Classmate Stories and Postings

Sonny Hanks performing Aug 28th

TEXAS BOUND

John Jemison (left) of the Houston Astros organization looks on as Memphian Larry Mansfield signs his name to a contract with the professional baseball team in June 1968

Comm Appeal Photo June 22, 2010

Mid South Memories

Poem submitted in memory of Martha Carlock Thompson,

by Joe Thompson

Terry Allen Kidd

Class of 1965

You are Never Too Old for Disney......

Jimmy

Wraslin'

with

Milk & Cookies

March 11, 2010

Brooks Museum

Comedian Andy Kaufman's wrestling career in Memphis including his famous match with Jerry "The King" Lawler

Thursday, March 11  | 7 pm (Link to Brooks Museum Page)

The third installment of our monthly Reel to Real series will feature producer Adam Hohenberg (Forty Shades of Blue, Cigarette Girl) who will discuss "I'm From Hollywood" which documents comedian Andy Kaufman's wrestling career in Memphis including his famous match with Jerry "The King" Lawler. Hohenberg say that a certain aspect of Memphis' character is shown. "It's a Memphis of a different time. I find it very interesting that Kaufman chose Memphis as his venue and that he kept coming back here." A discussion will follow the screening with milk and cookies.

ABOUT ADAM HOHENBERG

After college Adam worked as an assistant to experimental filmmaker Ernie Gehr (recipient of the AFI lifetime achievement award) in San Francisco and was associate producer of Side/Walk/Shuttle which had its world premiere at the Brooks and is in the permanent collection of MOMA. He was also associate producer of Ira Sachs' "Forty Shades of Blue", winner of Grand Jury Award at Sundance in 2005.

ABOUT THE FILM

Directed by Kaufman's girlfriend, Lynne Margulies, and Joe Orr.

I'm from Hollywood is a 1989 documentary film about the adventures of late performance artist Andy Kaufman in the world of professional wrestling. The film includes interviews with Taxi co-stars Marilu Henner and Tony Danza and interviews with comedian Robin Williams, wrestler Jerry Lawler, wrestling commentator Lance Russell, and Kaufman's best friend, Bob Zmuda.

Hey everyone. I will be on American Family Radio on Thursday, March 4 at 3pm Central Time. They will do an interview about my new book. It is a network of 140 stations across the country. Here in Memphis it is on FM-88.9. Hope you enjoy it if you listen.

Roy Hallums March 4th, 2010

SIVADs of March (March 25-28)

http://www.guerrillamonster.com/memphis/SIVADS/index.html

Hello Classmates.  I have been back in China now since the 2nd of January and somewhat busy.  We recently had the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration which is commonly referred to as Spring Festival here.  It starts based on the Lunar New year so the date floats according to the moon.  Here is an explanation if you are interested-  http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year

We traveled to several different locations from the 12th thru the 18th of February with several friends and families.  It started in Zhoushan which is a location including several small islands off the coast of Ningbo in Zhejiang Province.  We took a boat out to a very small island and spent one night in a very nice Hotel with excellent scenery around.  It was very relaxing and enjoyable. We then traveled to another Island called Putou Shan which is near Ningbo as well, but this Island is the location of 3 Buddhist Temples. We were there on the evening of the 13th which is Chinese New Year Eve and met the Monk of the largest Temple there.  The people I traveled with are Buddhist and they completed the New Years Prayers while there.  We did take some pictures but not allowed in the prayer room so only when we met the Monk.  He is very educated and can speak 4 languages fluently. See the photo.  We then traveled to another city called Jinhua in Zhejiang Province.  At this location we visited a very large movie making facility called Hengdian, I think the Largest in China but not sure.  They refer to it as the Chinese Hollywood.  We took several photos but I will only include one for you to see. The people I traveled with are wonderful people and we always have a great time.  Each location we go someone local always meets us and arranges our tour for us so it is well organized.  After Jinhua we changed locations to a city in Jiangxi Province called Wuyuan.  It is not a large city and Jiangxi Province is a poor Province with many isolated small villages.  This is something I have been wanting to do since working in China but up to now have had little opportunity to do this.  I was able to see how the “Real” rural China functions in their daily lives.  I feel very fortunate to have experienced this and will share only a few photos from this activity. I was able to take several good pictures of things built well over 1000 years ago including some very nice Chinese Bridges.  We also saw one of the world’s oldest trees of its species in Jiangxi. Photo included. We also climbed a mountain in Jiangxi called Sanqing Shan which is 1900 Meters (About 6300 ft.) and it was misting which froze on everything on the top.  A few pictures of this too.  This was very enjoyable and an experience I will cherish forever. I hope to be able to share some of my experiences with you at our next reunion. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Your Classmate, Malcolm (2-26-10)

