics during his 42-year tenure. And, almost by happenstance, he headed the wrestling program for 25 of those years.

Weiss said at the time, the school only had football and basketball but was interested in wrestling intramurals. Mr. Fred Sweeley, then the high school athletic director, approached him to head the wrestling team with four duals meets already scheduled.

Without any team members in place, he approached students, asked their weights and persuaded some to attend wrestling practices. He began the Clearfield wrestling program in December 1934.

“I had to get a team together. It just so happened I needed an 85-pounder. I saw this little fella who looked like he’d be an 85-pounder, and I stopped him (Joe Quethera) in the hallway,” he said.

“I asked him how much he weighed. He says, ‘I don’t know,’ shrugging his shoulders. I said, ‘C’mon, I’m going to weigh you.’ Then, I told him, ‘You’re wrestling Friday night.’ He was surprised.’”

He noted that Quethera was among his three state champions in 1938 and so “he had picked a good one.”

A Legacy Born
Clearfield finished its first season with a 0-3-1 record and improved to 3-4 the following year. Weiss’ teams didn’t hint to the legacy that would soon follow.

With the program still in its infancy, Weiss’ teams rose to dominance by 1937, starting an eight-year win streak with 64 consecutive dual meet victories. DuBois scored a 25-12 win to end the streak in 1945.

Following the loss, Clearfield went undefeated for another 51 wins, before Philipsburg upended the Bison, 24-15, in 1951. The Weiss-coached teams put together 20 consecutive dual meet wins from 1952 though 1953.

During his teams’ dominance from 1937 through 1953, Weiss recorded 138 wins, 5 losses and two ties. As head coach, he led the Bison to 14 undefeated seasons and a 184-37-3 overall record.

Weiss’ teams not only saw dual meet success, but also dominated the then combined District 6-9 Wrestling Tournament, winning 11 straight titles until Bellefonte ended the sweep in 1950. The Bison also collected three more crowns, before the districts were split into two tournaments.

In 1954, District 9 would hold its own tournament with Clearfield coming out on top. Weiss continued on to win the district team title each year until his retirement in 1959. In all, he earned 20 district titles in 22 tries.

Weiss produced 99 District Champions, 16 Regional Champions (this tournament wasn’t held until 1951) and had 24 wrestlers combine for 31 state titles. He established the current state mark for the coach with the most state champions and has held the same for more than 50 years. Retired North Alleghany head coach Gus DeAgustino holds the second spot with 21 state champions and Steve Powell, who currently coaches at Easton, is in third with 20 state champions.

Clearfield has inherited a state championship legacy from its founder. With 40 individual titles, the Weiss-founded program holds the current Pennsylvania high school record for the most state champions. Easton currently sits in second with 35 state champions.

A Wrestling Pioneer
In the early years, Weiss attended former Lehigh University head coach Billy Sheridan’s wrestling camp at Saylor Lake in the Pocono Mountains. At the time, a Lehigh wrestler was training for the Olympic Games.

“I didn’t know a whole lot and was at his weight. He needed someone to practice with, and I was his guinea pig,” said Weiss, whom traveled with a carload of wrestlers to the camp again a few years later.

Weiss also attended national tournaments and sought learning opportunities from coaches in the collegiate ranks. He frequently inquired about various wrestling holds so that he could instruct his own pupils.

“They’d say, ‘You want us to give up our secrets,” he recalled with a chuckle. Once his team reached dominance, Clearfield became widely known across the country.

Collegiate coaches would later approach him for instruction at the national tournament. He once had an Oklahoma coach tell him their coaching strategies were similar.

“He said, ‘You must coach a lot like me.’ I thought that was a real compliment,” Weiss said. Frank Shirey, 1941 State Champion, believes Weiss was and is the best high school wrestling coach in the United States.

Shirey was introduced to the sport in 1937 when he was only an eighth-grader. He’d heard about practices in the Clearfield High School shower room with a mat so large that it rolled up against the walls.

Shirey said although he couldn’t compete, Weiss allowed him and others to practice and invited them to tryout the following year. He was drawn to the sport, as it offered both individual and team efforts.

Shirey was a team member from 1938 through 1941 and won a state title as a senior. He recalled a rare personal match-up with Weiss. He said few, if any other Clearfield wrestlers, had the same privilege.

According to him, Weiss requested the bout with “no holds barred,” and it seemed they offered their best efforts in the contest. After approximately three minutes, Weiss brought it to a halt, saying “OK, that’s enough.”

“Coach always said, ‘Don’t feel good about beating the guys who everyone has beaten. But feel good about beating the guys who no one has beaten.’ I thought it was a good pep talk,” Shirey said.

Jim Mohney, a two-time state champion, said his greatest accomplishment was making the team in 1940. In the early years, they wrestled on a flannel mat. If wrestling on newer mats, the tannic acid created fuzz, and it’d get into their noses during eliminations, he said.

Mohney only managed wins in two matches during his first year on the team but learned a lot from those experiences. He said Weiss’ practice structure focused on drilling, and they had a takedown drill from opposite corners.

“I always ended up going against the future champs. You had to score the takedown within 10 seconds because Coach blew the whistle,” he said. He noted that it paid off during the state wrestling competition.

Sam Harry, who was Clearfield’s and Pennsylvania’s first state champion in 1938, recalled Weiss’ infamous 3X5 index cards. He said Weiss would call off drills for the neutral, top and bottom positions, and his coach always ended with “now, do your favorite” move.

Harry said Weiss adopted the approach so that every wrestler wasn’t “doing the same thing.” But from his wrestling experience under Weiss, it was always “drill, drill, drill.”

Weiss also didn’t accept losing to the same opponent twice, and they were never allowed to work out with “patsies,” according to 1945 State Champion Jim Maurey, whom said at Clearfield, it seemed as though they had a champion at every weight class.

“There was always someone hammering on you. You had to work your way through the ranks, and you occasionally got knocked off,” he said. And, their mat improvements were made quietly.

During their bout’s rest period, Weiss greeted wrestlers with a 3×5 index card. He indicated where they were in the match, where they should be and what was coming up, Maurey said.

“He was tough. He wanted it done right. If it wasn’t done right, it was on a 3×5 card,” said Glenn Flegal, a 1950 State Runner-up. “You’re just as good as your coach, and that’s Art Weiss. He was a wrestling pioneer.”

Once his wrestlers had stepped onto the mat, Weiss left decisions to them. For example, while recalling a regional match-up from his senior year, Russ Triponey, a 1956 State Champion, trailed 4-2 to a “Bedford boy” during the break between the second and third periods.

When he reached the sideline, Weiss advised him of the bout’s score and that he would be on top for the final period. His coach then asked what he was going to do. “I said, ‘Coach, I guess I gotta put him on his back,’” Triponey said.

Johnny Johnston, 1952 State Champion, remembered that as a 95-pounder, Weiss would put his arm around him before every dual meet. His coach told him, “We could lose this match by 66 points, so let’s see how you can help us out.”

When he came to the sideline winning during the rest period, Weiss told him the team could only lose by 65 points. “It always made me think why when we had all those good guys on the bench. But it was important,” Johnston said.

Weiss said many believed there was ice in his veins, as didn’t speak much while his wrestlers were on the mat. However, he discovered his coaching strategies were successful, as his wrestlers responded well and gained respect from him in the practice room.

A Role Model
While Weiss was known for historically successful teams, his preference was to be remembered for instilling sportsmanship in his wrestlers. “Coach said, ‘You shake hands after a match, not before,” Mohney said.

“I taught them to wrestle hard and fair. I emphasized to go out there like a tiger but just tough, not dirty,” Weiss said. “And, I told them when it’s over, be a gentleman.

“I didn’t just teach them about wrestling. I taught them about being a good citizen. It’s nice to win, you know. But I’d much rather be known for that than winning.”

Weiss recalled an individual bout from his team’s 1943 dual meet with Philipsburg. The Mounties had what he described as a very good team with a shot of winning.

Harry “Sunny” Jordan had picked up a few tactics from teammate Francis “Mutt” Forcey. Forcey often started in the corner and “whammed” his opponent but always stopped on the mat.

“Jordan decided he wanted to do that stuff. He didn’t stop though and drove the guy into the crowd. He did it twice,” Weiss said of his wrestler’s Philipsburg bout.

He warned his wrestler if this style of competition continued, he wouldn’t only hurt the sport, but also his opponent. He advised that he’d forfeit the bout if this behavior continued.

Weiss said, “By golly, he did it again, and I forfeited the match. We wrestled State College about a week later, I think. I told him, ‘remember, you’re a gentleman tonight. But go get him.’ He didn’t do it again. He knew I meant it.”

Two years later, Weiss’ team had an expected close dual meet with DuBois. Both teams were favored in four weights; the remaining three were toss-ups. The match would go to the team winning two of the three, according to a February 1945 edition of The Progress.

During the dual meet, the Clearfield faithful were heckling their “guests” and or the official. Weiss stepped up to the microphone, warning the fans if it didn’t end, he would forfeit the match.

DuBois pulled out wins in two of the three proclaimed toss-ups, in addition to an upset at heavyweight. The Beavers not only scored a 25-12 win, but also snapped Clearfield’s 64-dual meet win streak.

Flegal said that Weiss instructed his teams to be modest in victory and gracious in defeat. He then recalled the team’s 21-20 defeat of Bellefonte in Penn State’s Rec Hall in 1949.

Before the dual meet, Weiss attended church with his team, and according to Flegal, they prayed “not to win but to give it their best.” The match had been moved to Rec Hall, as neither school could hold the expected crowd.

He said that more than 5,000 fans were in attendance for the dual meet during which he pinned Bellefonte State Champion Joe Masulla and then remained undefeated on the season.

“It was the best match I wrestled in my life. I will never forget it,” Flegal said. “You have to wrestle like a champion . . . Coach Weiss is a golden Bison. He’s the greatest.”

Weiss, however, deferred credit to his wrestlers and their practice ethic. He said he had families of wrestlers who were “his horses” and who were dedicated to the program.

According to him, his teams strived for improvement in all phases of wrestling. He believed that he wouldn’t have experienced the success without his “horses” putting in the extra hard work.

“They were willing enough to keep going when they were tired. And, they worked hard enough to become champions,” he said.

A Statewide Impact
Throughout his tenure, Weiss visited high schools with his teams and conducted wrestling demonstrations. They even traveled as far as the Pittsburgh area.

“We went to any school that asked us,” he said.

