San Luis Sr. High Class of ’58
GOLDEN REUNION
Save a date four years from now—2013
Our 50th reunion went off smoothly., even though the Tribune didn’t want to interview Volker Schmid, our high school’s third exchange student from Stuttgart, Germany—despite Randal and my efforts to give their editors the link to this website with Volker’s digitized photos of San Luis Obispo County from fifty years ago! We’re sharing more reunion photos on this website. Click on “Photos”. (After this, I’ll start my book on Three Generations growing up in SLO. If you have some old photos (1860-1960) with buildings in the background or old cars—or buggies—let me know. Pat O’D.)
Book on Al’s mother Tanya Kelley
We just received the below email this week (9/15) that says the new book “She Cried for Mother Russia—A Princess in San Luis Obispo” by Benton Way neighbor Friedl (Elaine) Semans-Bell has been published by Cal Poly and pre-orders are available through El Corral Bookstore.
Tanya Kelley was the Den Mother to both Alec and his older brother Tony’s Club Scout Packs. Classmates in her den included Randal Cruikshanks, Ronnie Gallagher, Greg Morris, Pat O’Daniels and older brothers Tony Kelley and Mike O’Daniels, Tommy Bello, Jack Sellars and others three years ahead of us.
A photo of the cover and Tanya with her young sons is included on the El Corral website, along with a present day photo of the author.
http://grci.calpoly.edu/projects/friedl-bell.html
The teaser reads: “…Tatiana Volkonsky (Kelley) who narrowly escaped death from marauding Bolsheviks after the Russian Revolution of 1917...” Yes, Alec knew his beautiful older neighbor girl was writing this book. It’s just a shame he never got to see it in print. Here’s the email we received from Cal Poly to the author.
To Alec Kelley's Class of 1958: Check out the web site below.
Begin forwarded message:
*From: *Lyndee Sing <lsing@calpoly.edu <mailto:lsing@calpoly.edu>>
*Date: *September 2, 2009 1:59:51 PM PDT
*To: *Robert Bell <bandfbell@comcast.net
*Subject: **Book Web Page is Live*
Hi Friedl,
I have some exciting news! The book page on our website is now live, and includes the link to the El Corral Bookstore's online store. Currently, pre-orders are available. When the books are printed and available, El Corral will handle warehousing and fulfillment of orders. For those friends and neighbors in Eugene whom would like to order the book online, you can send them to the El Corral site directly or the GrCI site.
our site: http://grci.calpoly.edu/projects/friedl-bell.html
El Corral: http://www.elcorralbookstore.com/books/shop/detail.aspx?catID=22&wpid=2387969 <http://www.elcorralbookstore.com/books/shop/detail.aspx?catID=22&wpid=2387969>
When the printing of the book is completed, GrCI will make a bigger deal of it on our home page.
Best,
Lyndee
------------------------------------------------------------
Lyndee Sing
Program Manager
Graphic Communication Institute at Cal Poly
San Luis Obispo CA 93407
805.756.2645
lsing@calpoly.edu <mailto:lsing@calpoly.edu>
Book launch Oct. 3rd in San Luis
Just to let you know, the book launch for “She Cried for Mother Russia” will be held at the SLO County Historical Society on Saturday, October 3rd from 1-3 pm. Friedl is going to do a reading/signing. Friedl has kindly donated 200 copies to the Society and they will be available for purchase the day of the event. There will be a flyer in the upcoming society newsletter.
Hope to see you there,
Kimberly Alfaro
Executive Director
San Luis Obispo County Historical Society
805-543-0638, www.slochs.org
696 Monterey St, SLO, CA 93401
Response from the author “Friedl”
Pat, Thanks so much for passing on the info on the book about Tanya Kelley. I, too, am very sorry Alec did not live long enough to see it in print; however, my husband Bob and I flew down to SLO in July before he died. I gave him the manuscript and he saw and understood that I had dedicated the book to Tony and him. Lynn told me she read different chapters at night to him in his final weeks and he seemed to find some comfort from this. Just heartbreaking to lose him.
