Posted by Karla Lofgren Davis (July 22, 2007) There are a number of photo albums listed in the sidebar to the right. Each album has a unique title and there is a short description of the contents of each in the sidebar. Please spend some time viewing the photos in the various albums. To view pictures in a photo album, go to the album of your choice in the righthand sidebar and click on its name. The pictures in the album will then be displayed in thumbnail format along with a short description of the photo. To view them in larger format, click on the individual thumbnail. We are hoping that many of you will send along some photos to add to the photo albums we have created. The photos can be from the past or the present, can be of individuals, families, groups, events, places, things, etc. Current photos can be Milby grads and their friends and families (especially grandkids and great grandkids and/or other 2nd and 3rd generation youngsters). They can be color or black and white. They can include your adored/adorable pets, prized possessions such as boats, cars, motor homes, your building projects, gardens/landscaping, art/craft projects, collections, etc. To submit a photo, you will need to send it to me as an attachment in an email. jpeg or gif format is preferred, but if that is something about which you are not familiar, send it to me in any format "as is" and I will probably be able to translate it. Attach to an e-mail to me at [email protected]. Be sure to identify people, places, events, etc. so we can include that information as captions for the various photos.
Comments Posted by: Sheila Steele Howard | July 13, 2007 at 10:54 AM This could really be fun.
Posted by: Karla | July 13, 2007 at 11:18 AM Sheila - I was so excited to see your name pop up this morning. I have thought of you often, although I have not seen you in at least 40 years. Please fill me (us) in on where you are, what you have been doing all of these years, etc. And do submit some photos!!!
Posted by: Ray Prichard | July 13, 2007 at 11:44 AM Sheila, when was the last time you attended a reunion? As they say in the chili commercials, "Well that's too long!" Our Reunion Committee's goal for the next reunion is to bring out the largest attendance yet. Anyone that has never been to a reunion, or not to one recently needs to start making plans for the Spring of 2010. We will announce the exact dates about a year in advance to give everyone time to make plans. The Reunion Committee has worked on at least six of the last seven reunions. As a group I think we can say that none of us have ever had anyone come up to us and say they wish they had not attended. With this blog we will be able to talk among ourselves and share our thoughts and plans between now and 2010. Don't let the chatter die down, stay in touch, please.
Posted by: Mike Roberts | July 25, 2007 at 03:47 PM Hi Karla, you do such good work, I just happened by the photos of classmates and remembered a name. The young lady on Kay Burg's right is Linda Collins. I know this to be true for my good buddy Calvin had a huge crush on her for more than a year in elementary classes. Thanks, Mike
Posted by: Carolyn McSwain Bench | July 25, 2007 at 08:45 PM How fun! What a way to keep in touch. Karla, you are a genius. I love reading all of the comments. I think I have some old pictures and programs that I can share if I can find them. Looking forward to reading the new comments. Luv ya, girl, Carolyn
Posted by: Karla Lofgren Davis | July 25, 2007 at 10:28 PM Carolyn, I am so glad you connected with us in the blog. I hope you will look for and find some things to add to our photo albums! I think I have some more too - I will have to keep searching them out. This really has been a wonderful experience - just like "old times"!!! Please continue to read the various threads and add your comments there, also. Karla
Posted by: Karla Lofgren Davis | July 28, 2007 at 01:02 PM Kay, Did you check out the photos of yourself in the various albums - a glamour shot in the Carats Program, and a few of charming "little girl" Kay in the "Pre Milby" album? I'll bet you have some photos you can share with us, too! Send them on!!! Karla
Posted by: Sheila Steele Howard | July 29, 2007 at 09:36 AM Karla, really enjoy reading all of this stuff. I have a few photos that would be interesting to some and will send them to you. I also have a DVD of old 8mm films with about three minutes of the La Cucaracha dancing at the Deady assembly. Can't believe we were ever so young. We are hay farmers in Austin County, about half way between Bellville and Brenham. However, we have had so much rain the past month we could probably raise rice. Think Waco has been wet also or at least the weatherman makes it look that way. Am ready for some really dry weather. Sheila
Posted by: Carole Sue Walker Reed | July 31, 2007 at 01:04 AM The Carole? in the Sadie Hawkins picture was me. Carole Sue Walker (Reed). Thanks, Carole
Posted by: Karla Lofgren Davis | July 31, 2007 at 07:11 AM Carole Sue, it is great to hear from you, and I'll add that info to the photo album. I hope you'll return often and leave other comments on the blog. Karla And Glen, did you check out the '58 Carats Program in the Photo Album? There is a picture of you with "The Classics". Can you please identify the other guys for us and tell us a little about how long you all sang together, what shows, etc? Ed and I are quite interested to know when you were in Africa and more information about where you traveled and when? Just the details, please!!! Karla
