Cafeteria Comments Pt. 1

Seems, that food is important enough to get a reaction from people and that is WONDERFUL! Some people responded to me in texts, some through FaceBook on RFHS Reunion page (all classes), and some through email (classes of 1970-1972).

I will share pieces for the next few days. Please feel free to send even more responses. I’ll post what I can.

Mike Houni conveyed that he and Robert Waldon were the “milk boys” in sixth grade. They got special treatment from the ladies for doing that. On the days that we were served Chicken and Dumplings, they were given as much as they could eat. In turn, they would make Chicken and Dumpling sandwiches. Mike swears that they would eat 4 or 5 sandwiches on those days. Obviously, Chicken and Dumplings were his favorite foods. As for least favorite, he said it would be sauerkraut. Now, he doesn’t actually remember the ladies in the Cafeteria serving it. However, football camp is a different story.  They served it there. If you ate it and worked out, you would get sick. Mike said he steered clear.

Also, when serving as “milk boys”, the older boys would always threaten to beat them up. The older ones didn’t want to pay for the milk, or they complained that Mike was taking too long to serve them. (Early forms of bullying! LOL)

The milk must have really been special! Eva Dunaway Kolosiek says that her favorite food was the chocolate milk.

Speaking of milk… Willy Bearden says that Robert Waldon told him that Mr. Mullins called his daddy about his brother Joey’s milk bill. Joey was probably in third grade at the time. The bill was almost $40.00…. and that was at three cents a carton! 

Robert Barnett says the chocolate milk was the first thing he thought of. It was just refreshing!

Not everyone was a fan of all milk. James Prewitt says his least favorite food was the white milk. (I’m thinking the chocolate must have been okay!)

Martha Carter Abney wondered if the three cents for chocolate milk was part of a government program. Carol Hawkins Trotter, a picky eater, claims she made a meal out of chocolate milk and white bread.

I certainly remember a lot of foods, but as more and more responses have come in, I have had my memory jolted a bit. I loved the sweet cake with peanut butter and honey icing (my description.) Debra Hammons Wright says she “loved the cake with warm peanut butter sauce.”

Marilyn Pippin Tilghman asks if anyone remembers the yellow cake with a peanut butter sauce. She thought it was delicious! James Prewitt liked this cake, as well.

Stay tuned for more Cafeteria Comments…. Favorites, least favorites, and memories.

The Cafeteria

When my friends today look at pictures of me from my school-age years, I’m sure they find it odd. How could she possibly have been that skinny back then? It seems rather odd to me, too. I never had an ounce of fat on me. Perhaps that was from trying to keep up with five siblings and a plethora of male cousins. Maybe it was the races we would have on the dirt road behind our house. My long legs could go pretty fast- for the short haul. It could have been from playing hide-and-seek in the cotton fields in the summer or maybe skinny-dipping in the catfish ponds (yes, we used to do that). The hula hoop became popular when I was in kindergarten. I tried to perfect that for years- didn’t happen. I stood in the front yard and practiced the cheers that the high school cheerleaders like Ann and Sue Rodgers, Vicki Wade and others performed every Friday for pep rallies and ballgames. Hmm, couldn’t do that very well either. The only thing I learned to do was to twirl a baton, but not like Terri Stevens. She could twirl fire batons! I remember so much physical activity. We were always outside doing things.  Now that I think of it, I’m sure my mother wanted a break from all of us and locked us out! We made the best of it.

It’s a good thing we were active because we didn’t subscribe to the “lite versions” of recipes. We cooked with Crisco and ate lots of fried foods- fried okra, fried chicken, fried pork chops, fried green tomatoes, … We had our grease can in the refrigerator. Milk was whole, bread was white, and tea was sweet. (Well, some things don’t change!)

