1957 Ford Powder Blue Convertible
1951 Chevy 4 Door Deluxe
Shawnee Park by the River
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SHS Memories povided 10/09/2017
- Enjoyed my senior year best all though I remember being a bit jealous of Bob Hepler. Bob always wore a smile but I remember thinking he was such a big guy he could have crushed me like a bug. He sported around in his beautiful new 1957 Ford powder blue convertible with Diane by his side. (She always reminded me of Elizabeth Taylor). However, not to be outdone, I did have my 1951 Chevy 4 door Deluxe, a good job at Kroger ($1.13/hour) was dating a beautiful Shawnee cheerleader Margie Willoughby. Life was good.
- The day before graduation rehearsal Stan Adams and I decided to pit his 51 Dodge against my 51 Chevy in an exhilarating drive through Shawnee Park. Somehow our dads found out about it and soon it became clear they did not share our love of friendly competition in automobiles. Although we returned to the Dairy Del to sit on the rail, sip lemonade, and laugh about our adventure, we were unprepared for the wrath that descended upon us when the sun went down. We laugh about it today, but at the time our dad’s failed to find the humor.
- You may be familiar with the term “submarine races”. One warm summer evening Margie and I were situated in Shawnee Park in my old Chevy listening to the radio and enjoying each other’s company. As I gazed into her lovely brown eyes with my back turned to the driver’s door, I suddenly heard a familiar voice say "MARGIE WILLOUGHBY". I could not place the voice until I turned around and came face to face with her mother. Yes Margie’s sister Ann had driven her mother down to the park to pay us a visit. To this day I don’t know what Ann said to her mother, but the subject never came up again.
- So many great memories of the the park, Fontaine Ferry pool, Dairy Del, Frisch’s Big Boy, football games enjoying the company of those who would become lifelong friends. Truly “Happy Days”.