MEMORIES OF HUBERT AND BRIGHTMOOR

That first year, 1939, in the Detroit Public School system, I attended Stratford Elementary.  Frank Cody was Superintendent of Schools at that time and continued in this position until replaced by Warren E. Bow in 1942-43.  In 1940 I was enrolled at Hubert Elementary entering the 2nd Grade.  I remained at Hubert until graduating in 1947 and moving on to Redford High where, with no little effort, I received my High School Diploma in June 1951.  From my “memories box” I was able to uncover the names of my teachers at Hubert as well as most, if not all, my classmates in that Class of June 1947.  Mr. Norton Pearl was principal when I first arrived at Hubert and was replaced by Miss Grace Spinks (ooh, what a task master!) in 1943.  Nora Chapin was my Homeroom Teacher that first semester of the 2nd grade; for the second semester I had Nelli Pearsall.  Miss Pearsall continued to be my Homeroom Teacher for both my 3rd and 4th grades.  The first semester of the 5th grade I had Blanche Ross; the second semester F. Linzey who was again my Homeroom Teacher the first semester of the 6th grade.  She was followed the second semester by Hazel Taylor.

The 1945-46 school year saw me move on to Hubert Intermediate where I again was fortunate to have Blanche Ross as my Homeroom Teacher for the 7th grade where she taught the basic courses of English, Math and General Language.  For General Science it was Elsie Shrodes;  Health or Gym, the inimitable Virginia Conn the first semester and a favorite teacher the second semester in the person of Jorma Pike; Social Science was taught by Robert Larsen; Shop Class was under the tutelage of W. O. Breed; Library, B. Allen (could this have been Blanche Allen?); Auditorium, G. Faith (could this have been Georgie Sexton’s maiden name?).  The second semester of the 7th grade introduced me to Music Class under J. Nash and Art Class under V. H. Vint.

The 1946-47 school year arrives and I find a new Homeroom Teacher in the person of Myrtle Davis who also taught the basics of English, Math and Language.  The other teachers remained the same as who I had in the 7th grade except I now see Georgie Sexton (was her maiden name Faith?) in Auditorium and Robert Delany teaching Music.

Now for the Class of June 1947 as I remember them:

Armour, Betty     Bagaria, Dennis*     Bagaria, Richard     Bennett, Shirley    

Bohlen, James     Brandenberg, Dorothy     Carter, Norma     Celestra, Vivian

Concilla, Mary     Concilla, Sally     Day, Robert     Feisel, George*     Fisher, Mary*

Freeborn, Nell     Grayson, Mary Jane     Green, Pat     Gutterson, Nancy

Hank, Erma     Heldreth, Charles*     Jackson, Betty     Janssen, Vernon*

Janssen, Vincent*     Jones, Gail*     Kavan, Abbie     Leach, Donald    

Lemerand, Bradley     Lutz, Edward     Maisevich, Raymond*     Nielson, Lily*

Novak, Joe     Parish, James     Paul, Gene*     Prichard, Nan     Pyrola, Doris

Roe, Bill     Schwentor, Bob*     Shaw, Margaret*     Shumski, Mary Lou    

Smith, Dorothy     Stangis, Anthony “Happy”*     Wilson, Barbara*

These are the ones in my class as I was able to determine from various notes, etc. from that old “memories box”.  In particular there was a small notebook that listed most, if not all, of my classmates on individual pages.  On these pages a small cadre of people were privileged to put down their comments regarding these individuals.  These comments consisted of such arcane statements like:  “too big for his own pants”, “cute”, “hubba hubba”, “o.k.”, “darn swell guy”, “slick chick”, “too big a flirt”,

“hubba hubba choo choo ding ding BOING”, “broomstick”, “fatty fatty” and on and on.  Names with an asterisk (*) are ones I see from my high school yearbook as having graduated with the Redford High Class of June 1951.  If I have missed any classmates I am truly sorry.  It is truly unfortunate that I was unable to find a class photo.  

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