Triponey said that in the 1950s, the smaller District 9 schools still did not have wrestling programs. The sport was believed to be much like professional wrestling.

He said Weiss organized a group of wrestlers and toured two or three schools at a time. They set up an assembly at schools, such as St. Marys and Ridgway.

“We (went through) like a five-minute practice and contests. We showed them what high school wrestling was all about,” he said. Triponey said these schools developed programs afterward.

While conducting these demonstrations, Weiss often picked up new holds “here and there.”

“You do something for a purpose and often learn from the same. It’s funny how when you give, you get. I would hear about something. It sounded good, and we’d try it,” he explained.

“But every wrestler is different. Often, a fella is better or more efficient with a move than another. I believed in giving them a lot of stuff and then letting them pick what suited their style.”

Weiss not only had a hand in the development of wrestling across the state, but also the Pennsylvania State Wrestling Championships.

On Nov. 21, 1935, Weiss helped establish the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Wrestling Association Tournament. He said the southwestern part of the state was pretty well organized with the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL).

He met with Hubert Jack and Lou Shaffer and organized the WPIWA Tournament, and they held the first tournament on April 4, 1936 at Blairsville. His team finished 11th the first year and second a year later when it was hosted at Clearfield.

Weiss said that coincidently the gentleman who was president of the WPIAL also served on a board for the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA).

“He saw a good thing coming (with the WPIWA tournament), and I don’t blame him,” he said. The WPIWA Tournament then evolved into the state tournament.

He said in 1938, the PIAA sponsored the first state wrestling championships with 78 competitors from 27 schools, contending for 10 individual titles at Penn State’s Rec Hall.

Weiss was honored during the finals ceremony at the 2002 PIAA Wrestling Championships in Hershey. Former Clearfield head coach Michael Gill sat among the crowd.

He said as the legendary coach was brought to center mat, each of the more than 8,000 spectators moved toward the edge of their seats. Norm Palovcsik, 1968 State Champion, reeled off Weiss’ accomplishments and his multitude halls of fame inductions.

“It went on, and it went on. When Norm was finished, the arena erupted. Everybody stood and it was a standing ovation that I don’t think I’ve heard as loud or as long in my entire life. It could have easily gone on for very close to five minutes. It just kept going and going,” Gill said.

“I looked around and maybe two or three out of every five people who were strangers to Coach Weiss but loved wrestling – what bonds us all together and makes us brothers – had tears coming down their cheeks. It made me proud. I’m sure it made us all proud.”

Weiss has been inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame (1970); the Clearfield County Hall of Fame (1987); the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame (1993); the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (1995); and the District 9 Wrestling Hall of Fame (1999).

Weiss has been inducted into 14 different Halls of Fame and has also been given the Albright College Lifelong Service Award and is in the Perkiomen School Hall of Athletic Honor.

Centre Daily Times Honors Art Weiss, Sr.

2011-05-15T21:16:00.002-04:00

Wrestling legend, Art Weiss, dies at 102

Guy Cipriano
May 15, 2011 9:13am EDT

Pennsylvania wrestling has lost one of its legendary figures.

Art Weiss, the founder of Clearfield wrestling, died Friday. He was 102.

Weiss, a former basketball player from Nazareth, coached 31 PIAA champions in 25 seasons. Weiss started Clearfield’s program, which has amassed a record 40 PIAA champions, in 1935. He retired from coaching in 1959.

“What a guy,” said John Johnston, a 1952 Clearfield state champion under Weiss who won a NCAA title at Penn State. “He had a tremendous impact on individuals, teams and the sport. He not only helped us as athletes, but he developed character in us.”

Wrestling historian Norm Palovcsik, a 1968 Clearfield state champion, called Weiss the “John Wooden of Pennsylvania high school wrestling.”

“Art Weiss, either directly or indirectly, impacted everyone in the wrestling community,” said Palovcsik, a former Penn State wrestler.

Weiss’s interest in wrestling started while at Perkiomen Prep School in 1928. During breaks from basketball practice, Weiss observed Perkiomen’s wrestling team, Palovcsik said.

After graduating from Albright College in 1932, Weiss started teaching science and math and coaching basketball at Clearfield. Palovcsik said a school administrator apologetically approached Weiss about Clearfield’s desire to start a wrestling program.

To the administrator’s surprise, Weiss not only embraced the idea — he offered to coach the wrestling team.

Clearfield went 0-3-1 in its first season. Weiss then guided the Bisons to 22 winning seasons en route to compiling a

184-37-3 career record. Weiss’s teams owned a 64-meet winning streak and 51-meet unbeaten streak.

“He liked big challenges and he expected to be challenged,” said Jerry Maurey, who won four PIAA titles from 1947-50 under Weiss’s tutelage. “He had that drive to succeed in athletics.”

Once he built Clearfield into a winner, Weiss sought challenges for the Bisons, taking them to wrestling-rich places such as Canonsburg, Greenville and Shamokin for dual meets. But many of Clearfield’s biggest meets were held close to home, with a match against Bellefonte in 1949 attracting 5,000 fans to Penn State’s Rec Hall.

Former wrestler Neil Turner said Weiss approached coaching like a science experiment. Weiss attended numerous clinics and organized practices on 3x5 notecards.

“You wanted to do well for him because you had so much respect for him,” said Turner, who wrestled for Weiss from 1956-57 and coached the Bisons from 1974-79. “He made himself a wrestling coach.”

Johnston said Weiss constantly enhanced the technique he showed wrestlers. Yet Weiss allowed wrestlers to act as individuals.

“We were strong kids, smart kids, different kinds of kids with different styles,” Johnston said. “He presented us with technique that fit our styles. Clearfield teams didn’t have one style like some people might think. His teams weren’t ones where everybody wrestled the same way.”

Weiss molded numerous future coaches.

Homer Barr started the program at Warren High School, guided State College to 61 straight victories and coached at the University of Massachusetts. Jim Maurey coached at Stevens Trade School in Lancaster and Millersville University. Johnston replaced Maurey at Stevens before winning eight Ivy League titles in 20 seasons at Princeton University. John Palmer started Curwensville’s program. Glenn Flegal introduced wrestling at Carlisle.

Jerry Maurey, Neil Turner, Les Turner, Jim Mohney, Mike Flangan, Ralph Clark, Robert Thomas and Gary Thomas are other former Weiss wrestlers who became head coaches. Flanagan coached two state champions at Bellefonte.

Jerry Maurey succeeded Weiss as Clearfield’s head coach.

“He always made a good impression,” Jerry Maurey said Saturday from his Tallahassee, Fla., home. “He didn’t play any dirty old tricks. He was always a gentleman.”

Neil Turner, whose coaching career included a stint as Lock Haven University’s head coach, said Weiss changed his life.

“I would not be in wrestling if it wasn’t for him,” said Turner, the director of the Clinton County-based Mat- Town USA Wrestling Club. “He was teaching my algebra class and I only started wrestling because he asked me. I lived out on a dairy farm and played football and the only reason my parents allowed me to wrestle was because he asked me and they had so much respect for him.”

Weiss was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches’ Association first Hall of Fame class in 1970. Weiss also was inducted into the National High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.

Weiss worked to promote the sport statewide and was involved in the creation of the first PIAA tournament in 1938. He refereed after retiring from coaching and worked numerous collegiate events. Weiss retired from teaching in 1974.

Weiss followed Clearfield wrestling closely until his death. The program held a 100th birthday celebration for Weiss during the 2008-09 season.

“He was very sharp until the time he died,” Palovcsik said. “He could tell you details just about any match. He was not boastful. You would never know he was that good of a coach.”

Johnston said Weiss had many hobbies outside of wrestling, including traveling throughout the United States during the summer.

“He didn’t encourage us to wrestle over the summer,” Johnston said. “He thought maybe we should play tennis or badminton to get quick reactions. He was a super human being and a very well-respected person.”

Weiss was proceeded in death by his wife, Irene, a son, Art Weiss Jr., three brothers, George, Samuel and Robert, and sister, Mary. His nephew, Bob Weiss, is a former NBA coach who played basketball at Penn State before being drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers.

A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. May 21 at Clearfield Presbyterian Church. Interment will be in Hecktown Hope Cemetery in Nazareth.

Remembering Art Weiss, Jr.

2011-04-24T02:39:00.014-04:00

By Dennis Mollura

There are a lot of fond memories of Art Weiss, Jr., our friend and classmate who passed away April 11 following complications from surgery at a hospital near his home in Shepherd, MT.

He was one of those unforgettable classmates who impressed and sometimes intimidated us with his knowledge and intellect, especially his capacity for reasoning, problem-solving and comprehension of the physical sciences and mathematics.

At the end of each school year, you always knew he was going to be at or near the top of the class, along with Jutta Hagar, Suzy Weisshaus, and Gerry Koval. You also knew he was going to be a rocket scientist, nuclear engineer, or achieve some other high-level scientific position. He earned his degree in nuclear and petroleum engineering at Penn State and became a nuclear engineer in the electric power industry. Unfortunately, career opportunities for nuclear engineers were severely curtailed following the near meltdown of the Three-Mile Island nuclear plant near Harrisburg in 1979.

Physically, he was fairly tall and thin with an unforgettable face and big smile. Each day you would see him in the hallways gliding toward his next class, often with his shirttail out, carrying what seemed to be an unusually heavy burden of books. I imagine this is what it must have been like to go to school with Albert Einstein.

But Arthur, Jr. (most of us knew him as A.J.) was more than academics. A lot more. He was friendly, somewhat outgoing, and an engaging conversationalist who loved to tell a good story.  Apart from the scientific field, he displayed a fondness for the Hispanic language and often would toss out a sentence or phrase in Spanish, usually followed by a hearty laugh. As a two-year Latin student, I never could decipher exactly what he was saying but usually could piece it together - after a brief but uncomfortable delay. I imagine he thought I was pretty dense.

His interest outside the classroom was wrestling. No surprise there, since his father was Arthur J. Weiss, Sr., Clearfield's long-time, hall-of-fame wrestling coach whose records still stand over much of the sport more than 50 years after his retirement. In his career, young A.J. compiled a respectable high school record and provided many a thrill for the school's legions of wresting fans.

Some people are believed to be "double-jointed." If that is possible, A.J. could be considered "360-degree-jointed." He could bend and contort his arms, legs and torso in virtually any direction, which worked both for and against him." If he could do it to his advantage, others could do it to his disadvantage.  He probably was as close as one could get to being the human "Gumby."

