73 Rules!!!!

Nancy Pennington, Evelyn Johnson, Susan Williams
Tommy Graves, Maureen Stacey, Donna Wethington, Kellis Williams on the Larry Don, Lake of the Ozarks
Maureen Stacey and Prom Date

Patti Livingston, Jeanne Monda, Donna Wethington, Candy Sheffield, Liz Ballard signing Year Books

Ahhh High School. We had finally arrived. When my friends and fellow classmates entered High School as Freshmen we sat in envy and admiration of the whole Junior and Senior class. They had some heavy hitters as the most popular and over achievers we had ever gazed upon. From jocks to cheerleaders and Homecoming Queens they had it all, talent, brains and looks, not to mention money. There was always a lot of money due to some of the wealthiest businessmen in our little community.

Our Waynesville High School parking lot boasted some of the sleekest cars ever....that is where I came in. My Dad passed away when I was in the 7th grade so it was just my Mom supporting five kids. A nice (old) neighbor took pity on us and gave me his 1951 Chevy. What a car!!! I waxed that big baby every Saturday night and my friends and I would drag race guys past the A&W Root Beer stand straight on through the stop light before we got to the Ft. Wood military gate! Man those were some good times! I parked that baby of mine right next to hottest sports cars in that school parking lot. She could hold her own to any of them. I don't even want to mention how much money it took to "fill er up" back then.

My car could easily hold six girls as we cruised through main street, around the square then up Waynesville hill and circled "Curleys" drive in. On school days my little sister Debbie made me drop her off one block before the Junior High so her fellow cheerleaders wouldn't see her get out of my car. There was plenty of other "odd" cars in the school parking lot besides mine. I remember Alford Corely (later became a movie star of Dynasty) drove the first Volkswagen Beetle, making it a "cool" car to drive.

The High School seemed enormous to us Freshman after attending our small Jr High but it wasn't long till be made it ours. Our homecoming called for some of the biggest floats you have ever seen. With the Homecoming Queen and her Court riding in the latest sports cars right off the biggest car lots. The whole town got into the festivities. High School Sport Events were a big deal back then. Everybody got into the action, from Churches to businesses and government.

Our School had a lot of pride too. We worshipped our athletes and envied our cheerleaders. If cheer leading wasn't your style then "Drill Team" was. That was where my friends and I made a nice fit. We were all in Drill Team. Donna, Maureen, Candy and I wore our little black and orange skirt outfits with orange knee highs (I think they were orange) and of course our Pom Poms. One year we all wore beautiful white muffs during the Christmas Parade. Man that brings back a lot of memories.

Thinking back on it I don't think any of my friends (of course including myself) were ever voted a Homecoming candidate. If I am wrong won't someone please correct me? It didn't matter you see because there were three types of classes in our High School. Most Popular...this was held for all jocks and cheerleaders and their best friends, then there was the middle class popular, meaning the most popular could be seen talking to them on a Saturday night but were never invited to any of their parties and then there was the lower class popular where they were ostracized from any verbal or physical communication with the most popular crowd. I can tell you right now there were some wonderful kids in that lower class. I feel blessed to be from the middle. It allowed us to relate to both classes and I think we are all the better for it.

Our High School offered opportunities for all of us, from Athletic Scholarships, DECA for business majors, Drama (some of the best plays/musicals I have ever seen) and journalism. Graphic Arts was my passion and I wrote for the great WA MO High newspaper. That class gave me wonderful experience in writing and photography. We also had the best Vocational program ever, offering everything from wood working to nursing. Outlying schools were bussed in for vocational training.

Our fellow classmate from 1973, Liz Ballard was one of the many talented artist that painted the huge Waynesville Tiger mascot on the entire front of the vocational building and can still be seen there today.

The kids from the class of 73 were great kids and I had the chance to attend our 30th reunion. We had seen each other through the first days of grade school. I won't mention how cute little Terry Schultz was in the first grade wearing a big old sheriffs badge or the valentine I worked on for weeks for Max Davis (he was a cutie too) or Manfred Dunkins dimples or Buddy Mays and John Alvarez's blue eyes.

The Prom is over for the class of 73 but now when we get the chance to meet or by chance run into each other there is no pretentiousness, just family getting to see family. That's what we have become....family. Anytime you share your whole childhood with others your age there will always be that bonding. We lived it all together. I hope your teenage years were as good and memorable as mine was. I had the best times, the best friends and the best school a girls could ask for. Meet you after sixth period.....Aunt Onie