Decatur, Illinois

Decatur, Illinois
Curve-In, Fairview Avenue

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Tim Cleary

Tim Cleary



Tim Cleary passed away at the age of 58. From this long remembrance, many wished to recall him as a joyful father and spirited grandfather.



Phil Hughes found this old photo of Tim Cleary in the 1963 Cadet for the Class of 1964 section, on page 149.

Donna Camp has passed along Tim Cleary's published newspaper obit.


Click on image to enlarge it, for easier reading.

Please check back as we are attempting to obtain a recent photograph of Tim.  



Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Still Missing


Can you help? Press play above, listen to our class song, and read on...

Members of the Class of 1965's Reunion Committee are running into problems finding a few people and could use some assistance from everybody in the class, as well as friends and families of former MacArthur schoolmates. 


What Donna Camp's subcommittee needs are confirming data, contact info, and anything that can be remembered about the following individuals:
Martha Allen Taylor
Barbara Baker
Donna Barfield Barlow
Greg Butler
Floyd Campbell
Robert (Bob) Cross
Donna Cunningham Ferhenbach
Annie K. Currie
Bob Davis
Diana Dotson
Carolyn Elbert Camp
Sharon Goldman
Shirley Grupe McCartney
Sheila Harrington Telford
Lynn Harris
Miki Highley Zaba
R. Steve Hill
Barbara King
Jim Klausmeir
John L. Lewis
Joan McElrath
Shirley Macklin Bates
Darrel Miller
John Niederbach
Leslie (Skip) Perks
Skip Pieszala
Susan Ramsey
Kathy Reeter
Linda Rutherford
Edwin (Leon) Scott
John R. Shields
Nancy Smith
Cynthia Sue Sterns Sample
Joanne Taylor
Lucille Taylor
Claudia Voelcher or Volker
Lamae Wachhoiz
Linda White Edelhofer
Charles Windgardner, and
Alice Young Hardenfeld.
Also, verification is still required regarding people who are known to have died and clues as to where we can get their obits. For instance, is the rumor that Martin Moyer has died true or not?

Please help and send in your info to

LColeman@maine.rr.com

Thank you.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Edward Ray Estes




Edward Ray Estes as he appeared in the MacArthur 1965 Yearbook.

According to the University of Mississippi's Ole Miss Yearbook (Oxford, Mississippi), Ray was a member of their Class of 1967, listed from Decatur, Illinois and majoring in Business.


It has come to our attention that Ray passed away two years ago.


His official obituary noted that Edward Ray Estes of Winterville, Georgia, died on Monday, April 21, 2008, after an extended illness. He was preceded in death by his parents, Reedus Ray and Patricia Mumm Estes of Winterville, Georgia. 


He is survived by his daughter, Erin Estes Broholm of Nashville, Tennessee, who was pregnant with her first child at the time of his death.


More details about Ray's life would be appreciated.

Save The Dates!!!!






Dear Fellow Classmates from the Class of 1965,

           SAVE THE DATES!!!!  JUNE 24th & 25th, 2011
Combined Triple Threat Trilogy Reunion 
for 
MacArthur High School Classes of 1965, 1966, 1967
It has been 25 years since our last high school reunion and so many things have happened to us in that time! The reunion committee is now in the planning stages of our 46th reunion, and we want you to SAVE THE DATES …mark your calendar! That’s right, it will be 46 years in June 2011. Our graduation date was June 4, 1965.

The reunion will take place the weekend of June 24th & 25th, 2011. This is going to be a very exciting weekend for all of us as we will be having a combined reunion with the Classes of 1966 & 1967! We are calling this the Triple Threat Trilogy or “T3” or “TTT.” Since the Classes of ‘66 and ‘67 have had many other reunions much of the planning has already been done for us. Greg Cargill (Class of ‘66) and Bill Van Alstine (Class of ‘67) and their committees have already done most of the planning which is a big help to us since we have had only 1 previous reunion, and we thank the Classes of ’66 & ’67 for doing this! The Decatur Conference Center, formerly the Holiday Inn on Route 36, has been reserved that weekend for Friday and Saturday night with a block of rooms available at a discounted price. Many of you that will be coming from out of town may want to contact the DCC to reserve your room. That phone# is 217-422-8800.

The Class of 1965 Reunion Committee has been working hard this last year locating classmates who are living in many different states across the US. Many have been located but there are still a large number who have not been. 

Classmate Loren Coleman has created an informational blog for us at http://decatur-mac65.blogspot.com and lists the names of those whom we have failed to locate. Everyone who reads the blog will, hopefully, see a name and know where that classmate can be located. If you have that info please forward it to us! Please check out the blog as Loren has really put a lot of his time and talents into making it a newsworthy tool for us! He updates it frequently! I have heard that many classmates read the blog several times a week to be sure that they keep up with our classmates adventures! There is also a list of those from the Class of 1965 that are deceased. The blog lists many bios of classmates and would like to have more, so if you would write a bio please forward it to the email address that will be given at the end of this letter, or to Loren at lcoleman@maine.rr.com

The prices have already been determined for the Friday and Saturday night gatherings and are Friday Night - $15 single and $25 per couple, and Saturday Night - $45 single and $85 per couple. We are also working on an alternate activity for Friday night for all to enjoy! If you are interested in getting a group together to play golf, or any other activity during the day on Saturday, please make your own arrangements. You may want to plan to get together with a few classmates that you have not seen in years in a smaller group for lunch or the afternoon!