The cafeteria at RFHS subscribed to that same method of cooking. Portion sizes were plentiful, the food was fattening, and almost everyone ate cafeteria food. Mmes. Thomas, Fuller, Williams, Mason, Robinson, Wells, and Sharp were awesome cooks. Actually, they were all pretty awesome ladies. As best I can remember, all of them were at RFHS for the duration of the Colonels years. I even remember Mrs. Thomas, Mrs. Robinson, and Mrs. Fuller being at Cary school. (I never even went there, but I remember!)

I have such memories of chocolate milk breaks throughout the elementary grades. We would bring three cents for milk. Someone would go to the Cafeteria to pick up the milk and bring it back to the classroom. At other times, I can remember going to the back door of the cafeteria. The ladies handed us our milk and we sat out there on empty crates to drink it. When we were finished we ran (I mean, walked) back to our classroom. I can remember one day walking with Libby Jones, each holding a side of the crate. I don’t remember much else about that day, except that we must have gotten in trouble, or I wouldn’t remember that image!

The cafeteria had two serving lines. Although our times were staggered, I think the elementary went first, by grade level. When junior high and then high school were being served, the last remnants of the elementary grades were just leaving. Back then, students helped in the Cafeteria. Sixth graders would help with the serving lines for the younger grades and maybe their own. If you were helping serve, you wore a hair net, plastic glove, and a smile. No one was ashamed to work there. Girls served in the food lines while boys worked at passing out milk. Some kids even helped clean the floors afterwards. I believe the helpers got a free lunch. Once I remember working in the dishwashing area. I believe the upper grades had gone on a field trip that day, so the ladies were short on helpers. I may have been a third or fourth grader. We had so much fun. I don’t know that the dishes got clean, but it was so much fun pulling down on that hot water nozzle to spray the trays before loading them in the Hobart machine that cleaned and sanitized them as the crate of trays moved through.

Between the exit of the food line and the dishwashing area was an ice cream box. I believe one day a week, you could buy ice cream after you finished your meal. There were Push-ups, Fudgesicles, ice cream sandwiches, Heath Bars, and Orangesicles. I may have been sent with “milk-money” each week, but I doubt seriously that “ice-cream money” was in the envelope.

Then there were the lunch lines for junior high and high school students. High school students, upperclassmen boys, took up the lunch money every day. I seem to remember that they were always football players. Willard Miller and George Quarm both come to mind. They would leave class a little early and go by the office to pick up the money box. It contained change and a hole-punch. You could pay by the day, but for $5.00, you could buy a 20 day lunch card. (Lunch for 25 cents, wow!) There were numbers across the top of the card. You would hand the card to the guys, they would punch and you would go on through the line. I suppose you had to be careful to keep up with the card and to make sure you didn’t leave it in your pockets and suffer the fate of the washing machine!

I think we all had our favorite foods from the cafeteria. Mine was a sweet cake that had a peanut butter/honey icing. I have remembered that often over the years, hoping to find the recipe. One friend said to me that she remembers the fish sticks everyone had to eat on Fridays “because of you damned Catholics!” I remember it a little differently. I know you didn’t have to eat fish sticks EVERY Friday. Sometimes you had to eat tuna salad. However, there were some Fridays when you got a break. I remember this because on the days that you didn’t, Mrs. Mason always made sure she had something we could eat. It may have been peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or perhaps tuna salad, but I know she took care of us.

 I think the ladies tried to take care of all of us. On Fridays during football season the Colonels plates were piled a little bit higher than everyone else’s. Of course, I think the food tasted much better when you could look up and see all of the Colonels sitting together at tables, wearing their red blazers, and each sporting a gray Colonels paper lapel pin!

Holiday meals were also pretty special. Just before Thanksgiving and Christmas every year, those ladies prepared a feast. Turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, and those big green peas produced wonderful aromas. No meal was complete without bread. Usually it was the homemade rolls. Those smells permeated the campus.

As it has been stated, “Food is the most primitive form of comfort.” We were comforted each day of our school years. The tastes, the smells, the memories, they all bring us home to our roots. We are reminded through the years of those etchings on our brains and in our senses. We experience those deja vu moments with the foods from our youth.

