Purple and Gold Forever
                                                            By Gene Behler

We came together from St Mary’s, from South, West, and Central schools and from several country schools. Marjorie Buell and Irene Jacox joined us from Genoa-Kingston, Dave Jones from Chardon High School, Darlene Keller from Sterling, Donna Rogers from Streator, Georgia Sloniker from Malta, Wanda and Wilda Stiles from DeKalb and Harlan Scott from Wyoming, Illinois.

Our parents were farmers, doctors, dentists, nurses, tool and die makers, factory workers, school administrators and small business owners.

It was a time of peace and prosperity. The Korean War was ending and no one had heard of Vietnam. We knew little of class distinctions, racial injustice, unemployment or poverty. Maybe we were naïve…our lives sheltered from the harsh reality of life in the great heartland of America. Naïve or not, it was a great time to be a teenager and Sycamore, Illinois was a great place to live.

We respected and admired our teachers…and they cared for us.

Among our early experiences in the high school building was discipline as dispensed by Miss Cora Christian. She got us off to a good start. She was tough and demanding…at the same time, no teacher was more beloved or respected. In my mind’s eye, I can still see that little blue-haired lady walking the lower hallways.

Some of the staff was known to us by their first names: there was Sally and Pete and Vern and Cliff.

Others were and would always be Mr. Hauswald, Mr. Shrout, Miss Adams, Mr. Muns, Mr. Scott, Mr. Greathouse, Coach Wennlund, and Miss Miner.  

Henderson’s, Lahti’s and Anderson Brothers tried to keep us in style. Remember the pink and black craze and poodle skirts? Still, a well-dressed boy wore Levis and a white tee shirt (jockey if he could afford them) with sleeves rolled up just one turn. Girls typically wore sweaters and long skirts.

We ate lunch at Couch’s or the school cafeteria. After school and on weekends we spent time at the park, the White Pines, Duval Drive-in Threate, the roller rink, Dairy Queen, the State, Egyptian and DeKalb theatres.

We were there when Teen Town started in 1953.

Tony’s was our favorite meeting place after school and throughout the year. We were welcomed and encouraged to loiter. Sitting on the mailbox in front of Tony’s was a favorite past time of most boys. Both boys and girls enjoyed cruising State Street.

The Oaks Drive-in in DeKalb, which was run by Ron Salemi’s extended family, was a popular nighttime destination.

We did not vandalize cars, trash restrooms, or start fights at football games or come to school drunk. By today’s standards, I guess we were not very exciting.

Of course, there was the “Foster Field” incident. Some of you look perplexed…you don’t remember the “Foster Field” incident? Big Jim Foster, using equipment for lining the football field, made eight-foot tall letters on the blacktop west of the football field proclaiming it “Foster Field.” School officials were not happy. It took Jim a while to scrub the area clean.  

To be expelled was probably the most serious thing that could happen to a student. Yet I can recall only one threatened expulsion in four years although I am sure there were others. One of our members, who was a fine student and all-around solid citizen, was sent home. His “crime” was that he wore side-burns. He was told that he would be expelled if the side-burns weren’t cut. Remember, these were the days before Elvis and the Beatles came to world prominence. He shaved his side-burns that afternoon.

Our athletic teams were pure excitement. In fact, in many ways, 1955-1956 was the year of the athlete. Our teams excelled in every sport. Many of our players are legends in Sycamore sports history.

The football team went 9-0. It was the first time any Sycamore football team had gone undefeated. Bob Lindgren, Mark Johnston, Gary Holland and Bert Fredrick were named all-state. Other team leaders were John Clark, Dave Drenckpohl, John Dunmore, Jim Foster, John Florent, Dick Henigan, Pat O’Connor, Joe Peplow, Bob Quigley, Chuck and Fred Sibley, Jerry Thomas, Elmer Troutman, Jimmy Tucker and Danny Warner.

Leading the cheers were Sharon Dunlap, Nancy Reh, and Jane Henry.

Homecoming was especially memorable.

