Are You a Looky-Loo...?

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You'll Be "Glad" You Did!

Bill Leggett

White Department Store. Kind of a hardware/appliance place was on west 3^rd next to the Yucca Movie show. I remember the night it caught Fire. 

Sears was on the coroner of 2^nd & Main I worked there during the summer & Christmas Time

John L. I shot my first deer with a British 303. And yes, I wish I still had mine also.

Mark Meiering

My memory, very possibly muddle on this and many other points, is that Charlotte Adams father managed the C.R. Anthoney store on Main street.  And as already noted,  the Fields and Williams family had The Model.  Spencer Fields was a boyhood friend and we played basketball together on several teams. I was honored to be in his wedding to Beth.  His brother Benny was a golfer and played often with a guy (name unremembered now), who worked at Ball And Ray.  I believe Mr. Ray was  still the  owner/operator in those days.  Remarkable that business competitors could have a cordial personal relationship, but that was Roswell in that era.  I saw the younger brother Larry Fields briefly at out 50 year reunion, as he was accompanying a classmate.

Don Ervin

Anybody remember this gentleman?

Saundra Bennett (Whiteside)

Don, could that be Cactus Jack!?  I'm trying to remember his real name.  I want to say His last name was Anderson.

Robert Rollins

Don Ervin

Saundra and Robert you are both correct.  

Sherry Hester (Trasp)

You are all right! John was my Sister Marcie's First Husband! He and she had a Son named Ed Andreson who now lives in El Paso. He was a very nice man! He was 17 years older than my sister She is going to be 87 in July! I have fond Memories of those times! Dianne Dumas always tell of the time she was at our house when Marcie and John announced their engagment! He was so exicted and gave her a big kiss she say it was her first kiss!! HAHAHAH!! Long ago far away!

Stephen Wolfe

I knew John Anderson in a different way. He was my Chief Bosn's Mate in our Navy Reserve Unit for several years in Carlsbad. I'm not sure whether he retired first or I got transferred, but we spent several years in the same unit. Then we would occasionally see each other in the civilian world in Roswell. John was a traditionalist in terms of the Navy. Any time we saw each other, to begin he would address me as "Captain" and I would address him as "Chief." And then we would go on with the conversation as "Steve" and "John." John and his twin brother were both assigned to the battleship USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor on December 7th when the Japanse attacked. John survived, but his brother did not and went down with the ship there in Pearl Harbor. I went to John's Memorial Service in Roswell, I believe his cremains have since been interred in the wreck of the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl and he has finally rejoined his brother! Chief Bosn's Mate John Anderson was a hell of an American! Proud to have known him. 

Charline Lake

Quite a story, Steve.  Thanks for recounting.  Moving.

John Landess

Steve, You are right in the description of your old chief. One looks at the members of that generation, ours, and then those today.... and one must think, "what has happened!!!"

I have a 100 year old Uncle in the Missouri Veterans Home and when I visit him, I see all these old guys and mostly they are still filled with spirit and are a fiesty bunch!

John Anderson was interred with a fellow survivor on the battleship Arizona (BB-39) on 7 December, 2016, 75 years to the day.

I have visited the memorial numerous times, and always had a feeling of awe and sadness when there. Oil drops still leak up from the ship's remains and are known as black tears. 

John Doyal

Happy mother's day to all.                                                                                                                                                   John Anderson was one of the faces on tv that you knew.  When younger, I knew that if he was on during the news, I was going to get to watch one of our favorite tv shows because they followed him and dad was not changing one of the 3 channels to watch anything else.  Later in life I knew him as a friend of  our family.                       I knew Charlotte's dad from Anthony's before I knew she existed, she definitely inherited his good outlook on life.  My first suit that I bought was from Ball & Ray.

Sherry Hester (Trasp)

I don't know if anyone remembers but John Anderson was also a clown on KBIM TV on Saturday Mornings. I always wanted to go but he told me there were a lot of Kids that wanted to get on his show so I could not go every Saturday!! I thought I should because I was Family and was disapointed but I did understand! I do remember it was when I was about 10 +. 

John Landess

For those that might like to know a bit more about Cactus Jack, type in cactus jack, KBIM on your search and a RDR (Roswell Daily Record) article will come up, article #p-131507. And it is font of info. There are several other sites, also.

He led quite a full life.....

Ray Marshall

John L. A very thorough and infomative article about Cactus Jack in the RDR. Your right, he did live quite a life. Thanks for the heads-up.

Sherry Hester (Trasp)

Happy Mothers Day to all those beautiful Mothers out there!! Enjoy Your Day!! 

Harvey Purcella

Seems to me that cactus Jack was someone that everyone liked, he and all the WWII vets were hero's to me. A few years ago I became aware that on the morning I was born the Allied Forces invaded North Africa with a loss     of almost five thousand young men, which is very humbling to me.

