Jack Habich

Was Jerry Clough married to one of the Tamingers?  I know he was married to somebody my family knew, but I forgot, and I always thought that was a big deal...............like he was Johnny Carson.

Linda Bristow (Elias)

Mel and Milam:

Milam....Thanks again for the info for the historical society.

Mel:  Thanks for the contact.   I probably won't be back until 2014.   Who knows!   Other than scheduling my appointments for mediation and arbitration, I never know what will be next.   I clear time to visit my children and grandchildren so they will know what I look like. 

I'm throwing the LAST BIG family reunioin in June 2014 for my family.   After that each of the 9 will splinter off and have their own family reunion.   Currently with the 9 of us, there are 172 living members of our 'little' family.   Then later in the summer of 2014, I will return for the 50th class reunion.

Thanks for checking with me.

Linda Bristow Elias

Judith (Judy) McLean (Wilder)

If Sue had a station and it was WTF...I think we all know that it wouldn't stand for Way To Funny! 

Melvin (Mel) Theobald

Judy, you are so right. There is no doubt what that meant to Sue. I was just trying to clean things up a bit. Sue was so uninhibited, she would have spelled it out loud and clear. Another of her lines, one of my personal favorites, started when I wore the beanie hat followed by a tux at the reunion. She looked me right in the eye and said, "There's something not right about you!" I adored her for that.

Jack, not sure if Clough's wife was a Taminger but I think her first name was Pricilla. I'm reaching here, but maybe somebody else has a better memory. If she was originally from Bloomington, possibly she is in a BHS Aepix somewhere around the early 1950s. I had a good laugh over your Johnny Carson analogy. As a kid I felt the same way.

Terry (Max) Maxwell

A question for Mel...  How many years have you published your calendars?  Just wondering when you started.  I have the 2009 and 2010... both are signed and appreciated!  Looking forward to the 2012 edition... signed of course, so I can impress people that I know the photographer personally.  It's great to know famous people! 

Milan Jackson

 Happy Birthday Ed Stanfield !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Milan Jackson

 Happy Birthday Lonnie Knick !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Milan Jackson

I bought a new computer and I found I couldn't post pictures on Class Creators. If you have IE 9, you may be experiencing the same problem. If so, Class Creators sent me this solution:

Milan,

This usually happens because of changes that Microsoft put into the latest IE9.

Try selecting the "Tools" menu on the upper portion of your browser window (ALT-T). If you don't see "Compatibility Mode" there, then select "Developer Tools" from the menu. If you do see "Compatibility Mode" click on it to enable that feature, and it should fix the problem.

If you've clicked "Developer Tools" then look for the text that says "Browser Mode:" and click on that. It should bring up a menu on which you can click "Internet Explorer 8" to fix the problem. The page will reload, and then you can close the Developer Tools portion and go back to using your site.

Kyle Erickson
Class Creator
 

Melvin (Mel) Theobald

Max, this fame thing applies to everyone. Think Andy Warhol's 15 minutes. But I sincerely appreciate your enthusiasm about my photos and calendars.

To your question...I started doing the digital photos in 2001. In 2004 a printing company in Sioux Falls, SD featured my work in their annual calendar. Every year since then, a group of supporters has insisted that I continue the tradition. The 2012 version is the 9th year I've done that. I'm sorry I must have missed you last year, so I will send 2011 along with the new version. The 2012 version is going to press today and should be ready in about a week. And there will be a signature on yours!

Anyone else interested, send me an e-mail at theobaldart@aol.com and I'll forward the info on the 2012 calendar and put you on the mailing list for upcoming exhibits.

The Polytechnical Museum in Moscow has invited me to participate in an international exhibit titled "The Power of Water" next Spring. I will be the only American represented along with German, French, Italian, Dutch, Japanese and Russian artists. There are other plans in the works which are very exciting after a lifetime commitment to art making. At this stage of my life, I am not ready to give up. Go Raiders! You are all famous somewhere!

Helen Nicolaysen (Thompson)

Mel,

You already have my e-mail address. I'd love to have a signed 2012 Calendar also.  Let me know how much they are.  Also, I'd love to receive e-mails with all your information.  WOW! We are all so very honored to have a celebrity in our presence. You make us all proud Mel!  

