More thoughts on the Class of '49, Fort Scott

In this series we have two stories. The first written by Una (Hudson) Henderson and the second story written by Bertha (Isabell) McFarland

Hi Marilyn,

Didn't we have fun? All my years of Fort Scott High School were very memorable. I attended seven different grade schools, (that I remember) and to attend high school four years in the same place was almost unheard of for me. I liked everyone and had lots of friends, especially if they laughed a lot.

We attended all high school sports and other events, but will have to admit I talked and laughed so much I probably didn't know who won.

My sister Leta and brother in law Richard Hite invited me to live with them on the banks of the mighty Buck Run. I felt so free.

Grades weren't especially important, so I studies very little. Miss O'Conner was my favorite teacher (is are was were be am and been won't take an object) I loved it when Raymond Johnson (always late) was told to go back and shut the gate (door) when he came to O'Conner's class.

The Fort Scott Drug was an absolute place to go after school Then after the games, there was TEEN TOWN, weren't we fortunate? I surely don't want to forget the Sweet Shop or Land Inn.

My kids (Gary and Sue) couldn't imagine having as much fun as we did. They didn't even know the names of all the kids in their class. They never reflect on the good times. Didn't they miss a lot?

Kenny Douglas and Jim McNeely were always on hand to give me dating advice and I appreciated it too. They were both very good to me.

Some of my best times after school evolved around picking up empty mild cans with the Massner girls at Millers Creamery. We would all help load the empty cans each evening and then cram into the front of that pickup. Eight up front wasn't unusual.

In choir Jerry Midcalf and I loved to sing off key while singing acappella. I don't believe Carl B. Clinesmith ever knew who was doing it.

I believe we were special because WW2 was over and we were more relaxed than some of those before us.

I was fortunate to be a 49er and thank goodness I realized it at the time.

Thanks for letting me ramble on about the most memorable fun times of my life.

Una (Hudson) Henderson

Class of '49

KILLROY WAS HERE

Hi Marilyn,

I have many happy memories of growing up in Fort Scott. We were all poor and no one knew any difference. No peer pressure, no designer clothes, and no "trying to beat the Joneses"; we were all the same!

I remember my brother and me going to the Yale Theater on Saturday afternoon to attend the matinee. The cost of a ticket ... a whopping 10 cents! I defy anyone now days to find anything in a theater for that price and that includes tipping a valet in the restroom, if there is an attendant. Gene Autry, Dale Evans and Roy Rogers were the heroes we cheered and held our breath and booed as the villains tried to get the best of them. In those days (and don't we wish it was that way now?) the good guys always won in the end.

We had no car to take us places so we walked everywhere, no cell phone was plastered against our ear, and air-conditioning was the temperature outside the home. We would walk from Little Street to play at Gunn Park. The boys played marbles and the girls played jacks, hopscotch, and jump rope. We skated around Eugene Ware School with an old pair of skates held on with strips cut out of old inner tubes. No fancy in-line skates for us. Our bumps and bruises were badges of honor. We had fun with what we had and were never heard to say the words every parent has learned to dread today, "I'm bored."

I have lots of happy memories of growing up in Fort Scott, but the things I treasure most are the great friends I started to first grade with at Eugene Ware and continued with through junior high and high school. We are still friends today (how many can say that today in our world of disposable relationships?) and enjoy keeping tabs on each other's joys and sorrows. At our reunions we have a great time reminiscing about the "good old" days when we were younger. I'm just sorry my own kids don't know the wonderful feeling of growing up in Fort Scott.

Bertha Isbell McFarland

Class of '49