Becky Crawford (Graves)

Ralph Howard, Jr.

Harry did not move to Newark till 1958 if it was before that it had to come over Frazeysburg first if it was coming from the East. Of course I don't remember any air plane flying over Frazeysburg. It woulfd have passed over to quickly. Good information. Thanks Ralph

John Meyers

Enjoyed Harry's story.  I was tickled by the formation flyover story, being an aviation nut.  My B-36 flyover was in mid 50's near Cleveland.  On a schoolday, it flew over quite low, created a powerful gut-vibrating noise.  Most kids were in schoolyard at the time (recess) & I was particularly thrilled.  I must have decided then and there that my life pathway would have something to do with flying.  

We moved to Newark 1959-ish (Roosevelt>Old HS>New HS) and I remember the stores, joints, drive-in from North Newark standpoint.  At Roosevelt, some teachers were teachers or classmates of my parents.  Our move-back to town made me 3rd generation of Newark-ite... without the benefit of actually growing up there pre-teen.

My grandparents lived in a nice house close to town on Mt. Vernon Rd... almost across from L & K restaurant. When attending the old high school, I would go have lunch with them... walking to/from old-NHS past White Motors.  Seems that recent car wrecks would normally be towed to White's... they were gruesome things to ponder.  Later on, Mike Hauser and Rick Funk went to work for (which funeral home?) ambulance company.. pre EMT.  They got to ponder other gruesome things.

In that era when I mentioned flying in the presence of my grandparents, they would tell and retell the story of a B-25 that crashed nearby (into town) during WW2... as if to warn me of the hazards involved in my pursuits.

So far, so good.

John M

Carol Harvey (Kinney)

Thanks for the story John. And thanks agaainm for the picture of Pop and his plane.. Carol

Pat Wolverton (Welsh)

Dwight Bendure

my parents talked about a ww-2 airplane that crashed in NEWARK in the 1940s, any info on that one. ps any ghost storys. DWIGHT BENDURE,IRVINE CALIF.

Judy Franklin

Here is a short article on the plane crash.  It crashed into a house on Hudson avenue-just north of the freeway. It is a very interesting story. The cause of the crash was bad weather.  It was flying low necause (as I recall from hearing the story presented to a woman's group I belong to) they had no advanced technology back then and followed some sort of ground markers.  As a result it hit electrical wires that caused it to crash.  

FREEPORT MAN DIES IN BOMBER CRASH IN OHIO.

Newark, O., Sept. 9. -- (AP) -- Salvage workers cleaning up the wreckage of a two-motored bomber that smashed into an apartment house found today the remains of what they believed to be a ninth victim.
Eight bodies -- six occupants of the plane and two women civilians -- already had been recovered from the debris of yesterday's mid-town crash. Neither army nor local authorities were able to establish at once identity of the last body.
Second Lieut. LAWRENCE STERMAN LAWVER, 29, son of Mr. and Mrs. S. H. Lawver, 609 West Pleasant Street, a graduate of Freeport high school, where he was prominent in athletics and debating circles, was one of eight occupants of a United States bomber from Wright Field, Ohio, killed Tuesday when their bomber spun crazily from the sky and plunged into a residential section of Newark, Ohio, a city of about 30,000 inhabitants, according to press dispatches received here.

Harry Fitch

Adding to what Judy posted, if you google "newark ohio b-25 crash" the first item that should pop up is "Airplane Crashes - Licking County Library's Wiki!" Or I guess google the article's name--duh, Harry.

Anyway, it gives more info, including the names of the two Newark women killed by the crash.

Print is small, so any geezers from the Class of 63 who look it up might want to have a big screen tablet or computer or magnifying glass handy!

Judy Franklin

Harry, I just googled "Newark Ohio plane crash" and several articles popped up.

Harry Fitch

Here's another memory from our pre-NHS years. Undoubtedly true for those who lived elsewhere prior to 1960.

It's summer and you are playing on your porch or yard (or a neighbor's) or in the street. Suddenly you hear a faint jingle-jangle coming closer from up or down the street. It's the ice cream boy! Hopefully, you'll get to your mom or dad quckly and plead for a nickel, or if you're lucky, a dime.

The ice cream boy approaches, his bells still ringing. Money in hand, you see him pedaling his three-wheel bike, the freezer in front, his four-barrel coin changer strapped to his belt. He stops because you have the money and he has what you want. What's your choice today? A popsicle? A creamsicle? A skyrocket? A Dixie Cup? Or maybe a drumstick? Whatever you choose, you know you've made the right decision until shortly after you have finished relishing the treat. Then you say to yourself, "Maybe I should have bought a (fill in the blank) instead."

Or how about this. Either you or a neighbor still does not have a refrigerator. Instead, there's an icebox which needs a replenishing of ice blocks every now and then (depending on how hot it is in the un-air conditioned house). The ice man comes to deliver. And you and your friends approach him with wadded up newspaper pages and ask for ice chips from one of his blocks. He obliges and chops them off and hands the chunks of ice around. You wrap the page around the chunk and proceed to lick, suck, and crunch the cool, refreshing ice. How refreshing on a summer's day!