Terry (Max) Maxwell

See Mel...  Re: Helen's e-mail, she thinks you're famous, also!  You da Man!

Melvin (Mel) Theobald

Max,

You guys really have to set your sights higher. I guess 2 fans out of 7 billion isn't bad. I'm just doing what I love to do and had a little luck along the way. This is a lot of fuss over a calendar.

How about all the rest of you? Let's hear about your 15 minutes of fame. Even better what are your best actions/inventions/contributions that changed or saved someone else's life. Please...share your stories to bring Max back to reality.

Ed Stanfield

My 15 minutes of fame..

i am friends with a famous person named "Mel"!

Helen Nicolaysen (Thompson)

 Ed, could it be Ed Sullivan???????????  I realize he's passed on BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Milan Jackson

Happy Birthday Gary Eskridge !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Terry (Max) Maxwell

OK Mel... I'll get the ball rolling.  I haven't had my "15 minutes of fame" yet, but maybe let's call it "30 seconds of local fame"... or just a funny story.  So to make a short story long, here goes.  I live in Spring Green, WI, population 1600.  Years back when this happened it was probably only around 1400. (Note unrelated to the story... Spring Green is where Frank Lloyd Wright built his home, Taliesen, and is also home to The House on the Rock, which I know someone in the class must have visited some time.)

Anyway, I have a friend that owns a hair solon.  She told me that she and her husband went to Costa Rica on vacation.  While there, one day they decided to go sight seeing by themselves and were in a fairly remote area.  Whenever they ran into someone, they didn't speak English, so they really hadn't talked to anybody all day.  Finally they came across another couple that spoke English.  She asked them where they lived, the the guy told her Minnesota.  He then asked where she was from, to which she replied, "Spring Green, Wisconsin." 

He said, "oh, do you know Max?"

She said you could have knocked her over with a feather.  I asked her what his name was, but she said she forgot to ask after that.  It turns out that he worked for Andersen Windows in Bayport, MN, where I spent most of my working life on the road for about 23 years.  That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

On another note:  Many years back there used to be a ski area here called The Wintergreen, where my family and I spent most all of our winter weekends.  While skiing one Saturday, who should I bump into but Steve (Doc) and Jane Chesney... talk about a small world, huh? 

OK, I've strung this out long enough.  Now Mel and I want to hear your stories about your 15 minutes of fame.  Don't be shy... give us the skinny!  I know we surely have some famous people (other than Mel!)

Max

Steve Jetton

Max, this is a bit off the "15 minutes of fame" theme - but I thought of it when reading your comment about Bloomington architect, Arthur Pillsbury.  Here's a Pillsbury house at 1109 E Jefferson, a few blocks south of the high school:

It was built in the first decade of the 20th century (I've got a big folder of documentation on the place but would need to go on a mission to find it) by a guy named Harwood, owner of a local lumberyard. 

There is a element of "fame" here, and a BHS connection.  This is where Bump and Pete Elliot grew up - BHS football stars of the 40's who went on to further fame as college players and coaches.  Pete coached at Illinois, among other places.  Later he had an excutive position of some sort in the NFL.  Bump, I think coached at Iowa and later became an AD there or some other Big Ten school.  Somebody like Mr. Hayes will straighten me out if I have this wrong.

I bought it in 1991 and lived there unil the summer of 2005.  Loved it; neatest house I've ever lived in.

Here's a story the previous owner told me - how Bump got his nickname.  Notice the one story sun porch on the west side of the house.  Apparently back in day, on hot summer nights the kids slept on that roof.  I'm thinking there must have been a door or window access that no longer existed when I was there.  Anyhow, one time Bump rolled off the roof, hence the nickname.

Helen Nicolaysen (Thompson)

The house next door to Susie Denton, on the corner of Clinton and Felton Place, Haus Cartright, from the TV Show Bonanza, once lived in. Bill, Eddie, Rodney and Debbie Brown lived there when we were in High School. Haus was the big Cowboy on the show! His real name was Dan Blocker.

