Page 7 AHS 1991 Spring Summer

1991 page 7 AHS spring-summer Newsletter volume 2 issue 2

Page 7 Volume 2, Issue 2, Spring - Summer 1991 AHS Alumni Association Newsletter

We Get Letters

Page 7 (2nd to last page) of Volume 2, Issue 2, Spring - Summer 1991 AHS Alumni Association Newsletter

To the Editor:

I've an interesting story to tell you in response to the Alumni Authors at Work article in the spring newsletter. Other readers might enjoy this and we'd be honored if you wanted to include it in an upcoming issue.

The Burkhalter family sent four students through Ames High; Karol Burkhalter Crosbie '68, Gary Burkhalter '70, Holly I. Burkhalter '72, and me, Ruth Burlthalter Bosley '74. Our oldest sister, Kathy Burkhalter Lockard, graduated the year before we moved to Ames in the mid l960’s.

The four AHS alums are most likely remembered with a mixture of fondness, hilarity and downright dread, but regardless of our behavior at AHS, we've remained very close as brother and sisters. Gary, luckless soul, was caught between a pair of younger sisters and a pair of older ones and has survived most probably because he was smart enough to stay out of our range as often as he could. The two sisterpairs - Kathy, Karol, Holly and me - have also remained the best of friends over the years and in 1990, authored a book together called the Four Midwestern Sisters Christmas Book. Published by Viking-Penguin, the book, still in production is due on booksellers‘ shelves in October, 1991.

The FMSCB was the brainchild of Holly, now working for a human rights organization in Washington, DC. The book began as nonhing more than a collection of family Christmas recipes that we intended to circulate round-robin style to our households in Ames, Mason City, Chicago, Cincinnati and Washington, but swelled to epic proportions when a member of Holly's board of directors - a retired publishing executive - actually wanted to publish it.

A hundred brainstorming sessions later, the book, written by Holly, with Kathy, Karol and me as contributors, became a “memory book” filled with stories of how our family celebrated Christmas in years past and how our families honor it today.

Gary's contribution can be found in every chapter and even though not listed as an author, the four of us agree that he is in fact an honorary Midwestern Sister. Gary '70 lives in Mason City with his wife Marsha Hoag Burkhalter '70 and three children and works for The Principal Group. Karol lives in Ames with her son and is the public relations coordinator at Youth & Shelter Services. I work as a freelance graphic designer in Cincinnati, where I live with my husband Larry and our two daughters. Kathy lives near Chicago with her family, where she works as a college instructor and accounting advisor.

Interestingly, the book and a slightly different configuration of sibling alums will be featured in an upcoming issue of the Iowa State University alumni magazine. As AHS graduated four Burkhalters, so did ISU. The four sisters all went through their undergraduate work in Ames, while Gary graduated with honors from Buena Vista.

Please feel free to contact any of us if you'd like more details of our unexpected career in publishing.

Ruth Burkhalter Bosley '74

Still more about the little green jug...

I read with astonishment the account given by Ev Ritland of what had happened to the little green jug. I'm sorry Ev but the "friendly" Boone Alum lied to you. Since it has been nearly forty years since the dirty deed was done I think it's time to clear up a few things regarding the disappearance of the little green jug. The story you are about to read is true; only the names have been omitted to protect the guilty. First, the Boone boys did not abscond with the little great jug. Boone had absolutely nothing to do with this caper. The jug was taken by two furr loving Ames High boys who had graduated two or three years earlier. They had been drinking beer on the evening of the crime and were looking for a little excitement. As I recall they gained entry to the high school by breaking a window in one of the doors on the East side of the school.

A day or two after the jug was taken, the brother of one of the young men involved came to me and told me what had happened. I was sworn to secrecy. Seems they had been carrying the jug around in the trunk of their car and were concemed that they might be found out. I was asked if I would hide the jug in the upstairs of my dad's garage. It seemed like a good idea at the time and since it was a large six car garage I said, "sure".

The jug remained in the garage (without my father's knowledge) for several months.

Then one day the brother of the culprit came to me and said he wanted to move the jug. When he asked, I said fine, where do you want to put it? He responded that he wanted to bury it. That night we took the jug outof hiding, drove out near Ontario, Ia. and buried the jig alongside a gravel road East of Ontario. I never retumed to the burial site.