This is the 1st of 3 letters that will go out, and actually, we would like to utilize as many email addresses as possible but we also realize that many do not have email addresses. Not everyone has responded after receiving emails from us. If we have already received your email address, and you have forwarded all info requested to us, you will still be getting this letter. There are many of you who have not responded to our email and we want to be sure that EVERYONE we can find has an opportunity to commit to the reunion. It is very important to us to reach everyone possible! What we need from you is: 1) current contact information (address, telephone#; 2) email address if you have one, and 3) a commitment that you will be attending the TTT Combined Reunion! We encourage each of you to purchase your tickets as quickly as possible so we can begin to meet our financial obligations as we move forward.

Please send those emails to us today with this requested info to keithmrogers47@yahoo.com or please mail info along with your check for Friday and/or Saturday nights to:

MacArthur High School Reunion, Class of 1965
1936 S. Fairview Avenue
Decatur, IL 62521
Remember to SAVE THE DATES on your calendars and contact us if you have any questions!
Rick Livesay, Chair and the rest of
The MacArthur Class of 1965 Reunion Committee

Sue Wagoner

Sue Wagoner




Nelda Sue Wagoner moved to Decatur during her sophomore year. She worked at the “Curve In” Restaurant, until her 16th birthday. After that Linda Hawke and Sue both worked at Kroger after school. Although Sue was in the Class of 1965, she sped up her time at Mac and graduated a year early with our class, instead of with the Class of '66.

Nine days after graduation, she married her husband J. S. "Kirk" Kirkpatrick on June 13, 1965. He had graduated from Stephen Decatur in 1962.

After they married, they lived in Orangeburg, South Carolina, Taylorville, Illinois, Centralia, Illinois, Morris, Illinois, and New Castle, Indiana, where her husband worked in broadcasting. Sue was a stay at home mom until 1973 when she began her Mary Kay business as a Consultant.


Her Mary Kay business grew and grew, and her husband became her business partner. They built an organization of 4000 Consultants and Directors. They lived in New Castle from 1973-1993, then moved to Heritage Lake for 10 years, and finally relocated to Plainfield, all in Indiana, in 2003. Today, Sue Wagoner Kirkpatrick is a National Sales Director with Mary Kay Cosmetics.

They have 3 adult children and 3 grandchildren.


Sue's first car was a 1962 beige Ford Falcon.



Not too surprisingly, considering her Mary Kay associations, Sue's current car is a 2008 pink Cadillac Escalade. She writes that her new 2011 pink Cadillac Escalade is coming in February 2011.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Tom Harrington




At MacArthur, Tom Harrington played a little baseball and went out for track early on. In the day, he was that guy that was friendly to so many of us, including me, and hung out, especially, with Steve Day, Gary Hawke, Bob Dondeville and Lynn Lowe.

Tom sends along some memories to fill in his biography:

"After my somewhat quiet and uneventful tenure at Big Mac I attended Millikin University until graduation in January, 1970 with a B.S. degree in accounting.

"For me, the 1970s and 1980s were years of becoming a father to two beautiful girls, Beth and Laura, living in various small towns in central and southern Illinois, working horrendous hours as a CPA for a couple of firms, and ultimately starting my own practice. I loved living in small towns in those years and was the picture of big fish in a little pond. It is also a great atmosphere for raising kids. I was everything from the local CPA to the Halloween parade emcee (as the biggest Easter bunny you've ever seen), Rotary Club President, and public address announcer for the high school varsity basketball teams.



"The 1990s were years of tremendous change. After years of indifference, a marriage ended--but happily another started. I even became a grandfather! With my CPA practice sold I moved to the huge city of Nashville and, with my current wife Cordia, started a wholesale bakery business.





"In 1997 and until the present--with my wife Cordia--we started Tennessee Bun Company, a Nashville-based wholesale bakery/manufacturing business baking sandwich buns, English muffins and biscuits mostly for McDonald’s but also for Pepperidge Farm, KFC, Sara Lee and others.

"Nashville isn't really that big but compared to Altamont, Illinois, it might as well be Beijing, China. I had always traveled, worked and vacationed in big cities but to live in one was really different. I was ready to move from small town life to a city with a ton of opportunities and style.



"Cordia and I love living in Nashville. We hang with country stars sometimes, go the 'glam' parties and big-league sporting events, and have an absolute blast with our great friends. When not working, I enjoy playing golf, watching the Vanderbilt Commodores, Tennessee Titans and Chicago Cubs, community service and serving my church. I've never had more fun in life than now."

Tom also shares info on the question of his first and current cars:



"One of the highlights of my years at Millikin answers one of your questions--that is, the purchase of my first car. It was a 1962 cream-colored Corvair bought for 200 bucks. That little beauty had no horn, no turn lights, no heater, hardly a battery that ever worked, and very little gas almost the entire time I owned it. The battery was always so bad I can remember making sure I parked on a hill so I could pop the clutch to get it going. After virtually driving all over the Southern and Midwest U.S., I finally sold the car just before graduation to some poor slob for...the same 200 bucks. To this day I find that incredible.