Milan Jackson

My fifteen minutes of fame was actually about 90 seconds. I married Norma Lutz in 1967. A friend, Garen Barekman put a note under my gas flap saying "Help, I've been kidnapped and am forced to pose as this man's wife". Something like that, I never actually saw the note. We filled up with gas at Clark Station on South Main St just before leaving on our honeymoon. I had a Pontiac that had the gas flap on the side of the fender. It was full service back then so the guy who filled our tank would have had to take the note out and put it back in after filling us up. We also filled up in Springfield Missouri as we were on our way to California.

The next morning as we were pulling into Tulsa Oklahoma, we saw what looked like a speed trap on the side of the Oklahoma Turnpike. Several squad cars and several plain cars. Just as we passed them, they all took off. Three squad cars passed us. The third motioned me to pull over and veered toward the front end of my car. I pulled over but was mad at him for nearly hitting us. I jumped out of the car and started toward him. He said to "Stop right there" and unsnapped his holster. I stopped right there of course. At least 10 cops were there and Norma was wondering what I had done. They shoved me against the car and searched me. Then they talked to her. Of course she told them we had just gotten married. They still weren't sure that I didn't have some control over her so they called back to Bloomington to the Lutz home. Of course this was on a Sunday morning so the family was at church and Jerry Lutz was working so no answer. We waited on the side of the highway until finally Norma's mom got home and straighted it all out. It made several papers in Illinois but my 90 seconds of fame was when Paul Harvey picked up the story. I never heard it but Barry Spitznass, one of my best friends, heard it while in Viet Nam. I had several calls from friends after we got back home. There was 90 seconds of fame I could have lived without. (laugh)

Jack Habich

Steve,

I'll beat Hayes to it. 

Bump was a coach at Michigan and later AD at Iowa.  We were talking about this the other day....the daughter of the 109 year old lady who died (my earlier post) commented that when her kids went to school at U of I all she heard about was "Bump and Pete Elliot, Bump and Pete Elliot".

I think we were still in HS when Pete had a real good team at Champaign, and the big deal was that Bump, with a Michigan team not of the same prestige, beat him. (I believe that's when IL had Butkus, Grabowski and QB Custardo).

Anyway, that was a great looking house you lived in, to me a European feel.  Might  have fetched you $1.2 to $1.5 million up here in the right area, prior to the crash.

Linda Bristow (Elias)

Hi everyone, I am up late again!

Someone that I never hear mentioned anymore is Ron Shillington.   Does anyone know what happened to him? He went to Washington Elementary, BJHS, and BHS with us. (from 2nd grade with Denny Alexander, Tony Beich, Bob Brannom, John Schaumbach, Dave Uban, Terry Baxter, Ernie Prillaman, Jane Wettaw, Sally Fox, Susan Probasco, etc.)

Also, are you all planning a December mini-reunion this year?

Best regards to y'all!

Linda Bristow Elias

Milan Jackson

I thought Bob Brannom went to Franklin School?

Karen Sue (Suzi) Denton (Merritt)

Helen,

Not sure where you got your info but Dan Blocker never lived in that house.  Alan Haggards family lived there until about 1960. Donna Haggards brother-in-law played the assistant cook on raw hide.  His name was James Murdock (stage name).  The only famous person on that block was me. LOL

Jack Habich

Suzy's right...she was the only one with notoriety on the block.  Hoss Cartright, or Dan Blocker, spent his entire school years, including college, in west Texas.  Got into showbizz right after that, in the 50's, and then lived in CA.

Karen Sue (Suzi) Denton (Merritt)

Well here goes my 15 minutes.

1.  In 1961 I danced on the Lawrence Walk Show.  It was exciting (not because of the LW show) because the guy I danced with was really hot.  The shows producer moved my family up to the front row and sat me next to this hunk.  When it came time for the audience to dance, some guy came up to us and asked if we knew each other.  We both said no and he said "you do now, get up and dance".  The guy I danced with family was friends with one of the trumpet players.

2. My cousin, Curt Raydon, was a pitcher for the Pittsburg pirates.

3. I was on the national news in 1978.  Normal firefighters were on strike, and we were at the city councel meeting.  I was sitting in the front row.  My boss at State Farm was in Florida at the time and he said he turned on the national news and low and behold there Suzi sat.

Well it took me about 15 minutes to type this (I'm in St. Louis for last nights game) and I didn't bring my computer glasses.

Suzi