A.J. went on to wrestle varsity at Penn State, where he earned the Kaye Vinson Award in 1963 as the team's Most Improved Wrestler. I accompanied his father to the awards banquet that night, and I tell you, it was a proud moment for all of us.

His obituary in the Billings (MT) Gazette said his expertise in nuclear engineering brought him notoriety among conservative talk show hosts, adding that he also was very fond of his cats; enjoyed science fiction; and was also known locally by the great rock wall he built stone-by-stone in his backyard without mortar.

Many of us visited with A.J. in 2009 at Sam Lansberry's Friday night get-together and at our 50th-year Reunion and Dinner the next day.  There, he was his old, friendly, talkative, laughing self, still telling stories, and still following up with a hearty laugh. Little did we know, it would be our last moments with him.

We will miss you, A.J. Rest in Peace.

2011-04-23T21:58:00.000-04:00

Classmate Lonnie M. Kovalick, Sr.and his wife, Helen, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on April 8. Lonnie and Helen reside in Karthaus, PA.

Congratulations, Lonnie and Helen, on reaching this wonderful milestone.

Inspiring Bonnie Hartsock Article Featured in Harrisburg Magazine

2011-04-23T21:47:00.009-04:00

Our thanks to Wil Shirey for sending along this October 2010 article on our classmate Bonnie Wilson Hartsock in Harrisburg Magazine. The article describes Bonnie's fighting spirit and successful battle against breast cancer 16 years ago.

"I think if nothing else, being faced with a life-threatening illness makes you really appreciative living in the moment. And that's what I do, every single day," Bonnie says.

Thank you, Bonnie, for your inspiring message. And thanks, Wil, for sharing Bonnie's story with your classmates.

Click on article once or twice to enlarge for easier reading.

"This one makes my heart hurt"

2011-04-18T23:07:00.010-04:00

It is with sorrow and deep regret that we report the passing of our dear friend and classmate Arthur Joseph Weiss, Jr. of Shepherd, MT. Joyce Moody Fletcher said she was informed by phone today that Arthur passed away on Monday, April 11, 2011, due to complications following surgery. "This one makes my heart hurt," Joyce said as she informed classmates of the sad news by e-mail. Arthur, who was known as A.J. to most of us, was the only child of our Clearfield Area High School teacher and hall-of-fame wresting coach Arthur J. Weiss, Sr. and his wife Renee. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Weiss family, especially to Coach Weiss, who has reached his 102nd birthday, still lives in Clearfield, and continues to attend some major high school wrestling events. God bless you, Coach Weiss. You and Arthur, Jr. always will be in our thoughts and in our hearts.

The following obiturary notice appeared in the Billings (MT) Gazette, which also published the photo above:

SHEPHERD — Arthur Joseph Weiss Jr., of Shepherd, was born on Jan. 6, 1942, in Clearfield, Pa., to his father, Arthur Joseph Weiss Sr., and his mother, Irene Weiss. Art was an only child.

Art’s chosen field of interest was nuclear engineering and petroleum engineering, and he received his degree from Penn State University.

His life’s journey included time in real estate, as well as his chosen fields of interest. His expertise in nuclear engineering even brought him notoriety amongst talk show hosts including the likes of Rush Limbaugh. Art was born in Pennsylvania and lived in such places as Texas and Louisiana, finally coming to settle in Montana.

Art was very fond of his cats. He also enjoyed science fiction and is also known locally by the great rock wall he built in his back yard, to which every stone was put in place by hand and without mortar.

Art is preceded in death by his mother, Irene; and a daughter, Christina Maria, who died shortly after birth.

Art is survived by his father, Arthur Joseph Weiss Sr., age 102; his first wife, Barbara Weiss, and their two daughters, Lisa Lewise Weiss of Massachusetts and Kathleen Jeanette Nelson of Maryland, Glenn Ray Nelson and Nicole Maureen Nelson, grandchildren; and Art’s second wife, Nancy Porter.

Art passed from his earthly existence on April 11, 2011, due to complications following surgery.

A public visitation (was) held Friday, April 15, from 5 to 9 p.m. at Smith Downtown Chapel, located at 925 S. 27th St. A memorial service will be held at a later time.

- Posted by Dennis Mollura

Watch your mail for this important 70th Birthday Celebration notice - Please return your filled-out, postage-paid postcard as soon as possible

2011-04-03T23:07:00.002-04:00

Our two, wonderful, indefatigable ("tireless") 70th Birthday Celebration leaders - Judi Rolley White and Joyce Moody Fletcher - have everything on track for our our big event July 29-30th.

Rather than repeat what's already been posted, we thought it might be a good idea to show you what's already in the mail. Most, or perhaps, all of you already have received it. If not, it will be in your mailbox soon.

There are several things you should do immediately:

1. Read the letter from Chairperson Judi (yellow copy) for a rundown of the weekend's events.

2. Mark the dates on your calendar.

3. Fill out the enclosed postage-paid, self-addressed postcard (white card) by checking off your plans to attend, the number attending and dropping it in the nearest mailbox or post office.

4. Make your motel reservations right now by referring to the handy Motel List and directions and map to Sam and Sandy Lansberry's home (green copy) for our Friday night get-together. Please don't dally. This will be an extremely busy weekend in Clearfield with the opening of the Clearfield County Fair, five CAHS class events, and the annual Golden Bison Banquet.

Here are copies of the items described above (click on each item to enlarge):

Birthday planning meeting set for this Saturday, March 26

2011-03-23T07:20:00.012-04:00

Chairperson (woman) Judi Rolley White has scheduled a meeting for this Saturday, March 26 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Shaw Public Library. If you're anywhere in the neighborhood (or not), please join us. We always look forward to some fresh blood and thinking to complement the antics of the usual cast of characters.

Please e-mail Judi (chiefdenny@earthlink.net) with your plans to attend, along with any ideas, suggestions or concerns that you may wish to offer.

The 70th Birthday Celebration will be held Saturday, July 30, at the Knights of Columbus Hall beginning at 4 p.m. and lasting until we decide to end the party. This is the same day as the Golden Bison and Alumni Association dinner. Given the different start times, it will be possible to attend portions of both events for those who wish to do so.

Some details on this big birthday event:

- The elebration is free for those attending, thanks to funds in our treasury and donations from local business establishments.

- Dress is informal. There is no set program and no celebration booklet is planned.

- The meal will be simple - pizza and hoagies. Soft drinks and water will be provided. Classmates who wish to bring a dish to share may do so.

- Tablecloths will be red-and-white-checked in keeping with the pizza parlor decor. Empty wine bottles will be used as candle holders. Judi says, "Save your wine bottles!"

- We may decide to bring indoors the beanbag toss game, which was a big hit at the class picnic last year. Board games also may be offered.

- Tom O'Day and Guy Graham will organize a golf outing for those who wish to play.

Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday!

Parents of 2 classmates pass away

2011-03-23T07:01:00.002-04:00

The mother of Helen Grice Backhus passed away on Feb. 21st, 2011. She was Margaret (Olexy) Grice Howell. She was 94 years of age.

The mother of Judith McKinn Turner passed away on Tuesday, March 8th, 2011. She was Thelma B. Anderson McKinn. She was 93 years of age.

9 deceased class members since 50th reunion

2011-02-20T13:59:00.003-05:00

We now have 64 deceased classmates. In addition to the 55 listed in our 50th Class Reunion Book, we have lost the following:

Fred A. King, Jr., - Sept. 12, 2009
David R. Boyce - Feb. 19, 2010
Sally (Witherow) Fink - Mar. 26, 2010
Mary Jane (Hand) Gillingham - Apr. 6, 2010
Lewis A. Marrara - Apr. 26, 2010
Robert T. Schultz - June 24, 2010
Larry Passmore, Jr. - Aug. 25, 2010
Charles Waple - Jan. 6, 2011
Beth (Newton) Rebon - Jan. 7, 2011

Helen Adam Badger's mother, Wilma Olive (Winter) Adam , passed away on February 2, 2011, at 94 years of age. Her obituary was published in The Progress of Feb. 4th.

Helen's home address is:
1546 Angelcrest Drive,
Medford, OR 97504

- Submitted by Joyce Moody Fletcher

Plans Unveiled for 70th Birthday Celebration

2010-10-31T15:35:00.009-04:00

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Chairperson Judi Rolley White unveiled plans for our 70th Birthday Celebration at a planning meeting held October 23 at the Shaw Library in Clearfield.

The Celebration will be held Saturday, July 30, 2011, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Clearfield beginning at 4 p.m. and lasting until we decide to close the joint. This is the same day as the Golden Bison and Alumni Association dinner. Given the different start times, it would be possible to attend portions of both events for those who wish to do so.

Some key details:

- Our 70th Birthday Celebration is free to all attending, thanks to funds in our treasury and donations from local business establishments.

- The event is informal both with regard to dress and the fact there will be no set program. No celebration booklet is planned.

- The meal will be simple - pizza from local establishments and hoagies. Soft drinks and water will be provided. Classmates who wish to bring a dish to share may do so.

- Tablecloths will be red-and-white-checked in keeping with the pizza parlor decor. Empty wine bottles will be used as candle holders. Judi says, "Save your wine bottles!"

- We may decide to bring indoors the beanbag toss game, which was a big hit at the class picnic in August. Board games also may be offered.

- Tom O'Day and Guy Graham will organize a golf outing for those who wish to play.

- Classmates may offer additional ideas or suggestions by contacting Judi by e-mail (chiefdenny@earthlink.net) or by telephone.

- Joyce Moody Fletcher will send a "Save the Date" postcard to class members in January.

- A formal invitation will be mailed to class members in early April.

In other business, members gave permission for Judi and Joyce to shred all paperwork from the 45th class reunion, the 65th Birthday Bash held at the Shireys, and the 50th class reunion. Paperwork from the recent class picnic also has been destroyed.

Tom O'Day provided an update on what he calls the Class of '59 Shepherd Program, in which certain class members have volunteered to keep in touch with classmates residing in different regions of the country. He also picked up an additional volunteer or two at the meeting.

Attending the meeting were Judi Rolley White, Joyce Moody Fletcher, Joyce Amon Michaels, Sandy Unch Williams, Suzy and Karl Nagle, Wil and Karen Shirey, and Dennis Mollura.

