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Reunion Breakfast
Reunion Ladies
Luncheon
50's Night (not completed yet)
Western Night |
The 55th Reunion of the
Istrouma
High School
Class of 1954
October 16 – 17, 2009
Drusilla’s
Seafood Restaurant
The
55th
Reunion
of the HIS Class of 1954 began on Friday at
11:00 am with a roomful of women chatting,
laughing, and reminiscing over a luncheon at
Drusilla’s Seafood Restaurant.
It lasted well past 1:00 p.m., so you can
see what a good time we were having.
I sat next to Mary Alice Westbrook, who
provided me with a lot of news; but like most
others, we both spent a great deal of time
moving around the room to exchange greetings and
memories. The
first person I hugged was Bette Teekel, and a
highlight was getting to tell her how much I
have loved her over the years and how much I
admire her courage.
Other old friends, Judy Eisworth and
Orlou Guice, were among the classmates I talked
to first. It
was a joy for me to get to tell Judy how much
her friendship meant to me in the 6th
grade and to tell Orlou how much her friendship
meant to me in those days and how very much her
mother meant to me. But
I also saw old friends Pat Goff, Mary Catherine
Prather, Aline Alford, Beth Wesley, Flo Stuart
and Eloise Higginbotham.
To tell the truth, I was so busy
gossiping that little time was left for taking
notes (as I was supposed to be doing) or taking
pictures (although I tried to do my duty)
Dearman’s
Soda Shop
That
same night we all celebrated with a fifties
theme at Dearman’s Soda Shop.
Bobbie Pace, who was on the reunion
committee, was busy snapping pictures.
Seeing her reminded me that there were
five pairs of twins in our class!
Anyone who can name them all deserves a
gold star from Miss Janie Bankston.
Naturally, Hots and his better and
sweeter half Jackie Devall, an honorary member
of the Class of 54, were there.
With all the men and additional women
present this time, there was a much larger crowd
than at lunch; thus there was much more noise.
Poodle
skirts, jeans rolled up, bobby socks, penny
loafers, saddle oxfords, and sweaters with neck
scarves ruled the day. I saw Sylvia Sullivan
Duke wearing Gene’s athletic jacket with his
class ring around her neck, Flo Stuart in her
cheerleader’s outfit, and Orlou Guice in a
poodle skirt. A few others in 50’s garb were
Paul Greer and Jack Dier, Jean and Ron Riley,
and Louie
and Ann McInnis LeBlanc both in jeans rolled up,
bobby sox and penny loafers.
There was a real jukebox, hamburgers and
malts, a fifties diner atmosphere, old friends
sitting in booths, a good many insults exchanged
between the “boys,” and more nostalgic
memories between “forever young” friends.
During that party, classmates picked up
the grey Istrouma T-shirts we had ordered for
the group the picture to be taken at the next
morning’s breakfast..
American
Legion
Dance Hall
After
the 50’s party a few of us night owls decided
to go to the American Legion Hall and dance to
oldies played by a great band.
This event was not part of the official
reunion, but we had such great fun that we think
it should be made part of the next one.
Louie and I, Flo Stuart, Beth Wesley,
Anthony Whittington and Joyce Clement Owen, and
Don Hooks (with a much younger date!), danced
until much too late in the evening. The
moment to remember from that night was the sight
of Louie LeBlanc, the Best non-IHS Dancer in the
U.S.A.
, and Flo Stuart, The Swamp Boogie Queen,
dancing to “Stagger Lee.”
And
that’s the reason I have no story or pictures
for the breakfast!
I couldn’t get up that early.
Also, I really had to visit with my 3
sisters. But
Flo Stuart volunteered to write a report on the
breakfast. So,
here it is:
Superior
Grill
Forty-three
showed up for the breakfast at the Superior
Grill on Saturday morning, the 17th.
It was surprising to me that so many
showed up at 8:00 a.m.!
The food was delicious, but most of all,
we enjoyed being together in a relaxed
atmosphere.
After we had eaten, we milled around
catching up on each other’s news.
I got to spend some time with my old
Hollywood
friends: Mae
Davis, Audrey Laird, Billy Barient, Jack Dier
and others.
Others
at the breakfast having a good time were Elaine
and Wilson Russell, Mae Davis and Don Dedon, and
Jean and Ron Riley.