"These days I drive around Nashville in my dream car--a 2008 white Mercedes S550--but I still love turning the radio up to max to listen to the Rivieras and the Big Bopper...just like the days in my old Corvair. Not much changes in 45 years, does it?

"Your old pal, Tom"

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Jim Tadlock Has Died


Jim Tadlock is shown as he appeared in his Senior Picture, in the 1965 Yearbook. Besides MacArthur, Jim also attended Oak Grove Elementary and Roosevelt Junior schools with many of his high school classmates.

Keith Rogers had a nice phone conversation with Jim about six months ago and Jim told him that he had cancer but hoped that he would make it to the class reunion. Then Keith talked with Jim about three months ago, only to discover Jim was not doing too well. Nevertheless, Jim still worked on cars when moved to do so. As Keith understood the situation, Jim's cancer was probably caused by the work done for the railroads, while working around asbestos.

The Decatur Herald and Review carried this notice on August 15, 2010:



James L. Tadlock, 63, of Forsyth, IL, passed away at 4:45 p.m. Friday, August 13, 2010, at his residence. Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, August 17, at Graceland Cemetery. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. Monday, August 16, at Brintlinger & Earl Funeral Home, Decatur. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to American Cancer Society or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

James was born November 30, 1946, in Chicago, IL, the son of Howard Leslie and Edith Louise (Glover) Tadlock. He married Cherry Deane Hughes on May 10, 1970, in Decatur.

James graduated from MacArthur High School in 1965. He served his country in the U.S. Army and the Army National Guard. James worked for Illinois Terminal, N&W, and Norfolk and Southern Railroad, and was a member of Brotherhood of Railway Carmen.

James enjoyed collecting and working on antique cars.

Surviving are his wife of 40 years, Cherry of Forsyth; parents Howard and Edith of Decatur; children James Leslie Tadlock, Jr., Paula Lynn Tadlock, both of Decatur, Peggy Sue Tadlock of Macon, IL, and William Joseph (Ruth) Tadlock of Rantoul, IL; seven grandchildren; and sisters Mary Klingleschmitt and Susan Dean, both of Decatur.

+++

Jim's classmates send out our deepest condolences to his family and friends. Sad news that Jim won't be at the reunion.

Friday, July 30, 2010

John Stroup


John C. Stroup was born April 30, 1943, and we have learned, died on September 28, 2005. It was discovered, also, in the obituary for Sylvia R. Stroup who died in 1991, that she left, two sons, Gary and John. Sylvia was a secretary at MacArthur, and is pictured in our yearbooks.

Judy Quinlan found this obit:

John C. Stroup 62, of Urbana, formerly of Olney, died Wednesday September 28, 2005 at his home. He had been a cafeteria worker. Surviving is a brother Gary. Arrangements are pending with Nale Funeral Home in Albion.


This is the same funeral home that was named in the obit for Sylvia Stroup.

Rita Ooten Wall from the school district returned a call from Donna Camp, telling her that the department that has student transcripts found our John's records. His birth date was 1943 and his parents were Sylvia and Carl.

Donna also called the funeral home and the woman pulled the file there. She said John's death certificate listed his occupation as food service. She told Donna if her memory served her correctly John was a special needs person.

The combination of information verifies that this individual is our John of the Class of 1965, who passed away. Our condolences to John's surviving family and all those who knew him.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Loren Coleman


There I am, during my freshman year at MacArthur High School. I was happy, and was coming off a great time at Roosevelt Jr High. Over there, I had a crush on Tracey Boyle, I recall, but was so shy that Gary swooped in to steal her heart. It worked out for the best, as I probably was meant for the many seasons of New England, not the hot American Southwest. :-)

Anyway, during my four years at Mac, I dropped into variously being a nerd, invisible, the smart guy in class, or talking about Abominable Snowmen in several venues. I know this because of some of my classmates' comments in my yearbooks and vague senior (the new kind, not the 1965 ones) memories. I skipped having my senior picture taken, due to more reasons about my family life than anything about what I wanted.



Obviously, my Yeti awareness turned into a lifelong passion that did good things for me. I picked SIU-Carbondale because of reports and folklore of hairy apes in the southern swamps of the area.

Therefore, yes, today, on my birthday in 2010, I, Loren Coleman, can proclaim that I am known as one of the world's leading cryptozoologists, some in the media even say "the" leading. I especially like it when they say I'm the "leading living cryptozoologist," for that day I don't have to check my pulse. Certainly, I am acknowledged as the current writer who has most popularized cryptozoology (the study of hidden, as yet-to-be-discovered new species of animals) in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Starting my fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, I decided to begin writing to share my many experiences.

Obtaining an undergraduate degree from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, I majored in anthropology, minored in zoology, and did some summer work in archaeology. I received a graduate degree in psychiatric social work from Simmons College in Boston. I was admitted to the Ph.D. programs, and took doctoral coursework in social anthropology at Brandies University, and in sociology at the University of New Hampshire's Anthropology/Sociology Department. But my dedication to being a present father made my decision to raise my sons, teach, and write, (and not complete either Ph. D.s), any easy one.