Our thanks to Judi and Joyce for all their fine work on behalf of our class and to the ever-reliable Karl Nagle, official photographer and former President of the Class of "59 Auxiliary, a position now held by Tom O'Day's wife, Dawn. Unfortunately, Dawn was unable to attend due to a prior commitment.
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Karl Nagle Photos from the Oct. 23 Meeting

2010-10-31T15:22:00.002-04:00

Small World Department

2010-10-31T15:11:00.003-04:00

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Note from Dennis Mollura:
The day after our CHS Class of '59 70th Birthday Celebration planning meeting on Oct. 23, brother Dan and I went on an elk viewing expedition at the Winslow Hill viewing site north of Benezette in (where else?) Elk County.

We didn't see any elk but enjoyed a far better experience.

On the way home we stopped for some delicious homemade apple pie and coffee at the Benezette Store and Restaurant on Rt. 555. Whom did we meet? Classmates Ed Carns and wife Barbara Read Carns. Ed and Barbara, who have a camp in that area, had just attended church in Penfield and decided to drive north for some good eats. Barb and Ed looked great and we had a nice chat.

So there you have it, a class member from Phoenixville, PA meets up with classmates from Augusta, GA in the self-proclaimed "God's Country," virtually in the middle of nowhere.

Life is good!
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Important Meeting This Saturday at Shaw Library

2010-10-20T12:21:00.005-04:00

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All members of the CAHS Class of '59 are invited to attend an important meeting this Saturday, Oct. 23, at 1:00 p.m. at the Shaw Library in Clearfield to help plan our 70th Birthday Celebration next summer.

Head Party Planner Judi Rolley White has prepared a full agenda. Knowing Judi and our other stalwarts among our planning group, you can be sure of both a productive meeting and lots of fun and frivolity.

Please plan to attend if you are in the neighborhood. Even if you're not, it's worth the trip.
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Diana Rumery Greene doing well following surgery

2010-10-18T00:27:00.003-04:00

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Penny Hile McCracken reports some good news regarding her cousin and our classmate Diana Rumery Greene.

Diana underwent surgery recently. Penny says Diana is doing well and is pleased with the cards she has received from her friends and classmates.

Those who wish to send a card or note to Diana may do so to the following address:

Diana Rumery Greene
10228 All Seasons Street
Las Vegas, NV 89131

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Scenes from the Class of '59 Picnic on Aug 28

2010-09-08T05:34:00.002-04:00

Our ever-reliable photographer Karl Nagle and his trusty Olympus DSLR camera have once again come up with some great photos - this time from the Class Picnic on Aug. 28 at the Knights of Columbus picnic grounds and pavilion in Clearfield.

It was a gorgeous day made even more memorable by the 57 class members and guest who shared great conversation, food and fellowship. Here's a selection of the photos. Others will follow in subsequent blog postings.

Classmates Joyce Moody Fletcher and Judi Rolley White prepare the meal settings while Classmate Herb Maney studiously inspects their work.

Denny White, husband of Judi, grills the hot dogs to perfection.

Judi makes some announcements prior to the meal while Herb stands by to give the blessing.

Classmate Blaine Bloom and guest Maxine Woodring

Classmate Kirk High and wife Mickey

Classmate Peggy Borst Bloom and husband Lloyd

Peggy Jo Knepp Thompson and husband Bob: Dan Mollura, brother of classmate Dennis; Carl Undercofler and wife, classmate Joyce Shugarts Undercofler; Linda Smith Dale.

Watch this website for future photo postings.

Once again, our thanks to Karl Nagle for these fine photos.

Class Picnic attracts 57 attendees - 35 classmates and 22 guests

2010-08-31T05:51:00.007-04:00

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You couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day:

Sunny mid-eighties weather, blue skies, a lovely setting at the Knights of Columbus Picnic Grounds and Pavilion, great conversation, plenty of laughs and fond memories, the knocks and clanking of horseshoes, bean bag toss, and other lawn games, and - best of all - a group of classmates and guests who enjoy each other's company.

A special thanks to Judi Rolley White and Joyce Moody Fletcher, who planned and spearheaded the entire event; to Denny White and Ed Kitchen, who did the heavy lifting both before, during and after the event; again to Denny White, who manned the grill; to Karl Nagle, our ever-reliable official photographer and chair of the spouse's auxiliary; to Joyce Shugarts Undercofler, who provided songs and other music from our high school days; to those who brought baked beans, salads, watermelon, cookies, donuts and other food and desserts to share; to Joanne Shimel Magnuson and husband, Bill, who provided lovely tablecloths to brighten the picnic tables and protect us from splinters; to those who made a financial contribution; and to all others who helped make this a very special occasion.

For those who couldn't attend, especially those who are ill, we thought about you, missed you and wished you could have been with us.

Please continue to visit this website. We're certain Karl Nagle will have many fine photos to share.

List of attendees:

Joyce (Amon) Michaels and husband, Dave

Anne (Bartley) Aughenbaugh and husband, George

Blaine Bloom and guest, Maxine Woodring

Gary Bolton

Peggy (Borst) Bloom and husband, Lloyd

Sonia (Borst) Anderson

Alton "Butch" Davis

Don Fontenoy and wife, Dottie and their grandson, Lynn Bloom

Nancy (Godin) Ordonez

Guy Graham

Bonnie (Henchbarger) Powell and husband, Ed

A. Kirk High and wife, Althea

Penny (Hile) McCracken and husband, Earl

Wilda (Homman) Williams

Ron Kennedy

Ed Kitchen

Becky (Kline) Gill and husband, Tom

Peggy Jo (Knepp) Thompson and husband, Bob

Merlyn "Herb" Maney and wife, JoAnn

Dave Maurer and guest, Carol Briskar

Chauncey Miller

Dennis Mollura and guest, brother Dan

Joyce (Moody) Fletcher and guest, Mickey Hoover

Tom O'Day

Judi (Rolley) White and husband, Denny

Sue (Sherkel) Nagle and husband, Karl

Joanne (Shimel) Magnuson and husband, Bill

Wesley Shimmel and guest, Joyce Anderson

Wil Shirey and wife, Karen

Joyce (Shugarts) Undercofler and husband, Carl

Linda (Smith) Dale

Sandy (Unch) Williams and husband, Fred

Sue (Weisshaus) Speicher

Lois (Wisor) Buck and husband, Larry

Saturday is the Day!

2010-08-25T05:55:00.007-04:00

CAHS Class of 1959 Picnic

Saturday, August 28

1 P.M. until we close the joint
Knights of Columbus

S. 6th St. & Arnold Ave

Picnic Pavilion

Everything is free!

Come join us !!!!

Hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, desserts, coffee, tea, bottled water and soft drinks and table service are on the menu and being provided by the class and local donations. Other drinks of your choice are welcome. Bring a dish to share and lawn chairs if possible. For entertainment, we'll have music and bocce (Italian lawn bowling), horseshoes, ladder ball and a bean bag toss game. Or, we can just sit and chill and visit !!

Joyce (Shugarts) Undercofler will play the memorable ‘50s music she prepared for our 50th-Year Reunion but was never played at that event. Well, it’s going to be played Saturday.

Weather forecast for Saturday: "Very pleasant" with a high of 78. No rain in sight, but, if that should happen, Judi (Rolley) White couple of tarps that we can hang at the one end of the pavilion to keep out the rain. No problem.

Judi and Joyce Moody Fletcher are planning to go “power wash" the pavilion Thursday evening to get everything in good order. They plan to "feed the flock" by 1:30 p.m. Thank you, Judi and Joyce! You have done so much to make this event a great success. Your classmates truly appreciate all your planning, work and dedication to this event.

Picnic Reservations as of Wednesday, August 25

Joyce (Amon) Michaels - 2

*************************

Anne (Bartley) Aughenbaugh - 2

Blaine Bloom - 2 (Said he'll try - he and his lady friend just may have to work!)

Peggy (Borst) Bloom - 2

Sara Brown - 1

***********************************************

Irv Curley - 2 (Said he's going to make an effort to come.)

***********************************************

Alton "Butch" Davis - 1

***********************

Don Fontenoy - 2 – Maybe

***********************

Kathryn (Hahn) Caldwell - 2

Bonnie (Henchbarger) Powell - 2

A. Kirk High - 2

Jim Hile - 2 -- Maybe

Penny (Hile) McCracken - 2

Wilda (Homman) Williams - 1

********************************

Patricia (Kinkead) Cutler - 2

Edwin Kitchen - 1

Peggy Jo (Knepp) Thompson - 2

********************************

Sam Lansberry - 2

Joyce (Leigey) Miller - 2

Mel Lingle - 1

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Herb Maney - 2

Dave Maurer - 2

Dennis Mollura - 2

Joyce (Moody) Fletcher - 2

Glenn Myers - 1

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Tom O'Day - 1

*************

Judi (Rolley) White - 2

***********************

Suzi (Sherkel) Nagle - 2

Joanne (Shimel) Magnuson - 2

Wesley Shimmel - 2

Wil Shirey - 2

Joyce (Shugarts) Undercofler - 2

Eugene Smith - 2

Linda (Smith) Dale - 1

********************************

Cathy Tarner - 1

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Sandy (Unch) Williams - 2

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Sue (Weisshaus) Speicher - 1

Lois (Wisor) Buck - 2

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Watch for this flyer and mark the date!

2010-05-04T06:28:00.002-04:00

Judi Rolley White Reports on March 27 Meeting

2010-05-04T06:05:00.009-04:00

- Photo by Karl Nagle

Clock-wise from center: Linda Smith Dale, Joyce
Moody Fletcher, Bonnie Henchbarger Powell, Orvis Kline,
Kirk High, Herb Maney, Judi Rolley White, Sam Lansberry,
Suzanne Sherkel Nagle, Chuck Nelson, Dennis Mollura, Joyce
Shugarts Undercofler, Tom O'Day and Joanne Shimel Magnuson

Synopsis of Class of '59 Meeting
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Shaw Library, Clearfield

Our meeting at the Shaw Library on March 27 started at 1:00 p.m. with 14 classmates in attendance. Kirk High has joined our 70th Birthday Celebration Planning Committee, and I thank him for his participation and his ideas. You can see all the participants in Karl Nagle's photo above this report.

I am pleased to tell you that the next meeting will be a Class of '59 picnic on Saturday, August 28 at 1:00 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus picnic grove in Clearfield. Please come and enjoy the fun, food and frivolity. There will be lots of good food and drinks, and everything will free!

A brief 70th Birthday Celebration planning meeting will be held immediately prior to the picnic.

