MacArthur High School - San Antonio TexasRSS feed for all messages.Dancing<p>Steve Hart found this video on dancing. Enjoy!</p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPj3SJcx0Wc">click here to see dancing video</a></p>
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2022-01-31T08:33:15-04:00DancingHarmony Hills Elementary<p>This article appeared in today’s (September 12, 2021) San Antonio Express-News. The Butch Gerfers Family lived in Harmony Hills/Enchanted Forest (819 Firefly) from 1985 to 1998 and my youngest son, Joe attended Harmony Hills Elementary. Some of you may have attended Harmony Hills when it opened in 1963 or had friends that did. The Mrs. Napier that is mentioned in the article was one of our teachers at Garner in 1964-65 and may have taught you to!</p>
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Click on the link below to read the article.</p>
<p><a href="https://mac1970.bnkgco.com/SAEN_2021_09_12_Page_4"><font face="Verdana" size="2">'Ultramodern' subdivision forecast the future</font></a></p>
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2021-09-12T17:32:07-04:00Harmony Hills ElementaryRE: Football, McManus, Questions, Etc.<p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Ted-</span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">I know this post was from years ago but I just saw it. I went to Lamar U in Beaumont in the 70's,So did Guy. Anyway Mcmanus was assit. football coach there. He was dating ( read screwing) a girl on my floor at the dorm. He was beating her so we talked till we were blue in the face trying to get her away from him. But They were in <span style="font-family:comic sans ms,cursive;">LOVE</span> or so<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">she thought. It did not surprise me 1 bit when was first arrested for murder. He was so creepy. I knew him from studyhall and drivers ed at Mac. He would follow me home from Mac trying to get me in his car. I just stayed away!</span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Judy (Abramson) Stubbs</span></span></p>
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2017-08-27T15:15:36-04:00Football, McManus, Questions, Etc.Mr. Dalton<p>Saw Mr. Dalton's obit in today's paper. I had a nice chat with him by phone in 2010. I invited him to our 40th Reunion but he was unable to attend. He was a quality guy that I gave way too much grief in my younger days!</p>
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2017-01-15T22:31:31-04:00Mr. DaltonPrincipal of Coker, Mr. Whisenant<p>Mr. Whisenant was principal at Coker from late fifties, perhaps? One winter it was very icey and he stepped up to each car and held hands to each child to help them into the building. I'll never forget this. I was one. And so nervous to have the principal do this. To me, he was big and burly, but so nice. In the hallway, he would instruct us to go "single file, single file." He had the scent of tobacco, pencil filings and a cologne (Old Spice?). It was wonderful to me.</p>
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2014-10-24T02:59:16-04:00Coker ElementaryMy Old Hometown - SA<p><span style="color: rgb(63, 69, 73); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.600000381469727px;">I'm John. I played bass for "The Sounds of Time" in SA 1967 - 1969, Teen Canteen was a great place to go and Sam helped much in getting us gigs throughout TX. Jay Fort is still out there somewhere playing his alto sax, I'm sure. Old San Antonio will always be home. Happy Father's Day '14. JEE.</span></p>
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2014-06-15T20:24:41-04:00My Old Hometown - SADoug's Look For Me book series<p>
Hello Everyone. I'm so excited about my new book series, Look For Me. It was conceived five years ago, written two years ago, and just went into mass market printing this year. The other day I received a review that is just over the top. As I have told everyone, it put a smile on my face and kept it there all day.</p>
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"A superbly crafted series blending unforgettable characters with memorable storylines, <em>Look For Me</em> is highly entertaining and strongly recommended reading." --Mary Cowper, Midwest Book Review, Vol. 12, No. 10, Oct. 2013.</p>
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Now how do you top that? So, it's very cool. Hey, we're working on a film teaser in order to go with a package we are putting together in order to try to sell the<em> Look For Me</em> project as a series of four motion pictures. (Yeah, big dream, I know, but you have to remember I am coming from the point where my Mac English teacher told me in front of the class that I would never make it as a writer. Burn.)</p>
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All the movie stuff is explained at my website, www.LookForMeIWillFindYou.com. Check out the "Back Story" tab. I'm not the least bit kidding about that, and if you go to the "Media" tab you can watch a video I did involving an encounter with an entity in a local cemetery. Yeah, yeah, I know. Who believes stuff like that? Well I'll tell you, I do now. I was there. I saw what happened.</p>
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Let me know what you think. Post here, tie in to my social links at the website, register and comment on the guest book, send me an e-mail (dougkirk@gvtc.com), launch the carrier pigeons, do whatever you can to spread the word. (Promotion is the deal right now. You can't get known if you and your closest 1,000 friends don't help out. Ha.)</p>