Stop for a moment, close your eyes, and remember…. What was your favorite cafeteria food? Your least favorite? Your favorite memory?

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Over the next few days, I will post what you have to say. Send me your memories. I've gotten a few already. Thanks! 

Teacher Appreciation, Rolling Fork Style

As an educator for over 35 years, I have witnessed and participated in numerous Teacher Appreciation events. When I allow my memories to overtake me, I must surely know the origin of such events since I believe I attended the very first one. You see, the way I remember it, Teacher Appreciation celebrations started in Rolling Fork, Mississippi at the home of Winnie Spivey.

Each spring, Mrs. Spivey invited the teachers to a formal tea in her home. Her honorees were the teachers in the grade levels that her daughters were in that year. In the spring of 1961, Jane was in second grade and Anne was in the fourth. You see, Jane was in my mother’s second grade class so certainly my mother was invited. Mrs. Harris (my second grade teacher) was also included. Her son, Weldon, was Jane’s classmate. Mrs. Spivey invited me and Weldon to come to play with Jane during the Tea.  That year Anne’s fourth grade teacher and colleagues were honored in a similar fashion, but on another day.

Miss Winnie was a most gracious hostess. At the time she was living in a home that had a screened porch in the front. There is no better way to enjoy an afternoon in the South, than to sit on a porch, overlooking the creek as the breezes blow through. Mrs. Spivey used her fine china and silver tea service. I could see open-faced sandwiches on silver trays. I’m quite sure some were cucumber sandwiches and others were tomato. It looked lovely as we crept up in the bushes and peered onto the porch. We were ever so quiet as not to give ourselves up. Remember children should neither be seen nor heard at a ladies’ tea. It just wasn’t acceptable.

On this particular day, the weather was delightful; not too hot, not too cold.  Cypress trees lined the creek bank on both sides. The Spivey home was on the west side of Deer Creek. A gravel road meandered parallel to the creek in a northerly direction. On the east side of the creek lived the Carpenters. Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter also had a beautiful home. Even more outstanding were the peacocks that strutted gracefully across their front lawn. If you looked closely, you might catch a glimpse of one roosting in a tree.  When the birds became agitated, they would let out a high-pitched call that mimicked the sounds of women screaming. If they caught you unaware, it would send a chill up your spine.

Jane had the idea that we should go bike riding. From the storage area, we found four bikes. Jane, Anne, Weldon, and I each hopped on a bike and took off at high speeds, racing towards the gravel road. With our hair flying, we veered right and headed towards Rolling Fork. I’m sure that Weldon was winning the race. All the while, we were on the look-out for peacocks across the creek. He turned to double back as we continued on. In a moment, I heard an awful noise. I looked back to see Weldon, bicycle and all leaving the roadway, heading down the bank of the creek, and not slowing down. He was furiously trying to regain control of the bicycle as it continued its trek to the water. His attempts were to no avail. Soon there was a loud crashing sound as Weldon and the bike tumbled into the water. He stood up covered in muck and mud. It was not a pretty sight!

None of us knew what to do. We tried to help get him out of the water, but the bike was just too stuck! I got back on my bike and zoomed back towards the Spivey home.  Never breaking my stride, I jumped from the bike and ran up the steps to the porch. I was out of breath but managed to scream, “Weldon’s in the creek! Weldon’s in the creek!!! Come help!”

The tea party was completely disrupted.  The ladies all took off running! Mrs. Harris was in the lead. Weldon was her only child, and she was determined to save him. Of course, by the time we all arrived at the scene of the accident, Weldon and the bike were out of the water, but not yet up the creek bank. There was a great sigh of relief from all.   Although muddy and wet, there wasn’t a scratch on Weldon. His pride was certainly damaged, but no significant casualty was noted on the bike itself.

