Class of 1953 -------------
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Photograph provided for scanning by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953.
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Class of 1953 as 6th graders, May, 1947.
Photograph provided by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953
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Material made available for scanning by Clarice Wicks, class of 1953.
The musical world of Ed Livingston
Ed Livingston went on after graduating from Godwin to pursue a career in music. He returned
for a while in the role of teacher, something fairly common for some of Godwin's better
students. Up to 1950, Charles Saur was known to offer certain students jobs at Godwin after
they finished their studies to become teachers.
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World's largest tuba
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Material made available for scanning by Bob McCarthy, class of 1953.
Clemetine
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Material provided for scanning by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953
Swanee Jubilee
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Material provided by Paul Haskin, class of 1953
Dated February 19, 1953, and performed by the Godwin High School choir, minstral shows are on their way out by this time. But up to 1963 there was apparent just one black in Godwin.
Hilarity House
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Material provided for scanning by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953
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Material provided for scanning by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953
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Senior Banquet
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Material provided by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953
Class of 1953 Baccalaureate Service
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Commencement program
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Material provided by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953
Class trip
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Material provided by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953
Class trips had a long tradition at Godwin, dating to at least 1929, with the locally famous trip to Yellowstone. Somewhere between 1953 and 1963 the trips stopped being held. Just why is not clear. It might be that class sizes were simply getting too large to be manageable, or perhaps that social norms were changing. It might well have been the expense, although Godwin became more affluent in the 1960s as the local GM stamping plant became more prosperous.
In any case, class trips were alive and well in 1953 yet.
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Material provided by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953
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Elena Carpenter and Clarice Wicks.
Miss Lewis, Mrs. Kastner, Mr. Sikkema.
Mr. Sikkema.
Tom Rhoades, Don Brecker, Ronnie Parsons.
Material provided by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953
Rose Russo, class of 1953, provides the following photographs:
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Joan Clawson, Joan Norton.
Left: Jim Cullin, Joan Clawson. Right: Rose Russo, Kay Koster, Joan Norton.
Left: Joan Clawson, Rose Russo. Right: Kay Koster, Joan Norton, Reta Ward, Rose Russo.
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Left Top: lft - rt : Yvonne Cady, Ardis Leggett, Bill Lewis,
Bonnie Cady, Eldean Horton
Sr. Class Trip 1953
Right Top: Bill Conklin, Bill Nogar
Sr. Class Trip 1953
Material provided by Rose Russo, class of 1953
Miscellaneous graduation items
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Material provided by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953
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The two previous items highlight the sad fact that the original photographs are
incomparably better than the newspaper images made from them. Sadly, the school's
historical archives are long gone, and but for the photographs in the hands of
individuals the newspaper versions are all remain. Large numbers of photographs
were taken at every event. Some were used to make up the class annuals, but
vast numbers of others were not used, and would hopefully have just been
stored somewhere. But they weren't.
Material provided by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953
King for a day and a court that's all women. How good can it get?
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Material provided by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953
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Material provided by John Spoelman, class of 1951, and Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953
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Material provided for scanning by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953.
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Material provided by Bob McCarthy, class of 1953
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Material provided by Paul Haskin, class of 1953
An early football practice in September, 1953. Both players and neighborhood kids are gathered round to hear what "Bike" had to say. This mixing of young and old is likely what got future generations of ball players interested.
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Material provided by Paul Haskin, class of 1953
Self explanatory.
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Material provided by Paul Haskin, class of 1953
Self explanatory.
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Material provided by Paul Haskin, class of 1953
Self explanatory.
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Material provided for scanning by Bob McCarthy, class of 1953
The occasion of the gathering above was a sports reunion for coaches and those they coached. The photograph was taken in 2002.
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The photo above was provided by Morton Smith, class of 1953. The names were supplied by Ron Jones, class of 1953. It appears to have been taken in about 1950.
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Material provided by Paul Haskin, class of 1953
An incident in Rackett Pool produced some Godwin heros, complete with awards.
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Material provided by Paul Haskin, class of 1953
A welding class in the industrial arts building. One of the metal working skills which would give industrial arts majors a head start on getting good jobs at GM and other places.
