VERNA'S PRECIOUS MEMORIES

                   Submitted by Verna Nash Morris

                                                                     Class of 1955

                                  

                                               Verna Nash, age 16 drawn by Jean Owens

                                               during class one day. Does anyone know

                                               where Jean is today and if she continued

                                               her art? We think she was very good. Verna

                                               and I would like to hear from her. We think

                                               she lives in Minden. If you know her...please

                                               ask her to contact us at MindenMemories@AOL.COM

                                                Jean was only 16 when she drew this portrait. It

                                                looks exactly like Verna. She was very talented.

 

                                    

                                               Miss Marie Smith, age 21 - Verna's 7th grade teacher

                                    

                                                    Another photo of Miss Marie Smith

                                              

                                                      Norma Nash and Helen Gordon

                                                Norma, Class of 1957; Helen, Class of 1954

                                               Does anyone remember Jr. Gordon, Helen's

                                               little brother? He lives in Sibley and might know

                                               where she is buried. If you see him...would you

                                               ask him and e-mail MindenMemories@AOL.Com

                                               and tell us? Any information would be appreciated.

                                             

                                               Does anybody remember Carolyn Fuller, Class of 1954?

                                               She had an older sister named Martha who graduated in 1951.

                                               Does anyone know where they are today?

                                              

                                                    Wanda Jones pretty as a picture ready for her piano recital

                                                The last time I saw Wanda she had married a red headed man,

                                                 Was his name Alvin Smith? They were living on McIntyre

                                                 Street . This would have been in the early sixties.

              

           L-R, 8th grade,  Trudy Brooks, Jo Ann Baggett, Jackie White, Cecelia Underwood, Jency David & Dorothy Thrash

                                                               -------------------------------

                     At first Verna thought this was taken when they were in the 7th grade when they were in Mrs. Smith's

                     class.   After looking at the background in the picture,  she thinks they may have been in the 8th grade.  

                                                    

                                                         Betty Jean Jones, Class of 1955,

                                                      Betty Jean was with us until she married

                                                      Cecil Palmer who graduated from Doyline

                                                      High School in 1951. 

                                                     

                                                            Norma Nash, Class of 1957,

                                                        Wife of Walter "Bootsie" Woods

                                                  

                                               Taken in 1951, Helen Gordon, Class of 1954.

                                                                Helen is now deceased

      

             L-R, Helen Gordon, (Class of 1954) Jan Calvit,(Class of 1952) and Waurynne Nation class of 1952.

              

                          When this photograph was made...the Warthall family lived on Justice Street. 

                        Not long after this picture was taken Joyce, her family moved to Marshall, Texas.

                                  Jimmy Miller and his family lived for a while in Dubberly, Louisiana.

                                        Later...they moved to Minden where he graduated in 1955.

                 Today he is married to Connie Horn from the class of 1954. They raised all their children in Minden. 

                                                  Does anyone ever hear from Patsy and Joyce?

                                             If so, where are they today and what are they doing?

                                                    We would like to hear from them if you know.              

                    Sent them our e-mail address MindenMemories@AOL.COM & we will put you in touch with Verna

 

                                                                            COMMENTS

 I am really enjoying the updates on Minden teams and athletes post 1955.  I hope there will be more coming.  What about Billy Joe Booth? He was younger, not certain of his class probably 57 or 58.  He played football at LSU and was drafted by New York Giants in 1962(as per internet). Billy Joe Booth died in an airplane crash playing Canadian football. He played for the Giants and lived in Oak Ridge. According to Charlie Hennigan he lived across the road from Joe Wilson Roberts down the hill from Jeannine Mobley. (See his obit below)*

What a great 7th grade class we had.  Our teacher was Marie Smith.  I especially enjoyed the readings she would do toward the end of the day of classics literature.  I vaguely remember that she may have dated James Beck.  Kenneth Beck was in the class.   My best wishes to you and all those interested in Minden. 

Jerry Frasier, Class  of 1955

*Billy Joe Booth    The Shreveport Times
The Shreveport Times - Monday, July 3, 1972
Funeral Services for Billy Joe Booth, 32, son of Mr. & Mrs. C. D. Booth of Shreveport will be at 3:30 p.m., Monday at the Mothe Funeral Home in Harvey.  Mr. Booth was one of two persons killed in a plane crash at London, Ontario at about noon last Friday, June 30, 1972.  Also killed in the crash was J. W. Mc Gee of Morgan City.  The two were in Canada on a fishing expedition and their plane crashed during a thunderstorm, according to members of the Booth family.  Booth, an electrical contractor at Harvey, was a former professional football player.  He played professional football with the Ottawa Rough Riders from 1962 to 197 and was selected as all pro in the Canadian League.  Survivors in addition to Mr. Booth's parents include his widow Janice Schouest Booth and sons, Mike Booth and Coy Booth, both of Harvey; and a sister, Mrs. Carole Mulina of Cleveland, Ohio.  Burial will be in Westlawn Memorial Park in Gretna.

 

 

                                                                            COMMENTS

                                                                  ABOUT JAMES PETE BECK

                                                                               
Sherry, I was at Northwestern State when James "Pete" Beck came back from the army. He was about twenty four years old then, and a very old man to a young 29 year old kid.  Pete and I were roommates.  He was madly in love with Carolyn Weinberg Foshee  and  they got married while at Northwestern.  I later taught their son at Phillips Middle School.  He was quite precocious and taught my 6th grade science class astronomy in the evening under the stars at Phillips on several occasions.  Carolyn and Pete divorced.  Carolyn later married Alfred Sanders and they lived together until Carolyn died of lung cancer.  Pete was an all-conference running back at Northwestern and was an all-east running beck while in Japan and Korea.  Last I heard he was somewhere  in East Texas.

Charlie Hennigan, Class of 1953.

Her name was...Carolyn Weinberg Foshess Beck Sanders.Pete Beck was 6ft. 4 inches tall weighed about 210 lbs.

Sherry, Pete Beck and I played football and baseball together at MHS.  Pete was an outstanding athlete.  He was a running back on offense and center linebacker on defense.  I was an outside linebacker and a blocking back.  Pete was big and fast.  In contrast, they clocked me running the 100 yard dash with a calendar.

 

Maurice Whitlow, Class of 1948

 

                                          if you were in this class....send us your name and comments also.

                                          Does anyone have a class picture of this 7th grade class?