Below, you will find a compilation of Facebook posts that people have made within the past month.Others have commented which I also tried to capture. There has been quite a lot of activity through the RFHS Reunion site there, but those of you without FB accounts don't get to see them. Thought you would enjoy and perhaps add other memories, as well.
As I awoke this morning, a Valentine I saw reminded me of the white Valentine's bags we would decorate in elementary school. It was so much fun cutting out the red hearts from construction paper and often adding frilly edges. We would bring in our set of Valentines and go around putting one in each of our classmate's bags. There were often heart-shaped suckers attached to the cards. I will never forget how jealous we all were in fifth grade when Bill Vandevender (a 6th grader!) knocked on the classroom door to offer Frances Cortright a box of chocolates!!!
FROM FACEBOOK:
I would like to post some things from a little different perspective than most of your memories. I was just a young elementary kid when most of you were in high school. I only got to go to the Rolling Fork public school through the 7th grade- around 1970-71. It was very disappointing for me because of the rich tradition we enjoyed, but I never got to play a sport as a "Colonel." I did get to experience Coach Cain's teaching and coaching in the 7th grade. He saw talent in me, encouraged me and opened up my desire to be the best I could be. He was an awesome man. But my teachers and coaches weren't my greatest influences- you were! What I would like to say is that for me, all of you were my idols. You have no idea how you influenced so many kids in elementary and jr. high. We looked up to you- We wanted to be you. I wanted to play the drums because Nat Alford played the drums. I wanted to sing in the quartet because Greg Bennett and Billy Freeney looked so cool and sounded so good. I wanted to be a football player just like Dos Shropshire, Willard Miller, Mark and Randall Atchley, Bill Marshall, Brooks Lynch and Jim McNeely. I wanted to have the personality and humor of Willy Bearden. You were my heroes! I experienced my first attraction to girls ("crushes") because Vicky French, Fern Carter, Susan Perkins and Renee Heigle were goddesses in my eyes. You showed me what life could be and the potential of finding myself. Because we had "Chucks," I got to witness you in a different environment than school. I got to see you relaxing and having fun. I can still remember Rodney Heigle and John Howard Lang playing pinball every afternoon after school. What was so cool though was that they actually talked to me. They didn't mind sharing a few moments with just a kid. They shared their thoughts on music- what was good and what wasn't. I learned about Rod Stewart and "Maggie May" from them. I can still see all you high school guys, after taking your dates home, coming by the dairy bar at 11:00 p.m., 12:00 or even 1:00 a.m. and getting something to eat and shooting pool for hours. Often Bob Davis, Don Norris, Lee Roy Miller and a host of others would let me shoot pool with them. It's the weirdest thing, but I can still see Renee Heigle singing "Hey Jude" one aftertoon surrounded by her friends while she sat on a chest freezer in our little dining area. I learned what was cool and what wasn't from you. I got to see who was dating who and who was "going steady." I also got to see all the fights that took place- who was really tough and who got the worst end of it. I think I won't mention any names , but you know who you were. Man, talk about action for a 10-12 year old kid! It was great. James Hoffman worked for my uncle, Paul Pierce, at the service station next door. He would talk to me and I got to know him as a pre-teen. I still remember hearing that he was killed in Vietnam. It hurt to know that somebody I knew was actually killed in a war. You'll never know how much it meant to this kid for you just to speak to me, say "hey Little Chuck," or just give me a smile. Maybe I'm being over-nostalgic, but to me, those were the best days of my life. I just want to say "thank you" for your influence on me that I still remember to this day. I might not have ever graduated as a Colonel, but there's still a Rolling Fork Colonel in my heart to this day because of you.
§ Eva Kolosiekwow, my cousin, Billy Freeney was 1 of ur idols?!? cool! I left there after 4th grade when Dad ( Coach Bob Dunaway) took the job n Vicksburg, but I still cherish the memories of my childhood there on Deer Creek!
Gary HendersonI cherish them too.
Saturday at 4:14pm
+++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++
Kay Shropshire HellerYou're gonna make all us old folks cry! LOL
Saturday at 4:25pm ·
++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++
Cal CarterNice post Gary! Similar recollections here except I didn't get to see all the late night activities. I remember John Lang playing pinball and the old chest freezer by the pool table. Remember John Lennon and Creedence Clearwater playing from the pa speaker, and I remember James Hoffman too. James was nice to the kids, I'm glad you posted that so he won't be forgotton.
