MEMORIES OF SUMMERVILLE (CALIFORNIA) HIGH SCHOOL

About 1961............

Dad/Grandpa Mirl Andersen was encouraged by John Wise, his boss/owner of the Tuolumne Telephone Company to be on the committee to pass a bond for a new high school.  The high school in operation then (on the corner of Pine and Tuolumne Road)  had been condemned by a state inspector.  There were many coffee klatches held to inform the community about the need to pass the bond.  Either the school superintendent or the vice principal went with him to every klatch.    The bond passed.  Dad along with the committee had to find a location to build the new high school.  John always gave him the time off work for the klatches, finding property or whatever needed to be done for the committee.  In the September of 1965, the doors opened to the new school.  Mark Andersen (Mirl's son) was a senior that year and was also the first student body president.

                                         

                                              OLD HIGH SCHOOL

                                               NEW HIGH SCHOOL



I found this article in the archives of the Modesto Bee (California)  So, while working on getting a new high school, dad also joined the Parent-Teacher Association.

Modesto Bee April 8, 1963

TUOLUMNE CITY--Activities of the Summerville High School Parent-Teacher Association will be directed for the coming year by Mrs. Howard Nott of Twain Harte. Others named to serve with Mrs. Nott are Mrs. Howard Recek, Twain Harte, first vice president; Mirl Andersen, second vice president; Mrs. Richard Miller, secretary; Montie Taylor, Twain Harte, treasurer; Mrs. Arthur Ronten, outgoing president, parliamentarian; Mrs. John Thalman, auditor and Mrs. Floyd Baker, historian. The third annual honor roll dinner will be sponsored by the group at the high school May 5th. All California Scholarship Federation members and other students who have been on the honor roll during the year will be honored. Dinner will be served at 5 PM. Guest speaker will be John Ralston, head football coach at Stanford University. Invitations will be sent to parents, teachers and others for the event. 

In 1969 Dad was asked to be on the school board to finish out John Wise's term.  That was for two years.  He then ran two more times and was elected.  He decided after ten years, it was time to quit.  These are a few photos of him on the board from old yearbooks.  Sorry the quality isn't too good, but you get the idea!

 Dad served as president of the board two years.

Brian shares this:

"When I reached high school Dad was president of the board. In fact, he was the one who convinced the other board members to keep the short hair, and no facial hair policy. We all wanted to become hippies, and he wouldn't let us. Still, my side burns used to creep down a bit."

While he was board president he presented Brian with his high school diploma.  His only child to have that honor.

Just recently Darlene Coates Hutchins was at a retirement party for one of the high school teachers.  Darlene was visiting with the retiree, Marsha Scesa Hoosman and another teacher, Wayne DeGenaro.  Mr. DeGenaro (as we respectively called him as a teacher) said to Mrs. Hoosman, "We were the last two teachers hired by Darlene's grandpa while he was on the school board.  We loved him so much." 

SUMMER SWIMMING

I was asking one of my son's about when they were younger.  I asked if I let them play with their friends every day.  He said, "yes, we just had to make sure our chores were done before we played."  Then he reminded me that we let them go swimming every day.  We bought a season family pass and only lived 3 blocks from the pool, so they could walk.  I hadn't thought about that for a long time, but they did swim every day from 1 p.m. until the pool closed in the afternoon.   Actually it wasn't all day to begin with because they always got sunburned if they stayed in the water too long at the beginning of the swimming season.  In fact I wish I had a photo of Jeff's face plastered with Zinc Oxide.  He didn't mind wearing it if he could go swimming.  All three of the kids got swimmer's ear.  We finally got wise and put drops in their ears before or after swimming each day.  Swimming paid off for them, because by the time they were old enough all three of them were lifeguards.

And the tradition goes on with the grandchildren.  This is Wil and Serina Hutchins swimming at our friends pool.  What fun!

THE TRADITION OF SINGING

On our recent trip to North Carolina we were so fortunate to be in church to hear Jeff's family sing, "Brightly Beams Our Father's Mercy."  It was beautiful.  I was sorry they were missing Jade (who is serving a church mission in Panama).  They are a very musically talented family.

Whenever I sit by my sons at church and hear their wonderful bass voices I always think of my dad.  He and mom always sat behind us in church and my sons learned to sing bass from their grandpa.  What a wonderful tradition to hand down.  Now it's carried on to the next generation, with Jacob.  Hopefully, Carter and Devin will also learn that part from their dad as their voices change.

SENIOR

PHOTOS