Posted by Randal Byrd 2/20/10

For those of you who believe in the power of prayer, and even for those of you who aren't sure about it, I'm passing on a message from our classmate, Mike Powell. Mike called me just a few moments ago to ask that my parish add him to our prayer list, as he's having some health and recovery issues following a knee replacement. He's in a rehabilitative nursing home right now, and suffered a fall while there. He seems in good spirits, but he's asking for our prayers. My guess is it's for good reason. If your community of faith has a prayer circle - team - or list, Mike would appreciate his being added to it. I'm adding him to ours here.

Frayser High Vets (311 Members)

Frayser Class of 69 (43 Members)

Grew Up in Frayser and Proud of It (2000+ Members)

Frayser Class of '85 2010 Reunion (90+ Members)

Sharing History of Growing Up in Frayser (500+ Members)

Frayser Class of 1970 (48 Members)

Frayser Class of 1958 (25 Members)

Frayser Class of 1965 (13 Members)

Frayser Class of 1964 (36 Members)

Books by Frayser-ites

If you know of a book published by a Frayser-ite, send info to Jimmy at vorlonjb@yahoo.com

Books will be listed HERE

Ephinaies Book Store on Facebook

to the Left: Lewis Ray and Karen Jones

An old-fashioned, eclectic, neighborhood book store on the historic Main Street of Denison, Grayson County, Texas.

Hey,
 
Many people have asked me about the TV interviews I will be doing next week so here are the times I have.  I will be leaving for New York on Monday to do the shows live.  
 
Tuesday, January 12
 
5:45 am (Central)  Fox and Friends, Fox News Channel
 
7:40 am (Central)  Morning Joe, MSNBC
 
Morning               Fox Business  (When I get a time I will let everyone know.
 
Hope you like the interviews.   
 
Roy

----I am scheduled to be on the Phil Valentine Show for a live interview on Friday, Jan 8th, at 2:35 pm (Central). He is on about 70 stations nationn wide. Here in Memphis he is on KWAM (AM) 990. Hope you like it if you listen. Roy

Seasons Greetings

Hello '60 classmates & friends. I wish for you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

Stephanie and I will do a Burk Family Christmas on Dec 19th with families of my 5 siblings (Steve '70, Carol '71, Randy '72, Tim and Ray(who attended Frayser but graduated from Skyview Academy). Altogether there will be about 40 Burklings and offspring coming to our home in Lakeland. We are still celebrating the birth of our granddaughter Audrey and a grand nephew Cooper.

We always enjoy getting together and try our best to sing Christmas Carols, but most of us were not blessed with the best of singing voices. We were not a well to do family while growing up in Frayser but we were a close family and enjoyed what was given to us, whatever we received.

Wishing you good health for you and your loved ones the coming year and Happy New Year to you All!

Jimmy & Stephanie Burk

Behind "the new building" - late spring, 1969

I was reading the online paper and saw this about Roy. 

Commercial Appeal Article Roy Hallums

Your Classmate,

Malcolm

Audrey Sophia Burk with her new grandparents Jimmy & Stephanie

Nov 12th at 3:55am

If you haven't heard, There will be a FHS all classes get together this Friday the 13th at Fox&Hound in Cordova from 6-12. A good amount of Class of 70 will be there. Know it's short notice but please pass the word to the 69 folks.

We want to take the place over!