Our 70th Birthday Celebration will take place little more than a year from now, on July 30, 2011, from 4:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Clearfield. AGAIN our gathering will be very informal (shorts, tee shirts, etc. OH! No bikinis). Our menu is pizza, subs, salad, cake, soda, H2O and whatever else we come up with.

On the Friday night before the celebration, we are all invited to Sam Lansberry’s home in Egypt (the directions will come later) at 5:00 p.m. for food, conversation and merriment.

At the March 27 planning meeting, all of the committee chairmen gave their reports. The decision was made to make the Birthday Celebration free to our classmates and to pay all expenses from the remaining money in our treasury. Donations certainly will be accepted and put to good use.

As always, get to a computer and log onto our blog. Denny Mollura does a great job of posting info about our class on it!

In the past, only graduates who have celebrated their 50th Class Reunion were invited to Golden Bison/Alumni functions. Now, all graduates from CAHS and anyone who attended CAHS are invited to attend the dinner on July 31, 2010 at the K of C in Clearfield. You’ll be receiving a flyer on it soon.

In recent weeks, we have lost our dear classmates David Boyce, Sally Witherow Fink, Mary Jane Hand Gillingham, and Lewis Marrara. We should plan see each other as often as we can while we are still able.

I hope that you all had a nice Easter holiday. Call me if you have any questions or just to say hello. That would be nice.

We’ll be in touch as information comes in.

- Judi Rolley White, Chair, 70th Birthday Party Celebration

Addendum to the Meeting Synopsis:

Let the minutes reflect that Dawn O'Day was unanimously "railroaded" as the new Spouses' Auxiliary President. Welcome to the party, Dawn!

Following the meeting, many of the committee (and Spouses' Auxiliary) members got together for dinner at Hedges.

- Suzi Sherkel Nagle

Classmate Lew Marrara Passes Away

2010-05-04T05:55:00.003-04:00

Lewis A. "Lew" Marrara, 68 of Frenchville and formerly of Port Matilda and State College, died on Monday, April 26, 2010 at Clearfield Hospital.

He was born on January 8, 1942 in Clearfield, a son of the late Tony and Rose(Mollica) Marrara.

Mr. Marrara owned and operated Marrara's Cleaners of State College, Bellefonte and Philipsburg from 1963 until 2005. He was past president and current vice president of the Mosquito Creek Sportsman's Club and a member of the Monte Grappa Hunting Club, both of Frenchville, the Mt. Acres Hunting Club of Potters Mills, the Bald Eagle Sportsman's Club, the Sinnemahoning Sportsman's Club and the Old Town Sportsman's Club.

Mr. Marrara also was a member of the National Rifle Association, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Tyrone Elks, the Clarence American Legion, the Frenchville Veteran of Foreign Wars Leigey Renaud Post #8386 and the Clearfield Son's of Italy Lodge #189.

He served in the US Navy from 1959 until 1962.

He is survived by three children, Denise 'Dee' Marrara and partner Jill Hollingsworth of Alexandria, VA, Anthony 'Tony' Marrara of Port Matilda and Lewis 'Chip' Marrara and wife Nancy of Lewisburg; three grandchildren, MaKenna Marrara of Port Matilda and John and Peter Marrara of Lewisburg; his former wife of 44 years Cynthia (LaDage) Marrara of State College; a sister-in-law, Mary Ann Marrara of Wilmington, NC; a nephew, Carl A. Marrara and wife Kelly of Mechanicsburg; and his companion, Cathy Tarner of Frenchville and her children Devon Tarner, Jack (Denise) Curley, Catrina Kubala and grandchildren Coleman and Zach Kubala and Logan and Fox Curley.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother Carl J. Marrara.

Mass of Christian Burial was said at St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church, Clearfield on Friday, April 30, with Fr. John Chaplin as celebrant. Interment followed in the Calvary Cemetery, Clearfield.

Military honors will were accorded at the cemetery by the members of the Clearfield American Legion and VFW Post Honor Guard.

The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to Mosquito Creek Sportsman's Association, P.O. Box 218, Frenchville, PA 16836.

Classmate Sally Witherow Fink Passes on March 26

2010-04-26T06:14:00.004-04:00

We are deeply saddened to report the death of our friend and classmate Sally Witherow Fink on March 26. Below is her obituary notice as published on the GantDaily website:

Sally D. Fink

Sally D. Fink, 68, of Clearfield and formerly of Tyrone, died Friday, March 26, at the Altoona Regional Health System.

Born on June 11, 1941, she was the daughter of the late Wayne and Sara Witherow. She was a homemaker and a 1959 graduate of the Clearfield Area High School.

She married Robert L. Fink, who survives her, on Nov. 17, 1962. She is preceded in death by her parents, a sister, Barbara Rowles, and an infant brother, David Witherow.

She is survived by two sons, Michael S. Fink and his wife, Carol, of Manheim, and Robert S. Fink, of Tyrone; a sister, Cindy K. Cassick, of Clearfield; and a brother, Wayne Witherow and his wife, Patricia, of Glen Richey.

She is also survived by five grandchildren, Alicia Fink, Lindsey Fink, Sara Fink, Weston Fink and Daniel Fink.

The Heath Funeral Home, Osceola Mills, is serving the family. A funeral will be held at the convenience of the family. Interment will be at the Thompson Cemetery, Glen Richey.
No public visitation will be held.

The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the SPCA, 541 Graham Station Road, Philipsburg, PA 16866.

Reminder: 70th Birthday Meeting Set for Saturday

2010-03-22T21:07:00.002-04:00

Our first 70th Birthday Bash meeting will be held on Saturday, March 27, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Shaw Library in Clearfield. We are hoping for a large turnout, much as we had when planning our 50th-Year Reunion the past several years.

The 70th get-together will be on Saturday July 30, 2011, at a place to be determined.

We have in place people to handle the food, decorations, written communications, the blog, music, contact program, and, of course, the always dependable, ever-present gate keeper, Joyce Moody-Fletcher, without whom we couldn't begin to do this as well.

We are in need of someone to take charge of compiling the 70th booklet, a birthday gift(?), and the additional activities for Saturday a.m. or whenever. Also, let's think about breakfast at the Elk's club Sunday morning. That was nice the last time.

If you have an idea or choose to chair or be part of any committee, please contact me and I will direct you to the right person or persons.

- Judi Rolley White

Another Memorable Photo From Linda Smith Dale

2010-03-22T20:59:00.005-04:00

This is from the Progress, I suppose 1942. I am the baby being held by my cousin Becky in the front row. My mother told me that the whole family rode the train down Third Street on Grandpa's final trip. Note the banners on the train. (Click on photo for a larger view.)

- Linda Smith Dale

Bonnie and Ed Powell Celebrate 50th Anniversary

2010-03-14T11:05:00.011-04:00

Clearfield Area High School Class of 1959 marked another milestone this past week when Ed and Bonnie Henchbarger Powell celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on March 11.

This photo was taken in 1968. Aren't they the handsome couple? Nice tan, Ed!

Bonnie and Ed were stalwarts in the planning for our 50th-year class reunion last year. We appreciate their loyalty to our class and its ongoing activities. Past 50 years together and still going strong!

70th Birthday Bash Meeting Set for March 27

2010-03-07T23:40:00.008-05:00

Message from Judi Rolley White:

Our first 70th Birthday Bash meeting will be held on Saturday, March 27, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Shaw Library in Clearfield.

The 70th get-together will be on Saturday July 30, 2011, at a place to be determined. We do know that Sam and Sandy Lansberry once again have volunteered their home for a meet and greet the Friday evening of July 29th. Last year's event at the Lansberry country home was wonderful, and we thank them once again.

As many of you know, Tom O'Day is working on a plan to keep all of our class members in an informational loop. Thanks to you, Tom

We have in place people to handle the food, decorations, written communications, the blog, music, contact program, and, of course, the always dependable, ever present gate keeper, Joyce Moody-Fletcher, without whom we couldn't begin to do this as well.

We are in need of someone to take charge of compiling the 70th booklet, a birthday gift(?), and the additional activities for Saturday a.m. or whenever. Also, let's think about breakfast at the Elk's club Sunday morning. That was nice the last time.

If you have an idea or choose to chair or be part of any committee, please contact me and I will direct you to the right person or persons.

Please bring ideas for a gag gift or such. We can't offend those who don't handle reaching 70 easily, and we need something that will fit men and women. Bring your ideas with you or e-mail them to me to present to those in attendance. Let me know if I need to add anything special to the agenda.

Wouldn't it be nice if all of our class members who attended the reunion PLUS those who couldn't make it, would come to the 70th party! Our efforts to reach out and include everyone could do it. Let's give it our best shot!

Classmate David R. Boyce Passes Away

2010-03-07T23:18:00.006-05:00

A recent note from Wilbur Shirey:

I'm sad to tell you that Dave Boyce passed away on Friday, February 19, 2010. He was on my call list as he lived in Harrisburg and we had a long talk.

In fact we talked until he said he had to quit because he was literally out of breath. He had emphasema and said last Spring that he would not be able to attend the reunion because of his health.

He was in the Navy for 30 years and had headed the Navy Recruiting Office in Clearfield. In fact he recruited Suzy and Karl's son into the Navy. I remember him as a character who was lots of fun to be around.

Obituary from the Harrisburg Patriot-News Website:

David R. Boyce 69, of Harrisburg, died Friday, February 19, 2010, at his home.

Mr. Boyce was born in Clearfield, Pa., and was the son of the late John P. and Mary C. Freeman Boyce. He was retired from the U.S. Navy, after 30 years of service. During his Naval career, he spent most of his time at sea. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War. He was a life member of the Clearfield V.F.W., Disabled American Veterans and the Robert H. Hoke American Legion, Post 272, of Linglestown.

Mr. Boyce was predeceased by his grandson, Charles David Biretz, who died in 2007.

Mr. Boyce is survived by his wife of 49 years, Barbara Boyce; two daughters, Sandra Lee Weibley of Carlisle and Rebecca Lynn Biretz of Duncannon; one son, David Allan Boyce of Maryland; five grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; three sisters, Margaret Jean Porter of Clearfield, Carol L. Dixon and Mary Lou Tayler, both of N.Y.; five brothers, John W. Boyce, Kenneth M. Boyce, Robert Boyce, Rodney D. Boyce, all of Clearfield, Pa., and Randy Boyce of N.Y.