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Material provided by Paul Haskin, class of 1953
Self explanatory.
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Material provided by Paul Haskin, class of 1953
A check from Paul Haskin to pay for food taken during a night of basketball in the Godwin HS gym. The school was closed, and there was not supposed to be anyone playing basketball... Paul and ten other people got in to the school, played basketball, and helped themselves to cafeteria food. Someone's loose tongue to a girlfriend resulted in them all being caught, and, among other things, having to pay for the food, proving once more that crime does not pay....
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Material provided by Paul Haskin, class of 1953
Self explanatory.
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Material provided by Paul Haskin, class of 1953
Self explanatory.
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Back, left to right, Charlotte Lukins, Lois Hotchkiss, Marilyn Randell. Front: Dale Skinner.
Material provided for scanning by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953
Sledding - just when is not clear.
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Material provided for scanning by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953
Left to rigth: Tom Davis (52), Bill Rood (52), Ken Wilson (52), Dick Hanson, Donnie Wilson (55), H. DeBoar (?), Pat Chase, Shirley Vanden Bosch (54), Nancy Muma, Marilyn Randall, and Clarice Wicks. All are class of 1953 unless otherwise noted.
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Material provided for scanning by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953
Left side: Twins Bonnie and Yvonne Cady, Marily Randall, Pat McColley, Pat Chase.
Under Pat: Shirley Wheeler, Eldean Horton, and Charlotte Lukins.
Back row: Maxine Thomas, Nancy Muma, Bonnie Doxtator (?), and Jackie Cisler.
Slumber party in honor of Charlotte Lukins, who was moving to Kalamazoo during the 1953 senior year..
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Material provided for scanning by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953
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Material provided for scanning by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953
The piece above is amusing in that it somewhat anticipates the US-USSR space race that commenced with the launch of Sputnik on October 4, 1957. Captured German V2 rockets had put the notion of space in the air in 1945 already. These served as the basis for the space programs for both the US and the USSR. Someone interested in science would have followed the space activities, which were mostly of a military nature, but nevertheless stimulated the imagination of those interested in space travel.
It's iteresting that Neil De Leeuw would suggest 1961 for his trip to the moon. While not a moon shot, 1961 was in fact the year the US first sent someone in to space. And of course in 1969 the US did in fact put a man on the moon, thanks in no small part to Werner von Braun and the same group of German scientists that designed the V2.
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Material provided for scanning by Rose Russo, class of 1953
Precisely what the student advisory panel was, or did, is not clear at present.
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Material provided by Bob McCarthy, class of 1953
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Material provided by Bob McCarthy, class of 1953
The class of 1953 graduated while the Korean "Conflict" was still in progress. After WWII wars tended to be called conflicts. Looking for all the world like a war, there were apparently international relations reasons for doing this.
Like WWII, Godwin alumni stepped up to do their duty. The Korean "Conflict" was a protracted war. Something like four years. It was very cold in the winter. And the politics was fierce. A harbinger of the Vietnam War, the US Congress or the President was constantly meddling in the conduct of the war. The Russians and the Chinese were behind the war, just as they were in Vietnam, and allowed North Korean planes refuge in their countries. For reasons only a politician could understand, the US military was not allowed to pursue a flat out effort. Again, just like Vietnam. Both the Korean "Conflict" and the Vietnam War were political wars that the US military was forced to try to wage effectively.
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Material provided by Paul Haskin, class of 1953
Paul Haskin, relates that he, Don Zeigler, and Bill Jamieson hitch-hiked to Fort Worth, TX, in 1952. The two photographs above, taken "somewhere in Inidana," are from that trip, and depict a dip in some inviting stream.
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Material provided by Paul Haskin, class of 1953
A gathering in Pasadena, CA, of Godwin graduates from Camp Pendelton. They were visiting Paul Haskin, and stayed on the floor of Paul's "small room."
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c1958 - Paul Haskin in a Shakespear play. |
c1988 - Arsenic and Old Lace Winston-Salem, NC |
Oils by Haskin
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Material provided by Paul Haskin, class of 1953
Oil paintings by Paul Haskin.
