We're Loyal to You Elgin High

My high school is celebrating 150 years.

I'm surprised it's still standing let alone being used. The west wing (English, Band, Chorus, Art and Shop classes) is now occupied by the administrated office for the district and the main body is a alternate school.
They had an open house and I talked Sharen into going with me.
It was kinda confusing to begin with, because they had changed the numbers on the floors. The basement was now the first floor - so they had 4 floors.
Once we figured that out, we wandered around the school.
Sharen stopped to try her luck at opening a locker. Most are gone, but a few remain.

Noticed the beautiful hard wood floors are all tiled now and the "bump" in the 3rd (now the 4th) floor is gone. There is still some beautiful old woodwork still evident (the library doors), but the old woodwork in the library is painted white. The view from the balcony in the boys gym hasn't changed. Still could get a sliver in your butt from the bench seats. The floor looked amazing. Nor sure if it's newer.

As we walked around the place it seemed everybody we ran into knew us. We met a woman who graduated with Vicki, but recognized us from her substitute teaching when we worked there. A dear old friend of Lester's sisters. A retired Elgin firefighter who graduation with Deanna. A group of girls who went to school with Linda and Mary. One was our ex sister-in-law, Holly.
We talked with a few old classmates and played "remember when?"

I really wanted to see the old office where I used to work. The main office is now a conference room. This is me siting at my desk as the Scheduling Secretary in 1971. If you had a problem with your schedule it was my fault. I spent my summers pulling IBM cards for each student for each class. It was more fun than it sounds.
If you wanted to make a change in classes your guidance counselor came to me and I would take care of it.

Sharen started working at the school not long after I did.

Here I am sitting at Sharen's desk. Most of the time students couldn't tell the difference.
She was the guidance secretary. I'm really not sure how we got these jobs. Neither one of us had any experience. I was called down the principals office a few days before graduation (pretty sure I hadn't done anything wrong, but scared anyway) and Chet Alexander offered me a job. Started on the Monday after graduation. I still have no idea who recommended me for the job or why, but I loved working there.

This elevator used to give me fits when I had to haul my computer cards down to the Data Processing center in the basement.

old elevator

The summer of 1971 the district wanted to get all the files on Microfiche. We were building a new school and there was talk of moving the old files too.
 I breezed through the scheduling so Mr. Alexander had me in the basement cleaning out students records.Luckily I only had 1960 thru 1971 to do. It was in an old vault and it was dirty and musty. I had to go thru each file and save just report cards and recent picture in case of transcripts. I will admit I was curious and spent some time my first week or so looking at friends files, but that got old and I had a job to do.
While in the basement I had to pass through the storage area. That's when I saw a clock. I wanted it. I asked Mr. Alexander - He always wanted me to call him Chet, but not going to happen, buddy - You're my principal - for it. He told me I could have it!
They were doing remodeling in the girls gym and the auditorium. I'm not sure which my clock came from, but I treasure it.
It still hangs in my family room. It doesn't work, because all the clock back then were pneumatic and ran off the main clock in the main office.

When people ask me if I liked school I always say sometimes. I wasn't a great student. I had some really great times and people I can still to this day call friends. I always tried my best, so I wouldn't disappoint my parents.
But the best times I had at this place was working there.
I loved my job - I loved my bosses - I loved my coworkers and I especially loved  the students.

Feed the Starving Children

Mary and Bryan take Luke and Roger to package meals for hungry children. They have fun doing it and know that are helping children that really need it.
Bryan knew that I would really enjoy it and let me take his place on Saturday while he stayed home for some one on one with Owen (which I was planning on doing).


After a short video about the children we were helping and just what was involved with the process we were assigned to team Cambodia.

Had to wear hairnets

Roger wasn't too thrilled to have his picture taken with the hairnet on. I told him I was an old pro at wearing a hairnet from my days as a middle school cafeteria cook.

hallway of sinks

Everyone was asked to wash their hands for at least 20 seconds. Roger counted - I sang Happy Birthday - same time frame.


Not sure if it was the young girls (and Mary) dumping the food into the bags.

Team Cambodia

Or Roger and Luke, the "packing Ninjas" but we kicked it!
The packing table had 18 numbers on it and they had to put 2 bags on each number. Then into a box. I played a math game with Roger and Luke "How many more do we need?" Roger got the answer right every time using math. Luke ended up counting down the bags, but nailed it too.

Luke and Roger stacking our meals to be packed

I helped them stack them into the box to go to shipping. They were so into it and so good at it. Every time we would finish a box I would shout out (probably too loud) CAMBODIA!! and throw my hands up.  Luke finally joined me and shouted with me. 26 times - Yes, we finished 26 boxes. It was probably because our bag ladies were teenagers with energy. But this Grandma gives the credit to the "packers" department.


Music was playing and I was singing and dancing along really enjoying myself. No one cared. At least I don't think so, maybe I just didn't care what they thought. Either way, good time for me.


A blessing was said over the packaged food and we gathered back into the waiting room to hear our totals for the day. The total  was 253 boxes, enough to feed 178 kids for a month.


Bryan told me that I would enjoy it and feel good after we were done.
He was so right.
I am definitely doing it again.