Remembering the 1961 Maple Hill High School Junior/Senior Prom

While visiting Kansas earlier this month, my family gathered for dinner at The Blind Tiger Brewery and Restaurant, which is located at the south end of what used to be White Lakes Shopping Center near 37th and Topeka Avenue in Topeka, Kansas.   I didn't recognize the name, but as we drove into the parking lot, I realized that 50 years ago, the restaurant was known as Helen's Catering and Party House.

This above is a current photograph of The Blind Tiger Brewery and Restaurant, which has had some additions since my high school prom 50 years ago.   I remember only the very large stone house at the right.   I don't remember Helen's last name, but I remember her as a very elegant, white-haired lady who played host to many of the area's nicer private parties.

Maple Hill was a town of about 350 when I attended high school there.   The entire high school had only 41 students in 1961 and 1962, my junior and senior years.  The school was built in 1921 and had double the enrollment at that time.   I don't think the town's population was any larger at that time, but the size of families was much larger in the 1920s and 1930s than in the 1950s and 1960s.   The school was consolidated with other Wabaunsee County schools in 1968 and was torn down during the 1990s.

There were 10 students in our class of 1962.   There were 12 students in the class of 1961.   I suppose it wasn't very practical to operate a high school for 40 students, but we received an excellent education from the faculty of six teachers, of which two coached football, basketball and other sports.   One of those faculty members was a full-time music teacher and Maple Hill High School had what I always thought of as a good band, chorus and other music activities.   That was supplemented by Mrs. Lois Hammarlund, who was our church organist and choir director.   She and her brother Edwin Stambaugh had both received excellent musical training at McPherson College in McPherson, Kansas.   But as usual, I digress!

The Junior Class always "sponsored" the prom for the senior class during my school days.   Each of the classes had fund raising projects and made money to sponsor these events.   The junior class of 1962 included five boys and five girls:   Mary Sue Kitt, Claudia Arnold, Sharon Oliver, Patty Holmes and Janice Yount were the girls and Larry Schulte, Art Adams, Jr., twins Horace and Norris Hoobler and myself were the five boys.    I remember our class selling magazines as a fundraiser and we also took our turns sponsoring the concession stand during football and basketball events.   There may have been others.

We began planning the prom after Christmas.   We decided that the theme would be "Evening In Paris."   We made some of the decorations and we ordered others out of school catalogues.   We spent a lot of time during and after school making decorations and signs.  I believe we hired a DJ to provide dance music for the evening---although my memory is not crystal clear on that point.   We may have just had a record player and 45rpms of popular songs like, "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," "I Can't Stop Loving You," "Soldier Boy," "Duke of Earl," "Twist and Shout," "Johnny Get Angry," "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do" and so many others.

I was a saver even then---and in a scrapbook, I have the menu, program, napkin and several snap shots of the evening.   I remember Oney Clark, our MHHS custodian and bus driver, taking us to Topeka several times to meet with Helen at Helen's Catering and Party House, and also to decorate a couple of days prior to the event.   Oney was a lot of fun and probably more permissive than he should have been, but we all liked he and his wife Juanita.

Oney and Juanita Clark on the front porch of their home in Maple Hill, Kansas.

Oney was a cousin of mind and he and Juanita (Arnold) Clark lived either next door or very near us most of the time I was growing up in Maple Hill.   

 

After 50 years, the memories of that "Evening In Paris" are very dull.   I remember that my date for the evening was Claudia Arnold and I remember having a good time---riding the school bus to and from Maple Hill, just insure our safety and that we didn't sneak a Coors into the party :)

 

I don't know why I have so few photographs of the evening.    Perhaps there was a camera malfunction or some other reason, but I'll share with you what photos I have:

 

 Norris Hoobler and Mary Sue Kit.

 

 

Claudia Arnold      

 

 

Mr. and Mrs. John Sandborn.  

Mrs. Ginger Wilson, Band and Choral Music and wife of MHHS principal Jack Wilson.

Arthur Adams, Jr. and his date, Patty Holmes.

 

Class sponsor, Miss Florence Crawford, Paxico, Kansas.

 

Sitting at the left is Oney Clark.   Sitting at the table for four at the right are:  (facing the camera) Ginger Wilson and Merle Lietz (school board member).   With their backs to the camera are Principal Jack Wilson and Mrs. Nora Lietz.

 

I wish I had found these photographs for the 50th Alumni Reunion in June, 2012, but I didn't find them until just recently.    What a great time we had at the Junior/Senior Prom in 1962.    Those were years to remember and look back on with pleasure.

 

Note:   I am looking for a good photograph of Maple Hill High School.   Does anyone have one they would be willing to scan and share via email?    Many thanks!!