John Landess

Well, according to the Weather Channel, spring is here?? We had freezing nights in Tennessee last week. In fact, it was warmer at my place in Alaska!!! WOW, global warming! Maybe Al Gore needs to write another book!

Anyway, now one can get out and enjoy the yard, a walk, bike ride, or maybe even a little fishing.  We have had quite a spell, and I trust all of us are safe and well. This will give our grand-kids something to tell their grandchildren.

I do have to admit that all this kinda made me feel like a teenager again..... cheap gas, but being grounded!!!

Speaking of gas prices, I had been thinking of trading my old pickup off for something more efficient, but after doing some math I am keeping it. I have been getting 3 weeks to a gallon!

Stay safe and count your blessings!!!!

Sherry Hester (Trasp)

Yea John!! I have been thinking the same thing! But I will tell You we are not on parole Yet!!

Our Demo Govenor is continuing to be a total Dectator! It is now MANDATORY to ware a Mask!

Really!!

 Sherry

John Landess

Sherry,

I have two sons that ended up in New Mexico?? one in Albuquerque and one in Santa Fe. So I hear all the "good" stuff about the Demon-cratic Governor there..

One other thing this quarantine has brought about is a better understanding of Dogs!

I roam the house all day looking for food. If I get too close to strangers on the street, I am told NO!! AND I get real excited when I think of getting to take a car ride...

Sherry Hester (Trasp)

John Landess,

That is Funny! 

Harvey Purcella

My first memories of the Chevrolet dealership on no. Main at 6th St. it was McNally-Hall, we were there every fall to see the new models starting in 1953. I"m not sure when it became Valley Chevrolet but we shared all the excitement, especially the 55s through 59s. In 1957 that is where we took our Soap Box Derby racers for final inspection, and storage until the next days race. There is where I bought my first used car off the O.K. lot, a 1951 Chevy 2door hard top. The W. 2nd. location is where I bought my first new car a 1962 Impala 2-door hard top, Satin Silver with a Red stripe in the chrome down the side. Boy do I long for the simplicity of those cars. I don't remember the Packard Dealer, but is that where Durhams Lincoln-Mercury was a block or so North of the A&W root beer drive in?       

Ray Marshall

Several RHS types worked at Valley Chevrolet during the period early to mid 60’s. I was a “parts chaser’ in the parts dept during summer of 1963. Per my fading recollection others that worked there (I think!)  were Don Wolf, Tommy Kirk, Sidney Allen, Jim Chappel. Most of those guys knew engines inside and out and worked on the service floor. Mack Kizer’s Dad was one of the most well respected and trusted guy in the Roswell car sales business and worked at Valley Chevrolet for many years. The credit manager, Joe White, became my brother in law. My older sister was his secretary (Hmmm).

John Landess

Ray, hmmmmm indeed!! Actually, back in the day, lotsa folks met their spouses through work, church, or even in school!!! No internet romances then

I see that Harvey must have been a member of the E-LEET also... a new Impala same year as graduating..WOW

Shore wuz ruff, bean pore!

I am not sure what dealer it was or where on Main St, but in 1953 or 4, my Dad went to look at the new Buicks, and there was a Corvette on the floor. I thought it was cool, but I remember him saying something like 'what idiot would buy a car with only two seats'.

Bill Leggett

The play CAROUSEL put on by the, CHORUS Department.

I remember when we started getting ready to put on the play.

One day in class MR Joe Carroll, asked me, If I had for got to shave. I had started growing a beard. I remember to this day. I told him that old time sailors wore them.

The look on his face, as he looked at all the other guys in Chorus class. Told them to grow one if they could.

I loved the growing the Beard. All the Girls would come up to me between classes, and rub my face.

The Best part was when the Teachers & The front Office like the Principal or Assistance Principal, would stop me in the Hall between classes. Didn’t you for get to shave.  I would let them go on about dress code etc. I doing it for the Play that will be put on.

I wore it for about a week after the play. Used and excuses that I had to have a barber, cut it off for me.

Just a few members of the Play some or no longer with us.

Lee Edgar, Sally Woicikowfki, Steve Wolfe, Ann Green, Billie Butts and many more.

I still have the program to the play CAROUSEL  

Stephen Wolfe

That was great fun, Bill! Don't remember about the beard, but I was blond and it would have taken months to grow an acceptable one! I have grown a goatee recently, shaved it after a while, and most recently during the Stay at Home days grew full face for about three weeks. Drove me nuts! Mustache is all that is left. 

Too bad they don't do the annual musicals any more, but many school systems don't have funding, I guess. It was all they could do at GHS and RHS to have any chorus program at all. Last I heard, which maybe they have corrected by now, Goddard was only authorized to hire a part time director. Ridiculous! Anyway, thanks for the memories!