The excitement was over. Now the only problem was of how to situate the wet and muddy Weldon in the car for the ride home. As I best remember, the ten or so mile ride south to Cary was extremely quiet. We had managed single-handedly to upend the tea party causing everyone to go home early. It was not a good day.

I was never invited back to a tea at the Spivey's house. As I recall, my mother wasn’t either. I was positive that Weldon’s catastrophe and my stunning announcement resulted in the end of Teacher Appreciation teas as we knew them. The celebrations I attended as a teacher were never as refined. We may have a luncheon nicely decorated in the school gym, but never any fine china or silver. I felt guilty. I had doomed my profession…. But none of them knew.

Not long ago, I asked my mother about the whole event. She laughed when I told her about Weldon. Although she is as sharp as a tack, she had no recollection of Weldon’s travels into the creek. She certainly didn’t remember my coming in screaming. Since she still remembers most of the bad things I did as a child, and she reminds me of them from time to time, I found this surprising. She did remember the lovely party she had attended at Winnie Spivey’s house. She was invited only that one year because she never taught Anne, nor at a grade level in which Anne was enrolled. Therefore, she was only invited the year she taught Jane.

My mother remembered those lovely affairs continuing for years. She stated that it was the highlight of the year for teachers, and everyone hoped to have Jane or Anne in their class! Apparently, the tradition continued until Jane left RFHS. If that was the case, then perhaps I had not destroyed Teacher Appreciation celebrations at all.

2013 Gathering of Friends

It's that time again! We are just over a month away from the 2013 Gathering of Friends. We've been trying to keep it scheduled for the Saturday a week before Easter each year. This year it will be on March 23. (Last year it was a week later on the 31st.)

We hope that if you were a member of the classes of 1970-1972 and want to come visit with fellow classmates, you will be there. Please invite others who attended, classes before us or after us. Also, it doesn't matter if you graduated from Rolling Fork High School. This event is for those who attended. Even as a 4th grader, I still remember those who were Seniors. Pun (Spencer Powers) would go to Spanish class everyday maybe around 3rd hour. I made sure that I asked to go to the restroom about that time everyday so I could get a hug from him as he turned the corner. I'm not sure whether Mrs. Mullins ever caught on, or not. As a high school student, I also remember those who were much younger than I. My little brother Lee was in the 3rd grade when I was a Junior in high school. I knew all of his friends. I hope to see some of his friends there this year.

A little over a year ago, Kenneth Burns was gracious enough to write stories about being a Colonel (football player). He did an awesome job! Does anyone else have stories or memories to contribute? I would love to publish them.

On Thursday (Valentine's Day) I was remembering Valentine's Days from being in elementary school. Mind you, I taught in public schools for over 25 years and those memories aren't nearly as strong as my memories of when I went to Rolling Fork Elementary (Fielding Wright or whatever you choose to call it).

I remember every year we would get our little brown or white paper bags and put our names on them. Then we would cut out red hearts and use those hearts to decorate the bags. Everyone in the class had a bag.  No student was obligated to bring Valentines, but if you did, you MUST bring one for each classmate. We all received a class list to ensure we got it straight. I still remember the thrill of opening the bags and going through one by one to read each silly little card! I also remember the little candy hearts that were often in the bottom of the bag. You know, the ones that said things like BE MINE, SWEETIE, etc. My fondest memory doesn't even really have anything to do with me. I remember being in Mrs. Cain's 5th grade classroom when Bill Vandevender (a 6th grader) came to the door to deliver a box of chocolates to Frances Cortright! I think all of the girls, especially me, were jealous since no one came to give us a box of chocolates..... it was a BIG box!

I think of lots of other topics that I would like to see stories about. I suppose I could write stories about being in the band, but those stories would be best told by others. There are lots and lots of band stories to tell, but I don't remember all of the details to do them justice. Perhaps the statute of limitations has expired on some of those things, so they can now be told! LOL

For some reason, each time I try to think of topics, I keep going back to the Cafeteria. Perhaps next week, I can come up with something about that.

Remember the Gathering...

