Dear Eddie, Malinda, and K.H.S. class of 1952, and spouses:

First let me commend each of you for starting and supporting the reunions. Sorry I have been out of the country. I have so much enjoyed Eddie's newsletter and everyones' comments. I remember Eddie well. Tall, dark hair, very good looking and very shy with a wry smile in the corner of his mouth. The fact that I always wanted to be a closer friend but never made the effort is my loss.

Washington Grade School. WOW! So many memories. First grade is not in my memory bank. Maybe the teacher was Miss Senn and maybe not. Tall, slender with black heir. (Editor's note: It was Miss Burrus. There's Roy standing by her.) Second grade is definitely there. Miss Brown. Most of my second grade was in the cloak room. I may have learned more in there than the rest of you did in the classroom. About the third grade my Aunt Wanda, Miss McNaught appeared on the scene. She not only saved me from the wicked teachers that disliked me, she taught me the love of music and how to sing, for which I have been forever grateful. She died of cancer in the early sixties. In third grade she also sat me next to Billy Entz, or was it Cecil, who sucked the back of his hand so hard it would bleed. (Editor's note: It was Cecil, seated, photo left, and he had more notable habits than just the one mentioned by Roy.) I was to monitor him to make sure he did not bleed to death in school. Someone else lit their pants on fire from matches in his back pocket and squirming in his seat. That may have also been Billy. Whatever happened to Billy?

Those were the days of a purple jelly substance that would make a copy of sorts and a round metal machine that when turned with a crank would clean erasers!

In fourth or fifth grade came Mrs. Black. Stern, matronly, frowned all of the time and went fast asleep while reading to us in class. Mr. Van de Wege was not only our sixth grade teacher but was also the principal and wielded out the paddle swats. The good old days. Recess was best.

(Editor: Jerry Dage and Roy at morning recess on east side of Washington School.)

The "fonz" of Washington Grade School was Earl Zucksworth. All of us little runts stood in awe of him as he walked around with what he said was a package of cigarettes neatly rolled up in the sleeve of his t-shirt He reportedly had a tattoo. Someone said that he had already been in the marines. Whatever happened to Earl? (Editors comment: The Zucksworths moved to El Reno. We visited them there a couple of times, but I don't know after that.)

Then there was Paul Somebody (Editor: Paul Geffert. He and his brother wore Knickerbockers.) whose father was the Lutheran minister. Paul would pick a fight with me every day after school on the way home. Thank God that the Lutherans transferred his dad. Whatever happened to Paul?

Girls were not in my area of interest in grade school . I know you were there. I just do not recall your presence. Snot agate marbles and model airplanes were of far more interest. Oh how things did change.

As we progressed to Junior High I decided to embark upon my athletic career. My first try was at Mr. Carl Crowder's basketball team. There is no way you can imagine the humiliation of an eighth grade boy when donning a basketball uniform for the first time it his arms and legs were all the diameter or a broomstick. And even when I finally mastered the art of dribbling it was unbelievable to me that Little Juicy, Harry Tay, and Speedy Walker could actually dribble and run at the same time. ( See what became of them a year later.) I can only now look back on that experience and almost laugh when at the time it brought tears and a final decision to quit the team. Mr. Crowder was not pleased and to this day I feel that it carried over into eighth grade math as it was the only class in which I made a D. (Ed.: Hey Roy, the only F I ever made in a math class was for one six-weeks in Mr. Crowder's 8th grade math. That stuff was just hard to learn!)

To add insult to injury I decided to try my luck at spring baseball. I was not too bright. I think the coach was Mr. Rivers. My only exposure to the game came in a preseason game with Big Four. The score was not recorded but I remember they beat the tar out of us. My only appearance came late in the game when I was allowed to bat. I am sure that I was given the right amount of pitches but it was a11 over in about ten seconds. The bad part was that two of my cousins, Glen and Bub Perdue were on the Big Four team and were only too happy to relate the incident at the next family reunion. My sports career was over.

I do recall that girls were sure looking better to me. Mary Lou Hamby had the most gorgeous olive skin. Elsie Lamebull had the prettiest long jet black hair, usually in a big braid. I tried to talk to her but she was so shy she just ducked her head and grinned. Charles Pope said that Rosemary Crutcher was his girl friend so I had to wait until he moved our of town to ask Rosemary to go to C.Y.F. with me. It was the best of times.

