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CHAMPION—September 7, 2009

Ruby Proctor, Esther Wrinkles and Zilea Lambert in the forground with Irene Dooms and Vivian Floyd.

        There was a fine turn out for the 27^th Annual Champion School Reunion on Saturday.  A mild threat of rain just turned into a mild and pleasant day for old friends and family to gather.  A wonderful spread of potluck dishes covered a long table and the temptation to return to it often was hard to resist.  After dinner everyone settled down for some heavy-duty visiting and some good music.  Charles Lambert on mandolin together with the guitars of Wesley Hancock, Robert Graham and Robert Upshaw made for good listening.  Susie Hancock did some harmonizing with husband Wesley and their daughter Shawn Harrison joined with Foster and Kalyssa Wiseman in a most enjoyable rendition of “I’ll Fly Away.”

Doris Giles Clark visits with Dale Thomas.

        Only one teacher attended the Reunion this year.  Doris Giles Clark began teaching at the Diamond school, which was located down on Bryant Creek at the site of what later became the Monastery.  That was in 1947.  She was in Champion for the 1948-1949 school year.  Ms. Clark taught in a number of schools in the area including Bakersfield and a year at Skyline.  After 33 years she ended her career at the Dora School where she taught Special Education.  Robert Brown, one of the thirteen students attending, said that Ms. Clark had whipped his backside when he was in her class at Champion.  No more whippings were reported, but one student was heard to ask another if she had ever had to stand with her nose in a circle drawn on the blackboard as punishment for whispering.  Other students on hand were Dane Lambert, Wes Lambert, Charles Lambert, Billy Joe Lambert, Esther Wrinkles, Irene Dooms, Vivian Floyd, Elsie Curtis, Elva Ragland, Ruby Proctor, Tommy Sutherland, Anita Sutherland Krewson.

Ruby Proctor and Esther Wrinkles share a moment.

        Other Champions celebrating the day were Pete Proctor, Fae Krider, Debby Massey, Darlene Brown, Connie Brown, Robert Graham, Mary Graham, Zilea Lambert, Tom Cooley, Arlene Cooley, Roger Wiseman, Tanna Wiseman, Foster Wiseman, Kalyssa Wiseman, Betty Henson, Robert Upshaw, Sharon Upshaw, Dale Thomas, Betty Thomas, Russell Upshaw, Sue Upshaw, Dean Upshaw, Daily Upshaw, David Coffman, Peggy Carreras, Jim Carreras, Holly Elizabeth Boche, Shawn Harrison (Hancock), Wesley Hancock, Susie Hancock, Nikki Sorrell, Murrell Clark, Kenneth Anderson, Barb Anderson and Virginia Canada from Coco Beach, FL.  These folks came from one end of the country to the other just for the joy of being together.  Already plans are in the works for next year.  Some schemes are being hatched to lure back some of those students and teachers who have been absent at recent reunions.  Contemporary gospel songwriter, Gene Jeffress, wrote, “What a reunion there, meeting on Glory Square!”

        The Labor Day weekend marks annual reunions and meetings all around the country.  The Haden Family generally gets together about this time of the year. Champion’s Tennessee Friend, Darrell Haden, comes to mind as he often does with hopes that circumstances let him come back to his old stomping grounds.  Some grounds sure could use a good stomping from time to time.

        Pete (Lyman) Proctor was overheard at the Champion Reunion to say that the VFW and the American Legion have been asked to participate in a memorial service for Norwood High School graduate PFC Jonathan Yanney who lost his life in Kandahar province Afghanistan on August 18^th.  The service is to be held on Friday the 11^th at 2 o’clock at the High School in Norwood.  Those who serve the Nation in the dangerous parts of the world are being memorialized all across the Country with the Love and Gratitude that they have coming.  Those who survive and those who are survivors of those who do not are also to be remembered.

        Norwood’s illustrious Postmaster has been off celebrating a birthday (Tuesday).  He has been on a fishing trip with son Ryan up to northern states to some special fishing holes.  Champions hope they caught some big ones.  Fishermen are always in a good mood when they’ve ‘caught a big one.’

        The social and economic achievements of American workers are celebrated with Labor Day.  For the jobless who want to work it is hardly a holiday.  For fortunate old Champions ‘retired’ from the workforce it is just another day for working in the garden, in the kitchen, in the wood lot, in the hay.  One was heard to complain that he works harder now than he did when he was earning money.  Vegetables are not inexpensive when you are buying them or when you are growing them.  It all takes work.  Good planting days for root crops will be on the 9^th and 10^th and on the 13^th and 14^th according to Linda’s Almanac from over at the Plant Place in Norwood.  It says that the best fishing days in September will be the 3^rd-6^th, and the 13^th and 14^th, so maybe Kirk and Ryan will have been in the right place at the right time.

        A couple of old Champions were talking on the phone the other day.  One is getting pretty old and was born and raised in Champion.  The other one is also pretty old but has only had Champion as a home place for a little over half her life–35 years.  The one who has been here the longest says, “Oh, Champion has changed.  It’s not like it was.  It’s really gone down.  It will never be the same.”  It is human nature to think that the prime of a person’s life is when things are right, the way they should be.  Any old guy who got out of high school in 1957 will tell you that the 1956 Thunderbird is the most beautiful car ever and they might as well have stopped making cars after that.  History is sweet to have and the past is often a pleasanter place.  They are still making cars though, and to Champions living the wonderful Champion life of today in their prime, these are the good days.  Lamenting change is lamentable.  That old guy said that he didn’t know too many people in Champion who were in the prime of their lives, meaning that the median age is getting up there.  The Champion newcomer says that it is pretty much a choice minute to minute if you are living a prime life or not.  “Sometime in the next few minutes could be the moment that will be remembered as the best one,” she extols, “So, Live!”  She is an extoller and exhorter.  Champion!

        “Wait till the sun shines, Nelly.  When the clouds go drifting by.  We’ll be happy, Nelly.  Don’t you sigh.”  The song was published in 1905 and has been the anthem of the floor traders on the New York Stock Exchange since 1934.  These days kind of remind a person of 1934, but it was the prime of some lives back then.  Drift over to Henson’s Store on the glorious Champion Square to sing any kind of prime of life song.

        Mail those kinds of songs and poems to Champion Items, Rt. 2, Box 367, Norwood, MO 65717 or e-mail them to Champion News.  Pictures of the 2009 Champion Reunion will go up on the www.championnews.us website soon, so keep checking in.  Through the grapevine the question came from some Upshaw cousin out in California who asks, “What does that Champion writer have against the General anyway?”  The question came after seeing the series of silent pictures depicting his musical aptitude.  The General will reprise his performance on his unusual instrument in a bass-off, face-off duel with another inventor, Eddie Berry of Blanche at Plumber’s Junction on Thursday.  Wesley Hancock will use the occasion to make his farewell to the area for a while.  He is not being driven away.  His roots will bring him back soon to Champion—Looking on the bright side.