You asked a couple of questions. My family moved from Benton Way to Sacramento in the fall of 1952 when my dad took a position in Sacramento with the Dept. of Education; therefore, I did not get to attend SLO High. But in 2005 I went to the Class of 1955 50th reunion anyway. The book was a result of visiting Alec at that time. He showed me a box of documents and pictures from Tanya's sister's estate. Most were in Russian. Using these documents, researching the Russian Civil War, reading multiple books about the key players in Russia at this time and recalling a few anecdotes told by Tanya, I was able, after three years, to piece together how she escaped after the revolution. Neither Tony nor Alec knew much of anything about this part of their mother's life since she was not able to talk about it. It has been an incredible experience to bring this project to fruition with the help of Cal Poly. I felt Tanya's story, a part of SLO history, was something that needed to be shared; and it looks as if that will happen in a couple of weeks!
It will be wonderful to see everyone again! Thanks again for your help in getting the word out!
Cheers!
Friedl Elaine (Semans) Bell
Meet Felix on our Blog page!
Volker’s daughter Emili just emailed us (July 5) two photos of her son Felix and some comments about her father’s funeral servive in Berlin last month. Click on “Blog” above and it will take you to the photos and her message.
Volker’s Berlin service June 3
(May 1) I received a death announcement which Germans use instead of or in addition to an newspaper obit. There is going to be a small ceremony to place his ashes next to Holle in the Waldfriedhof-Dahlem / Berlin on June 3rd at noon. I'm not sure what we might want to do, if anything, or how to do something if we decide to. Flowers come to mind but, at the moment, I have no idea how one would go about that. I think maybe our local tribute in the form of the Tribune obituary suffices.
(May 26) I got lucky with the cemetery. If you Google Waldfriedhof Dahlem - Berlin.de and then click on [Translate this page] you will get information on the cemetery AND a translation into English. There is also a map showing it in relation to Volker's house. Just blocks apart. In addition, I'm almost positive Holle is there too and hopeful they will be side-by-side.
I've decided I'm going to send a brief message to Emili and her uncles which they can read at the ceremony if they'd like - or later.
The death notice asks that any donations be made in Volker's name to the Gesellschaft zur Rettung Schiffbruechiger, Account nr. 1 074 672 00 in memory of Volker Schmid, Bremer Bank BLZ 290 800 10.
That is a rescue organization which for people in danger at sea and the Bremer Bank is a bank account. I have succeeded in getting to the site but and it says PayPal can be used but it doesn't show how to handle anything but Euros.
The boat drawing on the death notice is of their beloved canal boat 'Struner'. I'm pretty sure it is one of Holle's
Many thanks again.
Best, Randal
(Classmates, the below link works—Pat O’D)
Felix born Monday, April 27th
We are grand uncles and aunts to Volker’s grandson:
“Emili called me yesterday to say Lutz' and her son, Felix, was born on 27 April and that all is well. Emili and the baby are already home. I will pass along more details as I get them. Good to finally get some good news from Germany!!! Best, Randal”
Volker’s obit in Sunday SLO Trib
Our German exchange classmate’s obituary was place in the Easter Sunday (4/12) San Luis Obispo County TRIBUNE.
See a photo of it on our Blog page.
Volker Schmid died March 24th
I just spoke to Randal today (3/25) who told me Emili Schmid called and said her father died in his sleep last night at the rehab hospital in Berlin. She was just as surprised as anyone. See Blog page for where to send condolences.
Randal Cruikshanks emailed Wednesday (March 11th) to say: “Well, good news folks!! Emili just called to say that Volker's tube was removed and he spoke with her today. Didn't make much sense and he has no idea how long he has been in the coma. They told Emili he will be transferred to a rehab facility - good news in more ways than one. I'm going to try to put some books on California and the U.S. on a dvd and send it soon. Have to run. Maybe all of our good thoughts helped!! More when I hear more!” Best, Randal
Earlier Randal called on Sunday morning (March 1st) to say that he received a phone call from Volker’s daughter. Emili told him that this was “the best day she has had in months” as her father awoke from his induced coma yesterday in a Berlin hospital. (The doctors had induced the coma to save him after his recent back surgery.) An update can be found on our “Blog” page. —Pat O’D.
