MOUNT CARMEL’S
50TH
MINI REUNION
Newsletter no. 5
AKA
THE VIEJITOS OF 1951
Hi Guys, sorry no photos this time, bill didn’t bring his digital camera. On September 24, 2000 we met at John and Charlene’s beautiful home in Dana Point for our 5th mini reunion. They have a very beautiful home and when I arrived I asked where the servants entrance was? We had a great attendance of guests and their wives or significant others or guests. In attendance were John & Charlene Smith, Bill & colleen Hohn, John & Diane Coppin, Leo & Carmen Fernandez, James & Elvia Dunn, Garnett & Betty Boklage, Don and Kathleen Powers, Warren Waterworth, Marty Butier, Tom and Edwina Steele, Jim and Jeri Fitzgerald, Larry Fregin and guest, Tom & Mimi Crosson, Ted and Dorothy Bach, Don and Ann Grime, Frank Lee and Jan, Leon and Louise Leonard, Tom Bright our Spanish teacher from 1951, and class of ‘38’, John Murphy class of ‘41’ and Tony & Emilia Oviedo. We all had a wonderful afternoon. The women did not know each other, but got together and made friends immediately.
We had a special presentation that all of you would have enjoyed. We presented to Warren (I didn’t get a scholarship) Waterworth a 4-year scholarship to the university of his choosing. I gave him of course a USC cap and he wore it proudly in front of our host John UCLA Smith. We had a good time with Warren and He took like the man he is.
John and Charlene sure know how to throw a party, we had 3 different kinds of sandwiches, fruit, chips and dips, and plenty of wine, beer and sodas to drink. I want to thank John and Charlene for there fantastic hospitality. By the way Bill Hohn supplied the beer, wine and sodas. Thanks, Bill, we all appreciate it. At every mini reunion we have had John has supplied the food and Bill the libations, so if we haven’t thanked you before we all thank you so very much. You know that by meeting like this before the big event we are getting to know each other much better, and are really enjoying each other’s company and friendship. At this mini reunion a lot of stories were told and brought back old memories. One of stories told was of Tommy Crosson renting a white horse and dressed as a Crusader rode at half time to a standing ovation. If you are like me I had completely forgotten this death-defying feat. Tommy didn’t know how to ride, and was thankful he made it. It was gratifying that Tom Steele came in from Texas, and Jimmy Dunn from Moraga, Ca. and Tom Bright our Spanish teacher in 1951 that also attended at the age of 81and the class of ‘38’, and John Murphy the class of "41’. This tells you how much fun these get togethers are, when you come so far just for an afternoon. So the rest of you who live close don’t be reticent come on down, and meet with us, you will be so glad you came. This was great party, and is a prelude to our upcoming reunion June 9th, 2001.
I found this statement and I would like to share it with you, because it was our life.
TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE BORN BEFORE 1940
We were born before television, before penicillin, before polio shots, frozen food, Xerox, plastic, contact lenses, Frisbees, and the pill.
We were born before radar, credit cards, split atoms, laser beams and ball point pens, before panty hose, dishwashers, clothes dryers, electric blankets, air conditioners, drip-dry clothes, and before men walked on the moon.
We got married first and then lived together.
In our time, closets were for clothes, not for coming out of. Bunnies were small rabbits and rabbits were not Volkswagens. Designer jeans were scheming girls, named Jean, or Jeanne, and having a meaningful relationship meant getting along well with our cousins.
We thought fast food was what you ate during Lent, and outer space was the back of the theatre.
We were born before house-husbands, gay rights, computer dating, duel careers and computer marriages. We were before day-care centers, group therapy and nursing homes. We never heard of fm radio, tape decks, cds, electric typewriters, artificial hearts, word processors, yogurt, and guys wearing earrings. For us, time-sharing meant togetherness, not computers or condominiums. A chip meant a piece of wood, hardware meant hardware, and software wasn’t even a word.
In 1940, "made in Japan’ meant junk and the term "making out" referred to how you did on your exam. Pizzas, McDonalds, and instant coffee were unheard of.
We hit the scene when there were 5 & 10-cent stores, where you bought things for a nickel or a dime. The corner drug store sold ice cream for 5 or 10 cents. For one nickel, you could make a phone call, buy a Pepsi or enough stamps to mail one letter or two post cards. You could buy a new Chevy coupe for $600, but who could afford one? A pity too, because gasoline was 11 cents a gallon.
In our day, cigarette smoking was fashionable. Grass was mowed, and Coke was a cold drink, and pot was something you cooked in. Rock music was a Grandma’s lullaby and AIDS were helpers in the principal’s office.
We were certainly not before the difference between the sexes was discovered, but we were surely before the sex change. We made do with what we had, and we were the last generation that was so dumb as to think you needed to have a husband to have a baby!
No wonder we are so confused and there is such a generation gap today! But we survived! What better reason to celebrate that we were born before 1940!
I hope you enjoyed this born before 1940 it sure makes you think how this world has changed in our lifetime.
I am sorry that this newsletter is so short; maybe next time I will have more news for you. I was told that Jimmy Dunn took a lot of photos and as soon as I get them I will print them and send them to you over the internet, and will send the rest in the mail to those of you who do not have a computer. We attended a breakfast meeting today and were advised that Jim Ziegler will be in town at the end of October, so we are having a brunch at Coco’s October 29th in Torrance. The address is 21815 Hawthorne Blvd. And we are meeting at 2pm. Another point that was brought up was, that we would like everyone to send me or any one connected with the reunion a bio of what happened with your life following Mount Carmel. An example you attended college or not, got married had 12 children, have 39 grandchildren, great grandchildren etc etc. Worked as a doctor, beggar man, thief, clergy, athlete. What have you done as far as hobbies or whatever? If you have not retired yet, what are you still doing? Please send soon as possible, so by the time we have our reunion we can hand out a bio on you and your former classmates. Hopefully every one will respond and we will know a little bit more about you than we do now.
OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PRAY FOR US