Class,

I wanted to take time to bring you up on things I have been doing here in China. The China Birthday was Celebrated during the week of October 1st, thru the 7th,  which is an annual holiday here.  During this time I traveled to several different Cities and Towns the Smallest, LongQuan, which is around 270,000 people in population. While here I climbed the Highest Mountain in Zhejiang Province(Huang Mao Jian) which is the first picture you see here.  I climbed it in a little over 1 hour and it is 1900 Meters (6230 Feet) High, the Highest point in Zhejiang Province.  After this we visited a Sword Maker that has been Hand Forging Swords for 2500 Years in the same location.  They have produced Swords for many well known people such as President Richard Nixon, Chairman Mao Zedong and several others.  They Serialize Date and Certify each one for Authenticity. They presented me with one that has Kathy and My Names etched in it which represents Unity in the Chinese Culture. This was a special day for me.  During the Tour they have a Temple on sight and I visited it and had some Tea while wearing a traditional Chinese Hat which is the 2nd Picture you see. The Building I am in was constructed 400 years ago from hand cut and hand trimed timbers and materials. We left LongQuan the next day and traveled to Xiangshan, which is a Fishing Village just south of Ningbo City on the South East China Coast.  While here we ferried over to an Island called Hua Ao Island and climbed into a small Ocean Rocky area for Photos and relaxation. This is the third photo you see here.  This was a very exciting and fun trip for me.  I traveled with many friends and their families who enjoy everything they see and touch.  I will put only a few of the many photos I took on this trip. We did so much during this travel I can’t write it all in this posting area so at our next reunion I will try and bring my computer so we can talk and look together.

Your Classmate, Malcolm

I received the West Lake Friendship Award which is a prestigious Award for Foreign Experts working in China.  Zhejiang Province is a Province in South Eastern China.  The Population of this Province is around 50 Million People.  There are about 100,000 Foreigners working here to increase the capabilities in several areas.  The West Lake Award is an Annual Award presented to about 18 Foreign Experts working here and it is Committee Chosen by several committees and is based on contributions to development in Culture and Economy in Zhejiang Province. I am attaching their interpretation of this Award.

The Westlake Friendship Award is the award at the highest level presented by the Provincial Government for foreign experts, which is to compliment those who have made special contributions to the province's growth in economy, technology, culture and education. The main purpose of this award is to encourage more foreign experts and overseas Chinese to contribute to the economic and cultural development in Zhejiang so as to promote the globalization of the province. The award is presented annually since 1997 and each winner is presented with a certificate and a golden medal. These award holders greatly help the local development by introducing in advanced technology and excellent managerial methods; moreover, they strengthen the communications between China and other countries and between peoples in China and abroad.

I am also attaching some photos but I will have additional photos later.  I had a friend taking these with my camera and he was not familiar with everything on the camera.  The Award was presented to me by the Vice Governor of Zhejiang Government and I was 1 of 4 Foreigners that set at the #1 Table with the Vice Governor and the Zhejiang Department of Foreign Affairs.  Maybe about 6 Representatives including the Leader of Foreign Expert Programs.

I will go to Beijing to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of China for some of the Pre-Ceremonial Festivities.

Malcolm (McIntosh) Sept 2009

Oh, what a night!!!  I am now sorry that I missed Friday night but Saturday night was fabulous!  I did not realize how much I have missed so many friends until we spent some time together.  Thanks to you all who worked so tirelessly, planning and pulling together a very memorable night.    

Doug Jones, thanks for sending the informational e-mail, Sheila (McFarland) Council, for the encouraging phone call and making room for me at your table Sat. night.  Linda(Johnston) Black, for handling all the money and the contacts.  Brenda (Cotton) Grinder, thank you for your leadership.

I have heard nothing but great things about the planning committee.  Let me know if you need help next time.  

Hope to see you all soon....  THANK YOU!!!

Love you all!!
Carolyn (Beeler) McDaniel

I am looking for Richard Diesing, Tim Watson, Matt King, Susan Meyers. I have had a recent, brutal brain injury, 2007. Old friends would be appreciated.

David

Had a great time at the reunion. Can not wait till the next time.

Gary Crabtree

Although I attended Trezevant 69, I think I knew more people at Frayser.

Barbara, Monte, John Stetz, Jerry Hicks, Donnie, Judd, Andy, Linda. What a great time!

Love the website.

