Those 70ish Girls

Murdo High School and reunion stories by Ralph Thomas, Class of 1967

Senior Class Play

One spring morning in 1964 Gloria Thomas woke up with hundreds of red bumps all over her body.  Her Mom Ethel said you have the measles and you can’t go to school.

Gloria replied but I have to go the Senior Class Play is today and I’m vital.  Ethel prevailed, Gloria stayed home.

Mrs. Peters (the play director) was notified.  She immediately went into hiding for 3 hours assuming the understudy’s role.  She performed admirably in the matinee and evening roles and saved the play with an A+ performance.

When Gloria returned to school the next week several classmates (names redacted) jokingly accused her of trying to sabotage the Senior Class Play!

Near the end of the school year in 1964, the Junior Class spokesman Dave Beckwith spoke to the open assembly hall of all 4 grades.  (That was the last year all 4 grades could be addressed from on or near the steps going up into the superintendents office.  In the summer of 1964 the school was remodeled into home rooms.)

Anyway Dave started with a heart wrenching soliloquy about how the Senior Class was special and will hold a cherished spot in all our hearts.

Through Dave’s tears he kept going and said the Junior Class wanted to present the Senior Class with a special gift he hoped they all would cherish.

On cue Dave’s assistants revealed the green dimpled head of Puff the Magic Dragon, the Junior Class’s winning float entry from the previous fall.

The Senior Men immediately rushed Puff’s head, took it outside, and stomped it into smithereens.   And Puff you were gone  .

Jeff H. Sanderson liked to tell the story about going to the reunions for the Murdo High School and he saw Johnny Daum at one of those reunions probably in 2006.  Jeff H walked up to Johnny and said you look just as good as you did in high school, and Johnny Daum puffs his chest out with a big smile.  He felt so good.

And then Jeff H. sees Lyle Reynolds a few minutes later and he says wow Lyle you look even better than you did in high school (cause he did) and Johnny’s got this sad look creeping over his face….

So anyway, I saw Johnny Daum at Range Country Lodging at another reunion probably in 2011 and I say hi Johnny.  And he was sitting at this table with some woman, and I said, do you remember back 5 years ago Jeff H. said to you that you look just as good as you did in high school and you were all pumped up and thought that was great?  Then he saw Lyle Reynolds and said wow you look even better than you did in high school and it kind of made you disappointed?  And Johnny said, yeah Ralph I get it.

And then I said I remember you were such a good singer in high school, just fabulous, you made us proud.  And Johnny smiles.

Then I looked at that woman next to him and I said I thought this was your wife, but this is actually your sister right?  And I said wow she’s even a better singer than you (cause she was) And Johnny’s like OK Ralph that’s enough….