This story is true; if it were not I would not have gone to the time and trouble of writing it.

Seems only fair that Boone High School should retain the bell from the roundhouse since they had nothing to do with stealing the little green jug. So now if all you 1951 Ames High Grads will dig out your yearbooks for '51 maybe you can solve the mystery of who I am. By the way I will be back in September for our 40th High School reunion and if you promise not to blow the whistle on me ...

Ames High Alumni Assn, 12 Apr. 91

I've been told that you are looking for graduates of Ames High who are now serving in the Persian Gulf. I can only tell you of myself.

My name is Staff Sergeant Stuart L. Thacker. I graduated with the class of ‘80. I have been in the U.S. Army now for ll years. I went on Active Duty on the 2nd of September of 1980.

I went to Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri for Basic Training from 2 Sept 80 until 18 Oct 80. I also received my Advanced Individual Training there from 20 Oct 80 until 13 Dec 80 as a light wheel vehicle power generation equipment mechanic. On 6 January 1981, I went to Hawaii and to the 372nd Army Searrity Agency Company which later turned into the 125th Military Intelligence Battalion. I stayed there for 3 l/2 years until June of 1984.

I was reassigned shortly afterl reenlisted to Ft. Devens, Mass. where I worked for 4 years. I was a Battalion Maintenance Supervisor for the Combat Support Battalion.

I re-enlisted again and was reassigned overseas to Germany which is where my family and I live now.

I am assigned to the lst Armored Division's Non-Commissioned Officers Academy as a Primary Leadership Development Course Instructor. lf you would like any, further information, please feel free to write to this address:

SSG Stuart L. Thacker
lst A.D. NCO Academy Box 4
APO NY 09068

I am located in Nurnburg, Germany. Also, please free free to print my address in the newsletter or pass it on to anyone who wants to write.

Also,my thanks go out to all of the Ames community and former graduates and pre-graduates for all of their support.

(Editor's note: Stuart sent a donation in Saudi dollars. Thanks!)

March 13
Dear Fellow “Alums,”

In this fifth year of my retirement, your honor naming me one of you perked up my spirits immeasurably! Perhaps no event is better for the ego than being remembered. My ego was stroked delightfully! Thank you all.

What's the adage? “The more things change, the more they stay the same"? For me ~ and I suspect for some of you - it was deja vu walking through the decorated halls and into the gym. I particularly gasped and giggled when I saw the cheer squad signs strung along the walls above the lockers and up the stairwell! They were the same off-white newsprint banners with orange and black lettering and a whirling cyclone. In the gym balcony's southeast comer the junior high kids‘ section moved like an ant hill, and, on the floor we had great basketball. It surely was a special evening.

And, I'm still smiling!
With sincere gratitude,
Grace Bauske

Dear Sirs:

I just finished reading the Winter-Spring issue of the Ames High Alumni Newsletter, which I enjoyed very much. I think the Newsletter is a tremendous idea and am personally grateful to those who have made it possible. It is a commitment to which I would be more than happy to contribute money as well as time, should the need arise.

It's probably in there somewhere and I missed it, but perhaps with each issue you might have a little “box” making suggestions to readers as to what sort of information, articles, letter, etc. you might wish to receive, what the publication deadlines are, to whom they should be addressed, and so forth. As testimony to the shrinking of the world, or the ubiquity of Ames High grads, I thought some of our vintage might be interested in the following story.

After not having seen each other since we left Ames in l957, Bob McCardle and I ran into each other on Kiawah Island, S.C. this past year. We happened to be staying in the same building, and he happened to notice our name. The McCardles are living in Columbia, S.C., and get to Kiawah more frequently than we do. Nonetheless, we and our wives have managed to enjoy get togethers at Kiawah during two separate trips this past year. (Yes, life has finally begun, the dog has died, and our children have left home).

For those of you who remember our respective physiognomies in high school, I would like to point out the Bob shows more evidence of prosperity than I do.

My best wishes to all.
Sincerely,
G. Frank Judisch, M.D.
Professor of Ophthalmology

1991 Page 7 volume 2, issue 2, spring - summer AHS Alumni Association Newsletter