Sunday, February 8, 2009

Lyons High School Alumni Update - 02-08-09

Hope you are all doing well. You may also read this and past updates on the LyonsAlunni.com website. It is starting to be reunion time again. Let me know if you are having a Reunion this year and I will post the information on the website.

Information is attached about the 1954 – 1955 Alumni Reunion combined. It will be held in Denver, CO. Sounds like a fun time. Any one else having a reunion let me know.

Getting ready to head to St. Louis tomorrow, our company is having what they call Red Carpet Days. There will be 1500-2,000 people from all across the United States there.

Michelle her daughter and I will be in Calif. April 7th – 14th. We will be in the San Diego and Huntington Beach area. Hope to get together with some of the LHS alums who live in CA while we are there.

A number of us are getting together the week-end of the 20th – 22nd. Dennis Bradford Class of 1961 is going to be in Lyons visiting his mom and brother Larry. Dennis now resides in Australia. His sister Barbara and brother Richard will also be in town. Let me know if you are going to be in town that week-end. Lyons High School final home game is being played Fri. the 20th and some of us are going to the game. Let me or Bev Miller know if you can attend the game. Also contact Bonnie Evans Walker if you plan to attend. It will be fun. We will get to see Dennis and also other LHS alums.

Hope you have all registered for the “Trip of a Lifetime” SWEEPSTAKES on the LHS alumni travel websites. If you have questions contact me.

My parents Harold & Sylvia are having their 73 wedding Anniversary March 3rd 2009. If you would like to send a card their address is Harold & Sylvia Drake, 1100 W. Noble #111, Lyons, KS. 67554. They would certainly appreciate it. Thanks from the family.

LIONS LINGO by Bonnie Evans Wed. Apr. 27th, 1960
Yesterday the sociology class visited the Larned State Hospital for a tour. Richard McKee was the moderator and the panel discussion was on “Community Environment.” The high light of the tour was a demonstration of music and recreation activities by some of the patients. Called from the audience to folk dance with some of the patients were Bill Palmer, Lyle Edds, Byron Welch, Darrell Cox, Sharry Duncan, Louise Danewitz, Ellen Savage and Mr. McKee.

Four LHS students spent the week-end at KU, guest of Gloria Mays at the GSP Hall were Sharry Duncan, Mary Kay Kennedy. Robert Wahl and John Jones were guest of David Kennedy at the Phi Kappa Psi house. High lights of the week-end were the KU Relays and a Phi Kappa Psi, “Barn Party” Sat. night.

The Ebenezer Methodist Church high school class honored Darlene Cool with a surprise birthday party at her home Sat. The group played games and enjoyed refreshments of homemade ice cream and cake. Attending were Gay Wilkins, Wand Helmer, Janice Wilkins and Don Colberg.

Wed. April 6th, 1960
Hutchinson High School was the destination of many LHS’ers today. 31 students were selected by their teachers to take the Emporia Scholarship Test in various subjects. Those making the highest scores will receive medals and certificates. Entered in the testing were Sam Biggs, Anita Burdette, Helen Louise Bush, Barbara Bunting, Sidney Cherpitel, Jim Chew, Sharry Duncan, Bob Bunting, Lyle Edss, Joe Fisher, Bonnie Evans, Byron Goodrick, Tom Hamilton, Wanda Helmer, Roy Irwin, Lynne LeClerc, Jerome Lehnus, Ronnie Leonard, Phillip Mathews, Linda Nicholson, Coleen Nixon, Bill Palmer, Sharon Pickerell, Jerry Regier, Loren Rickard, Ann Rowan, Judy Swenson, Beverly Thompson, Judy Volin, Robert Wahl and Gay Wilkins.

Please get us pictures of your high school days so we can get them on the website.

Have a great February,

Sax Drake
Class of 1961

Thursday, February 5, 2009

1954 and 1955 Class Reunion

The 1954 and 1955 graduates of Lyons High School will be holding a joint class reunion (the 55th for '54 and the 54th for '55) in Denver, Colorado on the 11th (Friday) and the 12th (Saturday) of September, 2009. We have chosen the Hyatt Place Hotel as our place of billeting. They gave us a favorable room rate with the ability to come earlier or extend your stay, at the same rate. The rooms will be $79.00 per night plus necessary taxes. This hotel is located in the heart of one of the best shopping locations in the Denver Metro area. The light rail station is but a matter of minutes by foot, from the hotel, and will whisk you to downtown Denver in no time. 3 public golf courses are located within 2 miles of the hotel. The location of the hotel is listed as Denver-South/Park Meadows, 9030 E. Westview Road, Lone Tree, CO 80124. Numbers for reservations are Phone: 303-662-8500 and Fax: 303-662-8585. Sam Hansen is the sales Coordinator. When calling or faxing for reservations, please mention the Lyons H. S. class reunion to receive your rate.

