Central High School Archives

October 10, 2014October 10, 2014

Randy Morse 1947 – 2014

I read Facebook to be amused, distracted, annoyed and to keep up with real and virtual friends.

Today, however, I was stopped in my tracks by a post by Lois Seabaugh: “To members of the class of ’65 at Central High School: A dear childhood friend of mine died on Tuesday October 7, 2014, in his sleep of an apparent heart attack. His name was is Randy Morse. He was one of the guys who bought an old hearse and took a trip to Florida. He was a great friend and a fun guy. He had been a lap swimmer for at least 36 years. I talked with him at least 3 mornings a week at the lap pool at HealthPoint Fitness for many years. RIP dear friend.”

“Randy Morse?” I thought. “Holy cow, that can’t be true. He’s only in his 40s.” Then it dawned on me: we were both in the Central High School Class of 1965. He was MY age.

The infamous hearse

I’ve been looking for the photos of the old hearse Mike Seabaugh, Pat Sommers, Randy, Phil Vinyard and Paul Schwab bought for $76.50 for a trip to Florida, but they are so far missing in action. When I saw Lois’ post, that hearse story was the first thing that popped into my mind. Fortunately, I was able to find the May 24, 1965, Youth Page story in The Missourian. The photo was taken in front of Mother’s house, so I know that means the negs are someplace.

It wasn’t easy putting the deal together

The 1946 hearse was headed for the junkyard when Mike and Paul spotted the beast. Overcoming legal, financial and insurance issues took some serious juggling, with an assist from Teacher Calvin Chapman. If you have trouble reading my scan of the Missourian story, go here to read it in its original form.

Boys made a good impression

The Missourian ran a front-page letter to the editor from a Winter Haven, Florida, woman who praised the five Cape boys as being “good ambassadors” of our community, calling them “fun-filled, clean-cut American youth.” You can read the September 9, 1965, letter here.

Classmates Remember Randy Morse

There were quite a few posts made on the Growing Up In Cape Girardeau fan page. I asked for permission to publish these comments.

Lois Seabaugh: Randy always got to HealthPoint Fitness just before.the doors opened at 5:00 a.m. He would swim laps until about 6:00 a.m. and when he left he would always say goodbye to the ladies in the 6:00 a.m. pool class (he was so funny, he would bow and bid us goodbye with a big smile and a wave as he went to the locker room.

Pat Sommers: Randy was a good friend for a long, long time. I remember when we won the KGMO Name that Tune Contest. He had the answer and I made the call from the Dairy Castle and got though first. We won in dollars the AM call number (can’t remember the amount, but less that $100). We took our winnings and went the New Orleans and had a $1.00 coke and then down to Woolworths and had banana splits — big spenders.

Randy, Paul Schwab, Phil Vinyard, Mike Seabaugh and I did buy the 37 Cadillac Hearse near the end of our senior year (1965). Had a blast around Cape and then took it on a 16-day odyssey to New Orleans and then to Daytona Beach — I believe these stories are still classified. There was a follow-up story in the Missourian based upon a letter the paper received from a couple of really nice older women we met at the hotel in Daytona Beach. They thought we were such nice young men — made our mothers feel really good to read it – and relieved at least some of their concerns. I will miss Randy – he was a great guy.

Lois Seabaugh: His sense humor was great. Some of the things we talked about during his early morning laps was how much he enjoyed doing laps at the Central Pool during the summer. One year there were some long-term repair issues and he had to use the indoor lap pool at HealthPoint Fitness. One morning during that time period he said, “Lois Ann, I really like this pool but I miss watching the sunrise on the Central Pool, but most of all I miss that early morning collection of bugs left over from the night before.”

We had a good laugh and I apologized for our lack of bugs in the water and reminded him that he could see the sunrise through our wall of windows, and I promised to ask our manager if I could bring a handful of bugs for him. He loved a good laugh and for weeks on end he would ask me when I was going to deliver the night bugs for him. RIP to my childhood friend, Randy Bill Morse. He did his pool laps until his last day on earth!

Obituary

You can read the full obituary which has funeral arrangements at the Ford And Sons Funeral Home website. This is a much better than average obit. My compliments to the writer.

Randy William Morse, 66, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri left this part of his life on Tuesday, October 7, 2014 while resting comfortably at his home waiting for the Cardinals game to start. He was happy and he was loved, and his passing will change neither of those things.

Randy was born October 20, 1947 in Cape Girardeau to Claude E. “Pete” and Helen Margaret Layton Morse, both of whom preceded him in death. Already a precious son and brother, on October 20, 1972 he celebrated his birthday by (as he said) “marrying up”. Barbara Jordan would spend the next 42 years with his unwavering love and adoration, as often the recipient of a loving embrace as that of the most beautiful flowering weed he could find on his morning walks. Loving his family was important to him. Even more important was that they knew it.

