The Williamsonian Fall 2012 | Page 15

memories of Mr. Yeaw “Juggy,” our English and music teacher. Gerry Stock said everything is going well for him and his family. He had a daughter who graduated from college this year and married this summer. He also has a son who will be starting college this fall. His wife Kendalle retired from State Farm several years ago and recently decided to take a part-time job which is keeping her very busy. The same is true for Gerry. Gerry lives about 300 miles from school and would think about making the trip for the reunion. Gerry said the year we graduated he bought a Ford car from Charlie Kroehling when Charlie’s father, who sold cars, gave him a new one for graduation. He drove that car for several years. Gerry’s four daughters from his first marriage all graduated from college and are doing well. Tom Yarnall will also be going to the 55th reunion. Since this may be Bob Quay’s last trip to Pennsylvania. Tom and he plan to spend some time together after the reunion visiting some of the Mennonite farmers they both know and driving around the countryside. Tom has a vast knowledge of the area. He said in the summer of 1958 Bernie Yanavich lived at his parents’ home and worked nearby. Eleanor Rodichok is settling in with her son Rich and family who make sure she is included in everything that they do. She stays busy helping around the house, watching the children, and spending a few hours each day in the pool. Some Sundays, Eleanor goes back to church in Williamstown to visit with friends she has made over many years. She has been invited to go on vacation with one of her sons and family. They will be going to Turks and Cacos. This year, she may take them up on the offer. If any of you have pictures of our time at Williamson and are willing to share them with Bob Quay, as some classmates already have, call or email him ([email protected], 406-727-0620). In the last issue of Trademarks, there was an article about Ron Yeaw (son of Mr. Yeaw “Juggy”) who endowed three awards. Two for his father and one for Mr. Swineheart (http://www. williamson.edu/newsevents/2011-12/three-yeawawards-endowed.htm) Bob Quay told me that after the funeral, he, Bernie Yanavich, and one other student (name unknown) were the last to say goodbye as their job was to fill in the grave. I contacted Ron Yeaw (“Jar”) and asked him if he would write about his days at Williamson and his following days to the present. Hang on!! As I look back at my 14 years at Williamson, as I have done hundreds, if not thousands, of times before, I again realize how fortunate I was to have had the opportunity to spend so many of my young years at the school. Especially after my private life and professional career have given me the chance to see so much of the United States and countries around the world, I realize, even more, how fortunate I was that my father taught at the school. To have had over 220 acres of protected property to play in, and so many ways to enjoy it, was truly a blessing. I lived in the southern half of the house that is immediately north of the Main Building. Jack and Mary Boyd and their daughter Tara (who is my age), lived in the northern half of the house. The 3-story building was heated by a coal furnace that my father and I kept loaded with coal during the winter months. Every month or so, Mr. Caruthers and his crew would dump a load of coal down a chute and through a small window into the basement. The climate in the area ran the full gamut from hot summers to cold winters. In the summer, Tara, Bill, and Veronica Swinehart’s son Bill Jr. (also my age and nicknamed Reds because of his red hair), Ricky and Gail Nielson (the math teacher and football coach Gunner Nielson’s kids) and I would swim in the pond (with its raft in the middle). In the winter, we would ice skate on the pond and sled down the senior path and the road that ran by the gym and Mr. Caruther’s house. I was a constant visitor to the rec room on the first floor of the Main Building directly below my dad’s English classroom. I was a constant annoyance to the students when they would visit the rec room to play pool or ping pong and find me there. On one occasion, one student, tired of having me hog the pool table, threw me out of an open window. I don’t think there was one square inch of the entire property that Reds, Tara, and I didn’t visit. We built many forts in the woods and would investigate as much of the area that we could. Reds, Ricky, and I often played basketball in the old gym above the Brick Shop. We watched the sports events and often traveled on the bus with the teams as they played away games. Halloween was a big event, as we went trick-or-treating to all of the faculty homes. We especially enjoyed visiting Harry Higgins’s home, as he always gave us one or two shiny dimes, a fortune in those days. During the day on both Alumni Day and commencement, I manned a lemonade stand in front of my house. People could take a break from ѡ