Saturday, March 23, 2013

2:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.

Mrs. Rickey Moore's pool house

south of Cary

See you there!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The Colonel thought to share some emails that were sent out to the Classes of 1970-72 database about the upcoming "Gathering of Friends." In this venue, you can view what is being posted even if you are not in that email link.

Sent on Thursday, March 15..... A Gathering of Friends

 

Well, in two weeks, I'll be packing my bag and my gumbo ingredients so that I can head out on Friday. I'm really looking forward to this "gathering of friends"- not really a reunion. I am so excited about the weekend.

 

Last year, I thought our 3-class reunion was such fun! I saw people that I hadn't seen in years. There were some I recognized right away, while others gave me more problems. Hard for me to believe that Mike Huoni had to take off his cap and sunglasses before I could identify him. (We're almost kin and have known each other our whole life! I just hadn't seen him in the past 15 years.) I looked out of the window at Lee's house and saw Tom Griffin drive by. I hadn't seen him in 40 years, but I recognized him right off.

 

I was overwhelmed when, although we had said it was a tailgate party with everyone just bringing food for himself/herself, people started bringing food to a community table to share their bounty. Denise Heigle Mann made the most awesome pimento cheese sandwiches. We are going with the same tailgate idea this year, and we'll see how it turns out.

 

Gary Hays and his wife helped greet people in the front hall. (I can still remember the fringed leather coat he wore in elementary school.) Bill Vandevender and Ann helped with the food arrangement in the dining room. Bill also wanted to make sure the website would continue to be posted for the next couple of years so he made a donation, as did Martha Carter Abney. (I will certainly honor that request from Bill. We will miss him terribly.)

 

It was such fun to see different people walk up the sidewalk. Sometimes I could almost imagine their younger-self as I watched. Marshall Lynch, you look just the same; so does Gail Heigle Clark. I hadn't seen Greg Bennett since we taught together at Solomon Jr. High in Greenville- what fun. Who knew he would turn out to be a daredevil? Skydiving? Really????

 

Leading up to the reunion, I talked to so many people on the phone. Jon Shirley and I would chat on Facebook early in the morning (it was even earlier for him in Dallas). He called me the week before the reunion, and we had the best conversation. He was disappointed that he wouldn't be able to attend, but would try to be at the next one. I miss him terribly. Kenneth Burns couldn't make it, but he promised he'd be there for the next one and I understand he has his airline ticket in hand. Perhaps he'll win the prize for traveling the greatest distance. I also talked to Bob Davis. Don't know how he got to be so young, but he has two sons, both still in high school! Last year they had baseball games on April 8. This year, however, he said their schedule is clear, and he plans to be there.

 

I missed seeing a lot of people. I just knew Mary Beth Blanchard Luke would be there, but she couldn't come. Bill Marshall was another who had to back out at the last minute. I had hoped to see Eddie Wilson, but he couldn't come in. I will be so disappointed if I don't get to see all three of them this year. I know Lynette Denton West is trying to attend.

 

Debbie Lambert and Arthur Slatten went separate ways after high school and then found each other again- a little later in life. They are such a cute couple. It was so nice to see them. They got to reconnect with others they haven't seen in a while like Debra Hammons Wright. Carol Hawkins Trotter was with us last year, but teaching workshops will keep her busy this year so she won't be able to attend. Not only was Carol a wonderful class photographer in fifth grade, but she is an awesome writer. I'm hoping she will share more stories with us that can be posted on The Colonels Commentary.

 

The conversations that I overheard were priceless. I listened to Buzzy Carter point to the Cary Methodist Church and reminisce about the night he and several others had stopped at the church and he got married. He couldn't really remember, but he thinks he married Jane Gay Tucker! He thought Debra Hammons was with them, but she swore she didn't remember the event!

