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2005 Reunion Speeches

Recollections of The Forties

Bob Tracy

1940: There were 21 CCHS graduates, Sister Mary Grace was the principal, and Mike Link was the basketball coach. No yearbook found, so I was not able to find much information on this year.

1941: There were 17 CCHS graduates and Sister Marie Joseph was the principal. This was the first year that CCHS played in the Iowa State Basketball Tournament. We lost the sub-state final game to Iowa City St. Mary's by five points. It was said that we lost because Tom Toohey had moved to Iowa City from Ottumwa after the 1940 school year and was playing for St. Mary's.

1942: There were 18 CCHS graduates, and Sister Marie Joseph was still the principal. Among these 18 graduates were Bob Carr, Ab Yochum, and Doug Sullivan who are with us tonight. There were 40 boys from CCHS in the service by this time. From the freshman message in the Torch: "With these words of wisdom we leave you with the reminder that green things do grow, and the greener they are the better, so just remember that we have all the more possibilities for the future and that the young sprouts have developed into a verdant growth.” (This sounds like it may have been written by Digger Dawson, class of 1945.)

This was the last year of the Catholic State Basketball Tournament. We had had the option to choose either the Catholic State or the Iowa State Tournament to play in, and when St. Ambrose turned down their bid to play the Catholic State, Central was runner up in the Diocesan tournament and elected to go to the Catholic State tourney.

This was also a year when Joe Mier would go to class from his home by "teach-a-phone". Due to an accident while caddying at the country club in the summer, he had to spend nine months in a cast from his foot clear up to his chest. The telephone company put in a system whereby he could talk to the study hall at school and they could talk to him at his home. He could hear everything going on in the classroom and get his assignments for the next day.

In November of 1942 the draft age was lowered to 18 years and that would take more of a toll on later classes.

1943: This year there were only eight graduates, among them Bill Carr who is with us tonight. The principal was still Sister Marie Joseph. The basketball coach was Father Pound. Pat Savage had been drafted into the Army.

From class history: We were an industrious bunch back in 1939 and we led all of the classes in making money at the school carnival. We were guided in our endeavors by Henry Fabritz as our class president; Lawrence Bradley, vice president; Clifford Weldman, secretary; and Jack Schmitz, treasurer. They went on to become seniors with the likes of Bill Carr, Lawrence Bradley, and Paul Boland leading the basketball team.

1944: There were just eight graduates this year, mostly due to the war, and they joined the classes of 1932 and 1942 as being the smallest classes to graduate from CCHS. They are represented here tonight by Bill Davis. Sister Marie Joseph was the principal, and Gordon Traul and Father Brodrick coached the basketball team. Their basketball team won the Wapello County Tournament.

1945: There were 24 graduates this year, the largest class ever to graduate. The class is represented tonight by Bill Knowles, Fr. Bill Dawson, Don Felker, Ferdinand Riedel, and Bob Vandello. Sister Marie Joseph was still the principal. The Torch was dedicated to the Rev. T.C. Donahue.

Highlights of the year were winning the Wapello County Tournament for the second straight year, and their last game by winning the Southeastern Iowa Tournament, playing under the auspices of the Knights of Columbus, who had so generously helped in their basketball career. During this last year Uncle Sam took his toll too, and called into service Robert Vandello and Darrell Smith, and quite a few others after graduation.

1946: Nineteen graduates this year and the new Principal was St. Mary Grace. Here tonight representing the class is Jim Schwartz and our adopted alumni who moved to Iowa City, Bart Toohey.

The Torch yearbook was dedicated to the memory of those graduates who were killed during WWII. They were George Quinn, 1936; James Burnside, 1937; Bernard Lennon, 1939; Joseph Sullivan, 1939; Robert Bottorff, 1940; Robert Davis 1940; and John McInerney, 1943. Mrs. Burnside had two sons killed in the war. Her son Jack, who went to Ottumwa High, was killed about a month before the war ended. Also from the class of 1945 Frances Barkes was killed in Korea after being in the army a total of six weeks.