Funeral Services were held on Thursday, February 25, at the Hoover Funeral Homes & Crematory, Inc., Harrisburg, with the Rev. Vernon Bosserman, officiating. Burial was in Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Annville.

Memorial Contributions may be made to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tenn. 38105.

Great Display & Photos on the Bison Statue

2010-03-07T22:56:00.020-05:00

>
Tom O'Day calls our attention to an impressive, in-depth display featuring many color photos and clippings from The Progress on the history of the Golden Bison statue which stands on the site of the "Old High School" along the river in downtown Clearfield.

The Golden Bison statue is a gift of the Class of '62.

The display is featured on the Clearfield Reunions website, conceived, designed and directed by by Paul Dietzel ('64). Great job, Paul!

Click on the web address below and enjoy the fun.

http://www.clearfieldreunions.com/BisonWall.html

Jim Walther Checks In

2009-12-20T12:29:00.003-05:00

Dennis: Great to hear from you!

I have had a very busy life since I left Clearfield--but I still remember how great it was to grow up in Clearfield. Recently I was talking with a member of our United Way Steering committee about the opportunity to explore the mountains and streams around Clearfield.

Since I departed Clearfield I have completed a 21 year career in the US Army and a 25year career with the University of Texas at Arlington. I am married, have four daughters and 11 grandkids--that all live outside of Texas.

I wanted something to keep me off the streets when I retired from the University, so I started a foundation that is the propenent for Americas Promise in Arlington Texas. I am still working 60 hour weeks --but no paycheck. I could use some guidance.

How are you doing? I know you have been active in keeping our CHS class informed and saw your name come up a couple of times. BTW: Jerriann Jury Nielson, my cousin, just found me on Facebook. ...Also Amos Hixon who lives in Keller --about 20 miles from here--came on my Facebook.

Look forward to your reply, Jim.

Editor's Note - Jim sure is looking great, isn't he? Wonderful to hear from him after all these years.

A Magical Christmas Moment

2009-12-20T12:03:00.003-05:00

This picture was taken when Christmas was 'magical' to me and Mom and Dad were like 'movie stars' in my eyes.

My mother's name was Dorothy and my dad's George. (He went by Geo.) They were going to the Dimeling Hotel for a Christmas Ball. Maybe the Charity Ball or the Junior Board of Trade. It must have been around 1950 but there is no date on the picture.

The newspapers on the foot stool were The Progress and The Harrisburg Evening News. We received both newspapers each day.

I just love to look at old photos and enjoy the wonderful memories of Christmas as a child.

Merry Christmas and May God bless each and every one of you and your families.

- Linda Smith Dale

Snoopy's Christmas Watch

2009-12-20T11:39:00.008-05:00

My memory is a like a brick wall. Battered a bit now and then but strong and mostly intact. The mortar is in great shape. Still holding the pieces together. But some of the bricks are missing. Just gone. And no warning. Random open areas where the bricks used to be. No pattern at all. The memories that remain are clear and accurate. The ones missing are not going to return. Not ever. Frustrating.

I was eleven. I suppose most eleven year olds nowadays want a cell phone for Christmas. That is, if they don’t already have one. A great feature is a clock that is accurate and illuminates. Very handy indeed.

We didn’t have cell phones when I was eleven. Most of us were still astonished by this miracle called “TV.” Some of us were lucky enough to have one, complete with the ever-present red, blue, green and brown film over the screen that made ours a deluxe model.

My wish list that year was short. Very short. In fact, I wanted just one item. A watch! I knew that the chances were slim. My usual gifts were a doll from Santa, flannel pj’s from my grandparents, and a stocking…small by todays standards…filled with tangerines and nuts. And I knew that watches were more expensive than tangerines and nuts.

I don’t recall how the tree got to our house. Did Daddy tie it to the top of the Willys? That brick is gone. Completely. However, my memory is clear as a bell about the placement of the tree in our family room. Always in a corner because it wouldn’t “stand up.” Leaned it against the wall in a corner between two windows. Wire was wrapped around the trunk and anchored on each side to eye screws placed in the frames of the windows.

The tree trimming, complete with “modern” bubble lights, was a family event. Well, mostly. My mother provided the finishing touch with careful placement of about a million icicles. After that, we could just look, not touch.

Back to the watch. For the first time ever, and with courage that was not at all characteristic of me, I snooped. I just had to know if I was getting the watch I so very much wanted. And I found it! Tucked under a stack of lesser gifts in my parents closet. On the right side. On the floor. Clear memory.

That Christmas is one I’ll never forget. I’m sure of it. And it was the worst ever. I don’t think my parents knew that I snooped. But I can still feel the false surprise I showed when I opened that long golden box. I’m not sure of the lesson learned that Christmas. I’ll leave that to folks who like to analyze that kind of stuff. But I still have that watch. Like me, it’s not quite as shiny or stylish as it once was. And, although it still functions, it sometimes has trouble keeping up……..just like me.

Another memory that has had a life-long impression on me occurred some years later when I was a student nurse at St Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing in Tucson, AZ. The hospital was founded in 1880. Although the front of the building was renovated, the back was in such poor repair that it was off-limits to patients and visitors. Student nurses were required to use the entrance as well as the ancient elevator at the back of the building. It was so scary and unreliable that even the nuns were afraid to ride in it! I am so grateful that a memory from that creaky cage all those years ago has stayed with me. It was the beginning of the holiday season. A flyer taped to the elevator announced a Xmas Arts and Crafts Fair. Someone had drawn an arrow to the word Xmas and wrote “Who took Christ out of Christmas?”

I wish each of you a joyful holiday season and a new year richly blessed with love, good health, and a full load of bricks.

- Sandi Howland Archer

Giving Thanks…..

2009-11-18T01:32:00.012-05:00

By Sandi Howland Archer

I do most of my thinking in the middle of the night. Too often I find myself wide awake at about 2 a.m. and that’s when the random thoughts bounce around. I know, I know…there are pills for that. But I rather like having that peaceful time to process what might be otherwise lost in the hustle and bustle of a busy day. And so it was again last night. Wide awake and thinking about all that I have to be genuinely thankful for. No surprise that my thoughts quickly brought me back to my childhood in Clearfield.

Brutally cold mornings in an old house with no insulation. Heated with coal that was delivered by Ryan Bros Coal Company thru a shoot directly into the coal bin. The flue ran through the bathroom (not 1¾ baths!) that was most definitely the coziest spot in the house. Always thankful for my turn.

For the most part, we were respectful to our teachers. Didn’t really have much choice if we had any smarts at all. Disregard for authority would result in a well placed paddle at school followed by a whooping at home. I’m thankful for an early lesson that has made it easy for me to show respect for others. Always. Even when it’s not the easy route.

We didn’t have a list of rules taped to the fridge at home. Ours were implied and we took them seriously. After our homework and chores were finished, we were allowed to play outside. Had to be home for dinner or by dark, whichever came first. Played in the woods behind the playground. Skated in the middle of Daisy Street. Swam in the “six-footer.” I’m thankful for a time long gone when children felt safe.

We weren’t the first folks in town to get a TV. In about 1950 or 52 my family had our house shingled. Supposed to look like red brick. Failed miserably. I don’t recall the name of the hardware store where the shingles were purchased but I do recall that we were given one raffle ticket for each dollar spent. The grand prize was a television.

I recall vividly sitting at the kitchen table with the rest of the family filling out the stubs of all those tickets. I also recall that when the big day came for the drawing, we went to the hardware store and I pulled the winning ticket from a bathtub filled nearly to the top. My sister, Carole, has an equally vivid memory of her pulling the winner. Life changed after that small, snowy TV came into our home. Am I thankful that we finally got a television? Not a chance! I’m most thankful for the wonderful conversations, the fun of playing pick-up-sticks, and the joy of solving a Nancy Drew mystery that were never the same after the monster came into our home.

Goldie. She…or he?...was my first pet. I learned to feed her just the right amount of flaked food. Quickly learned, with some help from my mother, that it’s not OK to clean the fish bowl with the same sponge used for cleaning pots and pans. Thankful that I learned how to love a pet until the very end. Buried her in a pink and white plastic box that once contained a Christmas gift (wallet) for my mother. Buried her under the bush with the huge white flowers. Used popsicle sticks for a cross. 1311 Daisy Street.

Our society has become a transient one. “The grass is greener…” has most definitely hooked us as we move about looking for the perfect house, perfect job, perfect mate, etc. Certainly makes it challenging to maintain friendships as some of us chase that elusive pasture. I’m so very, very thankful for the childhood friends who never gave up on me. I love the flood of warm memories each time I open an email from Bea, Merlyn, Mary, Anna Marie, Rosalie, etc., etc., etc.

This year has been filled with numerous reminders of how very blessed I am. Being able to attend the 50th class reunion is high on my list. That wouldn’t have been possible without the exceptional skills of the emergency responders when I had a stroke. I’m thankful for their immediate response and treatment. I’m thankful for my loving family who will gather for a feast next week followed by board games and hanging Christmas lights (the guys don’t know about hanging the lights). I’m thankful for the continued opportunity to make a difference in the lives of the seriously mentally ill. I’m most thankful for finding Lexxi when I lost her in the Denver airport…. but that’s another story!

An abundance of love and blessings to you and yours,

Sandi

Chairman Herb Maney reports on Oct. 31 Class of '59 reunion committee meeting

2009-11-10T06:56:00.014-05:00

- Photos by Karl Nagle

From left, Bonnie Powell, Herb Maney, Joanne Magnuson

In attendance:

Chairman Herb Maney

Joyce Moody Fletcher
Joyce Amon Michaels
Bonnie Henchbarger Powell and Ed Powell

Sue and Karl Nagle
Wil and Karen Shirey
Peggy Jo Knepp Thompson
Joanne Shimel Magnuson
Linda Smith Dale
Judi Rolley White
Tom O’Day
Sam Lansberry
Chuck Nelson

The meeting was opened by the Chair with the first order of business being an open forum on the "Fabulous Fifty Reunion " and comments were passed about by everyone in attendance relating to the good comments all persons had received from other classmates, their partners, and even people not associated with the class who had heard of the reunion and its success.

The consensus was that this was the "Reunion of Reunions."

The Chair formally thanked all members for their splendid efforts and cooperation in making this the great "Reunion of Reunions" and conceded that this was the best committee, in terms of cooperation and work completed to the end, that he had ever worked with throughout his career.