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Love and respect to all of you. Here's hoping you are doing well.</p>
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Doug</p>
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2013-10-19T20:31:08-04:00Doug's Look For Me book seriesKay's blog<p>
Kay has a new post & I think she has hit a home run. It is titled "We Need More Women Like This." Below is a link. Take a look, I think you will like it!</p>
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<a href="http://woodpilekitty.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/we-need-more-women-like-this/">http://woodpilekitty.wordpress.com/2013/01/15/we-need-more-women-like-this/</a></p>
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<strong>Butch Gerfers wrote:</strong></p>
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As some of you know, Kay has done some writing and speaking over the years. I happen to think she is quite good! She began a blog last year and has just made it public recently. It is called Woodpile Kitty and I encourage you to take a look. She posts once a week & I happen to think they are quite good, but I guess I am biased. If you are interested in receiving an e-mail whenever Kay does a post, you can sign up as a follower using the link on the left hand side of the blog. Your e-mail address or name is not disclosed. Click on the link below & check it out for yourself!</p>
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<a href="http://woodpilekitty.wordpress.com">http://woodpilekitty.wordpress.com</a></p>
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2013-01-17T14:23:20-04:00Kay's blogRE: Kay's video<p>
I also wanted to add the name of a lawyer that we used for Mother. She really helped us. Her name is Patricia Sitchler with Schoenbaum, Curphy & Scanlan. She deals in elder law, estate planning. She is not cheap, but she is good. In the near future, my husband and I arem planning to visit with her to discuss estate planning. So if anyone wants to add a good lawyer or estate planner/financial planner, I know I would like a few extra names to interview. </p>
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2012-10-24T05:48:55-04:00Kay's videoRE: Kay's video<p>
<span lang="EN">Kay,</span></p>
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<span lang="EN">I have been wanting to reply to your last message, but I wasn’t sure what to say. I did not want to minimize </span><span lang="EN">or maximize your experience because that experience can take such a toll on your emotions and physical state. I can’t say I am sorry because that would mean I would be sorry for myself, and I am not going to be sorry for myself. I guess God was showing you that you could deal with the challenges that he gave you, and that you can take those lessons that you learned to help with the work that you and Butch do. We can pass along our mistakes to help others. It sounds like you handled the situation like most of us do, so we can’t belittle ourselves for not doing more. I never went to a support group, but I had friends going through the same situation and the support groups were helpful to them One of those friends did pass on some valuable information. The Mother of that one friend has Alzheimer’s and she is in a nursing home in Boerne, Morningside Manor, Cibolo House. It is a very nice place. A lot of nursing homes have an odor, but the times that I have been there I have not smelled anything. And the staff keeps it clean and uncluttered. Just in case someone is looking at nursing homes. The rooms are private which is nice. Mother shared a room the duration of her stay. When she first went to Autumn Winds she was in a room with 4 residents until they moved her to a room with just one other resident. There was a woman in the first room that kept yelling and I thought my Mother was going to “freak” out. The second room she shared with a lady that was in the same condition as Mother, so it was very quiet. She went through 3 roommates.</span></p>
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<span lang="EN">I now share with my sister the responsibility of my brother who has Down’s Syndrome. He adjusted very well to my Mother’s decline. When Mother was in her home he had his part in watching over her. We were like you, we probably took to long in deciding to move her to the nursing home. We did not have a problem with him when she went into the nursing home. We were not sure how he was going to react since he had lived his whole life with her. And I think Mother “held” on those last 5 years in the nursing home so that he could adjust. When she passed, he escorted the people to their seats at the funeral, so I guess he was fine. He and I had a lot of discussions of the afterlife, and he watches religious program ALL the time on his tv, plus Mother took him to all the funerals that she went to. Considering her age, it was a lot of funerals. He has adjusted since Mother died. It can be a challenge, and if you have ever been around a person with Downs Syndrome, you can understand. He can be very stubborn. He is 61 and has had a lot of years to decide how he wants things. So, Downs Syndrome is a whole new learning process for me. I may not do everything right, but I try. </span></p>