I hope such days remain as vivid and cherished for you as they do for me. If so, take a page from your paper (or maybe just a napkin), go to your freezer, pull out an ice cube and see if you can replicate those days. Enjoy!

Sharon Flint (Nickles)

Terrific writing Harry!  I really enjoyed reading this.

Carol Bonham (Caspillo)

Harry, I do remember running out to get an ice cream, but I don't remember the ice sharing. I do remember the coal truck coming to deliver coal so our house would be warm throughout the winter. 

Harry Fitch

A Shakespearian Tragedy

It certainly was a time of innocence. The Kingston Trio could sing "I don't give a damn about a greenback dollar" on their The New Frontier album.

But the version on the radio was "I don't give a ____ about a greenback dollar." Not even mild cursing was acceptable then.

And yet, in our senior year, we came under the influence of a bawdy bard from England named William Shakespeare.

In his Merchant of Venice (yes, I googled it to be certain of the source), a line of verse struck a cord with at least one of us directly and several of us indirectly.

Leaving English class one day, an emboldened Dave Dragics (I believe it was him. If anyone can correct me, please do so) strode over to a waste receptacle, peered inside and exclaimed that Shakespearian line, "Oh hell! What have we here?" We had just read it that day so it was fresh in our minds.

I'm certain the only person shocked by this "outburst" was a female teacher. I believe it was Ms. Keckley. She thundered, "Who said that?" expecting the villain to fess up or be pointed out by a fellow student.

Dragics walked away undetected, unpunished. I don't think any of us laughed out loud, risking Ms. Keckley's wrath, but I'm pretty sure some of us snickered under our breath.

Carol Harvey (Kinney)

Thanks Harry another great story.

Judy Franklin

Miss Williams was the English teacher, or Mr. Kingery.  Didn't Miss Keckley teach geometry?

Harry Fitch

Judy: Actually, I think Dave had the same teacher I did, Miss Steele.  Plus, if memory serves me correctly (and that is a somewhat big "if",) we were on the first floor of the senior building and Miss Williams was in the junior building. Mr. Kingery was the other senior English teacher.

Alberta Sprague (Duncan)

Harry, I'm so happy you are bringing back such vivid memories of Newark at such a sweet innocent time.  What good fun was had.   So simple but so edgy.  I. Sorry I missed this particular hilarity. Thanks for the share. It makes me laugh.   
 

Judy Franklin

Think you are right Harry.  I forgot about Mrs. Steele.  I did have her senior year - Miss Williams junior year.   I never had the experience of Mr. Kingery.  

Harry Fitch

Judy Franklin: I know what you mean about memories. Although I can remember such things as I have related here recently, I have no clue as to who was in so many of my classes. For example, I think Jim Fekete was in Mrs. Steele's with me, but it might have been another. Maybe checking my 63 Reveille will help, but who knows.

I also think Ms. Williams was too mild mannered to thunder at the "Oh hell!" perpetrator had she heard it.

Take care.

Pam Miller (Rose)

Wow!  Harry!  How fun to read!  One thing I remember is "the boys" walking all over town to come to my house and is girls being free to walk home from the dances at the Y or at Roosevelt or at NHS after the football games. We grew up in a bubble!  What lovely memories!  Grateful. 

Harry Fitch

Judy Franklin: This is the second today, so make sure you see the first. It may help make this clearer.

Anyhow, you admitted to a foggy memory with your "Oh yeah! I had Miss Steele for senior English." And I agreed, saying that I had trouble remembering anyone in my classes.

So, about a half hour ago, I perused some of the notes from classmates in my '63 Reveille. And guess who sat right behind me in Miss Steele's class. Some girl named Judy Franklin. At least that's what she said in the yearbook, a time when memories were a bit fresher.

Take care.

Judy Franklin

Harry, I'm sure your notes are correct.  I definitely had Mrs. Steele.  It makes sense that we would be alphabetically close to each other.  I was talking with some friends who are about 7 years older than we ( I am the baby of my Mah Jongg group), and they do not remember Mrs. Steele.  I think she was fairly new.  I'm sure we had a good time.  
Miss Williams was mild mannered.  She left a chunk of money in her will for NHS scholarships.  Good lady to the end.  

Harry Fitch

For those who don't know, Roger Wills died Sunday, Nov. 4. His obituary is at the Criss website or you can probably find it on line at Legacy.

I did not personally know Roger. But I remember back in Biddy League in sixth grade, our coach warning us that we would have to guard him and Howard Ridella closely when we played Cherry Valley. We didn't. I'm pretty sure Roger also played for Wilson in junior high. Others might clarify that.

Judy Franklin

Harry,

Rogerr did go to Cherry Valley and Wilson. He was my first crush- first grade I believe.  Some where in Wilson he was held back and did not graduate with us.  I know he played basketball at Wilson because I just saw an old picture of Wilson's basketball team and he was in the picture.  Don't know why he did not play sports at NHS.

Tom Reed

When we were at Willson, I somtimes spent the night at Roger and Dave's house on a Friday night.  We would make Chef Boyardee pizzas.  I remember Roger and Dave driving the car I had built out of wood with a lawn mower engine on the back in the middle of Main St. in front of their house.  I have a couple of other stories about Roger that I'm going to keep to myself.  Roger was a good guy.  RIP my friend.

Tom Reed