The treasurer, Joyce Moody Fletcher, supplied a copy of her final cost analysis report showing a cost for the reunion of $5,136.25, not including the many supplies and functions supplied by classmates and committee members out of their own pockets and concerned generosity. The treasury balance is now $3,617.21 and is in the checking account at Northwest Bank in Curwensville, PA.

(Note from Suzy Nagle: "I have a note on my own copy of the report that $3000.00 - $3500.00 was/were received as "donations", without which we would now have a very small balance - probably not enough even to pay postage for future mailings.")

A discussion was made of the funds and what to do with the balance. It was unanimously decided to let the funds in the checking account at the bank for further use by the committee with Joyce Fletcher agreeing to remain on as treasurer and statistician, a fact agreed to by all. Joyce will order additional checks from a discount supplier as the bank wanted $25.00 for 200 checks and the supplier will be much cheaper. There are only 5 checks left from the ones supplied by the bank when the account was opened.

A 70th birthday party plan was discussed with the result that future discussion and meetings will further pursue that endeavor and if that takes place, a discussion and plans for a 55th reunion will follow. Judi Rolley White will chair the event. Suzy Nagle volunteered to help with composition/make-up of future newsletters, mailings, etc., for the 70th birthday party/parties - basically to try to emulate the super job that Wil Shirey did for the 65th Birthday Bash and the "reunion of reunions."

Tom O'Day then introduced a plan, including spreadsheets, he has developed for regionalization of the nation into segments with the classmates residing in each region listed within that region and a coordinator person chosen to act as a liaison between the main body of classmates, the Clearfield region, and all other regions, thus making contact and communication much easier and faster.

This might also continue to perpetuate the "friendly bond" created by the Fabulous 50 Reunion by giving persons, who live near each other, a reason to communicate and possibly meet to continue the bond. An example of which would be a 70th birthday party centrally located in each region which would eliminate costly travel for classmates to come to Clearfield for the party. They can have a party in their own region and communicate with the Clearfield region for continuation of the bond. The spreadsheet needs correction on addresses, etc. so Judi White and Peggy Jo Knepp Thompson will work with Tom to make those corrections and revisions.

Joyce advised that Linda Dale Smith will enter all names into the "Golden Bison" registry and we will become members of that group receiving our first invitation some time next spring.

Discussion for a 55th reunion included the possibility that our class participate in the "Golden Bison" main event dinner so to preclude all the planning and work necessary to have our own dinner meeting. We would then be free to plan Friday and Saturday/Sunday fun events for the benefit of all without being tied to finding a suitable hall, caterer, etc. etc. for a main event dinner.

Karl and Sue Nagle informed the group that the price for the three high quality photos Karl made would be $15.00 for the set. Sales were lively!!

Karl also took photos of the meeting, in his usual professional and inclusive style, and will supply them to Denny for the blog.

The time really flew by and it was 4:00 P.M., time for dismissal until next time. No date was set for a next meeting because of the winter weather and change of chair.

All in all, it was another great meeting with Chuck Nelson stating he is really sorry he didn't get involved earlier because he now sees what he missed by not being in attendance at all the meetings. A climactic comment for our reunion committee!

- Merlyn (Herb) Maney

Suzy's notes on the meeting

2009-11-10T06:50:00.003-05:00

Suzy Nagle and Chuck Nelson

It's my understanding that Judi and Iwere volunteering only for the 70th Birthday Bash, which was a definite "GO"; and that we'd be meeting again in the spring to decide on holding further all-inclusive five-year reunions, having regional get-togethers (as Tom O'Day has proposed) or merging with the Golden Bisons. Or all of the above. Please correct me if I'm mistaken.

Chuck Nelson handed out some copies of the book 1959: The Year Everything Changed by Fred Kaplan, which was published by Chuck's son's company. Those of us who got a copy are to share with someone who didn't, or wasn't at the meeting - I'm to give mine to Joyce Undercofler.

Judi also wants us to let other classes and/or "fifties" groups know that she/we have "props" and decorations that can be borrowed/lent (for a fee???).

- Suzy Nagle

Sam Lansberry...What a guy!

2009-11-10T06:43:00.003-05:00

Wil Shirey and Sam Lansberry

The only thing I recall that is missing from both Suzy's and Herbie's notes is that, on his way out the door, Sam offered a repeat performance with an ice breaker the next time the class meets. He's doing it because the bank has grown to love his wife and he has beer and wine left over from this year. What a guy!!! I checked with Karen and she agrees he did say words to that effect. And if he didn't, let's all say he did! We can remind him at the Christmas Party at the Nagles in North Myrtle Beach.

Ho! Ho! Ho! See ya'll at the Nagles!!!!

- Wil and Karen Shirey

Suzy recalls Sam's offer

2009-11-10T06:38:00.002-05:00

I, too, remember Sam's offer, as well as his "threat". Believe me, I check the "Personals" in the Indiana Gazette on a daily basis.

Actually, the Christmas Party sounds like a great idea. Unfortunately, we won't be in North Myrtle Beach, but rather, in Surfside Beach, which once may very well have been called "South Myrtle Beach", for all we know. We don't usually get much company there in December - it's not until February, when everybody's sick of snow, that we run a "hot-sheet" establishment. So, y'all come! Ya heah? We can provide bed space and linens for eight. BYOB!

- Suzy Nagle

Sam agrees...

2009-11-10T06:37:00.001-05:00

I did say that, except "I promise to furnish a fresh supply of beer and wine" as the old will be gone. Looking forward to it and I hope everybody, plus more, returns.

- Sam Lansberry

Additional note from Tom O'Day

2009-11-10T06:25:00.005-05:00

We will decide after the last committee meeting for the 70th birthday bash if we will have a 55th-year class reunion or have a mini function before each Golden Bison reunion.

- Tom O'Day

You realize it's your 50th reunion when...

2009-11-10T06:12:00.005-05:00

(Click to enlarge.)

...it's time to get up off the grass.

- Photo by Tyler Erickson

High-Quality Class Photos Will Be Available at Oct. 31 Meeting

2009-10-25T08:34:00.009-04:00

(Click on photo to enlarge.)

Hey, y'all!

Hope to see most or all of you (all of y'all???) next Saturday - barring any further snowstorms. The meeting will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Shaw Library in Clearfield.

Karl has made up 5 sets of his reunion photos-one 8x10 copy of the "blog pic", plus two 5x7 shots of the two halves of us while we were assembling (in which some, but not all, of the unseen classmates from the big pic are visible).

Sorry he couldn't "see" everyone - remember he was wearing flat shoes and standing on the ground! (Unlike the gorgeously attired, high-heeled "official" photographer with the difficult to operate new camera on the very high UL-approved aluminum ladder who could “see” everyone but for some reason could not deliver the photo.)

Karl's photos were printed with new ink cartridges on high-quality photo paper; so, they should last awhile - at least 'til our 55th. We'll have to decide at the meeting what the cost will be. Karl will make the photos available to all who request them.

Hope to see everyone at Saturday's meeting.

PAX,

- Suzy Nagle

Next Meeting October 31 at Shaw Library

2009-09-27T22:36:00.001-04:00

Dear Classmates,

Our next class meeting will be held on Saturday,
October 31st, from 1-4 p.m. at the Shaw Public
Library in Clearfield.

Since the Penn State game is away that weekend,
traffic should not be a problem.

I'm letting you know waaaayyyy in advance; so,
please go check your planners and calendars
right away and reserve that date to attend.

If anyone has anything they want discussed,
please give Herb a "heads up" - his e-mail is:
pcmaker@gotmc.net

This will be the "last meeting" of our 50th committee
for this year only because of our anticipated
winter weather; however, we need to discuss any
future event(s), our checkbook balance and who is
willing to be our chairperson for the 55th reunion.

See you in October!

- Joyce Moody Fletcher

Sad News From Keith Knepp

2009-09-27T22:32:00.001-04:00

Hi everybody,

Sorry, but this news is not good at all.

First of all, I've had an e-mail from Herb Maney saying
that he had contacted Keith Knepp and asked about
Keith's brother-in-law, Fred King. Keith's wife, Sue, and
Fred are/were sister and brother.

Unfortunately, Keith said that Fred had passed away
recently week in Florida. He had serious health concerns
and took ill in Florida while visiting his daughter.

If anybody wants to send a sympathy card, Fred's wife is

Barbara King
653 W. Kitchen Dr.
Port Neches, TX 77651

Also, on Weds., Sept. 23rd, "Chip" Lawhead lost his
mother, Dora.

Chip's address is:

Gary K. Lawhead
720 Elm Ave.
Clearfield, PA 16830

I'll be sending sympathy cards to both families
from our class.

Thanks,

- Joyce Moody Fletcher

Warm Response to Sandi Archer's Posting

2009-08-18T22:22:00.006-04:00

(Photo by Karl Nagle - Click on photo to enlarge.)

Mona Mollura Croyle - What a beautiful contribution by Sandi Howland Archer. She has a gift for sharing her innermost feelings (you feel they come from the heart). How wonderful that she was able to share her reunion experience with her daughter and granddaughter.

Reading her piece compelled me to go back and re-read her memories of East End (CAHS Class of 1959 blog 8-29-08). Very poignant

Judi Rolley White - Thank you for sharing that with us. What a touching, fun piece. This feeling just keeps going and going, doesn't it?

Betsy Kephart Kruckenberg - That is a lovely letter. It's great that Karl got a good group picture. It was really disappointing that the photographer didn't do her job. I did get my refund check from Joyce though.

It's been nice keeping in touch and you did such a great job with the video and keeping us updated on the blog. The committee did a super job on the reunion. Maybe in the future the group will decide to get together again even though we have "graduated" to the Golden Bison organization. Doesn't seem possible does it, I don't feel "old" at all LOL.

Editor's Note - I remember Sandi Howland as a lovely, sensitive classmate and fellow East Ender. My second memory is her beautiful engagement picture that was sent to The Progress. First I knew she was in Tucson, AZ. Now we all know our classmate can write. Really write.

The Reunion………………

2009-08-17T23:33:00.007-04:00

- Photo by Tyler Erickson

It was truly one of the best times of my life. The pic Karl posted on the blog is great. Hope eventually someone can provide names to match the faces.

I wrote a letter about my experience as well as my expression of gratitude to the planning committee. I initially intended to email it to the folks on the committee but I'll attach it for your consideration for posting on the CHS blog.

