POLK COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
CLASS of 1970
1967 POCOHI |
1968 POCOHI |
1969 POCOHI |
1970 POCOHI |
[Does anyone out there have any pictures or home movies of any of us?]
To follow are the names
of my classmates over the years.
I would like addresses, phone numbers and emails of them all.
Some moved, some dropped-out and (sadly) some have passed
away, but I wanted to
include them all.
Please contact me and say "Hello".
35th Reunion
Sept 10, 2005
at the River Lodge in Ocoee
[I count 28 in the pic]
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1st Row:
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2nd Row:
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3rd Row:
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4th Row:
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Back:
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(not pictured: Buddy McClary)
NOTE: We meet the 1st Monday
of each month for dinner.
CLASSMATES I'VE COME UP WITH SO FAR:
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* = deceased |
* Classmates we've lost over the years.
(We miss them!)
Gerald
Blankenship
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Larry Breeden
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Larry Burns
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Johnny Carruth
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Sam Chastain
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Robert Dill
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Frank Farmer |
Judy
Gates
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Kris Howard
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Charles Ledford
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Gary Lillard
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Jackie Maynor |
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Chester McNeese died on ?
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Gary McPherson ("Birdlegs") |
Winston Poe died on ? |
Juanita Prater died on ? |
Janice Qualls died 1995
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 Wesley Sprayberry died on ? |
 Jewel Thomason Stella Jewel Thomason Harris
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BENTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS of 1949
Front Row L-R: Carol Owenby, Mattie Pritchard, Jo
Ann Sharpe, Mrs. Beckler, Blanche McClary, Fannie Marie Lillard, Margaret
Crabtree.
Back Row L-R: Principal, C. P. Price, Paula Dunn Frazier, Maxine Akins, Vallie
Coe Firestone, Wilbur Caldwell, Amy Prince, Nell Lillard, Bess Crumley, Lucy
Clemmer, LaVanche Biggs.
"FINDERS CREEPERS"
A
MYSTERY-COMEDY
PRESENTED BY
(1970)
SENIOR CLASS
POLK COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
THE PLACE
A room in the Nelson Home
THE TIME
An evening of the present
CAST
| Wilbur Maxwell | Bruce Yates | ||
| Hercules Nelson | Dwight Guy | ||
| Celeste | Debbie Vest | ||
| Nina Quigley | Elizabeth Lawson | ||
| Frankie | Marie Beckler | ||
| Aunt Mary | Joan Hammons | ||
| Uncle Bob | Danny Parker | ||
| Granny | Mildred Goforth | ||
| Mr. Quigley | Mike Goodman | ||
| Dr. Brown | Morris McClary | ||
| Madeline | Judy Gates | ||
| Harry Schuster | Junior Yates | ||
| Daphne | Joyce Cronan | ||
| Claude | H. R. Lewis | ||
| Helper | Douglas Thompson | ||
| Prompters: | Kay Frazier Raymond Jordon |
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| Director: | Mrs. Ruth Swayne |
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Memories of 1963-1964 |
Benton Elementary
School |
Miss / Mrs. Beckler's 1st Grade Class 1958 - 1959
(Photo Wanted)
(Does anyone remember Morris McClary coming in the first day yelling: "POPCORN, PEANUTS, CRACKER JACK!"??)
My first traumatic experience in school was when Miss Beckler didn't like the fact that I wasn't eating all that nasty food they served in the cafeteria. She made me get up from my seat (with all my friends around), she sat down, sat me in her lap and force-fed me prunes! (I still hate prunes!)
(click on image to see a larger version)
Miss Crumley / Mrs. Bess Crumley's 2nd Grade Class 1959 - 1960
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1st column (fr-back) Burch Cross |
2nd column (fr to bk) Judy Cain |
3rd column (fr to bk) Joyce Cronan |
4th column (fr to bk) Mike Goodman
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5th column (fr to bk) Buddy McClary |
(click on image to see a larger version)
Miss Passmore / Mrs. Ruth Passmore's 3rd Grade Class 1960 - 1961
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FRONT ROW (L-R) Mrs. Passmore |
MIDDLE ROW (L-R) David Burris |
BACK ROW (L-R) Joyce Lowe |
Judy Cain reminded me at out November 2006 dinner that we were in a play in the 3rd grade. I was "Papa Bear", Joan was "Mama Bear" and Judy was "Baby Bear". I had forgotten all about it. I remembered it when she mentioned that we had bags over our heads for the bear heads. Does anyone have any pictures of it????