We
all wore the “IHS 55th Pow Wow”
shirts we had received at the Friday night event
at Dearman’s for a group picture.
That picture has been posted on Bob’s
website, and we all received copies that night.
Reporter:
Flo Stuart
The
Swamp
The
final event was held that Saturday night, the
“Western” or “Pioneer” (depending on who
had the last word) Celebration at The Swamp.
My first reaction upon hearing that the
party was to be in a swamp was “Oops, no
thanks, I think I’ll skip that one.”
To my surprise the
Bluebonnet
Swamp
is a preserved natural area actually in a swamp;
however, we partied in the building that holds
the nature exhibits for the preserved area.
We
feasted on barbecue; wore jeans, boots,
bandanas, straw hats, cowboy hats, and pioneer
dresses; sported turquoise, coral, and silver
jewelry and leather and silver belts; talked so
much and were so rowdy and uncooperative that
Chief Hots could hardly be heard; and in
general, had a rousing good time.
He had to get downright authoritarian so
that he could announce the main entertainment
for the evening:
a barbershop quartet who sang 50’s
songs and joked with us along the way.
Afterwards
Hots announced that some of the Senior
Superlatives Elections had been investigated and
found to be fraudulent.
The investigating committee found that
all of the girls in the Senior Superlatives were
elected legally and could keep their titles.
But the Best Looking Senior Boy, Most
Intelligent Boy, Most Likely to Succeed Boy, and
Best All Around Boy had to relinquish their
titles. I
couldn’t hear the names of the new people who
were awarded
the titles over the raucous crowd, so please let
Bob know if you heard or remember those names so
that we can correct Istrouma High History of the
Class of 1954..
Our
always-ready-with-a-quiz Class President had
also prepared one for this reunion about obscure
events that occurred during our 4 years at IHS
(and earlier), but again I could hardly hear the
questions or the answers.
Ten CDs of “our music” compiled by
Bob Chilcoat (with great care, time, and love)
were the most coveted of the prizes, but I also
remember some bags of crackerjacks being handed
out. Unfortunately,
I don’t remember any of the questions, but I
apparently answered one because I left the Swamp
that night holding a bag of them.
Highlights
of the night for me included seeing my “little
brother” David Stuart, noting that some of the
men looked much better in cowboy hats, also that
some of the ladies looked better in jeans and
boots and turquoise jewelry, watching the live
snakes behind glass which seemed to cause others
much discomfort, and getting to have a long
conversation with Elaine Gruenemeier about
carpooling to LSU with Bev Erickson and my
sister Dot.
One day one of those infrequent
Louisiana
snows hit us hard on the way home from LSU.
I had to jump out of the car and wipe the
snow off both sides of the windshield of
Elaine’s little black car and get the wipers
working again.
This occurred every 5 or 10 minutes all
the way down North 33rd. I
also got to tell Elaine how much her mother
meant to me in those days. I
was so lucky to have so many of those wonderful,
nurturing mothers in my life.
I loved them all.
Another
of those high points occurred when Beth Wesley
was asked to stand up and be recognized for all
of the gold medals and awards and trophies she
has won in the USA Senior Olympics.
I think some of them were World Gold
Medals too.
I’m in awe of her and call her the
Golden Olympic Queen.
Judging
by the noise and the moving about, everyone was
really enjoying this night.
Our
Dictator, oops, I mean Our President also asked
us to sing the Alma Mater, which, amazingly,
quite a few managed to remember.
Afterwards he recognized the Reunion
Committee, who received a standing ovation.
I hope I remembered to thank all of them
effusively because I cannot imagine how much
work it took to put it together.
Special thanks to those who aren’t even
in our class!
Then
Our Big Chief and Istrouma’s Biggest Booster
sang “Because of You” to describe his
feelings about being a part of the Istrouma
Family for so many years, and the evening ended
on that nostalgic note
Note:
Since Bob Chilcoat, who runs the official
Class of 1954 Website, couldn’t attend the
reunion this year, he designated me the official
reporter for his website; therefore the parts I
don’t remember occurred when I was busy with
my camera or when I was laughing and/or talking.
Forgive me if I left out your name or an
important event and let Bob know so that he can
correct the official history of the 55th
Reunion
of the Class of 1954
Ann McInnis LeBlanc
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