Photos by Jim Rainey
To: All 1957 Sheffield High School Classmates
From: Frank Vetters
Sent: June 23, 2008
Subject: CLASS OF 57 SHEFFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
A GREAT TIME WAS HAD BY ALL 
On Saturday, June 7, 2008, after 51 years, the halls of Sheffield High School again were trod by the mem-bers of the class of 1957, and it was good to see how good the school looked and how much it looked the same. Attend-ing the mini-reunion after 51 years were Paul Wood, Betty Williams Bulman, Ann Isbell Andrews, Carolyn Judd Wagnon, Mary Ann Hayes Wadkins, Glenda Ramsey Hale, Ramona Glover Ford, Betty Lou Davis Raby, George Ingleright, Juanita Black Rickard, David Johnson, Jerald Homan, M.B. Myers, James "Buddy" Phillips, Willene Poe Jackson, Frank Vetters, Sara Terry Condra, Richard Hull, Sue Barber Suazo, Kenneth Sockwell, Jo Ann Blackmon Rainey, Keith Collier, Mary Boyd Weaver Bevis, Mary Ellen Pitts, Billy Newton, Mike Holland, Pat Logan Pittman, and George Aston.
Considering gas prices these days, this was a very good turnout. We were especially pleased to see for the first time Jo Ann Blackmon Rainey who traveled from Arkansas, Patricia Logan, Kenneth Sockwell and Billy Newton. Buddy Phillips again came from Arkansas to visit old classmates. We appreciate those who traveled a long way to attend. It appears that future reunions may be greatly restricted by the gas prices, but lets vow right now to all get together when we reach our 75th anniversary reunion. Let’s be optimistic.
At this get together, we primarily visited, talked about old times and got to know each other again after all of these years. Many stories were told about times at school and most of them could not be shared on the written page. There were some confessions about things that were done at the school back then that were pretty surprising. But, we all laughed a lot about our teachers especially Coach Wright and his crooked finger. As we toured the halls of the school, we remembered the teachers and the classes that we had in these rooms. It stuck us that our library (now the computer center) was not near as big as we remembered it.
From the musty files, Frank drug out our Senior Census which was "..a round-up of the senior’s habits and future plans." This was prepared by the journalism 
class and was dated June 4, 1957. After our careers during the intervening 51 years since graduation, it was interesting to see what our ambitions were as we were leaving high school. Some of the ambitions for those who were at the mini-reunion included: Sue Barber “Secretary-to get Married Eventually”; Keith-“Pro Cork-Ball Player”; Betty Lou, “Secretary”, Mary Ann, “Own a House”; Jerald, “To be a pretzel bender”; Ann Isbell, “to loaf”; M.B., “Ballplayer”; Billy Newton, “To be an Actor”; Glenda, “Be rich and successful”; Sara Terry, “going to college”; and Paul Wood, "to live to be old". Well, many of us have successfully reached that point, if one considers that 69 or 70 years is old.
What were your ambitions from way back when? Most everyone’s ambitions dealt with what we wanted to do to make a living. However, Bo Vinson said that he wanted “to sell a million watermelons”; Diane Wagoner wanted “to have 12 children”; Kenneth Rhoden wanted to “be a sports car racer” and Bill Olim wanted to be “Communist for FBI”.
Well, Bill Olim did not get to live long enough to reach this or any other ambition. How sad. We talked about Tommy Fouts who died in the last year after having lived a good life. We missed all of those classmates who are no longer with us.
See the Home Page and Mini-Reunion Photo Page for pictures of those attending the mini-reunion. Certainly, we all are a little older, but we are certainly not old. This is a great looking bunch of classmates who say hello to all of you out there and hope that each of you is doing very well and will be around for many, many more years.
Remember, each member of the class of 1957 is very special and we hope to hear from you and better yet, visit with you very soon.
"And the Class of '57 had its dreams"