We worked hard on the homecoming floats. They were not always works of art but they were built with great enthusiasm and effort. There was A Cappella’s “We’re expecting a victory”, The Leaves’ “Buzzin’ to victory”, FAA‘s “We’ll bulldoze Dundee”, and the first place winner, the DO Club’s “We’ll swallow all but dee-feet.”

The bonfire at East School was spectacular. Afterwards, the student body snake danced its way from East School through the business district, to include Bergie’s, Morrie’s, and Snyder’s Taverns (how bold), enoute to the theatre to see that great western movie High Noon.

Jeannie Askins was our homecoming queen. Among the beauties in her court were Sandy Gustafson, Alice Cudden, Sharon Dunlap, Nancy Neiwold, Elsie Wavelet, Kathy Leinauer, Nancy Hardesty, Lois Lloyd, and Nita Campbell.

We whipped Dundee 34-6 in the football game.

Among those Homecoming Committee members responsible for organizing and coordinating the many homecoming events were Don Smith, Karen Hilstrom, Ann Coan, Joyce Elliott, Darlene Frantum, Nancy Hardesty, and Barbara Ouimet.

We were proud of our basketball team too. They went 21-6 and were Little Seven Conference champions. Three of the losses, to include the last game of the season, were at the hands of our dreaded rival DeKalb. Among the leaders on the team were Jack Lindstrom, George Thomas, Ron Bowman, and Gene Behler.

We were fortunate to have a dance after every home football game and many home basketball games. Many of us were high at those dances--high on winning and high on life. Never on alcohol or drugs. In fact, most had never heard of marijuana. A fixture at most school dances was Jimmy Johnson and his band. They worked hard to learn the hottest new pop songs…occasionally they were successful.

A favorite dance for many was the Sadie Hawkins Dance, a culmination of the annual TWIRP Week. The girls invited the boys and we all dressed as country bumpkins. I suppose kids today would find it beneath them. We thought it was fun. Does anyone remember what TWIRP stands for?

The Woman Is Required to Pay.

The theme for the GAA Dance in January was “My Blue Heaven.” The Junior-Senior Prom theme was appropriately entitled “Memories”.

Do you remember who said, “I washed my feet today and now I can’t do anything with them?” It was Jim “Mongie” Carlson in the class play…a comedy called “Turn Back the Clock”. Other cast members included Charlene Albrecht, Roberta Anderson, Elaine Benson, Dorothy Hodge, and Carol Stroburg.

The success of the play can be attributed, in great measure, to the outstanding work of people behind the scenes--the Class Play Committee that included Dorothy Arneson, Arliss Buzzell, Phyllis Carlson, Pat Crosby, Sally Davis, Janice Erlewine, Margaret Jennings, Lois Hindenburg, Ethel Jolly, Alta Kuntz, Elizabeth Miller, Karen Olson, Norma Sabel, Carol Wilkin, and Imogene Wilson.

While we had an abundance of gifted athletes, our school also was blessed with a number of gifted scholars. John Clark comes immediately to mind. He did some work on something called polymer resins. Later, we found out that that was the scientific name for the stuff used to make bobble head dolls. Seriously, John was ahead of his time in his polymer resin research--quite an accomplishment for a high school senior.

Other outstanding scholars were Orrin Vandeburg, Ken Swanson, Gloria Johnson, Louise Emenheiser, Pat Cretsinger, Dorothy Becker, and Loretta Astling.

Just as smart but in a different way were the students studying in the Diversified Occupations or DO program. They learned life skills studying and working at local business and industry. Participants in this program included Bob Campbell, Kent Carlson, Terry Fleetwood, Bill Fraedrich, Jackie Mabel, and Lauralee Maveus.

Our band, led by Mr. Brand, while not flashy, was composed of solid, competent musicians who routinely turned in strong performances. They marched with precision and played flawlessly. Clearly, they were the pride of the school and its parents. Outstanding among the band and its auxiliaries were Frances Blade, Phyllis Eggers, Phyllis Gorbet, John Holcomb, Sally Middleton, and Ralph Muns.