Later in the afternoon last year, I looked up to see Willy Bearden, Thad Virden, Jean Cortright, Marily Pippin, and Nancy Barnard Virden walk in. I had told Willy about the event. He and the others came down to Cary after the Blues Festival was over. That was so much fun. It was then that several of us started thinking that it would be nice for others to attend. We all went to school together. Some came before us, some came after.... but we all went to RFHS. I am so happy that there are people who are planning to come this year that were 8 or so years older than us and others that are up to 5 or 6 years younger. Deborah Lamensdorf Jacobs is planning to fly in from Atlanta. She'd like to just see people that she hadn't seen in a while.

 

Those of us who ever attended Fielding L. Wright Attendance Center or Rolling Fork High School are connected. We had wonderful experiences that aren't often replicated in other communities. I hope you will be there to share the day with your former classmates. As I said earlier, this is no longer a true reunion, but instead a Gathering of Friends. Since last year, we have lost Bill Vandevender, Becky Pickle Boykin, Jon Shirley, and Kathy Kerr. I want to make sure I can make new memories with old friends while I can. I hope to see as many of you there as possible. Please share the event with anyone who ever attended RFHS. Let them know that they are welcomed- this isn't a closed event- quite the contrary.

Rickey Moore's poolhouse. About 1.5 miles south of Cary- just off Highway 61. Saturday, March 31 beginning at 2:00 p.m. (You may come a little earlier, if you'd like.) My cell phone is 985 778-9832 if you have questions or need directions.

I'll see you there and I am so excited!

Maryanne

Sent on Friday, March 16 ... This Past Year

Last year there were so many people helping to plan for the reunion, that now it is so simple to keep in contact. Jim McNeely is amazing!All of the reunion pictures and albums were thanks to him and his wife Pam- an honorary classmate. If I am ever looking for a long-lost friend, I'm calling Jim. He was able to help find so many of our former classmates. We only had to provide tiny bits of information and Jim was right on it. Of course, I will never divulge which ones of you he uncovered! LOL (no one is safe) We had chains going all over, as well. I'd ask one person who would call someone else who would email yet another person. I never knew who would call in with the winning find. More often than not, it would be the spouse of a former classmate. BJ Nichols (Roy's wife) would notice email addresses that I had used that were wrong and send me an email with the correction. Other classmates are now connected through spouses Facebook pages- like Glen Jennings' wife.

 

Cheryl Berry Welch helped with just about everything! Martha Carter Abney did, too. They both copied, cut, and glued old pictures for remembrances late into the night the night before the reunion. Jane Spivey Lawler was there bright and early on Saturday helping to set up, decorate, and get organized.. Albert Mahalitc didn't get to the reunion itself until late, but he had come early Saturday and again on Sunday delivering and picking up garbage cans for us. David Mann was the "go-to guy" in Rolling Fork. (Thanks, Denise!) Randy Hengst delivered, set up, and later removed tables. His wife, Tyann baked chocolate chip cookies for me that I didn't have time to do.

 

Those that couldn't attend have sent in emails giving us updates before the reunion and some all through the year, like Nonie Freeney, Rickey Flowers, Carl (David) Freeney, Scott Neeper, and Bob Davis.I received an email from Nonie just today. She told me that Carl (aka David) will be there this year with his wife, Sharon. Nonie says she is so sorry that she won't be able to attend, but she sends her regards. She lives near her sister Ebbie.

 

After the Reunion was a closed chapter Kenneth Burns came in to carry the torch. He has been the main person to encourage reaching out to all of our former classmates- anyone (older or younger) who went to RFHS. Because of that, we will get to see Deborah Lamensdorf Jacobs, Carl Freeney, Hot Shot and Judy Strong, and many from the Rolling Fork area. We've even had people like Ricky Lee ask to get the email updates so he knows when to go to the webpage or The Colonels Commentary to see a story.

 

Jack Middleton (our miracle!) want be able to attend this year, but hopefully again another year. Jack is very involved in his church, so won't be able to attend because of an event. I've heard (from his mother) that Merritt Aden will stay much longer to party this year. Either his wife Debbie (she wasn't able to attend last year because she had recently had surgery) will be his DD or he will bring his camper! LOL We hope to see Billy again this year, as well.

