Wow! What a bunch. Howdy Saints!
I will attempt to fill you in on the last 50 years, but I doubt that too many are interested because not too many of you knew me personally. I was not involved in many school activities and certainly not in the “in crowd” but I hope to reaquaint with many of you at the reunion. I did make the Honor Roll. My brother, Tom McClanahan (1966 grad) was more involved and some of you probably remember him. My Dad was a Marine officer/pilot stationed at El Toro where we (all 8 of us) transfered to in my Sophomore year when I joined the Santa Ana Saints. Late comer.
MOST MEMORABLE EVENT AT SAHA: Had to be the announcement of the assasination of President Kennedy a few months after we started school at SAHS in 1963. It was the day my brother was to get his driver’s license, Nov 20, his 16th birthday. We had just moved from Springfield, VA where DC was our backyard playground. Everything was free. I visisted Jackie Kennedy’s whitehouse and all the monuments and museums on a regular basis. What a shock and loss it was for our nation that day when the announcement came over the loud speaker.
About me: After graduation I attended SA College and then married a Valley High grad, Ron King, in 1967 – 1985. We raised 3 boys and attended many soccer and baseball games in the Tustin area. Today the boys are very successful, still in Southern California, and have given us 9 grandchildren. Family was always and is still my prioity but education ranked second. When the boys were old enough I returned to school and completed a BA in Liberal Studies and an MA in American Studies at Cal State Fullerton.
As is the case with many in our age group, we divorced. I later married Dennis Dicks, a native LA guy who added a son and daughter to our family. They have since given us 5 more grandsons. Dennis and I relocated to the Sacramento area for several years where I did some teaching. Coming from a family of educators I felt compelled to fall in line but did not enjoy the gig. I returned to school and became a hairdresser (FYI – 1600 hrs + licensing) and then opened a small salon in El Dorado. Sideline: It was next to an infamous bar in the gold country on the 49er trail called Poor Red’s where they invented a drink called The Gold Cadilac which made them the largest consumer of Galliano in the world. Some of you may be familiar with it. Now closed but fun while it lasted.
As I stated, family is my strongest pull. Besides a wonderful 3 week tour of Europe in 1969 when the Iron Curtin still stood tall, I have travel Route 66 (now I-40) over and over to visit parents in Indiana and 3 sisters and a brother in Charlotte, NC, where my folks recently moved and celebrated their 70th Wedding Anniversay. We are blessed. I still have places to go and people to meet.
When the grandkids started arriving, we relocated closer to OC and stared a moving business in the Fresno area. I hit the road south about once a month to hold those babies, watch more baseball games, soccer games and dance competitions (finally – some girls)! I have put the pedal to the medal since the first grandchild arrived -15 years ago. Hot-rod Grammy. Ha!
Today Dennis and I are settled in Oakhurst (16mi from Yosemite) and have been married 26 years with 5 kids between us and 14 grandchildren (10 boys and 4 girls – including one set of twins). Can anyone beat that record? Maybe. Please contact us if you head this way to beautiful Yosemite. We’ve got space.
Jenny
ADVICE: It is always more helpful to see the glass half full!
And how about some more baseball!