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<span lang="EN">If anyone is checking out Nursing Homes in San Antonio, I think that this would be a good site to report on nursing homes. Autumn Winds is an older Nursing home. The staff was very good to Mother. I can not complain since she was there 5 years. While she was there she broke her hip and had a very bad lung infection. They did check on her frequently. I found Autumn Winds to be a comfortable place. There were a few times that I had something to do in San Antonio where I needed to stay the night, and I used to drag my lawn chair with me and spend the night with her. The volunteers were really there for the residents. When Carlos came (Dancing with Carlos) the floor was packed. We all danced. </span></p>
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<span lang="EN">Again, the Cibolo House is a very nice place with a physical therapy unit on the site. The only fault that I felt was that the staff was not as personable as Autumn Winds. But I told my friend that I would not mind living there. It was clean, and the area was very nice. There are cottages, independent living apartments , nursing home and Alzheimer’s unit. Very peaceful grounds.</span></p>
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<span lang="EN">A friend of my Mother’s is at St. Francis. She is 99. I went there the other day and was surprised by the “smell”. I never noticed it before. But the recommendation is high. When I used to take my mom to visit her I did not enjoy the activities as much. They seemed bland. But the nuns are nice. This nursing home separates the men and women, which the others do not. St. Francis has taken care of my Mother’s friend for the last 6 or 7 years, so they are doing well.</span></p>
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<span lang="EN">If anyone is looking for a nursing home, the Medicare website does show inspection results. This is a good place to start when looking. The next step is to visit the nursing homes. Visit them at various times and days. </span></p>
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<span lang="EN">If I am going to post this, I better stop. Sorry…3 months late.</span></p>
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2012-09-27T08:20:17-04:00Kay's videoRE: Coker Elementary<p>
It's been a long time since I have seen your faces. Glad to know a few of us Coker's are doing well. I married Sandi Langelier who also went to Coker. We re-met and married two months after our 40 year reunion (as was yours) in the Summer of 2010. Many name and faces come to mind when I look at the Mac 1970 yearbook. Thanks Butch for letting Sandra and I on as guests. Take Care, John Echterhoff, Jr. </p>
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2012-09-03T17:15:54-04:00Coker ElementaryKay's blog<p style="text-align: justify">
As some of you know, Kay has done some writing and speaking over the years. I happen to think she is quite good! She began a blog last year and has just made it public recently. It is called Woodpile Kitty and I encourage you to take a look. She posts once a week & I happen to think they are quite good, but I guess I am biased. If you are interested in receiving an e-mail whenever Kay does a post, you can sign up as a follower using the link on the left hand side of the blog. Your e-mail address or name is not disclosed. Click on the link below & check it out for yourself!</p>
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<a href="http://woodpilekitty.wordpress.com">http://woodpilekitty.wordpress.com</a></p>
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2012-06-12T13:05:14-04:00Kay's blogVote for Bastrop State Park to win $100,000<p>
Coca Cola has a campaign to give your favorite US park $100,000. We are trying hard to get that money to Bastrop State Park which lost the majority of the park to the wildfires last fall. </p>
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All you have to do is go to:</p>
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<a href="http://m.livepositively.com/park_details.jsp?parkId=4b12f343f964a5207c9123e3">http://m.livepositively.com/park_details.jsp?parkId=4b12f343f964a5207c9123e3</a></p>
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which will take you directly to the website page to vote for Bastrop State Park.</p>
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You can vote as many times as you would like until July 15th. Right now Bastrop State Park is behind a park in Georgia. :(</p>
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Please vote, again and again!</p>
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Thanks so much, Tina Treut</p>
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2012-05-30T10:51:38-04:00Vote for Bastrop State Park to win $100,000RE: Kay's video<p>
Madelon, I am so sorry for the late reply. I saw your message, made a note to reply and then promptly forgot it as I got lost in other emails. Also, with my new computer and set up, if I simply highlight an email message, it marks it as "read". So they are easy to overlook. Nevertheless, here I am.</p>
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I couldn't open the attachment so I'm glad you copied and pasted. Your experience is a lot like mine. For my dad, we had to have him involuntarily committed which is a story for another time. My mom had Parkinson's and associated dementia. Your story of your mom reminds me of some of the things my mom said to me. Alzheimer's took my dad's language so talking to him was impossible, but Mom was able to communicate well. She always knew who I was, but she called me Kay Armstrong. It was interesting to see how different dementia is from Alzheimer's, at least the way my parents experienced it.</p>