Miss Crabtree / Mrs. Margaret Crabtree's 4th Grade Class 1961 - 1962
(Photo Wanted)
(click on image to see a larger version)
Miss Fannie Marie / Mrs. Fannie Marie Lillard's 5th Grade Class 1962 -
1963
(Photo Wanted of Miss Fannie Marie)
| 1st
Row (L-R)
Timmy Blackwell |
2nd
Row (L-R)
Tanna Jo Evans |
3rd
Row (L-R)
Danny Passmore |
Back
Row (L-R)
Lynn Bates (Principal) |
Special memories of my 5th grade class.................
We were MEAN that year! I
remember...........
Morris Cronan (I think) would squat down, take several deep
breaths, jump up and blow hard on his thumbs. It would make him pass out. (Once he hit
the
pencil sharpener when he went down and got a big cut on his head.)
Miss Fannie Marie checking the roll in the
mornings and immediately leaving to go smoke in the teacher's lounge all day!
Miss Fannie Marie going straight to the
lounge and not even calling the roll some mornings.
Miss Fannie Marie missing most of the year
and our tormenting the substitutes.
Throwing spitwads while a helpless substitute
pleaded for us to stop as they filled the air. (It looked like a scene from
a movie.)
Miss Fannie Marie deciding to come back to
school the next day and the janitors hadn't cleaned up the spitwads.
Miss Fannie Marie going ballistic over the hundreds of spitwads stuck all on the blackboard and in the Christmas baskets.
Miss Fannie Marie going down each row, asking
each one of us: "Did you throw any spitwads?"
All the little "innocents" saying
(in their sweetest voices): "Oh No, Miss Fannie Marie." (You know
who you are, Morris!) (and you girls, too!)
Me, Wendale Lillard and Herschel Cruze being
the only ones punished for throwing the 1 million spitwads.
Miss Fannie Marie unfortunately deciding she
was too mad to paddle us and sending us to the office.
Lynn Bates making us bend over his desk and his using both
hands on his baseball bat-like custom-made paddle.
My butt being BLACK for two weeks. (Maybe we confessed to killing someone for
the beating we got!?!?!?!?!)
Realizing the the rumor that stated: "After the first
lick, your butt goes numb and you don't feel the others" was NOT true.
Wendale and I getting our eight (8) brutal licks each and then watching Herschel
get his. (Heck, he watched us!) lol
Herschel's first lick making a big THUD sound.
Mr. Bates yelling: "GET THAT OUT OF
THERE!"
Herschel pulling a book out of his pants. (Why didn't I think of that??????)
Herschel getting eight (8) licks and then an "extra lick" for the book.
All the "little innocents" giggling
when we came back and gingerly sat down.
Being afraid to tell Mom & Dad (because
my butt couldn't risk their "....you'll get another whipping when you get
home!") threat.
(click on image to see a larger version)
Miss Prince's 5th Grade Class 1962-1963
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Steve Stewart Steve
Stuart
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Judy Cain |
Jerry Richardson |
Mrs. Edith Sartin's 6th Grade 1963 - 1964 M McClary, R McNelley,
T Evans, S Stewart, D Burris |
Miss Johnnie Trotter's 6th Grade 1963 - 1964 C Parks, Donnie
Bishop, Buford Robinson, E Lawson, L Pritchard |
NOTE: The names in RED are classmates that I don't think went on to high school with us.
(click on image to see a larger version)
Miss Henry / Mrs. Mary Alice Henry's 7th Grade Class 1964 - 1965
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1st ROW (L-R) Joel Wood |
2nd Row (L-R) Mrs. Henry |
3rd Row (L-R) Jewell Thomason |
4th Row (L-R) Donnie Bishop
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(click on image to see a larger version)
Miss Cheek's (Jeanette Cheek) 7th Grade 1964 - 1965
Row 1 - Gwen Passmore, Jane Raines, Katy Qualls, Judy Bridges, Judy Cain, Steve Stewart, Ricky McNelly, Junior Yates
Row 2 - Mr. Charles Seepe, Buddy McClary, Jerry Richardson, Morris McClary, Gary Lillard, Steve Cross, Bennie Rogers, David Burris, Miss Jeanette Cheek
Row 3 - Jackie Maynor, Mike Mull, Mike Goodman, Wendell Lillard, Gay Allen, Judy Gates
Row 4 - George Nelms, Charles Parks, David Harold
My 2nd Place Ribbon for the Benton
Elementary School
1965 SCIENCE FAIR
(What the heck did I build???????)
