May is one of the most pleasant months of the year, from my perspective.
There are the two M’s, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day and graduation ceremonies and in my case, the annual alumni party. One of the most important days when I was growing up was another “M,” May Day.
It was a day that included the entire student body at Cardington when it was held always on the first Friday. I’ve reviewed May Day before but since then I have come in possession of the school Searchlight newspapers from 1944 to 1947 sent to the Cardington-Lincoln Alumni Association for display in the alumni display case by Grace Shaw Stock, who graduated in 1946.
Included is a one time edition of “The Owl,” a mimeographed 8 x 11 inch paper written and edited by Grace’s brother, Stanley. The paper is dated May 28, 1940, and in it he described in detail the May Day program that year and the junior senior banquet held the same month.
I want to share portions because many of these names may be your parents, grandparents or people that you knew at one time.
“May Day dawned cool and the program started at 10 am (On the front lawn of the school – on Nichols Street) The band played the processional march with the retiring queen, Wanda Jean Kirkpatrick, dressed in white; followed by Violet Dodds, in blue and Genevieve Smiley, dressed in peach.
Then came Phyllis Kreis, in aqua and Pauline Gartin, in peach followed by Violet Kaelber, in peach and Kathleen Pipes, in blue. Next was the crown bearer, little Rolly Harris followed by the two pretty flower girls, Joan Westbrook and Lorrell Boger. Then came the May Queen, Evelyn Irons carrying red roses and dressed in a white taffeta hoop skirted formal;
Ruthella Heacock, in peach and Jeanette Newcomer, in aqua, followed by June Patrick, in pink and Rosella Kirkpatrick, in blue, ending the procession. After the crowning of the May Queen, the operetta “Spring is Here,” was given by the first six grades and the seventh and eight grades danced around the May Pole.
There was a picnic dinner at noon and after dinner there were different relays in which the children participated. The day was brought to a close with a baseball game with Marengo which they won 10-6.”
Next week I will relate Stanley’s description of the junior-/senior banquet held in the school cafeteria in May, 1940. Sadly, Stanley lost his life duringWorld War II when during his 18th or 19th mission, the B-29 plane he was piloting was shot down over Guam.
80 years ago: May, 1938: On May 9, the Lloyd Heacock farm on State Route 529, east of County Road 24, was the first in the county to be energized with electrical current from the lines of Morrow Rural Electric Co-Op.
70 years ago, May, 1948: While at Union Terminal in Washington, D.C., on their senior trip, Cardington’s graduating class members got a glimpse of President Harry S Truman boarding a train.
50 years ago, May, 1968: Captain Kenneth Rengert, a 1958 Cardington graduate, was awarded his second U S Air Force Commendation Medal at Fuchu Air Station, Japan. Capt Rengert was decorated for Meritorious service as a legal officer. He received his J.D. Degree from Ohio Northern University.
Charles Russell was elected as captain of the newly formed Cardington Auxiliary police unit. Jim Ullom was lieutenant.
