Be aware, the "Message Forum" is NOT password protected.  Unlike profiles that are password protected, anybody who gets to this webpage can see what is written here.  Nobody can contact you directly based on this forum unless you reveal your personal contact information.  Use the "Message Center" for sharing personal contact information with another classmate.

This message forum is an ongoing discussion about anything and just about everything ... within reason.  One thing our class was good at was having opinions.  Almost 70 years of life experience certainly qualifies us as experts on most everything!   Ask a question ... give an opinion ... share some insights ... it's our web site, it's our forum.  That said, it's probably not a good idea to get into arguments about politics, religion, and the like.  While we're experts on everything, we also have a wide range of values and beliefs. This site belongs to all of us ... the whole range ... and we are not here to isolate, alienate, or subjugate anybody.  Of course insults, humiliation, sophomoric barraggadocio, and demented humor is expected behavior among some of us less mature people.
 

Lauren Dieterich

Anytime that I spend more than a day in Milwaukee; I stay at the house on 36th St. The area doesn't look bad when you're driving; but, if you walk; you get to see how bad a lot of the houses really look. A lot of the houses are bank foreclosures; but, you usually don't see any for sale signs; for the bank owned houses.

Two of my brothers and myself would just as soon sell the house for whatever we can get ( which will be about half of what it's assessed at ). But, my older brother will stay there until he dies.

I was married in the German church on 36th and Rohr. Now, that church and North Trinity church across from Edison on 37th St are both black churchs.

Jim Cejka

We lived at 35th and Silver Spring when the streetcars were still running. One of the highlights was watching the conductors trying to reverse the electric ends when it was raining. Sparks like the 4th of July. If the conductor would let us, Mike Stein ('61) and I would go on board and help reverse the seats, and if the conductor was really nice, he'd let us stamp on that pedal on the floor and ring the bell. There is a picture at the East Troy Trolley Museum of a streetcar standing there with our house in the background.

How many times did I roller skate or ride my bike around those blocks and miss everybody.

My first job was setting pins in the bowling alleys in the basement of North Trinity church. 

And Bill, your son is right. When I was a deputy for Waukesha County, the only time I would carry my gun off duty was when I visited my mother. (Actually caught some kids stealing stuff from the gas station that replaced Bergeman's.)

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

I just watched the video "Dear Mke" on the home page. Thanks for sharing it, Jeanne! Makes me homesick for those nice warm summer Milwaukee nights, and days strolling through one of the great Milwaukee parks along the river. I could almost smell Lake Michigan. Of course, I notice they didn't include any shots of people digging out from a snowstorm, or those nice Spring days with slush-filled streets. :-)

William Nelson

Jim,

When were you a deputy for Waukesha County? My wife's nephew, Charlie Elftman, just retired from that position a couple of months ago. As I mentioned, our son, Eric, is a Mukwonago cop and his wife, Niki, is a Waukesha cop. They all knew each other from various interactions within their jobs as well as through family ties. Small world!

Barbara Blair (Brenzel)

Terri, the smell from Lake Michigan isn't quite what it used to be!  I still work three days/week & take 794 over the Hoan Bridge.  Not pleasant!!

I lived on the corner of 36th & Thurston & also am content with looking at the house on Google Earth.  The house looks good but quite different than when I lived there.

I think we all lived in a very special time.

Kenneth Pallaske

Happy Father's Day!

Jim Cejka

Thanks Ken. Back at graduation, did we think much that we'd really be fathers some day? Or now, fathers of fathers? 

Lauren Dieterich

When we graduated, I never thought that I'd see the turn of the Millennia; yet alone see 70. My family has a bad habit of not making it past 66.

Jim Cejka

Lauren, with my family it was 63. I retired when I could at 62, figuring/hoping to outdo my dad and get at least a year of retirement time. Been lucky so far.

Lauren Dieterich

Jim, 

  I was forced into retirement. The company that I worked for; Sparton Technology;  closed the plant, there. We made wiring harness' ( mostly for city type buses ) and Sonobuoys for the Navy. I had worked my way up to inspector for the harness'; when the plant closing came. The State sent people from 8 different departments; to tell us what they could do for us. As Foghorn Leghorn says " it's a joke son " I was 62; but, was able to hold out until I was a little past 63; before applying for S/S. About a month after I stopped working, there; Compass Components bought the place; they also made wiring harness'. They reopened the place with a small work force of ex-employees. I guess that I could have gone back; but, by then, I had decided to move back to Milwaukee.