Watch and listen to Gil Serna sing!
Even though Gil and Jan are on dial-up, those of us on high speed broadband can watch and listen to Gil sing a song he wrote.
http://www.thestream.tv/watch.php?v=1306
Then you can email your comments to Gil at:
Our Golden Reunion recap
We kicked off the weekend with a “welcome back” informal gathering on Friday evening at the American Legion Hall, thanks to USAF vet Kelley who was involved in setting up the next door Central Coast Veterans Museum in the basement of the Veteran’s Memorial Building. http://www.vetmuseum.org/ Our guests were welcomed Friday for a $5. admission charge.
The table decorations at the new San Luis Obispo Country Clubhouse on Saturday night were elegant with white orchids towering out of black vases sitting on gold brocade over white table cloths. Close to 180 attended with over 90 classmates present.
Harold Wright read off a long list of former classmates now in “Tiger Heaven”. (See our photo board in Photos 2). A lively Live Auction, with Irv Tiessen presiding in huckster costume, found ’57 Tiger John Duron battling for a 1957 Tiger Tales yearbook he never received with our classmate “Fast Eddie” Marcom. Neither planned to give in, but Duron dropped out when Preston Pierce’s widow Judy Smith-Pierce (Paso ’59) told us she would give him Preston’s yearbook.
We also auctioned off a 1958 Tiger Tales, but the prized items were Sue Fiscalini’s two-sided “Tiger” quilt and Tamra “Gail” Peirson-Boncore’s stained glass “Tiger” window. (see Blogs). Sue also printed 8.5x11” photos of our old high school, put them in a folder and included them in a bag for every classmate attending.
Art Hoover won for the “longest distance traveled” award, because Google maps showed he had to first travel east from New Durham, NH to get to Boston before flying out. Fred Lewelling was 2nd, flying in from Williamsburg, Mass; Lynn Douglas-Hunt was third, coming all the way from Chesapeake, Virginia.
Hoover, a Dartmouth alumnus, donated 160 bottles of 100% pure New Hampshire Maple Syrup. O’Daniels used Volker’s color photo of our high school to print a “Golden Tiger” label for Art’s bottles. Money was raise for our 55th reunion (in 2013) when we sold extra bottles at our Sunday brunch for the bargain price of $10.
Ron Gallagher won a prize for having the youngest child (twenties) by saying, “I didn’t get married until I was thirty-seven.” A Santa Maria High alum won for having the oldest child—55!
Lynn was disappointed to see the changes to her old “Avila”. There is hardly anything left in Avila Beach from back when we were segregating ourselves from “Poly Rats” lying on the sand between beach-side hot dog stands. (See Volker’s photos on the Blog)
A Sunday Brunch at Janet Zuiderweg-Andrews’ ranch in Reservoir Canyon was graced with the best weather of the weekend and perfect for a car show! (See the photos on “Photos 2”.)
On May 10th Steve Morrow died of a rare type of soft tissue cancer in Colorado. His older brother Art emailed us on May 17th.
See Blog 2.
We lost Scotty Simpson on April 23rd. There was already an old photo of Scotty from Nancy Schwartz on our Photos page. We’ve added his name to our “Tiger Heaven” blog, and in his honor posted one of Volker Schmid’s 1957-58 photos of a then funky Morro Bay Embarcadero in his honor...and to all our fallen Morro Bay classmates.
http://www.legacy.com/sanluisobispo/DeathNotices.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=108381893
Well done Golden Reunion Committee!
Janet Andrews, Mike Block, Randal Cruikshanks, Larry Ekholm,
Sue Fiscalini, Carol Howland, Mardy Hudson, Al & Lynn Kelley,
Mary Ellen Kyle, Pat O’Daniels, Nancy Poe and Harold Wright.
Who would have thought that when Emmett McLain, (we think) took this photo in 1958, that this historic 1928 high school would be torn down three years later. That’s Tim Williams’ 1955 Chevy at center. Who owned the Nash Rambler at left? Or the black ’48 Merc coupe?
Thanks to Jim Punches for saving this 4x5 negative from his father’s collection.
(Send us your old photos.)
Wasn’t that a lot of fun!?