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Material made available for scanning by Clarice Wicks, class of 1953.
40th Reunion
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Material provided for scanning by Clarice (Wicks) Cox, class of 1953
The items above will allow you to select a convenient size for viewing. Left clicking on the small image will give you an image about the size of your monitor. If you left click on "Names, on a separate page" first you will indeed get a name key for the reunion photograph on a separate window.
The "Very large version" is just that. Few will have a monitor big enough to see the entire image without moving it around their monitor screen some. It is provided to preserve detail.
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Top: Lois Reinhardt - 40th Class Reunion
Bottom: Paul and Mary White, Janet Sack in the background.
Material provided for scanning by Rose Russo, class of 1953
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Top: Jan Hansen, Patricia Saurman, Dick Hansen, Don VerHulst - 40th Class Reunion
Bottom: George Brown, Freda Boywer, Paul White (bckgrnd)
Material provided for scanning by Rose Russo, class of 1953
45th Reunion
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-1- - no names available.
-2- 1st row: Carrie Rhoades (Tom Rhoades' mother), Mary(Russo) Marsiglia, Bonnie (Doxtator) VanAllsburg, Rose Russo, (Annie Darling Brecker), Don Brecker 2nd row: Arlene Hatch.
-3- Marian (Eastman) Richards (spouse Kenneth); Jean and Leon Smith; Kay (Koster) McCarthy (spouse Dick McCarthy)
Material supplied by Rose Russo, class of 1953.
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2008 Golden G
Material made available for scanning by Clarice Wicks, class of 1953.
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Material made available for scanning by Clarice Wicks, class of 1953.
In today's more mobile world one often finds out about deceased classmates in a roundabout way. It can be a little embarassing to see a deceased classmate show up a class function...
To any deceased classmates reading this, apologies from the managment. Please contact me and I will move you back to the living.
Katherine Besemer
Bonnie Cady
Bill Conklin
Neil DeLeeuw - January, 2012.
Marilyn Dulyea
Dick Hansen
Beverly Haight
Arlene Hatch
Eldean Horton
Lois Hotchkiss
Roland Kiper
Richard Kirvan - May 9, 2011.
George Leonhardt
Ed Livingston - May 23, 2013.
Darlene Mc Call
Pat McColley
Jean Olin
Tony Palazzolo
Ron Parsons
Tom Rhoades
Dale Skinner - September 11, 2011.
Kent Slater - January 29, 2007.
Charlene Stirdivant Swan - February 8, 2008.
Shirley Tanis
Clyde Thrush - 2007
Don Ver Hulst
Gerald Ver Hulst
Shirley Wheeler Vanderlip - June 28, 1998.
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Ronald Blain
Richard Kirvan
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Material made available for scanning by Lee Smith, class of 1953.
Ed Livingston
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Bob McCarthy
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Dale Skinner
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Material made available by Tammy (Beattie) Kline, class of 1966.
Kent J. Slater
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Material made available for scanning by Clarice Wicks, class of 1953.
Jerry West
West, Jerry Russell, Sr., age 80, of Wyoming, MI, entered peacefully into the gardens of heaven on July 23, 2015, surrounded by his loving wife and children. Jerry will be extremely missed by the love of his life of 60 years Sharon (Schutt), son Scott, son Gregory (Beverly), daughter Jennifer Sharp (Karl), son Jerry, Jr. (Jennifer), son Kenneth (Cyndee), daughter Holly Pendergast (Michael), nine grandchildren, one great grandson, brother Richard (Sandy), sister Jalaine Rondeau and many other close family and friends. He was preceded in death by his beautiful granddaughter Erika West. Jerry is a graduate of Godwin Heights High School and loved fishing, football, baseball, hockey, and most of all his family. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Erika Marie West Scholarship Fund at www.erikamwest.com/scholarship.html. No funeral services will be held. There will be a gathering in memory of Jerry on Sunday, August 2, 2015 at Railside Country Club (2500 - 76th St., Byron Center, MI) from 1:00PM to 4:00PM.
