class history

1958 Class History

by Ann Branson and Larry Gilbert

Read by Nancy Myers


Edits in Italics


History, to a lot of people, is just a record of people and dates. But to the seniors of 1958, it stands for hard work, fun, and preparation for the future.


It was a bright sunny morning in late August, 1946, when we started our climb on the ladder of education. It was so exciting meeting all the new little kids that were soon to be our best friends. We had no idea of the happenings that lay ahead of us for the next 12 years. When you are that small it is hard to remember everything, but here are a few things that we remember.


Our first big experience was riding the train to Champaign to visit a bakery. And we’ll never forget the day we took a basket of fruit to Larry Gilbert when he had rheumatic fever.


With the closing of country schools, the enrollment of our second grade grew. Our first big project was running a grocery store. It was so much fun learning how to work the cash register and giving back play money.


They started something new in the third grade, a band. This was where some of our musical students got started. We visited the University of Illinois airport that year.


In the fifth grade we started learning something about our state and its government. We visited the capital in Springfield.


When we started our sixth year, a new school building had been completed and a Junior high school and grade school contained the first 8 years of schooling. That year we were guests at the Chanute Air Force Base Circus.


The climax of eight years of hard work was the presentation of our diplomas in May 1954 and a trip to Chicago.


There were five members in the graduating class from Seymour Grade School. They had taken trips to Chicago and St. Louis during their grade school years.


We were welcomed to high school in grand style, but the worst was to come—initiation. The girls wore overalls, loud shirts, ties, 13 pigtails, and work shoes. The boys wore gym shorts, blouses, and gum boots. Both carried a shoe-shine kit and shined shoes for upper classmen.


As sophomores, we took another trip to Chicago with the French and Biology classes.


One of our busiest years was our Junior year. We worked hard on the Homecoming and


crowned Richard Sanders (deceased) and Judy Irle as king and queen. To honor the class of 1957, we chose “Under the Sea” as our prom theme. King and Queen were Tom Young and Madonna Nimner.


(I found this decoration from the Junior-Senior Prom, “Under the Sea,” in a box of “things” from my high school days. Actually the piece is too large for my scanner, so I took a picture of it with an iPhone. Bring anything like this to the luncheon on June 18, and I’ll try to include it on a page on the website. Do any of you remember our visit to Ken Grammer in the hospital?  —Larry)


In August 1957, we climbed the last step of our ladder and became seniors at last. Many hard hours were spent at suppers, clean-up days, and other money-making projects. Jean Hildebrand and Terry Harper (deceased) were King and Queen for the Homecoming. We chose the white rose for our flower; white and lavender for our colors; and “We’ll Find A Way or Make One” for our motto. On May 2, 1958, we were honored by the juniors at a banquet and prom. Baccalaureate was held on May 25 and graduation on May 27. The day after graduation we took our class trip (New Orleans).


We all look forward to the future with the idea that we are not finished, but have just begun!