Early Mary Ann

The morning after my 50th high school reunion, I found a site with links to digitized (PDFs) high school annuals. There were a couple of guys in Carteret County that had digitized annuals from their county schools, but Swansboro had made it in, beginning with 1950 and going past 1972.

Mary Ann graduated in 1956, so her classes for 6th – 12th were there.

I started in 1960 and went thru 1972.

The cafeteria above is where I learned, quickly, to hate sauerkraut. One day we had sauerkraut. I don’t see trays in the picture above, but we had trays for our plate of food and to put the Maola milk carton on. I would not normally do this, but on that day, I did not finish my milk (the carton was about half full). I also didn’t eat any sauerkraut. The little window about center top of this picture and next to a back door was where you brought your dirty dishes. That day there were a few teachers standing near this window. Well, I see that other boys have put their sauerkraut in their milk cartons, so this time I tried it. One of those teachers must have seen what I did because as I neared the window, she stopped me and lifted my milk carton. Feeling that it wasn’t empty, she told me to go back and finish my milk. I turned around and went back to try and finish my milk. Needless to say, sauerkraut and milk don’t go well together. I tried, and gagged, and fortunately she did not stop me a second time. It took me years and years to learn to like sauerkraut. But, I do like it now, on a Pastrami Reuben (Rachel) on rye, with sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing and Swiss cheese. The dressing “turns” the sauerkraut much as sugar would turn vinegar into a more pleasing taste.

The co-Best Looking male, Ronnie Ross, taught me “drivers education” when it was time for me to learn to drive. I recall that I must have drifted over the center line once, and Mr. Ross said something to the effect that, “I’m going to have to beat you over the head with a wet noodle.” I remember the “wet noodle” part of what he said.