Your representatives here in Denver for your classes are Howard Jeffries for the class of '55 and Tony Wilcox for the class of '54. Howard may be reached at 303-795-2007 or e-mail at HMJEFFRIES@AOL.COM. Tony may be reached at 303-794-1235 or e-mail at joe.wilcox@ xcelenergy.com. Any questions may be directed to either one. We would also like to extend an invitation to all Lyons alumnus to join us in this celebration. The more the merrier. A very, very informal dinner will be held on Saturday, the 12th. Details to follow at a later date on this web site.

Letters will be sent to the respective members of each class for those that do not have access to this site.

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Lyons Alumni Update: 2-2-09

One more bad month of Winter, but if you go to one of the websites listed below you can have a chance to win a fabulous trip for two to the Bahamas where it is definitely warm. When you go to any of the websites in the lower right hand corner it will say “Trip of a Lifetime Sweepstakes” and when you click on register it will tell you what you have a chance to win. Each of the next twelve months our company will notify you of the next Sweepstakes drawing. You can’t beat FREE and if you don’t register you have no chance of winning.

We are having a visitor from down under (Australia) visiting Lyons in Feb. Dennis Bradford Class of 1961 is going to be in Lyons. Also his sister Barbara, and brothers Richard & Larry are going to be in Lyons on the 22nd. of Feb. Anyway the 22nd is when we are all going to get together for certain but the Lyons Lions has their last basketball game on Friday Feb. 20th and some of us would like to meet their and root the young men and women on to victory. If anyone is staying at the new Celebration Inn let me know because that would be a great place to meet each evening or at the Underground (TeePee) at the Ly-Kan Hotel.

Lions Lingo by Bonnie Evans: Wed. Sept 7th 1960 in The Lyons Daily News.
Practice started early in the school year for the LHS chorus linewho met at the home
of Ann Rowan yesterday. Returning members are Sandi Sanderson, Ann Rowan,
Helen Bush, Diane Smith, Gail Hughes, Mary Kay Kennedy, Sharon Rau and Bonnie
Evans. Tentative high steppers are Judy Wingfield and Diane Clarke. The girls are
preparing for their 4th year as the only chorus line in Lyons.

Sammy Biggs, senior was attempting a back flip at the trampoline center Saturday,
when he fell and broke his neck. He was taken to the district hospital and then
transferred to St. Elizabeth’s hospital in Hutchinson. Although Sam will be in a cast
he plans to continue his studies. NOTE: I remember going down to visit Sam and I
think they some how attached a pulley to the back of his head with weights to keep his
neck straight. It definitely didn’t look comfortable. I don’t remember who was with
me when we visited Sam.

Lions Lingo - Sat. July 2nd, 1960
Helene Louis Bush was feted at a slumber party in her honor at Diane Smith’s home
this week. Girls gathering for the all-night gab session were Sandi Sanderson, Diane
Lehnus, Norma Harrington, Judy Dickerson, Sharon Rau, Coleen Nixon, Carolyn
Rush, Rosie Rickard, the hostess and the guest of honor. Invited but unable to attend
were Ann Rowan, Sharry Wikoff and Kathy Lewis. NOTE: Does anyone know where
Norma Harrington and Diane Lehnus are. I was e-mailing Kathy Lewis but have lost
track of her since she and her husband moved to Oregon.

VERY IMPORTANT: Lyons News Tuesday, January 13th, 2009
“Letter Campaign Wins over Navy Bureaucracy” – Among millions of Americans
who have served in the nation’s military, Ed Suhler of Lyons had the distinction of
becoming hopelessly lost in U.S. naval records, figuratively speaking, for nearly half
century. He served from Feb. 1961 to Feb. 1965, a duration that included the Cuban
Missle Crisis, but it wasn’t until a week before Christmas that Suhler and his full
military service record were finally united.
Sadly it was a recognition at which Suhler was conspicuously absent.
He passed away never having succeeded – after repeated attempts throughout much
of his adult life – in convincing the Navy he had earned the Navy’s Expeditionary
Medal. The little ceremony consisted of Lyons dentist Thane Frazier, WW II veteran
and naval historian, presenting the long absent medal to Suhler’s mother, Ester during
lunch at Park Place Apartments in Lyons.
Suhler returned home and joined the Veteran’s of Foreign Wars. He eventually
became post commander in spite of a shadow of doubt among some members. There
was no record of Suhler’s service at sea (overseas) with an expeditionary force in
time of conflict, a requirement for VFW membership. Suhler had his own proof –
photos, USS Constellation liberty passes, and so forth – but the Navy had no records.
Thanks to Dr. Frazier, Ed has now had his record recorded properly.

To sign up for the FREE “Trip of a lifetime Sweepstakes” go to:
Bob “Sax” Drake – www.SmartWay2Travel.com
Lonnie Morris – www.ItsSoEasy2TravelOnline.com
Bob Moody – www.MoodyRanchTravel.com
Gail Wolfe – www.LotsLeft2See.com
Dan Thompson – www.AdvantageFunFares.com

Hope you are all doing well and until next time – Good Day!

Sax Drake
Class of 1961