We wonder if the class soothsayer got any of the class prophecies right. Remember these prophecies:

--John Denby will be holding lectures on the advantages and disadvantages of attending class regularly.

--Evelyn Hall will quietly settled down and run the old homestead farm.

--Nancy Martin will raise her own corps of waves and sailors.

--Ken Parsons will still be driving his 1956 Ford.

--Ken Raymond will be teaching American history in Sycamore’s suburb of DeKalb.

Unfortunately, along the way, some of our friends left us before graduation. Yet they are an important part of our story. Included are Barbara Miller, June Balsis, Sally Lease, Floyd Worden, the late James Kerwin, Jack Daniels, Don Kendall, Gary Jeffries, Mary Crosby, Jack Masterson, Dick Nordgren, the late Harold Campbell, Delores Carey, Marlene Elliott, Gayla McMillian, Loralee Edwards, Patty Baker, Dick Berquist, Bob and Shirley McCall, the late Stuart Hammett, Ivan Jones, Miriam Hubbard, the late Irving (Peanut) Shott and Charles Gibbens.

And we honor and will always remember thirteen classmates who are no longer with us. They are Frances (Blade) Hartman, Marjorie (Buell) Harris, Juanita (Campbell) Schou, Jim Carlson, John Clark, John Dunmore, Phyllis (Eggers) Knudson, Jim Foster, Darlene (Frantum) Swanson, Jane (Henry) Hudson, Bob Lindgren, Norma (Sabel) Johnson, and Jim Tucker.

Tonight we have captured just a few highlights in hopes of stirring memories of a wonderful time long, long ago. We had many other great teams, events, activities, and school organizations. Let us keep these memories and the good times they represent alive always.

Today, a grocery store and a fast food restaurant sit where our proud high school once stood. Apartment buildings stand where we once played on our field of dreams.

Purple and gold no longer adorn the uniforms of our mighty Spartans. But for me, it will be purple and gold forever. 

Tribute to a Small Town--

Sycamore, Illinois

________________

 By Gene R. Behler

(11-05-05)

 

 

In the winter of my years, I often find myself looking back fondly to the days of my youth.  I grew up in the 1950s in Sycamore, Illinois. While I know that memories often improve with age, still I do not believe there was a better time or place to grow up. 

 

If you drive due west from Chicago on North Avenue (State Route 64) through Elmhurst and St. Charles after about 55 miles you’ll find yourself in Sycamore.  It’s a prosperous, well-kept community of 11,000 people.  Its claim to fame is the annual Pumpkin Fest; Marilyn’s Majorettes, a group of young baton twirlers; and being the county seat of DeKalb County.

 

Sycamore lies on the banks of the Kiswaukee River.  There must have been an abundance of Sycamore trees in the area thus the town’s name.  In the 1950s its population was about 7,000.

 

The charm of Sycamore in the early 1950s was as much a function of the times as it was the place.  While the Korean War was underway, it seemed so remote and far away that it didn’t seem to touch many people. Its sights and sounds didn’t come into our homes in living color every night. That “pleasure” came later with Vietnam.     

 

Despite the war or “police action” as it was called by the government, it was generally a time of peace and prosperity.  As teenagers in high school, we knew little of class distinctions, racial injustice, unemployment or poverty. Maybe we were naïve--sheltered in the great American heartland from the harsh realities of the real world.  Naïve or not, it was a great time to be a teenager and Sycamore was a great place to live.

 

As in most small towns, schools were the center of most community activity. 

We respected and admired our teachers and they cared about us. 

 

Even today, my classmates talk with reverence about our physics teacher, the late Walter Hauswald, everyone’s teacher of every year; and Pete Johnson, the consummate motivator, who led 33 young men to Sycamore High School’s first ever undefeated football season in 1955; and a beloved blue haired lady named Cora Christian (now deceased) who ran the junior high school with an iron fist.  There were other great teachers but everyone I know had the greatest respect and admiration for these three remarkable teachers.   