It was at this time that my musical career took off. Jack Stalcup, David Hunt, and I formed the Hillbilly Trio. Really. We actually dressed in bib overalls old hats, corncob pipes, and carried shotguns. I kid you not! We even sang for one assembly. Only one. I can not even imagine how bad it must have been. (Editor: I remember that assembly - It was great! They sang, among other things, "Doin' Whut Comes Nacherly".) We also sang around town for some mothers clubs. Mrs. Hunt's mothers club and Mrs. McNaught's mothers club.

Fortunately Miss Agnus (Ed.: It was Argus) Dickerson showed up to save the day. She was hired to be the vocal teacher for the school. She later organized a boys quartet that consisted of Earl Bengs, Robert Taylor, John Somebody, an upper classman from the F.F.A, Club, (Ed: It was John Westfahl) and myself. Click for a picture. We must have done somewhat better as we stayed together for several years and sang around town. When we sang in assembly programs the F.F.A. rowdies consisting of Monroe Kottwitz, Clifford Cross, Donovan Walta, and many more would hoot and holler. I assumed they were shouts of encouragement to John Somebody, but in looking back it seems they were probably making fun. Jim Davis sang lead after John Somebody graduated.
Click for a picture -and- More -and- More.

It was the summer after ninth grade that I was allowed to go with Ted Buswell to the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan. For the first time ever I was part of a musical group, vocal and instrumental, that played music that brought a lump to my throat. It was magnificent. I shall never forget it. From then on I was immersed in music. I learned responsibility from Eldin Baker, music from Homer Harmon, and dication from Carl Books, the math teacher who on his own devoted hours to help the marching band.

After K.H.S. I attended Phillips University in Enid, receiving a B.S. in business in 1956. My freshman roommate was a ministerial student from Missouri and we formed a quartet called The Four Statesmen, since we were from four different states. We immediately went to work for the school traveling to all of the Christian Churches in a five state area to promote Phillips. Every weekend and each summer took us to every little town from Grand Junction, Colo. to the far side of Missouri and Arkansas. It paid my tuition through college and gave memories forever. The Four Statesmen and spouses just completed a three day reunion at Lake Tahoe last July.

I played first chair cornet in the Phillips band for three years, also the 45th Infantry Division Band for three years and played in Charlie Dowd's Orchestra, a local band that played for dances at the Elks Lodges and other places.

Music was not my only love. It paid my way through school. In 1956 Barbara Baker and I married and over the next few years we had four children, moved to Ponca City for five years, moved back to Enid where I still reside. Barbara and I divorced in 1983. My oldest daughter, Kelsey, is in private practice as an Attorney in Oklahoma City. She is very good at and her office is on North May, a little commercial for you living in Ok. City. My next daughter, Shelley, has worked for O.G. and E. for thirteen years as an office supervisor in Ok. City and has just recently remarried and moved to Ardmore with her new husband and seven year old daughter Jennifer.

My two sons, Jon and Joe were very sports conscious, obviously not from anything that I could help them with, although I have attended more little league football, baseball, and basketball games than any human on the planet. Jon lettered all the way through High School and is now living in Enid and is the Corporate Attorney for Advance Foods of Enid, Enid's second largest employer. Joe played on the Enid High basketball team that went clear to the state finals only to lose a heartbreaker to N.W. Classen in the finals. His team was the only team in the tournament of all the same ethnic background with no one over six foot two. I must add that Mark Price, now playing for the Cleveland Cavalears, also was on the team. Not to be denied a state championship trophy, Joe was a part of the Enid Legion Baseball team that won the state championship by beating Tri City of Oklahoma City in the finals. He was the only pitcher in the tournament to pitch a full nine innings and it was in the final game. He is now employed by Trust House Jewelry on North May, Another commercial. Joe and his wife Kristin have a six year old son, Steohen, and a one year old daughter, Mackenzie Ann. I am very, very, proud of them all.

Enough bragging. My only claim to fame is that in 1986 I married the sweetest little choir director in all of the world. She also teaches elementary music, as she has done for over thirty years, and with her professional expertise we have been able to travel all over Europe since 1989 as she now teaches on contract for the Department of Defense Dependent Schools in Mannheim, Germany. I am currently employed as Associate Director of Student Enrollment for National-Louis University out of Chicago. We both still love to sing. We are involved with the Heidelberg German American Mens Chorus, a unique experience. We came to Germany for only two years but the experience to travel has been so educational and rewarding that we keep renewing for another two years. We have now agreed that this is the last, so when you see me at the reunion in 1996, you will be able to recognize me. I look just as I did in 1952, except I comb my hair back on the sides like Earl Zucksworth.

Roy and Martha Lee McNaught.

(Editor's note, 12 March, 1998. Since this letter was written, Roy and Martha Lee have moved back to Enid. Check them out on the Classmates page.)