Class and Dennis,

Everyone and especially Dennis.  Today we experienced a full Solar Eclipse here in Hangzhou.  It was my first one and probably will be my last one but I want you to know it feels a bit strange to see the world go dark at around 10AM.  Additionally I was unprepared but we have a man here that is always prepared and thanks to Mr. Huang we are sharing some.  I will admit some came from the internet but many he took.  Dennis,  I hope you enjoy these and you better be prepared at the next reunion because I am going to find you and say Hello.  I will also be ready to bend your ear for a long time telling you many things I experience here. I hope everyone is doing well and your families are growing strong.

Your classmate,

Malcolm

A group of videos about Memphis Past:

Sivad gives tour of WHBQ; Announcement of International Harvester shutting down etc

Class, I am in my last month for this trip here in China. I am forever appreciative that I had the childhood I had as well as being raised in such good times in America.  We had some issues but our daily lives were generally very good as we are such a fortunate society.  Some of it is our doing, as we think and improve and continue to complete this cycle over again until we have something that can’t be improved upon and then it changes.  Some of it is due to circumstances that is encountered in the world.  Why Hitler tried to takeover all of Europe is one circumstance.  Why the Japanese decided they needed to Bomb Pearl Harbor is another.  As these circumstances fell into place who would have thought America would join the conflict eventually being the Only semi-powerful nation, at that time, to be untouched by the devastation of War.  Yes we served and fought and prevailed but our cities and towns and waterways were untouched.  These circumstances gave us a marked advantage in the industrial complex of the World, and we were in control after this.  It allowed us not only opportunity to move up the ladder of success, but it allowed us conveniences no other people had.  Couple this with  money and it makes you realize how fortunate we were.  The reason I am writing this is so everyone there should hold your head up.  Be proud you are who you are and step forward to make a difference in the world. Take time every day to help someone do something no matter how small you my belive it is, "Just Do It". I recently visited a small community called Anji.  I was there to climb a mountain and enjoy some nature.  During this time I encountered something I see every day in China.  We all take this for granted in America.  We complain on Laundry day.  We make too much Laundry.  If we had to wash it this way we would only have enough, and wear enough, to be reasonable.  This is the way Rural China does laundry.  Non-Rural China does it in a sink on the back of their homes but it is still hand washed. Makes you understand how they are able to loan us money doesn’t it.

Your classmate,

Malcolm

From our Class ReUnion Photographer

Bill Harbin

Frayser – Class of ‘69

I know you were wondering!

I am working desperately to get all of the 40 Year Reunion DVD’s and class photos out this week, … hopefully all by Friday, as I leave town for a few days,….

Just finished typing in all of your names and addresses to make the mailing labels tomorrow.

The photos had to be made over by the lab and they should be in my hands Tuesday or Wednesday.  I have half of the 35 DVD orders made as I type.   When the photos get here I will package them with the DVD’s and send them out as soon as I can.  If I don’t get yours out this week, I will when I get back from a few days out of town.

Thanks for being patient, …but I knew I was going to be the end of June anyway, … I think that is what I told those of you that asked. 

I hope that you will be pleased with the DVD, it contains all of the photos that I took of the 2 night event and 2 movie files (not great quality – it was dark! -, but just for fun), …just click on them when the front page of the slideshow comes up.  I like the result --  it is almost an hour long slideshow set to some of the music of your senior year.

William R. Harbin, Jr.

My new baby pictures of Calleigh.

Verna Hendricks Hamilton

Early Memphis Wrestling Memories Ron Hall

Early Memphis Wrasslin

From the Commercial Appeal:

The Raleigh-Bartlett Civitan Club hosted its annual Citizenship Awards Luncheon, shortly before the end of the school year. Winners of the Civitan essay contest for juniors at three local high schools were announced. In their essays, students wrote about how they developed good citizenship skills through school activities, in the community and through their religious experience and how they will incorporate these skills and character traits into their adult lives. Winners of the contest were honored during the luncheon. Pictured during the ceremony are Citizenship Contest chair Dossett Foster; contest judge Basil White; Bartlett High School essay winner Xin Huang; Bolton High School essay winner Whitney Buckner; Craigmont High School essay winner Lloyd Ambrose; and contest judge Tameka Gant.