By Sandi Howland Archer

Nearly talked myself out of making the trip. Too tired. Not enough energy. The newly acquired limp and stutter are embarrassing. Wouldn’t remember anyone. No one would remember me. Why bother?

It was my daughter Michelle who encouraged me to “bother” to come home for what would surely be my last trip “back East.” She kept gnawing at me like a dog with a bone. She’d make all the travel plans, get me quickly and safely moved from one airline gate to the next, do all the local driving, ensure that I’d get adequate rest, and….drum roll, please….she’d abandon her usual impatience so that I could see and do everything that was important to me. After all, it was her daughter Lexxi’s eighth birthday and this would certainly make it a memorable one. And so we made the trip.

Our arrival was late and our scheduled departure much too soon so we had to forego some of the planned activities. We started off with the tour led by Penny. What fun! Initially disoriented, I quickly recalled the familiar landmarks of “home.” My daughter and granddaughter, both born and raised in Arizona, were most amazed at the river winding its way through town. Our Tucson river, the Santa Cruz, is actually dry with only seasonal rain that’s barely adequate for the river to “run.” I was absolutely delighted that my childhood home, elementary school, high school, and the hospital where I began my nursing career still stand and are mostly unchanged.

Getting reacquainted with some high school chums was the frosting on my cake. Merlyn, never “Herbie” to me. My mouth says Bea but my head still thinks Biaggina. Don’t remember the J in front of Paul’s name. Was it really always there? And sweet Patsy who ran to the parking lot to tell me that Amos was there. Bil (where’d the other L go?) was Guillermo Jefe. Dennis, kind and gracious. Still is. Mary Newman….so many memories. I could go on and on and on. Oh, wait a minute….I really can’t end without a comment about Tom’s good looks. OMG!

There’s not a word or phrase in my language that can adequately describe my appreciation for all the hard work done by the planning committee. My goodness! Clearly every aspect of this important gathering was oh so carefully thought out. HUGE kudos to all of you who worked so hard to make the event spectacular.

I’d like to come home again. But perhaps this really was my last trip. And that’s OK. It really is.

By the way, the trip was memorable for Lexxi. While at the banquet, she leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Nanny, I never saw so many old people in one spot!”

2009-08-06T07:01:00.002-04:00

Photo by Karl Nagle

It's Here! - CAHS 50th-Year Reunion

2009-06-21T09:08:00.021-04:00

Clearfield Area High School

Class of 1959

50th-Year Class Reunion Activities

Clearfield Area High School

St. Francis High School

Friday - July 31 - 5:30 p.m.

Gathering at Sam and Sandy Lansberry's Home

958 Egypt Road, Woodland, PA

Saturday - Aug. 1 - 1:00 p.m.

Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and Munchies

Provided by Herb and JoAnn Maney

St. Mary's Church Picnic Grounds, Frenchville, PA

Reunion Gathering and Dinner - 4:30 p.m.

St. Mary's Church Social Hall

Frenchville, PA

Sunday - 8 to 10 a.m.

Breakfast at Elk's Club in Clearfield

Some Photo Gems from Judi Rolley

2009-06-21T08:01:00.015-04:00

Mr. Bloom with Eighth Graders - Click on this May 1955 photo and see how many classmates you can identify. Believe I see, among others, Jerry Koval, Glenn Myers, Bill Lee, Lew Marrara, Bill Fuhrer, Art Weiss, Wes Shimmel, Geraldine Mellott, Bette Lou Welsh, Barbara Fullerton, Margaret Long, Sarah Lyons, Martin Elbell

Bette Lou Welsh, Mary Kay Garman, Wilbur Shirey, Chuck Nelson and Joanne Shimel at Black Moshannon State Park

Judi Rolley, Bette Lou Welsh and Joanne Shimel - at the same time at Black Mo

Judi at Grandma's house in Olanta in 1959

Mary Kay Garman

Sonia Borst - December 1956

Thank you, Judi, for these wonderful photos and memories.

Flying Through Time with Bev Caldwell Law

2009-06-16T07:10:00.013-04:00

Bev - Graduation

April 1947

It's Going To Be Great To See Barb Ondo Again!

2009-06-14T08:30:00.012-04:00

One of the joys of our 50th Year Reunion will be visiting and reuniting with classmates whom many of us have not seen since graduation.

One such classmate is Barbara Ondo. Barb graduated from the Philipsburg State Hospital School of Nursing and served as a nurse at Philipsburg Hospital and other medical facilities in the area.

She and her husband, Ed Skripek, have lived and raised their family in Moshannon all these years.

Hello, Barb. It's going to be great to see you again.

Line of the Day...Errr, O'Day

2009-06-14T08:18:00.011-04:00

Was discussing plans for our 50th-Year Reunion with Pauline Maloni the other day when the conversation turned to Tom O'Day, who has done yeoman's work for the event.

"Oh, Tom," said Pauline. "He was our Cary Grant."

Indeed.

- Dennis Mollura

A Story Worth Repeating

2009-06-11T04:30:00.004-04:00

"Little Herbie" Maney with brother Homer's '39 Mercury convertible

How I got the name "Herb". When my brother Homer, Jr. returned from the service in 1946, he had not seen me since I was two years old. "Little Herbie" was a very popular comic strip at the time and was made available to the soldiers in their newspaper.

Little Herbie had a blond tuft of hair on the top of his head, not unlike the hair I was sporting at the time. When Homer Jr. first saw me, upon his return, he said, "there's Little Herbie"! Hence, I still retain that moniker to this day, and have even passed it on to our eldest son, as "Herbie".

- Herb Maney

More Photos From Planning Meeting

2009-06-11T03:59:00.014-04:00

Chairman HerbManey sporting hand-stitched "Clearfield 59" cap sent in by Patsy McCoy Livelsberger

Tom O'Day and Rudy Schrot (St. Francis)

Proposed Chippendales entertainment sent in by Peggy Jo Knepp Thompson. See if you can spot two new members of the group.

Joyce Shugarts Undercofler, Tom O'Day, Orvis Kline, Judi Rolley White and Wilbur Shirey

Judi Rolley White and Sue Weisshaus Speicher

Joanne Shimel Magnuson and Penny Hile McCracken

- Photos by Karl Nagle

Final Planning Meeting A Great Success

2009-06-09T06:27:00.009-04:00

PLANNING GROUP - Attending and contributing at the final planning meeting for our 50th-Year CAHS Class Reunion were: Front Row - Joyce Moody Fletcher, Joyce Amon Michaels, Chairman Herb Maney, Joyce Shugarts Undercofler and Suzanne Sherkel Nagle. Standing - Wilbur Shirey, Linda Smith Dale, Penny Hile McCracken, Joanne Shimel Magnuson, Dennis Mollura, Orvis Kline, Tom O'Day, Judi Rolley White and Rudy Schrot (St. Francis High Class of '59). Missing from photo is Susan Weisshaus Speicher, who had to leave early to catch a plane.

- Photo by Chief Photographer Karl Nagle

Highlights of the Meeting:

It's been a great several years of reuniting, planning and joviality, and now we enter the final weeks heading into our 50th-Year CAHS/St. Francis Class Reunion. The meeting on June 6 at the Shaw Library in Clearfield was well attended by 14 classmates and Rudy Schrot, representing the St. Francis High Class of 1959.

Reunion Attendance - As of the meeting date, we had 156 class members and guests signed up for the reunion, with a number of confirmed (but as yet unpaid) classmates known to be attending.

Sue Speicher's Class Booklet - One of the major highlights was a preview of our Class of '59 Information Booklet spearheaded and directed by Sue Weisshaus Speicher. It's a knockout! You won't believe how professional and creative it is. Sue flew in from Florida to attend the meeting and deliver the preview in person. We owe her a huge debt of gratitude for all her planning, designing and rounding up the photos and materials from a sometimes reluctant group of classmates.

Judi Rolley White gave a preview of the decorations to be placed around the St. Mary's Church Hall in Frenchville. Not content with mere rosebuds in a vase, Judy has rounded up a multitude of memorabilia from our high school years. Our thanks to Judi! She's a dynamo that won't stop until the last curtain falls on a great time for everyone.

Merlyn "Little Herbie" Maney guided the meeting with his usual balance of patience and no-nonsense precision. Our thanks to Herb for a fine job over these years of keeping the planning group focused on the tasks at hand. Herb somehow always manages to keep the meeting on course when everyone else seems intent on kibitzing.

Joyce Amon Michaels reviewed the food planning and also took on the task of honcho-ing the dessert contributions, which are to be donated by class members. Many thanks, Joyce! Lots of yummy treats on the way.

Karl Nagle, spouse of Suzi Sherkel Nagle, promised to deliver four wet-bottom shoo-fly pies. We are keeping score, Karl.

Wil and Karen Shirey presented a beautiful, wood-framed Memoriam to our "Class of '59 Deceased Class Members," which will be displayed at the reunion. Thanks, Wil and Karen. Great job, as always.

Patsy Livelsberger McCoy sent in a beautifully hand-stitched "Clearfield 59" baseball cap for Herb Maney in recognition of his fine job of leading the planning group. Photos of Herb in cap on the way.

Penny Hile McCracken reviewed plans for the bus tour of Clearfield. While the meeting was progressing, the ever-versatile Karl Nagle wrote a suggested tour guide script. Karl, as you may know, knows about buses and bus trips. All strictly professional, of course. Karl's spent some time with Fullington Auto Bus Company of Clearfield

Peggy Jo Knepp mailed in, via Joyce Moody Fletcher, a slightly altered photo of the Chippendales, who are lobbying hard to provide the entertainment at the reunion. Don't believe we'll take them up on this one. Watch for more on this one in future postings on this blog.

CAHS Class of '59 Blog - Tom O'Day suggested that the group consider providing printed copies of the blog as a memento and as information for classmates who don't have access to a computer. The blog came in for its share of kudos from those attending.

Joyce Moody Fletcher - Everyone agrees that the MVP of our entire effort is our own relentless, untiring, and unstoppable Joyce Moody Fletcher. While Herb keeps the meetings on course, Joyce keeps the entire effort on track. As we've said before, Joyce has worked tirelessly (and mostly alone) for many years to keep the knowledge, the records and the spirit of Clearfield Area High School alive - not only for the Class of 1959 but also the Golden Bison Alumni Association.

If you ever attended Clearfield Area High School, she has a record of it. If you've ever been "lost"or "gone missing," she'll track you down. And if you've ever died, well, she has a record of that, too. Thanks, Joyce, for all you do.

- Dennis Mollura