My first cryptozoology magazine article was published in 1969, when I was 21 years old. My first book was published in 1975. In between, I did two years of alternative services as a C.O. during the Vietnam War.

Today, I've written more than 6000 columns and articles, as well as over 30 books. I have appeared frequently on radio and television programs, and have lectured throughout North America, as well as in London and at Loch Ness. My cryptozoology columns, since the 1970s, have included "On the Trail" in the London-based Fortean Times, "Coleman's CryptoCorner" in TAPS Paramagazine, and "Mysterious World" in Fate Magazine, as well as regular contributions to The Anomalist, San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Magazine, and Fortean Studies. My unique signature column, "The Cryptozoo News," was published in Strange Magazine, Mysteries Magazine, and now appears as my blog at Cryptomundo.com

I have been both an on- and off-camera consultant to Travel Channel's "Weird Travels," History Channel's "Deepsea Mysteries," NBC-TV's "Unsolved Mysteries," A & E's "Ancient Mysteries," History Channel's "In Search of History," Discovery Channel's "In the Unknown, " Discovery Science Channel's "Critical Eye," History Channel's "Deep Sea Detectives," Animal Planet's "Animal X," Discovery Kids' "Mystery Hunters," Animal Planet's "Twisted Tales," and other reality-based programs such as "Current Affairs" and "Evening Magazine." In 2000, I served as the Senior Series Consultant to the new "In Search Of..." program which was broadcast on Sci-Fi (now SyFy) Network.



During 2008-2010, I was a frequent interviewee and behind-the-scenes consultant for History's website and broadcast episodes of "MonsterQuest." I also started appearing on Animal Planet's "Lost Tapes," and will appear on that program, at least, through 2011. I've been on G4TV's "Attack of the Show" a couple times, and because of that have been to Santa Monica, a beautiful city, twice in recent years.

Of course, due to repeats, I am on television cable channel reruns a lot.

In 2009, I appeared on the "Paul O'Grady Show" on London's ITV-4 (enjoyed that they flew me to London to do the show) and, in 2010, in Animal Planet's "Beasts of the Bible." I was filmed by the US Navy for a spot shown to sailors in Iraq and Afghanistan, and was on television shows in Ireland and Italy, all in 2010.

lorens many books

After penning magazine articles during the late 1960s and early 1970s, I wrote two books with Jerome Clark, The Unidentified (1975) and Creatures of the Outer Edge (1978), (both published by Warner Books - and since republished by Anomalist Books in 2006, with a new introduction).

In the 1980s, I wrote my classic Mysterious America (1983), then Curious Encounters (1985), and Tom Slick and the Search for the Yeti (1989), all bestsellers for Faber and Faber.

In 1999, I co-authored two books: one with Patrick Huyghe entitled The Field Guide to Bigfoot, Yeti, and Other Mystery Primates Worldwide (Avon/Harper Collins); the other with Jerome Clark, Cryptozoology A to Z: The Encyclopedia of Loch Monsters, Sasquatch, Chupacabras, and Other Authentic Mysteries of Nature (Simon and Schuster/Fireside).

My completely updated Mysterious America: The Revised Edition (2001), was published by Paraview Press.

After I wrote an introduction to the republished Hunt for the Buru for Linden Press, they published. in 2002, the updated biography, Tom Slick: True Life Encounters in Cryptozoology.

During 2002, I was featured in the Sony Studios' documentary, Search for the Mothman, available on the deluxe DVD of the movie The Mothman Prophecies. I served as the Screen Gems' national and international publicity spokesperson for their Richard Gere-Mark Pellington movie. The studio wanted to see my book, Mothman and Other Curious Encounters, rushed to publication in January 2002, so I could appear on 300 radio interview and news shows discussing the reality behind the movie.

My special appreciation of my fellow researchers and friends has made me the source of biographical insights, and my obituaries and living commentaries on the leaders of the field (as noted in Cryptozoology A to Z) have been published and broadcast widely. National Public Radio's "All Things Considered," for example, called on me to speak in tribute of Dr. Grover Krantz, who died on Valentine's Day 2002.

In 2003, I continued my fast-paced examination of cryptozoology with two books, Bigfoot! The True Story of Apes in America (NY: Paraview Pocket - Simon and Schuster) and The Field Guide to Lake Monsters, Sea Serpents, and Other Mystery Denizens of the Deep, coauthored with Patrick Huyghe (NY: Tarcher-Penguin).



In 2004, I was given a nice tribute by Will Pfeifer and Richard Corben as the comic book character "Coleman Wadsworth" chasing an Abominable Snowman and in turn being chased by the title creature in the Swamp Thing comics (#7 and #8). Using me as the model, I inspired other recent comic book "cryptozoologist" characters, as well, by the artists such as Hunt Emerson, Charles Berlin, Peter Loh, Allan Gross and Jerry Carr writing and drawing for Fortean Times, Professor Wexler's Adventures, Crypto-Man, Cryptozoo Crew, and more.