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They both lived at the Haven in San Antonio for the last years, Mom for about 2 years and Daddy for less than one. In fact, they were the 10th and 11th residents; it was brand new and a great place for dementia patients. Before we moved them there, I worried about them constantly. They were living in their house; Daddy taking care of Mom. Because my dad was always non-communicative and frequently changed his mind without explanation, it was difficult to recognize his Alzheimer's. However, I had starting helping him with his business affairs. Looking back I can see that I enabled him to continue to live normally. When we realized something was wrong, he was so demented he scored only about 3 or 4 on the cognitive test. I had some guilt about not recognizing it earlier, but I have to remind myself I did what I could at the time.</p>
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I could go on and on, but I won't. Thanks for sharing your story about your mom. With two parents with brain disease, I do anything I can to alleviate or avoid getting either Parkinson's or Alzheimer's. But, as you say, sometimes it's just meant to be.</p>
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2012-04-27T15:21:15-04:00Kay's videoRE: Kay's video<p>
Kay, I wrote about some of my experiences with Alzheimer's. I had not seen your video. I had been playing with my thoughts for several weeks. We are not alone, maybe someone else can share their thoughts, or need help. I tried to attach my file, but did not see it. So I will copy and paste. It was a nice video.</p>
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<span lang="EN">Alzheimer </span></p>
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<span lang="EN">I thought that someone might want to share their feelings. Has anyone had a parent with Alzheimer’s? My Mother had Alzheimer's, and she passed Valentine's Day 2011. What a nice day to return home.</span></p>
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<span lang="EN">Mother was diagnosed around 2000. She started taking medication for the Alzheimer’s several years later. I do not know if the meds helped to slow down the process. I do not know if her memory would have lasted longer if she had started the meds earlier. I know some children get upset over this disease, but I feel this was written into Mother’s life script, so I was not going to question the process.</span></p>
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<span lang="EN">For 6 months my sister and I shared care responsibility by staying at my Mother’s house. I was there 4 days and my sister 3 days. After 6 months Mother went into Autumn Winds Nursing Home. She was there for 5 years until her death.</span></p>
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<span lang="EN">Alzheimer’s is a strange disease. There were a few sad times and a few arguments. But when the child tries not to fight the parent’s disease than there can be good/funny memories. The last 4 years when Mother was at Autumn Winds, she could not walk and lived in her wheelchair or bed. My favorite time was getting into bed with her, telling her she was hogging the bed, and just hugging her. For the last 4 years you could barely understand her, and the last year - forget it. I guess she knew what she was saying, but I never did. </span></p>
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<span lang="EN">Before Mother went into the nursing home I had cut my hair very short. She did not know who I was, and she was there when I had my hair cut! One day she watched me going down the hallway and asked “who was that boy”? The first time she asked I asked her “what boy”? Then it hit me like a brick…I realized that she was talking about me.</span></p>
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<span lang="EN">There came the day that she did not know my name. She would ask me my name and I would tell her Madelon. She would say no, that is not it. Knowing that I would have to tell her a name she would feel comfortable with, I told her my name was Angel. She responded with “oh yes, now please write down your name and phone number so that I can call and thank you.” There were so many funny things that I could go on and on. </span></p>
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<span lang="EN">If you ever notice, women with Alzheimer’s do not put down their purses. Mother slept with hers. Mother saw people that were not there, or maybe they were and I could not see them. There were parties in her house. At least Mother was having fun in her Alzheimer’s world. I avoided taking Mother to the grocery store, she wanted everything. And you can not argue with someone with Alzheimer. I Thank God that she had to take a driving test at the age of 87. She flunked, but at least that “mean lady” took her key and I did not have to. But you should have seen the teenager’s expression when Mother sat down next to her to take her test. Talk about a double take. </span></p>
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<span lang="EN">Getting Mother into a nursing home was another problem. She hated the word nursing home, and I think that was because her neighbor was in one and complained about it. When we started looking at nursing homes I had to tell Mother it was a Hospital Hotel. Again with re-wording what you say. Mother loved to travel - hence Hotel. Mother had respect for Hospitals. It is all in learning how to go around words. Depends were those “new throw away underwear”. </span></p>