 

In those days, a call from the school office to a parent about a child’s negative behavior or poor grades was taken very seriously. To be expelled was clearly the worst thing that could happen to a student. Yet, I can recall few expulsions in my four years in high school.  One threatened expulsion comes immediately to mind.  A fine student and all-around solid citizen named John was sent home for the serious offense of wearing side-burns.  He was told that he would be expelled if the side-burns weren’t cut.  Remember, this was before the Beatles and Elvis came into prominence. John shaved his side-burns.   

 

Clearly the most important aspect of the time was that people trusted and respected each other.  As kids, we didn’t vandalize cars, trash restrooms, start fights at football games and dances or come to school drunk.  By today’s standards, I guess we weren’t very exciting.

 

But we were welcomed throughout the community.  For example, Tony’s soda fountain, in the heart of the business district, was our favorite meeting place after school and throughout the year.  We were welcomed and encouraged to loiter.  Both kids and adults frequented Tony’s without incident. 

 

It seems that today’s kids have to buy their entertainment and, therefore, money is necessarily a major factor in their lives.  We didn’t have the distractions that today’s youngsters “enjoy.”  There was no cable TV, PlayStation2, DVD players, TIVO or Blockbuster.  Despite these wonderful innovations, the prevailing attitude among many of today’s young people is “there’s nothing to do around here.”

 

Money was rarely important in our finding “something to do”.  As a result, economic means had little or nothing to do with a youngster’s social success.  Going to the prom wasn’t a major investment, as it often is today, nor were any of the other school activities.

 

We had inexpensive ways to entertain ourselves. For example, we had a dance after every home football game and many of our home basketball games. It cost little or nothing to get in.  A few years after my graduation in 1956, the school was forced to limit the number of dances and tightly control entrance and exit because of alcohol and drug problems.

 

A recreation and social activity center called Teen Town was established in 1953 for teenagers.  It was open several nights a week and cost of membership was nominal.  Teens gathered there to dance, play ping pong or other table games, or just hang-out.  It was located in the basement of the Community Center.  In the late 1950s it closed because of a variety of problems. 

 

Sycamore’s close proximity to Chicago with its outstanding zoos, museums, shopping, great restaurants and professional sports teams was and is a great advantage.  Many attractions were free and the traffic, especially on the weekends, was minimal.  Without the benefit of interstate highways, you could be in downtown Chicago in about an hour.  Certainly, Chicago with its many attractions is still available.  But massive growth of the suburbs, heavy traffic, high costs, and crime make it considerably less desirable.   

 

Few kids had after school jobs in the 1950s.  There just weren’t many jobs available.  Some young ladies found work as car hops at drive-in restaurants.  Drive-ins were far more than places just to get something to eat.  They were social centers where boy met girl and friendships and romances often bloomed.  Most were stops on everyone’s evening cruise itinerary.

 

In the summer, anyone who wanted to work could find employment with the DeKalb Agricultural Association.  The Ag, as it was commonly known, hired large numbers of boys and girls to fill its detasseling crews.  The Ag was recently absorbed by the Monsanto Company.  

 

Detasselers, as the kids were called, pulled out tassels from the corn stalks as they rode large detasseling machines across the Ag’s corn fields.  Detasseling was a critical step in the process of developing DeKalb Hybrid Seed Corn.  Although they earned only minimum wage, most kids got at least two weeks work and many got more.

 

Most used their detasseling wages to purchase clothes and supplies for the upcoming school year.  More important, kids learned what was expected of them in their first real jobs and how to get along with others.  For me, it laid the foundation for a strong work ethic that has been part of my personality these many years.

 

I learned to play golf in Sycamore—though not very well.  Kids whose parents lived in the Sycamore Park District, which encompassed the entire town, could play golf for free each Tuesday and Thursday morning.  A few friends and I found some old golf sticks and played often.

 

No one went along with us to ensure that we didn’t damage the golf course.  The park superintendent trusted us.  I can’t recall a single incident where there were problems with the kids.