(click on image to see a larger version)
Miss Lillard / Mrs. Nell Lillard's 8th Grade Class 1965 - 1966
Front Row - Debbie Bridges, Katy Bee Qualls, Joyce Cronan,
Philip Lea, Junior Yates, Jane Raines, Miss Nell
Back Row - Mr. Seepe, Wendale Lillard, Jerry Richardson, Buddy McClary, Morris
McClary, Gary Lillard, Judy Gates, Gay Allen
Miss Henry / Mrs. Mary Alice Henry's 8th Grade 1965 - 1966
Row 1 - Bennie Rogers, Danny Passmore, (unknown), Janice Qualls, Tanna Jo Evans, Judy Cain, Tim Blackwell, Ricky McNelly, Steve Stewart
Row 2 - Steve Cross, Jewell Thomason, Jerry Blackwell, Elizabeth Lawson, Gwen Passmore, Joan Hammons, H. R. Lewis, Barbara Blackwell, David Burris, Mrs. Mary Alice Henry
Row 3 - Mr. Charles Seepe, Mike Mull, Herschell Cruze, Eddie Culberson, Kenneth Stone, Douglas Thompson, Judy Pankey, Larry Breeden, Iva Price, Linda Pritchard
Row 4 - Gary McPherson, Johnny Carruth, Charles Parks, Jessie Carruth, Jackie Maynor, Douglas Swafford, Mike Goodman, Donnie Burns
The REAL Story about our infamous 8th Grade trip:
Every year the 8th grade went to Nashville (until we did, that is).
I remember at the first "pit stop" R.L. Denny spent all his money on a toy spigot that he stuck to his forehead. Someone yanked it off and broke it. (The teachers chewed us out for "letting him spend his money"!?!?!?)
We went to the Grand 'ol Opry. I remember looking over and there stood Col. Sanders right beside us. In a few minutes he went on stage and did a commercial for Kentucky Fried Chicken live. Who all performed? George Hamilton IV and Skeeter Davis? and ?????
When we went to the Hermitage Hotel, Jerry Richardson and I roomed together. We were all given strict orders to stay in our rooms, but........ Jerry and I went down to Morris & Buddy's room. A bunch of us played "penny poker" 'til way in the morning. (Around 3:00 AM) When we were walking back to our room, Jerry Blackwell was in the hall beating on his door. He said his roommates (Burr-Ray) had locked out of his room, so we took pity and let him in ours. (Bad move.) I remember him raising the window, sitting in it and yelling "HEYYYYYY!" at people down on the street. After a while the phone rang and I answered it. The man said: "This is the manager! Get your stuff together as I'm coming up to escort you out of the hotel!" I was stunned and just sort of put the receiver back on the hook. I told Jerry what he had said. In a minute it rang again and I made Richardson answer it that time. It was the manager again and he chewed him out, saying something like: "YOU ANSWER ME WHEN I TALK TO YOU!" Jerry said: "Yes sir!", hung up and told me: "He chewed me out because you didn't answer him!" (I still think that was funny.)
Blackwell booked out of there and beat on his roommates' door.
(Wouldn't you know it, they let him in that time!)
The manager came up with the teachers. He said there had been a disturbance in our room all night. I started to protest that we'd been in
Morris' room, but didn't when I thought it would get them in trouble. He walked us down to the lobby.
We had to sit in the cold lobby all night. The teachers were mad and threatened to send us to the school board.
(I remember they bought water guns and sprayed us on the ride back when we tried to sleep.)
I think ours was the last 8th grade trip to Nashville and everyone said it was our fault!