The basketball team was coached by Fr. Brodrick and Clare Eddy, who was stationed at the Navy base. Also helping out with Religion class was Fr. Joe Garrity, a six-foot-five Jesuit Marine. He was known as a “straight shooter” because he always had an eraser in one hand and a piece of chalk in the other. If he saw anyone who was not paying attention, he would let go either one with great force. He did not miss his target very often. But he was a great guy and a good friend of ours. He would send a Navy bus in to bring us out to the base for basketball games or other events.

The golf team won the sectional tournament with the help of Jim Schwartz making a bogey five on the last hole, overcoming several harrowing experiences on the way up the fairway.

Highlights of the year were the homecoming dances with St. Paul of Burlington. They had the best-looking girls of any school we played. Also the Operetta, The Forest Prince, held at OHS, hayrack rides, the spring music festival, and basketball tournaments held in Davenport.

1947: Fifteen graduated this year. Sister Mary Grace was the principal and the basketball team was coached by Pat Savage. Margie Stegemann was homecoming queen and the class play was Brother Orchid.

This year the yearbook was upgraded to a hard cover and was dedicated to the basketball coaches throughout the school years. Pat Savage completed ten years out of 18 as a coach this year. He was known for his Knute Rockne locker-room speeches to fire up the team. (If you have a black pocket comb, Bernie Herber would be glad to give you a rendition of one of them.) No one from this class is here tonight.

1948: Seventeen graduates this year. Among them with us tonight are Father Marve Mottet, Don Riley, J. T. Smith, Walt Stegemann, Bernie Herber, and myself. Sister Mary Grace was the principal. The yearbook was dedicated to Monsignor Walsh. Class officers were Marvin Mottet, president; Bernard Herber, vice president; Bob Evitts, secretary; and Don Riley, treasurer. Homecoming Queen was Jeanne Sheehan.

This was the first year that a CCHS team ever got to the state finals in basketball. We lost our first game to Sioux Center by 20 points on St. Patrick's Day but had a great time getting there. We lost Jack Carr after winning the final game in the district because he turned 20 years old. Our unofficial coach Carroll McDonald asked Jack what time he was born and Jack said, “I think it was about 10 o'clock at night.” So Mac said that the game would be over by then, and he played in the district finals. We had a birthday cake hidden in a locker for after the game.

They wouldn't allow Mac to sit on the bench at Iowa City because he was not a teacher in the school, so Fr. Brodrick, who was the official coach, had to sit with the team and Mac sat right up behind us in the stands. During time outs, when the team came to the bench for instructions, Mac would lean over and tell them what he wanted, and Fr. Brodrick was supposed to look like he was talking. Instead he would most of the time be gazing around at the crowd. It's a wonder we all were not thrown out. By the way, two of the cheerleaders that year were Nancy Kent and Ed Wilkinson.

On a sad note, Sr. Mary Grace became very ill about halfway through the year and had to turn over her duties to S. Mary Louise, and she died just before we graduated on April 25, 1948. We lost a wonderful lady that day; she meant a lot to all of us.

A couple of thoughts from the freshman diary: “Today ends my first week of high school. I have learned many things this past week. I never knew before how unimportant Freshmen are." "I am going to take Latin. Wonder if I'll be able to speak it in a few days?"

1949: Fifteen graduated this year, among them Msgr. Bob Schmidt. Sister Mary Louise was principal. The yearbook was dedicated to the businessmen and women of Ottumwa. Class officers were Larry Kitterman, president; Bob Schmidt, vice-president; and Ben Payne, treasurer. Homecoming Queen was Nancy Kent.

From the Seniors: As we look back on these high school days, we realize we have collected an abundance of never-to-be-forgotten lessons, both spiritual and material. We are not unaware of the gratitude we owe Monsignor Walsh, the various priests of our city, the Sisters, and our parents. To those who have supported us so willingly and dealt with us so understandingly, we extend a heart-felt thank you.

Monsignor Walsh retired shortly after school closed for the year and moved to St. Joseph Hospital. All of us who have ever gone to St. Mary's or Catholic Central schools owe an awful lot to this great man. We are all much richer than any amount of money could ever make us. He devoted much of his life trying to make sure that we all amounted to something in our lives.

In closing I would like to set the record straight on something. Our class motto was "Always Ready, Never Late, We're the Class of '48." We were never ready for anything. And as for being late, I would have to pull the guys out of the pool hall too get them to the Y for basketball practice before McDonald got there from work at John Deere.

Thank you.

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