Subject: PHS '62 Memories
Date: Fri, 26 Jul 2002 09:02:08 -0500
From: "Laraine Wessels" [laraine.wessels@psd150.org]
To: ALL

This is for you, Dave ;)

That silly pretend-bug circle thing we did at the Rec.

Classmates who were refugees from . . . Poland?

As a freshman in Civics class, Lev Wallace (whom everyone thought was great, EXCEPT me) called me a "blonde, brazen hussy". I had to look the last 2 words up in a dictionary, guessing at the spelling! What I did to cause that name calling, I don't know. I remember he called on me, pointing, and I said "Do you mean me?" and he said, "Yes, I mean you, you blonde, brazen hussy." I was a pretty innocent thing moving to Peoria that year from Rome, where I graduated from 8th grade in a class of 8. Big Peoria High School was pretty foreboding for me.

Assemblies on a variety of topics -- science . . .

Working on Dodie Hall's election campaign when she was killed.

Nancy Lien seeming to be the one who always got the car for our Friday night Steak & Shake/Hunt's drive-throughs.

Although my husband, Dick Wessels, PHS'60, & I didn't date at all my junior & senior year or my first year out of high school, I had a "thing" for him during my sophomore year. My '59 Crest has tea spilled on the page with the picture of Dick and his Jimmy Clanton waterfall hairdo that I swooned over a lot that year!

Cherry pie with that crunch topping from the cafeteria.

Turkey & biscuit plate lunch -- still a favorite, of the teachers anyway, at PHS & WHS.

Vanilla cokes from Kane's on the corner of Main & University where Nancy Lien, Joanne Motsett, Marilynn Pelini, Val Davis (RIP) and I walked most everyday after school. Joined sometimes by Becky (Rebekah) Bourland & Mary Hobin whose walks home weren't that direction. I've probably forgotten somebody too.

The Ratcellar (Farmington Road) & Lynn Houston (RIP) from the Academy.

Slumber party at Cokie Ziemer's (RIP)

Steve & Buzz

On a date with Doug Beard, his parents toting us somewhere and his mother saying I was too "amorous" -- Another word I had to look up.

Garage party at Gary Duffy's or Tom Unruh's when I first moved to Peoria.

Nancy Lien's basement & the Spalding guys (actually St. Mark's, I suppose)

Spread gatherings with Friday night meals.

Nightmares about forgetting to put clothes on before going to school.

Nightmares about forgetting my locker combination.

Stomach aches over undone homework.

Making the honor roll, once!

Jim Bixby driving all the freshman girls around (our freshman year).

Mike Cook giving secret hand signals to Sandy during baseball games.

The hall walking and it seems like certain stairwell areas were staked out by certain people.

This is WAY too long, but it's been fun (& sometimes sad) remembering.