......LHS News......
Originally sent August 12

Sorry to report the passing of Lela M. (Nelson) Hunt Young, 80, of Lawton. Lela passed on August 9. She is class 1948. She is survived by 2 sons - Harold Hunt and Greg Hunt; grand and great grand children; 2 sisters, Katie and Frances.
Services will be10:00am Friday August 13, Paradise Baptist church, north of Lawton, with burial in Paradise Valley Cemetery.
Extended obit and guest book at: www.beckerfuneral.com

I also received word that Paul Everett McCaig passed on July 2. Paul was living in Moore, OK and we are fairly certain he was in our class 1959. The obit did not mention school, just that he was born in Lawton.
Always sorry for loss of classmates and friends.

From the eMail bag:

Due to OU vs Texas - the class of 1955 has changed the dates of their reunion. Reunion will now be October 8-9. NOT Oct. 1-2. Details soon. If you have contact changes, send to Barbara Richards at: bswillia@yahoo.com

"Bernice Smith was in my Mother's (Monta (Sanders) Burt) LHS class of '30. Hope if she has to go to assisted living, she'll be at Village on Lee. Mother would love to visit with her there. She would be 98. There are few still here that were in that class. Unbelievable!!!"
Janet (Burt) Terry, '63

'59 classmate Alice (Aurell) Choice will be having a second knee replace ..as we speak! First one went so well, she wanted another! haha! I know we all wish her the best!!!

Dee (Vanderpool) Glass, '52, is still taking therapy for cancer and will be having a serious surgery soon. She would appreciate your prayers. Dee is such a sweet gal and a dear friend. Her husband Hugh has his own health problems and is a resident at the VA Center here.

So appreciate Bert Click for sending link to this web site. I did not know it was out there! He sent it showing the grads in LHS class '48, but scroll to bottom, click on Lawton Seniors & viola!~ Other classes, link to early pictures of Lawton, other interesting info! http://www.okgenweb.org/~okcomanc/schools/lhs48.htm

Seems Ben Ansley isn't the only one who remembers.....

"Ben is right. I remember Smiley Burnett's food thingy. It was called the "Checkered Shirt." I think it was just hamburgers (not sure I was still young, but I remember it). It was in a little A-frame bldg on south 11th st. That place is now a used car lot, or was."
Suzy (Gill) Salas, '64

"The drive inn was located @ 11th.& Jefferson on the SW corner it was owned by one of the Sassers. It was there sometime in the early 50's, didn't last long. Chris Hedrick worked there as a car hop for about a month."
Spencer Stanley

Hey Chris...what kinda tips did you get??

"Per the recent inquiry from Ben Ansley regarding Smiley Burnett, the franchise drive-in was on south 11th st. and called the "Checked Shirt", and operated by a member of the Sasser family."
RANDY MONCRIEF, '59

"Ben Ansley is correct. Smiley Burnett did open a drive-in on south Eleventh down south of Lee boulevard. He had come to Lawton as the celebrity attraction at the Lawton Ranger Rodeo down at the old LO Ranch on south 11th. As I remember, it wasn't open very long and fell into disrepair."
Robert Looney

"I don't remember Smiley Burnetts place but there was a Roy Rogers sandwich shop at Cache and Sheridan road. It was on the North East corner."
Ed Adams, '59

Ed is right. Now, it's an Asian Wok restaurant.

"My memory is spotty. The Sasser brothers (Sasser's Grocery, etc.) were involved in bringing the Smiley Burnett franchise to Lawton. (I helped my dad deliver Mead's Bread to the Sasser's summers and weekends, and after college I worked with Jack Sasser, cameraman and photographer for the new KSWO-TV.) Don't remember much about the menu at the Smiley Burnett place -- just some sort of large hamburger type sandwich. Can't quite remember what it tasted like. I think the SB drive-in was located near 11th Street and Lee Blvd, pretty much back to back with the first McDonald's golden arch drive in on Lee."
2nd email added...."I searched Google for information on Smiley Burnette's food franchise, but could find only that he licensed some A-frame restaurants called The Checkered Shirt. The one in Lawton may have been an A-frame, but I think it was called Smiley Burnette."
Murdoch [Matthews], '49

"Yes, I remember Smiley Burnett coming to town and I think I have a picture around here someplace. It might have been while I worked for KSWO and that would have been '56 or '57. Oh, these names this time. Some I've known for over sixty years. I had Elaine Smith for a class but never Bernice. Wish her a speedy recovery."
Frankie (Ingraham) Kinderman, '56

"Thanks for the wonderful news of good old Lawton classmates. I really enjoy reading them living away from Lawton in warm Phx Az. My cousin in Calif dated one of Roy's [Rogers] daughters and my cousin's mother went to pick him up at their ranch and had a hard time getting in the gate for she would not move fast enough before it closed. Also one of Gene Autry's aunts lived in Lawton across the street from our home on Williams ave."
Ed Coulson, '59

"No one has mentioned two other cowboys that were regulars at the Ritz. Hopalong Cassidy and Monte Hale. I even got an autographed picture of Monte, come to think of it, I believe there is one of Hopalong around somewhere. My brother, Mike '59, and I were 2 other bus riders from 16th and D."
Mary Harris Thompson, '56

"I was attending a Johnson family sibling reunion in Medora, ND, when Linda Muncy noticed the Lawton dealership ad on the back of our vehicle. We had a nice visit in the parking lot of the stop and go. She forwarded the latest issue of LHS news. I was graduated in 1961 and have remained in Lawton almost continuously since and would like to be added to your email list. I did not see anyone in the current issue from our class but I sure recognized a lot from the 59 Seniors!"
Jim Johnson (class of 61)

"I especially enjoyed this picture of Johnny McKee because he is my cousin and I have not seen him in years. His dad was my mother's brother."
Ella (Price) Hunter, '59

'59 classmate Weldon Davis and lovely wife Marilyn just celebrated their 46th on July 25. Wishing them many more.
And, Glenda (Doan) Stanton, '55 & Jimmy, '56, celebrated their 48th this week kicking back in the cool of the Rockies!

I have had so many comments on 'memories'....I will be sending more soon. Isn't it amazing what we remember when our minds get a memory jolt!
Regards to all.......Georgia