What a great site!!!! Were we ever that young??

Great seeing people you had not thought of in years! My e-mail is wcox1@comcast.net

Info on Reunion Photos

I talked with Bill Harbin.  He said that he will have the group pictures and the DVD mailed out around the 20th of June.  He has his own Kingsbury reunion next week that he has been planning and working on.   He also said that IF any of our classmates have pictures that they took at our reunion and would like them included on the DVD he would be glad to include them.  The pictures need to be emailed to him at wharbin@memphis.edu . 

Brenda

Mary Rose caught these during her visit to Mobile last week

Joe Thompson

Randy Byrd started a Facebook Group called:

Frayser High Class of '69

Ron Hall '68

Cross Posted from Classmates.com

Most everyone has fond thoughts of their graduating class, I do. The class of '68 had some great people and some great friends. But I gotta say, their is something special and different about the class of '69, a vitality, an energy, that my class and no class before seemed to have. Maybe it was the times, the war, the music,free love (well, maybe for some), but I had a special connection to that class. To this day, Mickey McCune and Judd Childress are two of my best friends, as was the late GREAT John Stetz. David Cartright has become a good friend of mine, and I love seeing Andy Black, Randy Suarez,Dennis Briggs,Steve Johnston, Stan Grisham, Skip Phillips, Jimmy Burk and many more. Judd and I were looking at the yearbook the other night, commenting on all the good lookin' gals (though, there my class was just as good). I've bought a $60 ticket to the reunion, just on the chance, old friend Chris Ruess shows up.
  Many good bands came out of that class, artists, businessmen and women, inovative, interesting folk. I would urge, anyone looking for a good time (sounds like something written on the bathroom wall) come to the class of '69 reunion the weekend on April 24-25. Andy Black's band "Legends Of Rock" are playing. Great band, Andy is as good as he's always been and the band really rocks. But I tell you, you'll feel something you may not have felt at your reunion. An electricity, a good "vibe" that we all need from time to time. Hope to see you there.Especially Richard Stegall.

Ronnie Hall "Class of '68" First person to wear a nehru jacket to school.

Nancy's Dad was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and here are the two kids accepting the award and I think that's DJ Fontana over on the right.  Nancy's brother Louis holding up the award.

Ronnie Hall

'68

I gotta say, there are a lot of fears in high school. A zit on your forehead, Earl Maples not liking you, Coach Clayton catching you cheating, etc. For me, it was being called on in class. Jeez, the oral book report, a history question, while you were writing a letter to some girl, anything that caught you unprepared, as I usually was.

  For some reason Mr. Dunlap would point me out. I know, he knew, I didn't have a clue what he was talking about. He caught me wrting a late book report from the inside jacket once and made me pay the rest of the year. History was the same. It's not that I was an idiot, it's that my brain froze whewn 30 people looked at me.

   They would never ask, say, Paul Sarvis, because Paul would probably know more about the subject than the teacher did. Paul would say "I'm glad you ask that" and go on to make us all feel like fools. Paul was far more interesting to listen to than any teacher.But to be called on by Ms. Clark was total terror. Every year, I guess, in the 7th and 8th grade, Ms. Clark would call everyone up, ONE AT A TIME, to sing, I guess to see who might be good for the chorus. I was terrified. When I heard my name, I did a James Brown and broke out in a cold sweat, turned red as a beet, and got jelly legs. I was praying for a Meteor to come through the window and hit me, any thing to keep me from singing whatever nugget she had chosen for us to sing. I would look out at the girls and could tell they were making mental notes to remember this quivering nerd if he ever had the never a few years down the road to ask them out. And my freinds in class,forget it. If I looked at any of them ,especially Greg Seek or Randy Suraez, they were laughing at me. I wish I'd had the nerve to look at Ms. Clark and say "you know Red, "American The Beautiful" doesn't quite cut it", and immediatly break out with "Mustang Sally" and drop down on one knee and wail. Oh, if we had the guts we had a mere 5-6 years later. But that was high school. We had to grow, but man, what a pain it was! (cross posted from Classmates.com)

