How about a walk "Down Memory Lane" with some of our classmates!

Some of our classmates surnames would cause an Etymologist to scratch his/her head in wonderment! It does make one wonder how did these names originate?

Schweppenstede

Blasingame

Drybread (Sammy got a lot of teasing on this name)

McGucken

Oestrich

Smiley (this is an easy one if you ever saw Carolyn Smiley's smile)

Gangwes (We pronounced it Gangway)

Wirtel

Weckerlin

Gravat

Flatbush

Tungate

Tankersley
Oesch  (We pronounced it Ash)
Combs
Sowders (Our Texas relatives jokingly think it may have been associated with Horse Thieves)
and many other names I can't recall...("Senior Moments" happen!)

The above were all classmates of ours and represented the possible European influence of a surname derived from an occupation or place of origin. There are several etymology sites on the Internet where you can spend days researching names. The above names represent what made America great. Berkeley was a personification of a blue collar community of people who worked hard each day to provide for their family. We were fortunate to have grown up in such a community that gave us exposure to "The Good Ol' Days" when you never locked your doors or worried about your children walking home from school. What a great group of students to grow up with throughout our school years!

Unfortunately, many of the our classmates listed above are no longer with us. Hopefully many of the surviving names will join us at our "Last Hurrah" reunion on Sunday, May 27, 2012.

Red School House memories of Pat (Benoist) Garthoeffner

Pat Garthoeffner garthgallery@comcast.net	Jan 28 (1 day ago)
to me

Hi:  Just looked at the photos of the red school house!  What a delightful surprise!!! I lived one block over on Garfield and went to Berkeley from 3^rd grade on and graduated in 1958.  I played at the school during the summer and fall months and actually, whenever school was out!  Many times I sat at the top of one of the slanted concrete forms on either side of the steps and acted like “Cleopatra” – my friends in the neighborhood were my “slaves” and would bow down when I clapped my hands!  I loved the play yard and especially remember the Merry-go-round that was hung with chains and bars and you would run around and swing thru the air!  I remember the swings were “huge” and went very high!  There was a story that a girl swung so high that she went over the top and had a pair of scissors in her pocket and was impaled by them when she hit the ground!  (I’m sure that was to keep children from swinging too high)! 

I thought I was the only one who remembered the school house so well…………..so glad to know there are others who have special memories of it.  I didn’t know anything about its history but it was there where I met Margie Oesch, Carole Tepe, Ronnie Coles-?, Hazel Puronen, Marilyn, Joe  Haley, Stevie Fletcher, Richard Tullock,Leroy Rhodes and so many others.  My first teacher was Miss Smith and I corresponded with her for many years.  My daughters have heard many stories about my good times at the Red School House and tried to find it one day when they were in St.Louis visiting my Mother –unfortunately, they ended up in Kinloch and never got to see the school or saw it and never recognized it from my description versus how much it had changed when they saw it!

Thanks for memories and I hope to see you all at the Luncheon if not the reunion – Pat Benoist Garthoeffner

We are now open for Reservations!

Today, our reunion business account was established and we are ready to accept reservation payments. Reservations will be accepted from now until April 15, 2012, which is our cutoff date for payment. 

Make payable to: Mrs. Elaine Noble
Memo on check: Berkeley Reunion  

Send to:

Mrs. Elaine Noble

2920 Isleview Ln.

St. Charles, MO 63303

Cost:  $25 per person or $50 per couple

Reunion Date:  Sunday, May 27, 2012

This is going to be a very enjoyable evening and a lot of planning is taking place to make it a memorable reunion. See ya there!

ATTENTION : Reunion Date Change to Sunday 27, 2012 - One (1) day later!

The Columns Banquet Center called today begging and pleading to forgive their "Double Booking" of two functions on Saturday, May 26, 2012. Since we were the second booking, they offered to "Sweeten The Pie" and cut the price per each person by $5 if we would accept Sunday -  May 27, 2012 for our reunion date. We have accepted the date change and the price reduction to $25 per person or $50 per couple. I hope this doesn't cause any undue hardship on our Classmates or cause anybody to miss our reunion. Murphy's law is always waiting to get into the act! 

Please make note of the new reunion date: Sunday, May 27, 2012

We may get a peek inside the Red School House...

Last week, Jean (Wee) Webb and Elaine (Combs) Noble stopped by the Ol' Red School House and found the door open with workman doing renovation to the interior. They came away with a phone number for access permission. Today, I called the company doing the repair to the building's storm damage caused by the 2011 summer tornado that created havoc throughout that area. They were reluctant to grant permission to have access due to liability concerns since the building's tornado repair is still incomplete. They promised to take pictures and send them to me.

