I mentioned yesterday the struggle Kid Matt and I were engaged in to get my computer upgraded. Well, in roughly eight hours, the data will be copied from the old box to the new one. While that’s going on, I have limited access to my photo library. To bridge the gap, I did a quick scan of the 1954-1955 Trinity Lutheran School Second Grade class. Click on the photo to make it larger.
Help with the names
One face surprises me. I could have sworn that Miss Gade was our second grade teacher, and I would have sworn that she was a severe, old maid school marm who would never have smiled like the woman at the top left. Maybe we had a substiture teacher on photo day.
I recognize a lot of faces, but I always hate to guess on the spellings (and I hate to leave anybody out), so I’m going with first names and I’m not going to match them up with the photo in all cases.
I see a Ronald, Della, David, Patti, David, Patricia, Judy, John, Bonnie, Jerry, Cheri, James, Nancy, Terry, Mickey, Mike, Donald, Mike and Don, among others. I WILL call out a special apology to David Blattner, at the far left in Row 2 from the top. He really didn’t have freckles. The photo just has more spots than I could take out. Oh, yes, there’s a Ken in there, too, but he was Kenny in those days.
Picture Day at Hollister School
There are stories behind those sweet mug shots of grade school kids. Check out Picture Day at Hollister School in Ohio if you don’t believe me. This is a sample.
I didn’t know what a parochial kid was in 1955 but I’d swear I see two Dave’s. blattner and Hahs. John Hilpert and my candy connection from Themis street Jerry Oconnell I think.
I have a picture just like this, just haven’t seen it in a while. I don’t remember Ms Gade smiling much either–must have been a happy day…
Is that you above Little Kenny?
Like Brune, I was a public school kid and did not even know there was any other schools except Franklin and Washington until the 4th or 5th grade. I went to Washington for Kindergarten, so I knew it was there. Washington was the one other school in my kid universe. Other kids in Cape going to unknown schools, who knew? not me that’s for sure.
Why do I feel a little like “Ding Dong School” looking through the magic mirror and naming all the people I see in this article? I see Lorberg…and little Kenny Steinoff hiding in the corner…that’s it. The magic is fading…sorry that is all I can make out from Florida. These are all Kids I did not see mostly until High School, but I can rest assured that all we be identified by the kids that went to this unknown schools in Cape. I then can say, “Yeah, I knew those guys”!
Kent Verhines–didn’t see his name listed but 4th on bottom row. Other comments–Patty Hahs (Haas?) had braids to die for. Always envied her. Della Dee’s sweet, pretty face remained the same from K–adulthood. Ken, do you remember dance lessons? I remember my brother David was enrolled and I think about half the class also. Not sure which Mother instigated this. I think it was ball room dance. The culmination was to be a dance party and the boys were requested (required?) to invite a girl. David (at my Mother’s insistence) did place a call to Della Dee, but she had already been spoken for and apparently had been asked by every male member of the class. David flatly and vehemently refused to go then and wouldn’t call anyone else.
Um, sorry, that’s creepy! Miss Gade smiling, I mean. 😉 Don’t know if you ever found her obit, but Ancestry tells me she passed away in 1996 at age 75.
Also, are you by chance the Ken Steinhoff who’s friends with Scott Simon?
I worked with a Scott Simmons at The Palm Beach Post, When I did a Facebook search for Scott Simon, I found one that had lots of mutual friends from my days as photo editor of The Ohio University Post, but I’m not sure I knew your Scott.
My aunt Irma Gade, Clara’s sister, died at age 75. Clara died of breast cancer around age 45 and is buried in Chester, Illinois.