Posted by: Karla Lofgren Davis | August 02, 2007 at 05:14 PM The mailman delivered a treasure trove of memorabilia today from two different sources ~ Sheila Steele and John Echoff. This was the second set of materials that John has sent. Thanks so much to both of you. It has been interesting to look at these new materials for a number of reasons. I had not realized until now the extent to which my recollections were tied to the Milby Yearbooks (a source we all hold in common) and to my own personal collection of photos and "programs". Suddenly I realize that not only did each of us do a lot of different things while at Milby, but each of us has different "collections" of memorabilia that give us different perspectives on our memories. DUH! OK, it does seem rather obvious now - I had just not thought of it that way before. The other mindbender for me is that there was a Deady Yearbook of a sort. John sent his 9th grade book - and yes, I had signed it - but I cannot ever remember having seen it before. I knew my rememberer was not great, but this one really has me shaking my head. I wonder what happened to mine? (my Deady Yearbook, as well as my rememberer!) I will take a while getting all of these wonderful treasures sorted out, scanned, and posted on the blog. We are leaving for a short vacation in the morning and then I have to start gearing up for the new school year when I return. But I WILL get them posted - they are priceless!!! (and John and Sheila, I will return them to you in good shape just as soon as possible - I promise!!!)
Posted by: Charles Simmons | August 02, 2007 at 07:16 PM Karla, On the photo entitled Deady Royalty...of a sort, the last gentleman on the right is Fred McClurg. Charles
Posted by: Glen Langston | August 02, 2007 at 09:52 PM Good Lord Karla. That picture of the Classics takes me back. The one standing behind me is David Starnes but I cannot remember the names of the other two. Will see if I can. Thanks for the walk down memory lane. Glen
Posted by: Glen Langston | August 02, 2007 at 09:56 PM Karla, my wife, Tara, and I love to travel and she is a big animal rights activist so we went to Tanzania and Kenya in 2004 for two weeks of photography safaris. We found Tanzania absolutely fascinating in a depressing and hopeful way and Kenya a beautiful country but mostly we fell in love with the countryside and the animals. Next year we are heading for Johannesburg, South Africa to volunteer at a Tiger Refuge for two weeks. Glen
Posted by: Karla Lofgren Davis | August 06, 2007 at 10:38 AM Check out the "Various Milby Photos" Photo Album in the right sidebar. Three great photos (and memories) that Sheila Steele provided have been added to that album. Isn't it amazing how "what goes around comes around" works? These faded color photos are now sepia toned - right in style today!!! Thanks, Sheila, for sending these along to us. Paul Schrader and his wife, Carolyn, recently returned from a trip to Africa during which they were privileged to engage in a trek to view the mountain gorillas of Uganda. Check out the new photo album in the right sidebar to view the photos and read Paul's commentary. OK - we know Malcolm is in a play this summer in Florida, Donald was going to Maui, Beverly was in Vermont, participating in a project honoring her mentor, Jody was in Oregon, awaiting the birth of a great niece...and I am sure many others of you have had exciting experiences this summer. Please submit photos (see instructions in this thread) either to enter in the Milby Family Album or, if a sufficient number, to create a photo album of your own. Karla
Posted by: Don R Veazey | August 27, 2007 at 05:03 PM Hello All, Old Six Shooter (aka John Echoff) and I go way back. I think he is the only one that I know that went through school with me all twelve years. Why he didn't follow me to Aggieland is unknown - please no derogatory comments here! In looking through his John R. Harris photos from 1949-1954 I discovered that he and I weren't in the same rooms the last two years. Thus I can point out my position in the photos from 1949-1952. Here goes- 1949: 3rd from right top row; 1950: 5th from left 3rd row; 1951: extreme left 3rd row; 1952: extreme left top row. Sorry but my mind (all two working neurons) doesn't recognize the others in the photos. Not even Six Shooter! But this gives me a good reason to dig out my old photos to see if I have any info recorded there. Don't hold your breath. Greets to all. Don
Posted by: John Echoff | August 28, 2007 at 02:03 AM OK gang, I've racked what little gray matter I have left to surmise the names for the photos from J.R.Harris Elementary. In the 1953 photo, 2nd row, #10 is A.L. Elliott. He is also in the 1954 photo in 3rd row, #9. Sorry it took so long to remember, but I have slept since the photos were made. [many sleeps, John, many sleeps!!!] (Blogmeister's note: All of those names are now in the captions for the Harris photos in the Elementary Class Photo Album in the right side bar. Thanks, John!!!)
