Hail to the ATWTs

(pronounced “at-wits,” it stands for All The Way Throughs!)

It’s a holiday weekend and my office is being occupied by Superboy (left). Trips to the computer are restricted to hasty peeks. So I’m just going to give you some photos to study. I wish they were bigger, but this blogging program only allows 300 pixels. To see larger versions of the three group photos, click on this link and select "Slide Show". Some of us still marvel that we went through all 12 grades in North Allegheny schools. We’re the equivalent of the Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution or the Signers of the Mayflower Compact—to give it a patriotic spin on the Fourth.

My thanks to fellow ATWTs Bill Young, Marge Downer and Helen Yingling, who supplied photos and names. I regret that I don’t know who went all the way through from Marshall Township; I understand kids in our class from the Peebles district of McCandless, with its tiny old school, were transferred to Espe (according to Priscilla Kerr). Several non-ATWTs from Franklin Township (Connie Stevens and Janet Gilleland) tried to help, but since neither was around at the beginning, they couldn’t supply a class photo and could only guess at names. I would be happy to add ATWTs from the other elementary schools in the North Allegheny district at a later date (and before the t-shirt order gets placed).

The Borough of Bradford Woods

According to Marge Downer, BW’s school was the only public building in town and was used for everything. A big folding wall divided the two classrooms that opened for Sunday services, before the church was built next door. The first four grades were on one side, grades 5-8 on the other. As she writes, “With four grades in one room, the teacher had to keep us all silent for most of the day. We had no special subjects either, which meant Mrs. Weinman was with us from nine to four with an hour break for lunch, when we all went home. Once she took us to her place for a field trip. She and her husband had a mink farm. I don’t think anyone got a finger bitten off.”

Geographically, Helen Yingling, who lived close to the rest of the Yingling clan on Sunset Drive in 1946, should have been a classmate of mine at Ingomar. But since her family was going to be moving the next year, her dad insisted she should commute everyday to school in the wilds of Bradford Woods. She hitched a ride in a U.S. Postal Service truck driven by Jim DeZort (who smoked stinky cigars) along with huge canvas bags of mail.

This photograph of Bradford Woods “little room” (called that not because of its size but because of the younger kids in it) was probably taken in spring 1947. Class of 1958 ATWTs are first graders in the front row. Recognizing them, in boldface, from left to right: 1. Pat Henke, 2. Mildred Walters, 3. Grier Cooper 4. Helen Yingling, 5. Peter Young, 6. Jack Sramek, 7. George Gunn, 8. Marge Downer, 9. Susan Chapman, and 10. one second-grader, Margie Theurer (’57).(Contact Helen if you want to know the older little people in the back rows.)

Out front is Teddy Downer, Marge’s dog, who seems to have been a fixture in BW school photos.

Espe Elementary, McCandless Township

Largest of the first grades, Espe had at least 13 ATWTs (maybe more?). This photo also contains Sue Sutter and Marilyn Michalko, who recognized their error early on and departed for Ingomar School in time for second grade. (Sue then moved on to Pine Township School until she rejoined us at NAHS in 8^th grade.) Notice how Espe separated the girls, apparently finding them delicate and seating them on those extremely uncomfortable wooden folding chairs in the front row. Front row (left to right with some names missing): 1. Kathie Boyer, 2. Dolores Fike, 3. Sue Sutter, 4, 5, 6. June Blystone, 7, 8. Donna Osterwise (Jami Hart), 9. Edrie Apple, 10. Marilyn Michalko, 11. Janet Heim, 12. Mildred Halboth. Back row: 1. Bill Young, 2, 3. Calvin Hartman, 4. Richard Sass, 5. Chuck Richards, 6. Warren Bald, 7. Ron Huch, 8, 9. Gary Diamond, 10. Harry Hipwell, 11. Ron Carpenter (?), 12. Regis Gschwind, 13. Billy Rogan, 14, 15, 16. Bob Beilstein. Teacher: Miss Stansbury (see Mickey Michalko's remembrance in the comments).

When I asked if Bill Young if he was really wearing knickers, he replied, “Of course they are knickers. At age 6, I was a slave to fashion. Fortunately, I outgrew that problem. Kneesocks had powerful elastic bands which probably cut off circulation. The bottoms of the knickers also had extremely strong elastic bands. At the end of a day wearing that combination, my legs really hurt. Gosh, the sacrifices we make to look good.” Darn it! I wish you could see his outfit better--the bowtie, the Fair Isle vest.

Ingomar Elementary, McCandless Township

Well, I saved the best for last. We Ingomar kids were clearly a happy-g0-lucky lot compared to the rather rustic B-Woodzers and proper Espians. Girls are mixed in with boys, and no one needs a chair. Actually, I’ve cheated a little by providing the second grade photo (1947) in order to include some stellar class members who are not quite ATWTs—Brandt, Roessler, Schleuning, and Roth. (At left I’m setting off for the first day of first grade, Sept. 1946.)

Front row: Ted Matoka, Henry Ford, Arthur Brandt (who later departed for Espe), Richard Sinewe (‘59), Philip Lane, Billy Campbell, Jack Miller, Ernie Roessler.

Middle row: Margie Behrens, Karen Ringeisen, Linda Schleuning, Barbara Sweeney, Joyce Kuhlman, June Blystone, Sue Sutter, Patty Nutter (’59), Ruth June Gross, Mike Lake.

Back row: Ray Blystone, Dick Fink, Virginia Grosick, Marilyn Michalko, Mrs. Reed, Judy Roth, Marilyn Sarver, Jimmy Quickle, George Crawford. Missing from the picture, but also Ingomar ATWTs: Audrey Bergman and Marilyn Grupp.

Pete Brandt has remarked rather enviously that he wishes he could have worn a striped jacket like Jack Miller, clearly our GQ fashion candidate. Good thing he didn’t know about the Prince of Fashion, Bill Young, yet.

Any miss-identifications? Let me know. Next week I should be back online.