We all have mental pictures of what it looked like in our day and that image will only fade away when we fade away! I will post these pictures as soon as I receive them.

Berkeley High School Alma Mater Song found!

Thanks to the research of Pat (Combs) Hornaday and her sister Elaine (Combs) Noble,

the BHS Alma Mater Song has been brought back to life.

Look below to see a picture I just found of Berkeley High School - 1938

This picture illustrated all the regal splendor of Berkeley High School brand spanking new in 1938. I was at the dedication in 1938 and remember Mr. Holman making the dedication speech. I have added it to the 1998 picture below of the school house all boarded up and ready for demolition.

Berkeley High School Addition Dedication Program to the new High School January 29,1961. (Notice the dedication to "Miss Barker")

I found this Dedication Program for the addition to the NEW Berkeley High School which replaced our dearly beloved BHS dedicated and built in 1937/1938 among my Father's  memorabilia. My Father served on the school board for 25 years and fought  many battles to get things done. We were lucky to have a dedicated group of men to serve on this School Board. They served with no remuneration for their time and took the flak when directed at them and deflected it to strive forward to make the Berkeley School System the best in the North County. (Remember, we were North County Basketball Champions for many years). This was quite a feat since we didn't have a gymnasium and practiced in the dirt field with the two basketball goal posts (without any baskets, just the hoop rims) behind the schoolhouse. Later on, we were allowed to use the Ferguson Grade School Gym thanks to the Berkeley School Board making these arrangements. Winning the North County basketball championship with such limited practice facilities was a feat in itself.  I thing we had a total inventory of two basketballs for practice. 

A little sidebar about the Basket Ball Team practicing at Ferguson Grade School Gym:
The Basketball Team was on their own to get transportation after school to the Ferguson Gym. We used to all pile into Elmer Boston's Model "T" Ford Open Touring Car and chug over to the Gym. Coming back home after practice, Elmer would get a big run before we started up the hill on Airport Road leaving Ferguson and that 'Ol Ford "T" would grunt it's way to the top of the hill as it had the entire Basketball Team on board including the "B" team as passengers.  I wish I had a picture of that to share with all today. What a sight that was and we were lucky the Ferguson Police didn't pull us over for being overloaded. Ah, the Good Old Days!

                                         Left click on the pictures below to enlarge

A tip to enlarge a picture or article for easier reading!

It has been brought to my attention that the articles of Jamison and Huston are unreadable because of the small type. If you single left click on the picture or article a black background will surround the image you clicked on. If that isn't big enough, right click and select View Image from the drop down menu. A magnifying glass with a + sign will appear (click on it to enlarge) and that will make the image large enough to read easily. Depending on the vintage of your computer, hold down the Ctrl key and hit the + key which will enlarge it even more. To return it to normal size, click on Ctrl - (minus) and that will reduce the enlargement. I hope this helps but if you need help please email or call me for assistance.

Also if I make a mistake in a person's name, year or what have you, please let me know as I want my report card to read at least a C+! Email me at joesow@gmail.com for any corrections. 

Miss Barker's picture has arrived!

This enlarged photo of Miss Barker, was taken from the larger picture of the Class of 1923 (Room 3) at the Red School House, which was called Kinloch School at that time. I began my first grade education in 1938 and Miss Barker had a different hairdo then which became her signature "top knot" hair arrangement and it remained the same thereafter. This lady was undoubtedly an angel in disguise as she knew how to TEACH! Her methods were like osmosis and you learned without knowing it. She also knew how to handle the difficult students without raising her voice or a hand! She started thousands of us on the first step of our education and we give thanks and recognition for her endeavors. I only wish I could tell her personally how much we appreciated and loved her. Who knows...maybe she is still watching over us. 

An interesting sidebar to the above picture:

The little girl to the left of Miss Barker is Helen Daugherty's mother (a student in 1923). The little boy in the sweater next to the Sailor Boy is her uncle. Thanks Helen...you saved the day by finding and sending a picture of Miss Barker (later she married and became Mrs. Catherine Barker McDaniels)

The above pictures submitted by Helen (Daugherty) Barnes

A sad 1998 picture of BHS boarded up and later razed but it's memories survive!

What Berkeley High School looked when brand new - 1938

                                                            (submitted by Joe H. Sowders)

                                                                    (Submitted by Patsy (Combs) Hornaday
                                     This is what it looked like 60 years later getting ready for the 
                                                              "Headache Ball"
                               The Ghost's of old BHS have a lots of tales to remember!
                                  Listen..I think I hear "Beer, Beer for 'Ol Berkeley High...