Friday, February 26, 2010

Ardus Lantz Hewitt Obituary ~ Contributor Morris Toppila

I am sad to tell you that Ardus Lantz, one of our Deadwood Bears (Class of 1952 Classmates) passed away on January 16, 2009 at her home in Blue Hill Nebraska.

Ardus was born January 20, 1935 to Raymond and Lulu (Cox) Lantz at Deadwood, S.D. She graduated from Deadwood High School in 1952. She married Charles L. Hewitt Sr. on Oct. 25, 1953 in Midland, Texas. They lived in Rapid City, S.D., from December 1953-1973, when they moved to the Denver area. She retired in December 2000 and they moved to Blue Hill. Ardus worked as a paralegal for a law firm in Denver. She was a member of the Red Hat Society in Blue Hill. Survivors include her husband, Charles Sr., Blue Hill; two sons, Charles Jr., Blue Hill, and Raymond, Philadelphia; five grandchildren' two great-granchildren; two sisters, Eva Woolley, Rapid City, and Janet Johnson, Cuba, N.Y.; and two brothers, Donnie Lantz and David Lantz, both of Rapid City. She was preceded in death by her parents and two sisters. Services were held January 21, 2010 at the St. Pau Lutheran Church in Blue Hill.

Morris Toppila DHS52, February 24, 2010

Note: Top has family contact information.

See interesting historical and graphical information select on >>> Blue Hill, Nebraska

Comments:

Yvonne Hendrickson 2/25/2010: Thanks Top, appreciate your letting me know this sad news. Yvonne

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Deadwood Public School ~~ 1946-47 First Grade & 1949-50 Fourth Grade ~~ Contributor Jack Sears DHS58

Select on Images for large viewing

Photos from Jack Sear's collection

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DickD 2/23/2010 Note:

Jack Sears tells me that there were two first grade classes, but he cannot remember the other teacher's name. Amazing class sizes, but then not when you consider the 1940-1950's Deadwood were a peak of commerce, population, livelihood, and Homestake.

A drastic slump followed in the 1960's through the early 1980's. In 1987, as a National Register Historic City, Deadwood rediscovered itself as a Western Destination and high profile gambling. With gambling proceeds, the whole infrastructure of Deadwood has been rebuilt as brand new. However, I have said before, gambling is a facade use of old buildings. The old time family names are fading away.

The Deadwood Public School Building is 86 years old and the Deadwood School is 124 years old. Sadly, the Lead Deadwood School District is considering to surplus the Deadwood School Building. Due to the Deadwood building values, a gambling establishment is highly likely.

Comments are added to article at the end
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I finally located the picture of my first grade class and the list of names that I mentioned to you a while back. If there is any problem with this format, please let me know.
There are three sections: 1) the introduction and class list; 2) the class photo; and 3) the names (those I can recall) of the students in the photo.

I also have a picture of our 4th grade class I could send along, which of course includes some kids not in the first grade photo. Maybe that's too much of a good thing, though. I hope other people will be encouraged to send in information about their own classes.

I can't remember all the names with all the faces. Maybe others have better memories and can fill in the blanks and/or make necessary corrections.

Regards,
Jack DHS58


Deadwood Public School
Miss Smith’s First Grade Class
Christmas 1946

Front Row, Left to Right

Virginia Clauser, John Richard Cummings, Diane Clements, Calvin Michael Minard, -??-, Wayne DeSersa, Sharon Burrington, Gordon Albin, Darrell Baltzore, Judy Cleveland

Second Row

Carol Wibmer?, -??-, Dennis Artus, Muriel Roth, James Meverden, Barbara Rich, Stanley Giersdorf, -??-, Dale Hansen, Rozelle Stalder

Third Row

Sondra Snapp, Dean Morse, -??-, Marshall Howard, Virginia Gukeisen, Lyle Spaulding, Patricia Schunneman, Jack Sears, Darlene Lester, Merlyn Sperle

Unidentified, or
Not in Picture:

Barbara Baird, Carol Beck, Larry Burrington, Joyce K. Emery, Linda Lee McGriff
Larry Burtzlaff, Sharon?, Rose Gros

Miss Olive Smith’s First Grade Class of 1946-47


Possibly the longest serving teacher in history of the Deadwood school system was Miss Olive (Dottie) Smith.


Miss Smith surprised me on my first day in her class by saying she had taught my uncle when he was in the first grade -- and since he was born in 1898, that would have been back in 1904. (My grandparents first came to Deadwood in about 1902 and owned The Deadwood Creamery, which sold dairy products and eggs and was located where the Deadwood Armory now is on upperMain Street.)


Miss Smith graduated from Spearfish Normal School (aka Black Hills Teachers College and Black Hills State University) in 1891, and had already been teaching in for 55 years when the Class of 1958 was known as the First Grade Class of 1946-47. (She continued teaching for a few years longer.)


These were the students in Miss Smith’s class that year, according to the list of names she sent to parents to help them prepare valentines for February 14, 1947:


Gordon Albin
Dennis Artus
Barbara Baird
Darrell Baltzore
Carol Beck
Dorothy Burrington
Larry Burrington
Larry Burtzlaff
Virginia Clauser
Diane Clements
Judy Cleveland
John Richard Cummings
Wayne DeSersa
Joyce K. Emery
Stanley Giersdorf
Virginia Gukeisen
Dale Hansen
Marshall Howard
Dariene Lester
Linda Lee McGriff
James Meverden
Dean Morss
Calvin Michael Minard
Barbara Rich
Muriel Roth
Patricia Schunneman
Jack Sears
Sondra Fern Snapp
Merlyn Sperle
Lyie Spaulding
Rozelle Stalder
Carol Wibmer

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Dick, I decided to send you the photo of Miss Katharine Wardman's 4th grade class of 1949-50 for your blog, in addition to Miss Smith's first grade class photo.