Introductions to others' works have resulted in contributions to books by Janet and Colin Bord, D. L. Tanner, Linda Godfrey, Ben Radford, Joe Nickell, George Eberhart, Tony Healy, Paul Cropper, and other cryptozoologically-oriented authors. With the 2004 publication of Mark A. Hall's book, Thunderbirds: America's Living Legends of Giant Birds, Cosimo (formerly Paraview Press) began to publish a series of cryptozoology books under the umbrella "Loren Coleman Presents...." In 2007, A. C. Oudemans' The Great Sea Serpent and Philip Henry Gosse's The Natural History of Animals appeared in this series, introduced by me. In 2008, Cosimo, with a new introduction by me, published the first hardback edition of Ivan T. Sanderson's Abominable Snowmen: Legend Come to Life since 1961. Other titles in their "Loren Coleman Presents..." series has followed.

I am one of the coauthors of Weird Ohio (2005) and Weird Virginia (2007), am a contributor to Weird USA (2004), and am profiled in Joseph Citro's Weird New England (2005).

In 2006, I saw the appearance of other coauthored works, including new editions of The Field Guide to Bigfoot and Other Mystery Primates and The Unidentified and Creatures of the Outer Edge from Anomalist Books.

In the meantime, I was also taking on the role of being an instructor, assistant/associate professor, research associate, and documentary filmmaker, in various academic university settings, since 1980. I gave perhaps the first credit course in the USA on cryptozoology in 1990, and examined cryptozoology films in my popular documentary film class at the University of Southern Maine from 1989 through 2003. I furthermore have written extensively in the social sciences, having authored, coauthored, or edited several books, including the critically acclaimed Suicide Clusters (Faber and Faber, 1987), appearing on "The Larry King Show" discussing it. My work on the suicides of baseball players has been covered in Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, ESPN, EPSN Classics and major media and wire services from 1986 to present. My newest book on such topics examines the role of media and cyclic violence in The Copycat Effect: How the Media and Popular Culture Trigger the Mayhem in Tomorrow's Headlines (NY: Paraview Pocket - Simon and Schuster, 2004).

Finally, in 2003, first in my home, and then publicly in 2009,

Loren Coleman

I established my International Cryptozoology Museum, in Portland, Maine, and continue to receive media attention about this location. It has served as the setting for several documentary television programs.

As a museum exhibitor, I contributed the room of nonfiction artifacts and objects, as a reflection of my own collection, to the exhibition "Cryptozoology: Out of Time Place Scale," shown at Bates College Museum of Art (June 24 - October 8, 2006) and at the H & R Block Artspace at the Kansas City Art Institute (October 28 - December 20, 2006). I delivered the keynote address, "An Introduction to Cryptozoology," at the symposium at Bates College in October 2005, kicking off the formal exhibition.

I was a contributor/coauthor to the 2006 Bates exhibition catalogue and book, Cryptozoology: Out of Time Place Scale (JRP/Ringier Books, Switzerland, 2006). I, furthermore, wrote the essay "Cryptids" for the massive art tome, Alexis Rockman (Monacelli Press, 2005).

In the spring of 2007, a new updated, greatly expanded edition of my old 1983 classic was published as Mysterious America: The Ultimate Guide to the Nation's Weirdest Wonders, Strangest Spots, and Creepiest Creatures by Paraview Pocket - Simon and Schuster.

I am routinely interviewed by news organizations, as, for example, by CNN News on "The Paula Zahn Tonight Show," on June 1, 2007, about new footage of the Loch Ness Monster, or in 2010, by the Christian Science Monitor and AOL News on various "found cryptid bodies."

I made my first appearance in a narrative fiction film, Monster in the Woods (2008), playing myself as a cryptozoologist during a television reality program. It was a really difficult part to play (I'm kidding).

In 2007-2009, I gave major lectures, introducing new audiences to cryptozoology, at the American Museum of Natural History ("Mythic Beasts"), New York's Rubin Museum of (Himalayan) Art ("Abominable Snowmen"), the Royal Alberta Museum ("Dragons in Art and Legend"), Boston Museum of Science ("Mythic Beasts"), Stanley Hotel, Queen Mary, Mount Washington Resort, and other libraries, museums, and venues throughout North America.

During 2009-2010, I spent more time as a consultant during Season 3 of "MonsterQuest" and working on the reunion and the museum. In 2010, two new books will appear, Monsters of New Jersey and True Giants. In the forthcoming years, other books forthcoming are Bigfoot in Maine and Monsters of Massachusetts.

I was married twice, from 1968-1978, and from 1980-1995. Although I was born in Norfolk, Virginia, my family of origins moved back to Illinois when I was only a few weeks old. I've lived in Decatur, Carbondale and Champaign-Urbana, Illinois (1947-1973); San Francisco, California (1974-1975); Cambridge, Massachusetts (1974-1983); owned a cabin in Rangeley, Maine for 17 years (1980-1997); and have lived in Portland, Maine, since 1983. My sons, one in Oregon (who professionally referees soccer), and two in New England (one is an associate producer at NESN, the Red Sox flagship, and the other is still in college) are my pride and joy. They have been my life and I am glad they all are following their dreams!