 

It was great fun and stimulated an interest in the game that is with me even now.   Too bad that there aren’t more programs similar to Sycamore’s available today.  But to run such a program today would require considerable adult supervision.  I can’t image any course letting a group of children play unsupervised as we did.  The risk would be too great.

 

If one of your parents worked for Sycamore's biggest employer, Anaconda Wire and Cable Company, you could swim for free in the Sycamore Park’s outdoor pool.  Anaconda picked up the tab.

 

The park was on the east edge of town. Our house was more than a mile away on the west side.  Often my sisters and I would jump on our bicycles, holler to mom that we were going swimming, and not come back until we were ready.  No one seemed to worry about our absence.  People felt safe and secure in Sycamore.

 

(That feeling of apparent safety vanished in December 1957 with the abduction and murder of a youngster.  The age of perceived innocence in Sycamore ended with this tragedy.)

  

For many children the highlight of the summer was the annual Anaconda picnic.  The company provided everything to eat plus a variety of rides, contests and other activities.  There were unlimited ice cream bars and pop-cycles in addition to the traditional fare of fried chicken, sweet corn, and baked beans. What a treat that was for a boy like me whose family had ice cream only on special occasions.

 

At Christmas time, Anaconda gave each family a turkey and each child got a stocking full of Christmas candy.  It doesn’t sound like much now but for many families it helped make a merry Christmas.  I’m sure that other companies had programs similar to Anaconda’s.

 

In the 1950s the Anaconda Company, parent of Sycamore’s Anaconda Wire and Cable Company, was one of the Dow Jones Industrial 30.  No longer—it was absorbed by one of the oil companies after the “energy shortage” of the early 1970s.  Its sprawling factory complex, once home to over 500 employees, now sits mostly dark and silent.  It closed in 1983 or 1984.  Gone too are Duplex Products and Essex Wire.

         

One of the great things about Sycamore was that if you weren’t going to college, there were plenty of employment opportunities in town or nearby.  Sycamore had several thriving industries.  In addition to Anaconda, Duplex and Essex, it also was home to Ideal Industries, Turner Brass, Holub Industries, and DeKalb Ag.  Plus only five miles away was the city of DeKalb with its major employers Wurlitzer, General Electric, and Northern Illinois University.

 

Most jobs were blue-collar jobs that wouldn’t make a person wealthy.  But the pay was adequate and most people were able to afford nice homes, occasional new cars, and yearly vacations.

 

Lake Delavan, Wisconsin, was especially favored by folks from Sycamore as a summer vacation destination.  About an hour away, it was convenient, clean, fishing was good, and people were friendly.  It was sort of a poor man’s Lake Geneva--its much better known companion lake a few miles to the east.

  

My best friend’s aunt and uncle owned a cottage on the south shore of Lake Delavan.  We spent many weekends swimming, boating, and trying to meet the young ladies (mostly from Chicago) who vacationed there in great numbers.

 

Of course, the many other lakes of Wisconsin and the lakes of Minnesota and Michigan were relatively close and attracted many from Sycamore.

 

Contributing to the general good feeling of the times was my high school class--the Class of 1956.  Our 95 members included some terrifically talented athletes and scholars.

 

Our mighty Spartan football team, coached by Pete Johnson, went 9-0 in the 1955 season whipping Little Seven power houses like Wheaton, Naperville, and Dundee.  As previously mentioned, it was the first time in school history that Sycamore had produced an undefeated football team. Before he retired, Johnson had a remarkable eight undefeated seasons.  The 1955-1956 basketball team enjoyed great success too with an outstanding 21-6 record.

 

Could there have been a better time or place to grow up than the 1950s in Sycamore, Illinois?  I don’t think so.  It was a great time to be a teenager.  There was trust among people, we felt safe in our community, our parents weren’t concerned about their jobs being downsized or shipped overseas, young folks seemed happy with their lives, and there was hope for the future.     

 

As the sign at the entrance to the city once proclaimed “Life Offers More in Sycamore.”  It certainly did in the 1950s and maybe it does today too.