Posted by: Don R Veazey | August 31, 2007 at 01:25 AM The missing guy on the bottom left of the Deady Cheerleaders is me. That seems so incredibly long ago that I would have thought those photos would have disintegrated by now.
Posted by: John Echoff | August 31, 2007 at 02:45 AM Don, the reason the photo's haven't disintegrated is that for the past 50yrs they have been locked in a time warp - a box that used to contain a pair of Tony Lama's on the top shelf of the closet... More on the 1954 Photo from John R. Harris Elementary- 3rd row #6 is Roy Johnson and #8 is Richard Chapa More names escape me at this time, but names sometimes pop-up for the strangest reasons.
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Karla,
This stuff is such a treat. Just wanted to help identify some guys in the photos of "singing groups" pictured in the "Carats" and "Kaleidoscope" programs. "The Embers" were not a Milby group. They were from Reagan H.S. The guy on the far left was Mickey Newberry who went on to become a huge success as a songwriter in Nashville. He wrote many hits you would be familiar with for some very big name artists. I suspect Kay Oslin might have known him, but that's just a guess.
In the '59 Carats program, the "Mystics" were (L.to R.) Rex Vaughn, Jerry Simmons, Neal Seymour, Buster Sullivan, and Tommy Thompson. I did some recording in the early 60s and eventually recorded with the Mystics for a couple of years.
In the '59 Kaleidoscope program, the "Pastels" were (front) Wally Sisk (middle row) Sonny Jones, Tony Hayman, Tommy Pancamo and (top) Derwent Sizemore.
The Debonaires were not a Milby group. In the '60 Carats program, the Pastels are (L.toR.) Tony Hayman, Wayne Landers, Sonny Jones and Wally Sisk. The Hi-Lighters were not a Milby group, and the only one I recognize in "Tradewinds" is David Jones (guitar). I recognize all three of the other guys, but the names just won't come. Hope this helps jog some memories... keep up the great work... YOU ROCK!
(What a compliment, coming from Sonny Jones! I have added the names and extra information he supplied in the appropriate photo albums - Thanks Sonny!!! Karla)
Posted by: Clyde ( Sonny ) Jones | May 14, 2008 at 12:20 PM
John Echoff, Charles Crider, and Larry Smith (and their much, much better halves) are pictured in a new photo album at the top of the right sidebar. Click on the title or thumbnail to read about their recent gathering for a leisurely visit. Karla
Posted by: New Photos of the Boys | October 15, 2009 at 06:23 AM
Hello everybody! I hope y'all have a fun time at the reunion. I am alive and well. We (my wife, Judy, and our 2 dogs) live 6 months in Austin (Lake Travis Area) and 6 months in Colorado (the Pike's Peak area). Our winters are spent with the kids and grandkids here in Texas and summers in Colorado as camp hosts at The Diamond Campground. Come see us if you can ! We live full-time in our motorhome...see our pictures on our Facebook page.
To Judy Kennedy: My wife Judy and I were in Salado on Saturday the 20th at the Stagecoach Inn.
Enjoy the reunion! Alton
[see a current photo of Alton in the photo album entitled "Current Photos of Milby Grads", near top of right sidebar]
Posted by: Alton Couvillon | March 29, 2010 at 09:07 PM