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Jim Cejka
Just read through the entire Message Forum and OD’d on nostalgia. Having gotten over my CHS shyness, I figured I’d throw in my 2 cents worth and catch up. Bear with me, it’s a little long -
The Custer conundrum et al - I go with the street name thing with one twist - the original Custer was on Custer Ave, right next to 36th St. School, on, of course, 36th St. Actually the 2 took up the entire block, so the names basically indicated on which street the front door was on (my mother and family grew up a block away, hence the history).
Granville etc - I grew up in Grandma’s house right on the corner of 35th and Silver Spring (where the bus stop bent the corner round). Originally, SS was the northern edge of MKE, you folks living north of SS were out-of-towners, so you got sent to that out-of-town school, Browning.
Bill Carlson was the original high tech weatherman, hand-drawing fronts on his big map. Would love to show old movies to the Weather Channel folks and see their reaction.
I was in the band and orchestra, as far as I can remember, I believe Glory to Custer was homemade, written by some former Custerite or band leader. Speaking of the band, when I was in band at 36th St School and Edison was Custer, Mr. Thom let me come over through the tunnel and practice with the CHS band. By the time I actually got to (the new) Edison, I was tired of clarinet and switched to bassoon.
Ahh, Miss Kapp and Miss Rock; What I remember of Miss Kapp was how she was always stuffing that little white hankie into her blouse or up her sleeve. Anybody remember having to copy all those blackboards full of Miss Rock’s weekly assignments?
I remember Ms Freshwater’s party.
I remember the trips to the downtown library – on the streetcar. Same with music lessons Saturday mornings at Girls Tech.
Patty – irregardless is a word, in the standard Milwaukee dictionary. I learned after leaving that you could always ID a Milwaukeean when they said irregardless, bubbler, davenport, front room, make out the lights, or played sheepshead.
Smith Park was my haunt. Innocence before body fluid awareness. You guys remember the 4th of July parade with all our decorated wagons, and ice cream at the end?
The car races - Custer had the best natural drag strip in the city, Sherman Blvd from Villard to the back entrance to McGovern Park. Go lights, ¼ mile, no traffic.
Nobody mentioned the Tastee Freez on Hopkins, around Custer Ave or Rohr. Must stop on the way to swimming at McGovern.
Cruising the Ave (WI) in Bill Gregorius’s really cool blue 55 Ford convertible.
Almost getting killed when I put the ding-dong bell in my dad’s new Pontiac. (He later wore it out playing with it.)
Wasn’t the pizza place on Capital and Appleton called Giuseppe’s Pizza? And I agree, there is no good pizza place like Mamma Mia’s or Giuseppe’s here in CA.
Garry – 2 R’s too many for the Army? Try a name like CEJKA. Actually, it worked pretty good when I was in the Navy. When they called out for “volunteers” they would mispronounce it so bad I could, with a straight face, say they never called me.
Protests and movies – when I came back from Vietnam, I went straight to school at Cal State, Long Beach. A ‘Nam vet on a CA campus in 1967-68. Couldn’t grow my hair fast enough. Still don’t go to see any movies more violent than Sound of Music.
Weather – took me 3 years after moving “up north” (Phillips, WI) to realize WI has 2 seasons, lawn mowing and snow shoveling. CA - (Eureka... I have found it)
Veterans – WWII, all vets – are fascinating people. I’m now a service officer and work as a volunteer with the San Diego County Veterans Service Office. Meeting, sharing, and helping them is an incredible experience.
So, I think I’m caught up now. Maybe we should have a CA CHS reunion. I hereby invite you to come to San Diego and reunite on my aircraft carrier.
Anybody coming out here for the Packer/San Diego game on Aug 9? There’s still tickets.
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