Another 8th grade memory: The
SPELLING BEE was the same day as EIGHT GRADE DAY (the day we got to go check out
the high school). BUT, my teachers forced me to be in the bee because I was such
a good speller. (I didn't want to be in it!) So.......... I spelled my first
word: A-C-C-R-O-S-S . "ENNNK" (buzzer sound) "Wrong, it's
A-C-R-O-S-S". "See ya teach!" and I was off to check out the high
school.
Polk County High School
FRESHMEN CLASS of 1966-1967
FRESHMEN CLASS OFFICERS
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Lynn England: Secretary |
Mike Goodman: President | Sam Chastain: Vice President |
Dianne Black: Treasurer |
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More Late Arrivals |
More Late Arrivals |
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THE
CHILHOWEE STAR
| Volume 20, No.2 |
POLK COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL, BENTON, TENNESSEE |
September, 1967 |
April and May, 1969 Chilhowee Star edition:
STUDENTS GIVE OPINIONS
Several students at P.C.H.S. were asked their opinions on several questions and their answers are as follows:
Q. What do you think about the rule banning
culottes and pant dresses at P.C.H.S.?
A. Mike Mull - The rule should be passed! Some dresses
such as these culottes look crazy and I don't like how they look.
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| CLASSICAL LEAGUE FOR 1967-68: Elizabeth Sartin, president; Joyce
Cheek, vice-president ; Debbie Bridges, secretary; Bruce Yates,
treasurer; Gary Poteet, reporter; Phillip Lea, student council
representative; Gary Dalton and David Daughtery, historians; and Tim Blackwell and Haskell Swafford, tribuni. SARTIN LEADS CLASSICAL LEAGUE |
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Polk County High School
SOPHOMORE CLASS of 1967-1968
SOPHOMORE CLASS OFFICERS
Morris McClary - Buddy McClary - Connie Beavers - Elizabeth
Lawson
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Polk County High School
JUNIOR CLASS of 1968-1969
A basketball game between the "Starvation Sticks" and the "Grease
Monkeys" ended up to be a free-for-all as
Eva Lee Bates, Melba Davis, Jordan
Carter and Wilma Jean Cochran
tried to referee the game.
(photo and info taken from April, 1968 CHILHOWEE STAR)
1968-1969 NEWLY ELECTED FHA OFFICERS:
Becky Rogers, song leader; Debbie
Bridges, president; Connie Beavers, reporter;
Diane Black, treasurer; Jewell Thomason, historian;
[Not pictured are Judy Gates, vice president and Janice Moore, parliamentarian.]
(photo and info taken from April, 1968 CHILHOWEE STAR)
Junior Class Play 1968
[From the May 1968 Chilhowee Star]
EROS' JOURNEY
L-R: Joe Kinser, Marlin Evans, Ronnie Ross, Jerry (Thorny)
Green and Gary Keith on drums.
MAY DANCE STARS "EROS' JOURNEY"
The annual May Dance was held in the old Polk County High School Gymnasium ("The Old Gym"). The "Eros' Journey" band played for the semi-formal occasion. Over 100 guests attended and enjoyed an evening of good music, dancing and refreshments in the gala atmosphere of a Hawaiian beach.
(click on image to see a larger version)
Polk County girls basketball B-Team pic of
1968
(Check out the risqué bare midriffs!)
