Sweet and Sad

Just yesterday

I am Ruth (Wood) Cragun and I feel I 'must' put in my 2 cents regarding memories of my 1941-1944 years at 'The Brown Castle'. So much has changed, but the memories will linger on...memories such as. . .

The fire escape. The metal spiral escape we practiced fire drills on. It hung outside on the side of the 'castle'...maybe it still does! And memories of the boys who threw firecrackers down it during Study Hall...and scared the bejeebers out of EVERYONE?

Memories of running up and down the steps of the bowl?
(I don't run ANYWHERE any more. 'Walk' is good!)

The special memory of the 12 trees planted outside the 'court'. Each tree had been placed in honor 1 of the 12 former students killed during WWI.

On the day closest to Memorial Day, 24 girls from the graduating class were chosen by the teachers and staff, to walk in pairs. Each pair carried a white wreath to be placed at the base of one of the trees.

"Memorial Day in 1941 a ceremony to pay tribune to the eleven Stadium High alumni who lost their lives in World War I.
Jane (Welch) Junge '41, and Grace (Blangy) Kipp '41." TPL

It was a very special experience in my life, to have been chosen to be one of those carrying a wreath my graduating year. Janet (Watts) McLennan was my partner.

There were always 12 servicemen standing quietly at the event, and that year they were from the Navy. Other years there had been those from Army, Army Air Corps, Coast Guard or Marines.

They were dressed in full uniform and stood on the sidewalk at the end of the 'court'. There was complete SILENCE... as a drummer from the honor guard played a dirge for us to walk to.

A 12 gun salute was offered when all the wreaths had been placed.

"A squad of R.O.T.C. cadets from Bellarmine High School fired three volleys with their rifles at the Memorial Day service held in May of 1941" TPL

My father had drowned in Puget Sound (after having fallen overboard from his sailboat) 2 months before the event that year. His body was never recovered and as I marched in the memorial it was almost as if I was placing the only wreath I would ever be able to place...at my father's grave. My mother attended the event and, as we drove home we realized we'd BOTH had the same feelings.

My husband (Howard Cragun) and I will have been married 62 years this October. We now live about an hours drive North of Las Vegas, NV. (in Overton, NV), near The Valley of Fire and what is 'left' of Lake Meade.

I have continued to enjoy the friendships of 9 girls ('our group') which began with some of us in Lowell school and all of us through Jason Lee and Stadium.

'Gone but not forgotten' are:
Jane (Nelson) Kornegay, Betty (Larsen) Morrow, Janette (Johnson) Parrot, Diane (Johnson) Jones , and Sherley (Jackson) Ford.

And, loving every minute of life, the remainder of us: Gerrie (Farrar) Zeratsky, Dorothy (Peterson) Jarmon, Peggy (Erickson) Kunigk, and me...have remained in touch with one another through the years. Everyone but me has remained in the Tacoma area and when I'm in town 'we do lunch' together.

Howard has 'always' played the guitar and we've sung together ever since we began dating (when I was 15 and just starting Stadium). In recent years we've 'jammed' a lot and still play at dances ...at the Senior Center. WOW! that sounds OLD!

At age 68 I began playing a bass...go figure! I still haven't mastered it but we continue to have fun together...and with the other NUTZ who we get together with.

Having been voted the 'Wittiest Girl' in the Senior class (my 15 minutes of fame) I've kept myself laughing...and hopefully others around me. I just KNOW that laughter IS 'good for the soul'!
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God bless each of you....have a WONDERFUL time...AND a WONDERFUL life!!!

Ruth (Wood) Cragun

Memories@CelebrateStadium.com

CelebrateStadium.com