New adventures await me and I look forward to the passion that still exists in living my life.



I got my first car from my parents, a gift sometime during the summer of 1965, after I graduated from MacArthur. It was, as I remember, a 1960 Plymouth, gray, with those pointed fins on it. Must have been a Sport Fury. I went to SIU-C a few weeks after getting it, and never really drove it much. You couldn't have cars at SIU, as a freshman, so I left it behind. I went home once during the fall of 1965, on a break, and discovered my middle brother had totaled it. I'm glad he didn't kill himself, of course, but he never said he was sorry and never replaced it.

Nine years later, in California, I bought my own first car, an orange Datsun pickup truck, about a 1971. My car right now is a 2006 black Chevy HHR, I bought in 2009, because I like the 1940s' look of it. But having always bought and owned Datsuns, Nissans, and Subaru trucks and station wagons, I am still getting use to the HHR.

I just learned that I was picked as one of five people to be profiled for the in-house Chevrolet magazine, as a cryptozoologist who owns a HHR. My wild life continues.

I look forward to saying "hi" to all my old classmates in Decatur, in June 2011.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Carol Deremiah

Carol Sue Deremiah was one of the most popular young women in the Class of 1965 at MacArthur High School, and her choice as the Homecoming Queen in our senior year merely reinforced that feeling. Her life, which actually began on Christmas Day in 1946, seemed blessed.

It was with some shock that many of her classmates have discovered that Carol died suddenly, at the age of 53, on Sunday, October 15, 2000, while visiting a friend's home in Evansville, Indiana, from complications of a ruptured spleen.








KRAMER, Carol (DEREMIAH) [HEINRICH]; 53; Glendale Heights, Illinois; Daily Herald (a Chicago suburban newspaper); 2000-10-17.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Born in 1947


You know what they say? You're only as old as how you feel. Or is it what you feel?

If you are in the Class of 1965, you were, more than likely, born in 1947. I have a birthday soon and thus I am reminded of how young I am.

Certain classmates realize we all have changed a lot since 1965, so no one should be surprised by the natural physical modifications we see in the mirror.

However, for those that are not prepared, I thought I would give you a little preview, by using a famous person who is now the governor of California.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was born on July 30, 1947.



Meanwhile, we should try to do our best to get a bit back in shape, for, if we don't, well, here's an example of someone born ten years before any of us.

John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson was born April 22, 1937.



Thursday, July 1, 2010

Alumni Promos

I'm sure I'm not the only one to be swamped, some days, with "classmates" and "alumni" things to buy, promotions, and other emails coming to the inbox.

Of course, I delete most of them, as I am concentrating my labor on the real world efforts of the Mac '65 reunion, forthcoming in June 2011.

But I had to laugh the other day when the following photograph showed up with an alumni product ad, asking me to buy shirts to proudly proclaim my alignment with my former high school and our mascot name, the Generals.

They got the "Generals" part correct. I suppose the marketers should get a half-gold star for that.

The only real trouble, however, developed when they tried to spell the name of the high school we attended. I don't know about you, but I went to MacArthur, not Macarthur, High School! LOL.

Now, as to putting my 63-64 year old body in that shirt for a reunion, well, that's another matter altogether! After all, I don't want to be responsible for having all the former cheerleaders doing backflips when a bunch of us Mac '65 guys walk in the room wearing our "Macarthur Generals" styling, do I?

I didn't see the "relaxed fit" babyboomer model in their catalogue.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Jim Gillen


Jim Gillen was on the track team as a freshman, the wrestling team and the class council as a sophomore. He was involved in vocational graphic arts as a junior and senior.

Jim was one of those guys that grew up in my same neighborhood, in the ten block area north of MacArthur High School, a relatively new subdivision in the 1960s. I lived on Hunt Street and he lived on Garfield Street. All the girls liked Jim, including my little sister. We saw each other all the time, and we all went to the same schools - Garfield, Roosevelt, and MacArthur. But then years and decades do separate people. For example, I was startled to discover that Jim eventually found his calling in a lifelong service career that also mirrored what my father had done for two decades before retiring. It really is a very small world.

Jim shares his life and its highlights with his classmates through the following:

"I was born and raised in Decatur, Illinois, the youngest of four siblings, which were three boys and one girl. I was educated by the Decatur Public school system and Richland community college. I married Sue, the girl I dated through high school. We have been married for 44 years and have three grown sons, two grandsons (who are 5 years old) and a granddaughter (aged 15).

"Straight out of high school, I started my employment as printer for Rand McNally Co. Then I changed jobs in 1970, moving to the Decatur Fire Department. During my time there, working for 34 years, I was promoted through the ranks and served as Battalion Chief for the last ten years of my career.

"I retired in 2003 after having a heart attack.

"For the last three years, I have lived on Pana Lake in Pana, Illinois with my wife Sue. I enjoy fishing, family, spending time with my grandchildren and trying to keep this country from being destroyed from within by our present government. My wife says I'm very strong headed."



"My first car was a 1953 Chevy. I paid for it myself. It was green. Sometimes we had to push it to get it started."

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So what have you been up to in the last, well, 45 years?