 

Tomorrow, we'll have another update. My mother told me that she had heard I wasn't sending out as much information this year as last, so I've got to get busy for the next week and a half! If you wonder where she heard this...... from some of your parents!

Reflections on RFHS- #2

Happy Valentine's Day!
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:

·        Gary Henderson

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!

Saturday at 4:12pm viamobile
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Gary HendersonI cherish them too.

Saturday at 4:14pm
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Kay Shropshire HellerYou're gonna make all us old folks cry! LOL

Saturday at 4:25pm ·
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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 ·
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Gary HendersonThanks for the your comment, Cal. I could write for hours about those memories.

Saturday at 4:44pm

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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!)

Saturday at 4:53pm viamobile·
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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

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Kenneth BurnsGary, I do hope you will come to the reunion on March 31.

Saturday at 7:15pm
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Cheryl Berry Welch

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 ·
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Donna Sue Marshall BlanksGreat letter, Gary. I smiled all afternoon.

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·        Kay Shropshire Hellercreated adoc.

The "first" Colonel

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!

§ Phyllis AdamsMy goodness!!!
Can you remember who built the bonfires?
January 24 at 5:04am via·

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.

January 24 at 8:33am viamobile·

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!

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·        Soloman Edward Touchberry

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.

§ 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

Reflections on RFHS- #1

Scott Neeper (RFHS Class of 1972) recently emailed with some things he had been reminded of after reading posts in The Colonel's Commentary. I really appreciate that he has chosen to share and I hope others will follow his lead. I think he shows that it is really an easy thing to do. It certainly made me smile as I read it--- because I remember, too.

There is nothing I can submit that would improve upon the wonderful history that Kenneth Burns assembled.  Kenneth did a truly splendid job in capturing the essence of the Colonels' spirit and pride. However, I had some memories that I wanted to share with others. Hopefully, each of them will submit their own special remembrances.

The athletes worked hard, but I think the Cheerleaders worked just as hard, if not harder.  I think about the countless hours they spent hand painting the football goal post break-through signs for each football game, and the little cut-out Colonels for everyone's lapels, just to mention a couple.  I can't remember if it was before we went to football camp at Lake Grenada or when we returned, but there was a large sign in the weight room with all the players’ names on it, and beside each name was a simple one syllable word like 'prod', 'plod', 'lug', etc.  It must have taken a lot of time, going through the dictionary, picking out these kinds of words, and assigning them one-by-one to the players’ names.  The Cheerleaders were relentless in their efforts to boost school spirit.  THANK YOU ladies and Charlie Darden for helping to create so many great memories.

I really enjoyed playing in the band, especially the Stage Band.  There's no telling how many contests and awards the Colonels Bands won.  Whether in Marching, Concert, or Stage Bands, we had a great time with Mr. Lunceford.  We went to contests in Jackson and Starkville, and Christmas Parades in Greenwood.

One time when I was in the 9th grade, we were in the gym practicing basketball with Coach Cain. For some reason the girls team was also in there that day.  Our (the guys) spirits were exceptionally high.  In fact, they were so high that I began smiling, while Coach Cain was instructing us.  Then Coach Cain saw my smile.  He called me over, placed his hand over my eyes, slid his hand down past my nose, and then back up, again and again.  Each time on the upstroke, his hand caught the bottom of my nose, creating discomfort, and saying “wipe that smile off your face.”  You haven't lived until you've had a smile wiped off your face by Coach Cain.  The funny thing is that I don't remember smiling!  I remember the other guys, Cauley (Chase), Humby (Marshall Lynch), Butch (Newman), et al, trying not to crack up or burst into laughter.  God, we might still be running, had that happened!  In all seriousness, I cannot say enough good things about Coach Cain.  He is truly the best man I have ever known.  I never wanted to disappoint him.