We had morning assembly and then were off to our 1st class: Science with Mr Ernie Pierce. He began the lesson with a tirade about the Beatles and how fanatical their fans were and how stupid these people are and how stupid the Beatles were. He mentioned he even saw one of these fanatics in assembly wearing a leather jacket that was covered with dozens of patches and 'I Luv Beatles' stickers on it,,,and that was Stupid too. As he continued our education into the Evils of Music, a quiet, blonde headed girl in the back, rose from her desk, in Tears, many many Tears and started talking over him. She said, with many tears, "THAT WAS ME, AND THAT WAS MY JACKET, AND I LOVE THE BEATLES AND I LOVE THEIR MUSIC AND WHAT YOU SAID IS MEAN". Well, that certainly stopped the tirades against the Evils of music and froze Mr. Pierce. He mumbled something like "I'm sorry", and quickly reverted to the practical lesson of the day: How to convert the speed of Light from MilePerSeconds to MeterPerSeconds; NoOne bothered Jerry Anderson about her music or the Beatles from that day forward, especially any teachers.

Jimmy Burk

Info on Ross Grimsley class of 1968 Frayser High School

Submitted by Sherman Reed:

2009 Skipper
The Connecticut Defenders and San Francisco Giants announced today that Steve Decker will manage the team in 2009. Ross Grimsley will take over the duty as pitching coach, Garey Ingram is the new hitting instructor, and Eric Ortega has been named the team's trainer  This is the 'Connecticut Defenders" AA NL Baseball team,  located in Norwich CT.   The contact number is 860-887-7962.  I think that someone from this number can contact Ross if needed.  (Ross Grimsley Wikipedia Page)

WMCTV Interview w/Nancy & her brother

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Announces its Inductees for 2009

Induction Ceremony to Air Live on Fuse TV, April 4, 2009

January 13, 2009—New York—The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation today announced its inductees for 2009.  The induction ceremony on April 4, 2009 will take place in Cleveland for the first time since 1997, and will be broadcast live on Fuse TV in a new three-year broadcast deal between the Foundation and Fuse.  The ceremony will be supported by a weeklong series of events.   In addition, for the first time in its 24- year history, tickets to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be accessible to the public.

1. Bill Black

Bill Black is best known as the bassist for Elvis Presley.  Black played double bass on early Presley recordings including "Good Rockin' Tonight", "Heartbreak Hotel", "Baby Let's Play House", "Mystery Train", "That's All Right (Mama)", "Hound Dog"; and eventually became one of the first bass players to use the Fender Precision Bass guitar in popular music on "Jailhouse Rock" in the late 1950s.  Black’s bass playing had an extraordinary impact on rock and roll bass playing, influencing many players including Paul McCartney.  Afterward,  he formed the Bill Black Combo and scored numerous instrumental hits during the late 1950’s and 1960’s.

Sorry for being late.

Here’s a video link – from me to you.

RB

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zc9ZRe8lzSk

Randal Byrd

Coach Medling:

Frayser tailback James Scott (Left) give Bishop Byrne tailback Mark Prudhomme (Right) a friendly handshake after the Memphis Quarterback Club meeting at the Chisca hotel whre tehy were named high school players of the week. With the football stars are Frayser coach Will Medling (Second Left), E.D. "Red" Cavette (Center), QB Club speaker and Bishop Byrne coach Hickman Ewing (Second Right). Barney Sellers / The Commercial Appeal files.

All, Just updated photos showing how big they are getting! Nicholas will turn 8 in March. Preston is 5 and Elizabeth, the Diva, is 4.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! V* (Victoria Harris)

Look - we now have the porch covered!!!!

Monty Cole Duncan

January 2009

FrosTop: 3036 Hwy 51 North

Jimmy

GREAT JOB JIMMY!!!! ITS GREAT LOOKING AT ALL THE PICTURES ETC. BRINGS BACK A LOT OF MEMORIES. WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM ANYONE. IM UP HERE IN NORTHWEST OHIO. MY EMAIL IS gmcgee55@yahoo.com

George McGee

Frayser Class of '69 2008 Newsletter

Don't forget to send in a greeting or update for our 2008 Newsletter. We want to hear from you. As of Dec 15th, 12 classmates have sent in something to post.

Jimmy & Monty

Quebec In Winter