Saturday at 4:29pm ·
++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++
Gary HendersonThanks for the your comment, Cal. I could write for hours about those memories.
Saturday at 4:44pm
++++++++++++++
Eva Kolosiek1 of my fav memories is getting to ride the bus w the football players to away games (I was secretly n love w John Schimmel LOL! He gave me his pep ribbons every wk...more precious to me than diamonds. Of course, his girlfriend was a cheerleader & she thought it was "cute"..I wanted to b HER!)
Kenneth BurnsGary, we'll take you up on the writing for hours. Get your manuscript to Maryanne and she will put it up on the Colonels Commentary!
Saturday at 7:11pm
++++++++++++++++++
Kenneth BurnsGary, I do hope you will come to the reunion on March 31.
Saturday at 7:15pm
++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++
Great memories! I left after 6th grade, but still have fond memories and feelings for RF. And, yes, didn't every girl have a crush on John Schimmel?? Karen Hand baby sat me and John would come by to see her and I would almost pass out - ...See More
Saturday at 9:54pm ·
+++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Donna Sue Marshall BlanksGreat letter, Gary. I smiled all afternoon.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The first time (1958 or 1959) we made the Colonel goal post break-through was an experience! Mr. Sizemore and some boys built the frame that the heavy brown craft paper would be stapled around. I had someone.. think it was Finley Brown lay down and we traced his outline ... definitely his profile because that is hisnose for sure! LOL Stylized everything and added the beard and hat. I painted it all with red and gray enamel house paint… at least two coats. Then when it was dry later on that afternoon, we propped it up against the goal posts and a gust of wind immediately blew it over twisting the frame! I was distraught, not knowing how to fix it! Mr. Sizemore came to the rescue and they somehow straightened everything and secured it to the goal posts. But more problems lay ahead! When the team rushed out to bust through it… that heavy paper made even stronger with all those coats of enamel paint did not tear! The guys literally had to bust through the paper with their fists! From then on we made small slits across it so the paper would tear easier when the team rushed through onto the field. FYI.. did y’all remember that Mrs. Imogene Carter wrote the words to the “Victors” song which was set to Michigan’s fight song music. The pep rallies in the auditorium were really awesome events leading up to the Friday night games. So many of the people in Rolling Fork loaded up their cars and drove to the away games. Folks joked that someone could rob the whole town cause there wouldn’t be a soul there to stop them on those nights! In those days we lived and breathed football whether it was on the field, along the sidelines, or in the bleachers!
Kay Shropshire HellerNo, got me on that but Grace Anna might. However, the plantation bell was ours. My dad had gotten it around 1955 or 1956. It sat in our backyard. I think my mother gave it to the football team after I graduated in 1961. So, either the Colonels started using it while Tommy was still in HS but definitely before Doss graduated. I have no idea what happened to it after that.
Kenneth BurnsKay, thanks so much for sharing your memories. On March 31, the classes of 1970, 1971 and 1972 will be having a "reunion" gathering. It will be informal and we want to invite any from the Colonels Era who are in the area to attend. It would be wonderful to have you, Phyllis, Grace Anna and others come to share your memories with us.
January 24 at 9:19am
Marilyn TilghmanI love the information about the first Colonel break-through, Kay! I painted quite a few of those myself!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I am so much older than you that you probably don't remember or know me. I had the pleasure and honor of playing on the first team that coach Dunaway coached at RF in 1960. We lost the DVC champship in a playoff by one point(held at Greenville HS stadium) to Leland. We had beaten them during regular season.
Their defensive ends were Emile Petro and Bobby Corolla. I think they both signed with MSU. It was Larry Jenkins' responsibility to block Emile Petro during both games. Several years ago Larry had to have surgery several times in his battle with cancer. His surgeon was none other than Emile Petro. Small world, Ken.
Their defensive ends were Emile Petro and Bobby Corolla. I think they both signed with MSU. It was Larry Jenkins' responsibility to block Emile Petro during both games. Several years ago Larry had to have surgery several times in his battle with cancer. His surgeon was none other than Emile Petro. Small world, Ken.
§ Kenneth BurnsI remember an Eddie Touchberry who was a hero to us young kids! :) I remember a lot from those early days. We had heroes like you and Larry and "Hot Shot" and "Pork Chop", Billy Adams and it just kept going and going. RFHS was a special place!
Saturday at 8:31pm