Polk County High School
SENIOR CLASS of 1969-1970
1970 Senior Class Officers
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Elizabeth Lawson |
Marie Beckler |
Morris McClary |
Debbie Vest |
Connie Beavers |
1970 Senior Class Photos
BIRTHDAYS
| January
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February
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March
13. Buddy McClary |
| April 06. Katy Qualls |
May
15. Gary Poteet |
June |
| July
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August | September
05. Debbie Vest |
| October
07. Joyce Cronan |
November
18. Tanna Jo Evans
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December
08. Joan Hammons
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(click on image to see a larger version)
Mrs. Sartin's 6th Grade 1963-1964
(click on image to see a larger version)
Mrs. Trotter's 6th Grade 1963-1964
Social Studies ? 1969
(click on image to see a larger version)
1969 VOE Officers
Front Row: Jane Raines, Katy Qualls, Tanna Jo Evans, Bruce
Yates
Back Row: Mildred Goforth, Judy Gates, Diane Black
TODAY'S
TEEN-AGERS
(as originally printed in the October 1969 CHILHOWEE STAR)
| Are the teen-agers of today wilder than their parents were at a comparable age -- or are they just getting more public attention? I have heard this question asked frequently, particularly asked by adults. Parents usually put it like this: "Are the teens of today worse than we were when we were their age?" I don't like the word "worse". The teens of today are different than teen- agers of thirty years ago. The teens of to- day get into trouble just the same as they did thirty years ago -- but into more serious trouble, and at an earlier age than ever before. More than any single factor in the past thirty years, the automobile, h a s exerted the strongest force on teen-age be- havior. Millions of, teens own cars, and those who don't can usually get one with- |
in a half hours notice. A car today is more than just a means or transportation it is a status symbol, and a passport to freedom. Six gallons of gas can propel a couple or teen-agers into another world. When Webster defines the word teen as the number or years between 13 and 19, he leaves much un- said. The teen-agers or today know that what a person does, acts, and how he be- haves as a teen-ager, will determine what kind of person he will be as an adult. A wild generation! No, a troubled one, struggling not only with the problems of growing up, but with the added pres- sures of the space . age. A generation, forced to live in a world it never made. But what generation ever made the world it came into? Tim Blackwell |
The Spanish Club members were initiated
September 30, wearing Spanish dress.
They were judged as to who was wearing the most authentic costume.
The winners were Joan Hammons and Joe Dixon.
(click on image to see a larger version)
Girl-watching 1970
(click on image to see a larger version)
Latin Club on the steps of Polk County High School in 1967
"Ego Amo Te", Miss Rogers
Ubi Ignis Est?
The "New Gym" circa 1967
Pioneer Days
7th Grade
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Front Row L-R Debbie Bridges |
2nd
Row L-R
Gwen Passmore |
Back
Row L-R
(unknown) (Scottie Bramlett snuck in the pic) |
ALMA MATER
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Where the peaks of
old Chilhowee rear against the sky |
Who remembers the Trip to the Atlanta Zoo? (1970?)
My memories of
Willie B., the famous gorilla in the Atlanta Zoo: (Willie
B died in 2000.)
Willie B. was in a big, tall room that only had glass or Plexiglas
on the front, bars across the top (where a big tire was suspended from a log
chain) and solid walls on the back and sides. Willie B. would hook his arm in
the tire and run around the room until he got fast enough to swing around on the
tire in big circles. He would turn loose and run down the glass from left to
right and give the glass a big forearm smash before he crashed into the wall in
the corner. Kids would scream and we would laugh.
Once we were teasing Willie B. by beating our chests and acting like monkeys. He came up and punched the glass with an overhand right that Ali would've been proud of. It made a terrible, crashing sound and the entire huge glass wall swayed in and out. We though he was gonna break it and come kill us. It looked like a scene in a horror movie. People were screaming and running away, knocking others down as they retreated. I just stood there in amazement.
There was a small door made of what looked like jail cell bars on the right side up at the front. A scale platform was on the floor in that corner and a zoo keeper came up, reaching through the bars to put bananas and fruit on the platform. (I guess he was trying to get Willie B. on the scale so we could see how much he weighed.) Willie B. was just sitting right at the glass, facing us and was about 15-20 feet from the scale. He acted like he was ignoring the zoo keeper, but I saw him keep cutting his eyes over at the guy. The zoo keeper started trying to slide them further over towards Willie B., trying to entice him over. Once as he was reaching through the bars as far as he could, Willie leapt over there like a flash and grabbed that guys arm. Willie B. had the poor guy's arm and was pulling on it hard. Willie B. was laughing (it looked and sounded like laughing) and jumping up and down as he pulled on the poor guy's arm. (I thought he was going to pull his arm off!) The helpless guy's face was smashed up against the bars. Finally some more zoo keepers rushed over there and Willie B. turned him loose. (that guy was lucky he had two arms when it was over.)
20th Reunion in 1990 (29 showed up!)
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Front Row L-R Tanna Jo |
2nd
Row L-R
Joan Hammons |
Back
Row L-R
Steve Newman |
2000 (30th) Class Reunion at Wildwater Steak House in Ocoee/Parksville TN
29 showed up again!!!
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Front Row L-R ? |
2nd
Row L-R
Mildred Goforth |
Back
Row L-R
Phil Lea |
The 3 Amigos
More Blasts from the Past!
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