Randy’s work was far from done when he left. He was well known in Southeast Missouri for his work in many area pharmacies. Almost every day for over 30 years started with a mile swim in the pool. He conquered or destroyed every golf course in the area and caught a few largemouth bass as well. He was proud to be a member of LaCroix United Methodist Church.

He is survived by his wife, Barb Morse, who is cherished by all but was never loved by anyone else the way Randy loved her. His son Erik and his wife Andrea will be in Columbia hugging, kissing and chasing Oliver and Amelia who will always love their Tops. His daughter Emily will continue to share their love of swimming, dogs and each other. And of course his perfect match of a sister, Sandy Burton and her husband Don of Wickliffe, Kentucky, will continue to know how loved they will always be by Randy Bill. Many nieces, nephews and cousins are also missing his infectious smile.

[Editor’s note: this photo in the 1964 Girardot says that Randy was in the picture, but it doesn’t look like him to me. Thoughts?]

July 29, 2014

Mother and the Class of ’66

I hadn’t planned to go to the Class of ’66 lunch when I was in town. I had too much going on, the ’66ers are young whippersnappers, and the affair was being held at a place where I swore I’d never spend another penny after two bad experiences.

Then, I got this Facebook post from Jane McKeown Neumeyer: Ken, ask your Mom if she would like to be my guest at Monday’s Class of 66 Luncheon. I could swing by to pick her up. She is definitely an honorable member and more honorable than most of us. If not, maybe, you could drop by with your Mom during lunch sometime so that those of us who only know her through your blog could meet her. Oh, and we could see you, too. LOL!

Marilyn Maevers Miller puts on the pressure

Marilyn Maevers Miller weighed in: Thank you Jane, what a lovely idea!!!! By the way….she is so much fun!!

Wife Lila and Mother went down to Marilyn’s joint in Charleston one time and I understand that there was much hooting, hollering, hijinking and hilarity at the meeting. They laughed about it for days.

Marilyn, in the striped outfit, was on her best behavior today so I’d trust Mother to go down to Charleston for another play date.

Sally Wright Metz tugged on her arm

Sally Wright Metz tried to figure out which of Mother’s arms was the fake. She gave them both a pull, I think, but they stayed on.

Bob and Dick

Dick McClard, left, wonders how such a delightful woman could turn out a commie pinko son. Bob White is less judgmental.

Jane wouldn’t let go

I didn’t know if Jane McKeown Neumeyer was pulling a Sally Wright Metz arm check or what, but I didn’t think she’d ever let go of Mother’s hand. I’m glad she pressured me into bringing Mother, though, she enjoyed the celebrity treatment.

Brune Standard Time

Brad Brune, operating on his normal Brune Standard time, arrived late and after the group photo had been taken. He always likes to make a grand entrance.

The Group

Here are the folks who showed up (minus Brune). It looks like Mother has been accepted into the Class of 1966. I just hope they can keep up with her. (Her October Birthday Season is approaching. She’ll be 93.)

February 28, 2014

Twirlers

The only person I recognize for sure in this photo taken behind Central High school is Vickey Berry, second from left. She was listed as a majorette in the 1964 Girardot, but I don’t think any of the other girls were in the yearbook photo. The tentative way everybody is holding their batons makes me wonder if this is a practice or a tryout?

That looks like the driver’s ed car parked in the background.

Here’s an earlier piece I did on majorettes. Maybe you can put names to faces from the photos.

February 19, 2014

Girardot Poster Party

Nancy Jenkins (left), Ron Marshall and Marcia Maupin work on posters to help sell the 1965 Girardot in this much-scratched negative.

Nancy was Editor in Chief, Ron was Art and Literary Editor, and Marcia was on the Art Staff. The Marshall coat of arms on the wall leads me to believe the art extravaganza was taking place in Ron’s basement.

Teem bottle

There’s a Teem soda bottle on the table. I couldn’t remember the last time I saw one of those, so I turned to our old friend Google: Teem is a lemon-lime-flavored soft drink produced by The Pepsi-Cola Company. It was introduced in 1964 as Pepsi’s answer to 7 Up and Coca-Cola’s Sprite.

Teem was sold in the United States and Canada until 1984, when Lemon-Lime Slice was introduced, though it was still available at some soda fountains into the 1990s. Sierra Mist has since taken over the Teem role in the US.

Teem remains on sale today in Brazil, Uruguay, Honduras, South Africa and Pakistan; it survived into the 1990s in other markets too, before Pepsi authorized vendors to replace it with 7 Up.

Teem’s TV ad campaign in the early 1980s challenged viewers to “go ahead… build up that thirst until you can’t stand it any more…” (showing, for example, a disheveled old guy eating “two plain dry tacos” bought from a street vendor in the Southwest) “…then BLOW IT AWAY with TEEM.”