Jim Cejka

OK Wisconsin people, chew on this. You all knew it already, right?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/20/wisconsin-best-food-beer_n_5429225.html

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

Yes, yes, Jim - all those things are so, so true. But guess what was on the local evening news in the Bay Area today;

http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/428360/ed-stansel/2014-06-18/pliny-elder-voted-best-beer-america-sixth-year-row

Jim Cejka

But have you noticed, Terri, that Wisconsin is Terra Incognito to the other 49 and probably the world. Once Milwaukee was no longer the city that beer made famous, WI dropped off the map. 

Put another way, does "Pliny the Elder" sound like it would go good with a nice grilled brat?

Jim Cejka

My nomination for the Custer class of '62 T-shirt. To be worn at all appropriate occassions, if you remember.

Barbara Blair (Brenzel)

Jim, love that tee shirt!  I would wear it proudly!

Barb

Kenneth Pallaske

Jim/Barbara,

What does "Custer class of '62" mean?

Jim Cejka

OK. Did I over sleep or something? There's like 9 Christmas chick-flicks on TV tonight.

It's 100 degrees, no snow, what gives?

Lauren Dieterich

I've been in Michigan for 7 weeks, now.; that's almost half way. We'll go back to Arizona in roughly 9 weeks. We are freezing. We've had maybe 4 days in the upper 80's; and, it's rained about half the time that we've been here, too.

The street in front of the house is being repaved. It's one big mud puddle. It's a total replacement; new water mains, gas lines, and both sanitary and storm sewers. The dirt is graded every night so that we can get into our driveways. But, you had better be out before 6:30 in the morning; or, you're not getting out until they are done for the day. That, and for the last few days; you had better have 4-wheel drive; because of the mud.

Back to the temperature. I keep track of the weather in Bullhead City; and, the coolest daytime temp ( since we left ) has been a balmy 102. More often, it's been 110 or higher; and, no rain.

Garry Sellers

Did somebody wake up Ken from his hybernation?  Did the snow bank in front of his house finally melt?  Any other snow banks left, please ship them to California.  Terri needs the water.  Jon is wilting.  You Midwesterners must be laughing your heads off.  As Nancy says, you have more dew in the morning than we do rain in our "rainy season"!

Melody Jones (Parker)

Garry

   Terri isn't the only one who needs the water!!!

Jim Cejka

Come on Melody. I was watching the weather on News10 last week or so and they showed a cloud up your way once.

Terri Levenhagen (Hoornstra)

Ahhh - nature tortures us in the Bay Area with the fog rolling in most nights, covering our skies with clouds - clouds without a drop of rain ever to fall from them. We have even experienced something alien to us in the past two days: HUMIDITY! My hairdo is re-assuming its Wisconsin curly style. Truly, the climate is changing!

Jeanne Zinser (Gottschalk)

Would if we could...send some of our rain to CA! We've had more than we need in the past couple of weeks. Wisconsin's "state bird," the mosquito, is thriving! And Terri, humidity is not an unknown quantity in our neck of the woods. My arthritic body will testify to that fact. 

Melody Jones (Parker)

Jim,

   Those clouds are just teasers!

Terri,

   We should be careful of what we wish for; I hear an El Nino is coming this winter...we might be like Jeanne next spring, complaining about TOO MUCH rain!  You can get too much of a good thing.                             

Barbara Blair (Brenzel)

My container plants are looking rather ill due to so many hard rains we've had here.  Tonight is the South Shore Water Frolics & they have just outstanding fireworks but it has been soooooo gray all day- am hoping that it doesn't rain tonight.

I have noticed that my back hurts more when the sun disappears.  Still have to take a strong anti-inflamatory but no pain pills.  No more therapy either - I do go for a back massage once a week.  Really tough to take!  Still doing the exercises every day.  Bought some good running shoes (not that I plan to do any running) & I've started walking - other than "to & from" & "to & from".

We're supposed to suffer the results of another Polar Vortex next week - down to 40 at night.  This weather is so unpredictable.  Air conditioning one day & we could turn on the heat the next.  I'm going up "nort" next week & am hoping the Polar Vortex is very fast moving!