I can't remember the names of four of my classmates, but maybe someone else can -- if you decide to add this to the first grade photo submission.

(I'm not 100 percent sure this is my 4th grade class, but that's my best guess. )

Regards,

Jack

Miss Katharine Wardman’s Fourth Grade Class
Deadwood Public School
1949-50

Front Row, Left to Right:

Judy Cleveland, Sondra Snapp, Rozelle Stalder, Herbert Clark, Gordon Albin, Diane Clements, Kay Sohn, Virginia Clauser, -??-, Thomas Wardell, Calvin Minard, Donald Johnson

Second Row:

Dale Hansen, Dennis Artus, Gloria Johnson, -??-, -??-, Jack Gray, Constance McCarroll, Merlyn Sperle, -??-, Darlene Lester, Larry Dungey

Back Row:

Albert McKeown, Ramona Shepard, Jean Pigney, Marvin (“Buzzy”) Lee, Virginia Gukeisen, Jack Sears, Larry Burtzlaff, Muriel Roth, Patricia Schunneman

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Comments:

Connie McCarroll Austin DHS58 2/26/2010: There was a combination 1st and 2nd class taught by Lorna Duran or something close to that. She married in the middle of the year and became Mrs. Nelson. Think I have a photo that I'll forward. I enjoy the blog and all the news.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Wildlife Photography by Amanda Barber

See Amanda's amazing Osprey dive sequence and interesting nesting images too . . . select Amanda's Veranda web site

Monday, February 8, 2010

Proud Salute to Military by Ford Motor Company

~~~ play only one video at a time~~~

Sunday, February 7, 2010

The Deadwood Theater and It's Last Movie

Located next to the old Deadwood City Hall (1889) on Main Street, the Deadwood Theatre opened in 1885 as the Opera House. After it burned down the first time, it was rebuilt in 1906 as the Deadwood Theatre. Originally serving as a legitimate theater, the Deadwood Theatre later became a movie house.

Another fire in 1952 destroyed both the Deadwood Theatre and the next door Deadwood City Hall. The last movie showing before the last fire was the 1951 release "Come Fill My Cup" staring James Cagney, Raymond Massey, Gig Young and Selena Royle. The current Franklin Hotel-Motel was rebuilt at the location of the City Hall and the Deadwood Theater.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Musical Tribute to Native Americans ~~ Enya - Enigma's "Return to Innocence"

"Return to Innocence" is a 1994 song created by the musical group Enya-Enigma.

It became one of the project's most popular international singles, reaching number one in over 12 countries. I chose this video version for it's vintage Native American slide show. The music is hauntingly beautiful . . .

Play only one video at a time



Comments:

02-07-2010 "I love this!" A Favorite Fellow Blogger Amanda, click to see Amanda's Veranda

Friday, February 5, 2010

Wow!! ~~ Line Dancing to John Denver's and Bobby Darin's Popular Music

~~Play only one video at a time~~

Sorry for the pop-up ad, please ignore and close them

It would be interesting to see how many classmates still have this kind of dancing left in their gizzard. It was 1958 for Bobby Darin and 1971 for John Denver. They each wrote and performed their own songs and were hit singles :)

Thursday, February 4, 2010

2010 Super Bowl & Saints Celebration ~ Jim Hennen Contributor

The following video is 3+ minutes. It is good music and the guys are having a good time. A Rapid City High School friend of mine send the video link and a description of the "Buddy D Dress Parade" in New Orleans.

Even if you're a Colts fan, it's kind of fun.

Jim Hennen DHS57

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From: Jack Moore RCHS57

For those of you who did not get to experience the “Buddy D Dress Parade”… Rebecca Ferris is doing on the whole Buddy D/ Bobby Hebert/ Abdul D Tentmakur story. She is doing a documentary on the whole story, and shot an interview with me on Sat., and came down to shoot Mousey and I getting ready for the parade on Sunday… very nicely done.

For those of you who don’t know the story. Buddy D was a local sportswriter, broadcaster, and radio personality in the New Orleans area for 50 years, and when the Saints went 5-0 in 1993, and everyone was calling in saying we were going to the Superbowl, Buddy said he would wear a dress and parade down Bourbon if they made it. Since he was sooo big, he would need a tent maker to make his dress (this is where Abdul D Tentmakur comes from)…. Well, after Buddy passed away in 2005, Bobby Hebert decided to keep the promise… and it came to pass in 2010 that we MADE IT! So, WWL plans this Buddy D/ Bobby’ broads Dress Parade, and expected about 500-1000 guys to dress up with Bobby and our crew to parade from the superdome to bourbon street……. Well.... much like EVERYTHING we do in New Orleans, we did it to excess! There were over 5000 men (and a LOT of young boys) dressed, and over EIGHTY THOUSAND folks that came out to watch… It was a sight to behold… check it out!

PS….Mousey won the “Best Dress” contest… the “Old lady outfit”

Buddy D Parade from Cottage Films on Vimeo.