Add your Mac '65 brief biography to the virtual and real reunion project and see your polished and edited notes published at this blog. To contact Loren Coleman or others on the Mac '65 reunion committee, please use this safe contact form here.

Thank you.

Reunion is set for June 24-25, 2011 !, in Decatur, Illinois, naturally.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

St. John's Day


Today, is Midsummer Eve, St. John's Eve, June 23, so allow me to introduce you to June 24th, St. John's Day.

It is named after John the Baptist, in celebration of his birth date. The feast day of his birth (June 24) became celebrated more solemnly than that marking his martyrdom by beheading (August 29). This is unusual but then "strange" and June 24th go hand and hand.

On June 24, 2011, in one year and counting, the Mac '65 Reunion, in conjunction with the Classes of 1966 and 1967, will open. Did the planners realize the highly symbolic significance of this date to those born in 1947? It is doubtful, so let me share some fun facts.

Throughout Europe, and via the United Kingdom, St. John's Day's symbolism spread to the USA. In the UK, and especially, Scotland, bonfires are a key. Should we be surprised to find it so in North America?

St. John’s Day (”JaanipĂ€ev”) is a major traditional holiday in Estonia, celebrated by singing around bonfires, in Estonian communities in the United States and Canada as well as in Estonia itself. The glow-worm, because it usually starts appearing around St. John’s Day, is called “Jaaniuss”–”St. John’s Worm” – in Estonian.

In France, the "FĂȘte de la Saint-Jean" (feast of St John), traditionally celebrated with bonfires (le feu de la Saint-Jean) that are reminiscent of Midsummer's pagan rituals, is a catholic festivity in celebration of Saint John the Baptist. It takes place on June 24, on Midsummer day (St. John's day). In certain French towns, a tall bonfire is built by the inhabitants in order to be lit on St. John's Day. In medieval times, this festival was celebrated with cat-burning rituals.

Of course, there will be no cat burnings during Mac's St. John's Day Reunion celebration. But a bonfire might be in order. Fire in the sky is a major underlying theme of this day.

Does the name Kenneth Arnold (pictured below) ring a bell? He wasn't a graduate of the Class of 1965, was he? No. But the year we are were all born or nearly so was an important one for Arnold. Little do most people in the Class of 1965, know or realize but most of us entered life at the same time the Era of Flying Saucers also did, thanks to the specific events of June 24, 1947.

Kenneth Arnold

Additionally, the date has a long history of notable events. Take, for example, a look at some of these:
Knights Templars first display the "Mysterious Head" at Poitiers (1308);
Founding of the Order of the Garter occurs (1348);
King Henry VI founds Eton College (1441);
John Cabot discovers North America (1497);
Samuel de Champlain discovers the mouth of the Saint John River, site of Reversing Falls and the present day city of Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada (1604);
Galileo is released (1633);
"Woman of the Wilderness" utopian community arrives in America (1694);
"Woman of the Wilderness" angelic visions take place (1701);
Grand Lodge of Freemasons, the first Masonic Lodge in the World, is inaugurated (1717);
Ambrose Bierce is born (1842);
Red rain falls, Italy (1877);
Ice fall occurs, Ft. Lyon, Colorado (1877);
Fall of jelly-like mass occurs, Eton (1911);
Fred Hoyle is born (1915);
Mick Fleetwood is born (1942); and
Jeff Beck is born (1944).

This date will forever be tied to the first day of "flying saucer" history, due to the now-famous Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams, Washington State sighting by Kenneth Arnold of disc-shaped objects in the sky (1947).

Other "fiery" anniversaries date to that year, as well:
Filmstock fire kills seventeen people, Brussels (1947);
Movie theaters evaluated during huge fire, Perth Amboy, NJ (1947);
United Airlines plane is struck by lightning over Cleveland (1947);
Invasion of grasshoppers is battled with flame-throwers, Guatemala/El Salvador (1947); and
Woman is attacked and killed by bees or wasps, Seattle (1947).

On the 60th anniversary, in 2007, the infamous Angora Fire starts near South Lake Tahoe, California destroying over 200 structures in its first 48 hours. What events have dotted your past histories from this point on the calendar?

Strangely, the deaths of various phenomena researchers, writers, and fans have occurred on this date, as well. These include Frank Scully, June 24, 1964; Frank Edwards, near the coming midnight of the 24th, still on June 23, 1967; Arthur Bryant, June 24, 1967; Richard Church June 24, 1967; Willy Ley, June 24, 1969; Jackie Gleason (who was an every advocate of the flying saucers), June 24, 1987.

In years gone by, June 24th has been a focus of cryptid milestones, including:
Bigfoot sightings occur, Logan and Union counties, Ohio (1980);
Chupacabras are encountered outside disco, Maria Elena, Argentina (2000);
Moose hunters see Bigfoot, near Fort Simpson, NWT, Canada (2002);
Mysterious fire erupts in Gallipolis, Ohio resident's car on bridge from Ohio to Point Pleasant, West Virginia, site of the Mothman lore (2003);
Massive unusual aerial phenomena is seen, Xalapa, Mexico (2005);
"Aren't You Chupacabra to See Me?" airs for first time on Cartoon Network (2005); and
Nestle uses Bigfoot-costumed marchers to launch Kit Kat Limited Edition – Cappuccino at the Giant Mahkota Parade, Malacca, and Jusco Tebrau City, Johor (2005).

