Jun 1950 • Larry’s diary (age 16)
Jun 1 A trial is getting underway in Business Law against shady characters. I am a witness. Bought Business Law book. Senior tea today
Jun 2 Went to Phoenix Lake for Junior picnic, went swimming and rollerskating, 1st time in long time. Senior Ditch day. Turned in chemistry equipment
Jun 3 Teen-topper picnic called off till next week, only a few showed up. Moved music racks over and rearranged radios
Jun 4 Was usher at the Baccalaureate, wore suit. Saw show Jolson Sings Again. Sat with Jake part time. Father Hogan spoke
Jun 5 Went to Phoenix Lake for band picnic. Got there and back in Don Grant’s car he bought day before yesterday. Orchestra test.
Jun 6 KROG announcing election returns. Earl Warren ahead of James Roosevelt. Saw Jolson picture again with Don and Dick. Visited Baker music school.
Jun 7 Band played for Commissioners assembly; was sworn in for publications. Gave Hagemeyer tie from B.S. and Barbara candy. Went to Grammar grade school
Jun 8 Band played for graduation. Went to Phoenix Lake after for senior party. Got 5 books in mail. Got 2 A+ one in orchestra and in band. Last day of school
Jun 9 Helped Mr. Hagemeyer by getting the uniforms straight. Brought home base and case
Jun 10 Went to teen-toppers picnic at Phoenix. Roller skated, got some pointers. Alan and Mick listened to records at store after
Jun 11 Took Bonnie to see Yellow Cab Man Red Skelton. After show went to Grammar school. Marine band played for parade
Jun 12 Went to T.C.B. but only regular few there so didn’t play. Treated Sara Lee. Asked Alan to go on picnic instead of Joe and Sara because Sara couldn’t make it
Jun 13 Saw show Riding High Bing Crosby. Sat with Bill Holdenhousen. Got Banner with Senior pictures. Called off picnic for tomorrow
Jun 14 Got Spanish book at school. Mr. Dawson signed it out. Worked in back yard with shovel and water. Took bath
Jun 15 At long last the Green and Gold have arrived. I have many pictures in it. Went to Bonnie’s house, saw home movies then talked
Sonora Union High School, Junior Class 1950
Jun 16 Went skating with Alan and Mick. Mick didn’t skate. Met a girl from Turlock at the Europa after skating
Jun 17 Days came up and slept in my room. Judy, Jeff, George and Verda came. Had to wear suit to church. Carleen went to Dardanelle
Jun 18 Mom and dad went to Modesto toy show. Will stay down 2 or 3 days. Saw how Mrs. Mike went alone. Days left
Jun 19 Had court band first time in a long time. Jack’s first night there. Talked about picnic and Modesto and Tuolumne. $100 each
Jun 20 Went to the show with Bonnie Cheaper by the Dozen walked to high school afterwards got ride with Tye Wivel. We bought new shirts.
Jun 21 Went to San Francisco with Dad. Drove all the way from Sonora to Walnut Creek. Stayed at Drake Hotel. Saw show with Dad.
Jun 22 Bought 6 or 7 solos at Sherman Clay for $4.50. Drove part way home and practiced solos.
Jun 23 Went to Alan’s house then Columbia. Made some phone calls at Al’s house to Christenson and Deaton also at store. Practiced solos.
Jun 24 Went to the Falon theatre in Columbia with Bonnie. Bruce drove us over and Nellie drove us back. Went to Youth center. Saw Mr. Hagemeyer
Jun 25 Went to Phoenix Lake with Bonnie, just boated. Had weenies and beans there. Saw Marx Brothers in Love Happy alone
Jun 26 Chester Pressey led the T.C.B. for first time in over half a year. Played semi-classical and popular. Gave Pressey message from Pierre
Jun 27 Polished up whole horn and put it in its case for Tuolumne. Took bath till midnight, made bed. Looks like war. U.S. bombs Reds.
Jun 28 Went swimming at Mosses with whole family and Ima, except dad. Started to sort out wheel deck cards. Got up at 6 this morning
Jun 29 Started to sort out Crystal wheel deck on dining room table, up till 1. Worked in back yard, made 3 ponds. Called up Bonnie
Jun 30 Went to teen-toppers first dance. Bonnie cancelled date for show. Got chest x-ray. Stayed home and worked on wheel deck.
wheel deck
to be continued…
© 2017. Catherine Sevenau.
All rights reserved.
Deborah Bennett says
Blown away by all of this, as usual, especially how so many things happen in Larry’s diary every day. I can’t remember much of anything new or interesting happening in my life when I was that age, as a bored-to-death Chicago Suburban teenager whose primary form of entertainment was hanging out at the shopping mall.
There was no senior tea for sure. No junior nor teen topper picnic nor band picnics. No senior ditch day. No “went to a dance, got a chest xray and worked on one’s wheel deck (a.k.a. rolodex)” all in one day.
And amazing to me how in the 1950 photo of the junior class at Sonora Union High School they all look like nearly adults compared to the high school juniors of today who, if my perceptions aren’t too skewed — and though they have their own unique set of modern day challenges I wouldn’t want to even begin to contend with — don’t seem to be nearly adults at all somehow, with marriages and children if any coming at least a decade or more later than in 1950 America.
Catherine Sevenau says
As I work on this I often call my brother to help me decipher his handwriting, or tell me what a wheel deck is. When I read him a part he usually says, “I did that?” or “I don’t remember that.” A lot of the story he claims never happened, then I remind him he talks about it in his diary. I’m lucky I got the stories while my siblings and I still had a memory.
Kay G says
♡
Jim Prunetti says
Miss Watt arrived at Sonora High in ’47, just in time to coach my mother in Physical Education. She later helped found the Tuolumne County Genealogy Society (1979) and talked me into joining as a charter member. Her passion for health and history (“a good combination” she would often say) was contagious!