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<span lang="EN">I do miss my Mother. Those last 6 months at her house were nice. I was losing Mother, but I really enjoy this little old lady. Do I regret it? Yes and no. I see elderly people with a quick mind and I wish Mother had not had Alzheimer’s, but no I do not regret it, that is life and that is the way it was suppose to be. </span></p>
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<span lang="EN">Mother was 94 when she passed. She did not have “quality of life” her last 5 years, but she was released from her prison, and I know she walks with me today.</span></p>
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2012-04-20T01:32:54-04:00Kay's videoKay's video<p>
Some of you may know that I serve on the board of Morningside Ministries here in San Antonio. Kay was recently asked to do a short video for the “Prayers for Caregiver Series” of <a href="http://www.mmlearn.org/">www.mmlearn.org</a> which is part of Morningside Ministries. We went to their studio recently to record it. I think she did a great job & thought that some of our our classmates might want to see it. Below find a link for your viewing enjoyment!</p>
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<strong><em>Prayers for a Caregiver Series - Kay Gerfers</em></strong></p>
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<strong><em><a href="http://msm.mediasite.com/Mediasite/Catalog/catalogs/Prayers.aspx">http://msm.mediasite.com/Mediasite/Catalog/catalogs/Prayers.aspx</a></em></strong></p>
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2012-02-28T21:43:04-04:00Kay's videoPresident Kennedy Assassination<p>
I was in middle school in New Braunfels at the time. We were led out of the building and instructed to pick up trash, as I recall, in the school yard. Learned more from my parents and TV later that day.</p>
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2012-02-21T18:44:33-04:00President Kennedy AssassinationRE: Coker Elementary<p>
O.K. Harris, Principal of Coker Elementary School from 1962 to 1973, passed away Wednesday, February 8, 2012. <span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'">I have fond memories of Mr. Harris during our time at Coker. My favorite story occurred during Safety Patrol at the end of school one day. Ted Alexander, myself, and I don't recall who else that day were charged with taking down the flags from the flagpole. Ted thought it would be a great idea to see how fast they could come down the flagpole. They came down faster than anticipated & just at the time Mr. Harris happened to look out the window. He opened the window & hollered "whats going on out there!" Ted's great idea all of a sudden didn't seem so great!</span></p>
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<span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'"><o:p> </o:p></span><o:p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'"><span style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'"><a href="http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sanantonio/obituary.aspx?n=orville-kenneth-harris-ok&pid=155813289&fhid=8909" title="http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sanantonio/obituary.aspx?n=orville-kenneth-harris-ok&pid=155813289&fhid=8909">Orville Kenneth "O.K." Harris obit</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></o:p></p>
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2012-02-10T11:45:39-04:00Coker ElementaryRE: Wilshire Elementary<p>
Hi Kati,</p>
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Here is my input on the Wilshire third grade class photo game of "who is that"?These may or may not be who I think they are as I have slept since then.</p>
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4th row, back corner- Alan Conklin, his dad owned the barber shop in the shopping center at the corner of Wurzbach & Rittamin Rd.</p>
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4th row, 2nd desk- Malcomb Heiser ( I think)</p>
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3rd. row, 2nd desk- Gary Biggs</p>
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3rd row, far left, last desk- Ken Fisher</p>
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2nd row, 4th desk- Carol Braly</p>
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1st row, 1st desk- Paula Lindekugal (she lived directly behind me at one time)</p>
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Maybe if we get enough people to view the picture we will have all the names. Most look familar but I can't remember their names. Maybe we can make this a class project.</p>
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Happy New Year To All </p>
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2012-01-13T17:05:59-04:00Wilshire ElementaryRE: President Kennedy<p>It was (I think) the first of my many trips in life to an authority figure's office for behavior unbecoming.</p>
<p>Didn't understand why everyone there was crowded around the PA system, which had a radio built in. Don't remember hearing what was said, but someone there told me to return to the classroom, and got there as they were announcing the shooting. One of the few memories I have of Northwood E.</p>
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2011-05-16T11:20:46-04:00President Kennedy