In 2006, coincidentally, the grand opening of the Bates College Museum of Art's "Cryptozoology: Out of Time Place Scale" exhibition occurred on June 24th. Also on June 24, 2006, this date saw the death of renegade publisher Lyle Stuart who published anomalist writer Frank Edwards' Fortean books, with the first one in 1959 being Stranger than Science, a paperbook full of information on unexplained phenomena.

The birth of members of the Class of 1965 in 1947 built to a peak of strange happenings by June 24, 1947. Flying saucers. Unexplained events. Mysterious fiery outbursts. Strange cryptid sightings. Beltane fires. Little people. Miracles. Bathing. Round dances. Collecting of glowworms. Folkloric incidents. Weird encounters.

From what you know in your heart, you could say that we were a class born with fire in our belly. We have carried on that tradition and passion way beyond any vision we could have ever had. It has been an amazing journey. And we are not done.

Respect the wonder and adventure of the 24th of June.

What cosmic finger of fate caused the Mac '65 reunion committee to pick the date they did for the upcoming reunion? Certainly, I was not consulted, so don't blame me. But I am here to tell you they could not have picked a more special date in the 1947 historical calendar.

What special events will be in the mix on this date in 2011, on the 64th anniversary of the beginning of the Age of Flying Saucers and the 46th anniversary of the graduation of the Class of 1965? Stay tuned.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Margy High

Margery Anne High, also known as Margy High, also known today as Margery Kane, started out her freshman year at MacArthur, quietly enough, in the girls chorus, the Latin Club, and the high school newspaper workshop. But that would only be a hint of what was to follow. Margy became involved in Girls Choir and Monitor Feature Staff as a sophomore and junior, the Christmas Program for four years, and several music programs during her junior and senior years. As a senior, Margy was the Honor Roll Editor. She filled her four years with lots of words and music.

What has Margy been doing in the last four plus decades?

She answered with this:

"Where do I start?

"After high school, I attended Southern Illinois University and received a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education.

"Sally (Buck) Carll and I were roommates at Southern. We stood up for each other when we each got married and have stayed best friends for all these years. By the time I got my bachelor’s degree, I had one daughter and another one on the way.

"My husband, Ken Robinson, and I lived in Carbondale and that’s where we raised our daughters, Kristy and Leslie (who are now 42 and 38!!). I have two grandchildren, Jake and Meg (ages 15 and 10). Both daughters and their families live in the St. Louis area, where I go frequently to see them.

"So how did I land in Urbana, IIllinois? My life after the divorce from Ken was a single one. I went back to school and earned a Master’s degree in English at SIU. I taught English part time at John A. Logan College in Carterville, Illinois. My full time job at SIU-C was as an office manager for a water research group, which enabled me to travel the country, as I was in charge of all the conferences and meetings. All this time, I was enjoying the girls and putting them through SIU-C as well. They’re both married and have good jobs in St. Louis now. Kristy, my oldest, and her husband, Bob, have my grandchildren. Leslie and Greg are “yuppies” – living in the city and enjoying traveling and city living!"



"I have been single for most of my adult life, but found my husband, John Kane, in 1996, when I moved back to Decatur. We dated in Decatur, were together for 10 years, married for 5 of those, and moved to Urbana when we married because I was working here at Human Kinetics Publishers as a managing editor for scholarly journals in the physical activity field. John died in 2007 of cancer.

"Since then, I’ve been working, enjoying friends I’ve made in Urbana, going to Decatur frequently to see my brothers who live there, and sharing my home with my dog, Scout (she’s 3 years old: a brown and white Cock-a-Poo). I met my 'significant other' a couple of years ago, and we enjoy traveling and attending events here in the Champaign-Urbana area."



When I asked Margy about her first car, here's what she said:

"I think the boys of the class of 1965 have more interesting car stories!!"

"Yikes: my first car....I'm thinking it was a little white Corvair with red seats. I didn't have a car of my own in high school like my brothers did (noisy Corvettes). The Corvair was one I had when I was married at age 20. My dad wasn't very happy I was driving it - and he was right: I wrecked it when the brakes failed in Carbondale early on. I did have a wonderful 1964 red Volkswagon convertible that I had when attending Millikin while my husband was in Viet Nam (around 1969). I loved that car.

"My present car is a 2005 Chrysler Sebring (I love the heated seats in the winter). Just goes to show how age has altered my priorities!! I may get a zippy little car next time, though."

Margy High Kane added a final note:

"That's it in a nutshell. I’m in good health after two hip replacements ~ and look forward to visiting with all of you next year. I’ll probably come solo unless I find a classmate to accompany me. See you in June of 2011!"


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So what have you been up to in the last, well, 45 years?

Can you help us find our missing classmates?

Add your Mac '65 brief biography to the virtual and real reunion project and see your polished and edited notes published at this blog. To contact Loren Coleman or others on the Mac '65 reunion committee, please use this safe contact form here.

Thank you.

Reunion is set for June 24-25, 2011 !, Decatur, Illinois.