I remember Lawrence, Jack. I remember that he was a kicker; however he didn't kick for his beloved Torjans. Somebody missed the boat on him. Another Eastern Kentuckian! I wonder if Ray Pelfrey remembers him.
Gib Lakeman's story of young Ockie Prater coming to the stadium with his kid-designed "Torjans" sweat shirt was a good one. Nobody loved the Trojans more than Ockie who had a partially paralyzed arm similar to Lawrence's.
Do you remember Darrell Coe? I remember that he kicked a very late game winning field goal at Springfield around 1949. He was from the Mabert Road area. I don't know who had more notable Portsmouth people between Mabert Road and McConnell Ave. It has to be close. Jim Smith, Joyce Meeks, Helen and Mary Ellen Scott, hundreds of us Kegleys, Dick and Eileen Brush, Jack Duschinski, Ronnie Walters, Pidge and Jim Zeisler, Charles Kirsch, Salsworthy- a former mayor- the Nichols sisters, Don Ginn, Walter Roe, "Balogna" Thomas, his thin and beautiful wife, and Bill and Nancy Thomas, Helen Lester, the Gemperlines- all are McConnell Ave. Alumni.
Your great friend, Doc Yeagle, was a legendary figure among my "older" friends at Mound Park, i.e. Bill (just recently deceased) and Bob Gilmer, Eddie Hill, Howard Rase, Clark Rapalee, and Gib. Jim Fout and all of you Portsmouth Trojans were legendary among us. My young son, Jeff, and a friend, visited one of Gib's classes at Northland High School while they were student teaching and loved it. Perhaps my favorite Lakeman story was one I have told many people:
Gib, like Bill Rohr did for our social problems class, liked to get the students involved with their discussion comments. He asked at the beginning of a class; "Who do you think are the three greatest people in history (subject of his teaching)? After many names and the session nearly passed, the students asked: "OK, Mr. Lakeman, who do you think are the three greatest people in history?" Gib harrumphed and said: "Well I put Jesus Christ first. Then Abraham Lincoln." Then, after a pregnant pause, he harrumphed again and said, with a little chuckle and his pursed mocked-modesty lips, and a twisting body, Mr. Lakeman announced:
"Of course, you all know me."
I will always remember your story of Gib's pre-practice cadence: "Pig poop and apple sauce!"
Jack, I love your reminiscences and our friend, Clay Vice does, maybe even more than me.
Keep'em coming from way down their in Costa Rica.
Your friend forever,
Sam
----- Original Message -----
From: Jack H Plymale
To: Sam Kegley
Sent: 2008-11-08 07:05
Subject: Re: Portsmouth school board makes wise move
Sam, I still have no idea what happened with the stadium, but it is a rare visit to Portsmouth when we don't at least walk out on the field. Any old Trojan footballer is a blood brother to that place. Just about every foot of it is espacially reverential.At one time the chairman of the school board lived on Mabert Rd. Mr. Lawrence Daniels. His son Lawrencie, was a manager on our team and in his spare time practiced kicking extra points and field goals. He never kcked for us but he went to Eastern when Walt Green did and I'm relatively sure he kicked for them. Lawrencie and Johnny Rapp( Sarahs husband) were big buddies.Lawrencie, by the way, had broken his elbow once in a Bicycle accident and was crippled in that arm.
On Fri, Nov 7, 2008 at 8:44 PM, Sam Kegley
I believe the younger, Phyllis still lives in Wilmington. Ray visited with her on a most recent trip home a couple of years ago in so far as I know. Clay Vice dated her when they were younger.
The School board action on the stadia won't be in the Portsmouth Daily Times. It is fiction by your Mabert Road buddy, Frank Hunter. I hope you can open it. Frank is playing with his Photoshop by dubbing in phony shots.
Ray had a naturally well built physique and each of the girls did as well.
Sam
----- Original Message -----
From: Jack H Plymale
To: Sam Kegley
Sent: 2008-11-07 19:23
Subject: Re: Portsmouth school board makes wise move
Sam. Pelfrey had several sisters . I think they are (two at least) dead now., All of them were good looking but they really hadn't started to blossom when I pretty much left Portsmouth. One of them, I think, married a fellow Mabert Roader named Donny Richter. His older brother Ray(dead now also) retired from the A plant.
On Fri, Nov 7, 2008 at 6:04 PM, Sam Kegley
I dated Rosella once. She graduated in 1950 as I did.
They were extrenmey attractive young ladies. Rosella (Podey) is dead, as is her husband.
Sam
----- Original Message ----- From: "samgabe"
To: "Sam Kegley"
Sent: 2008-11-07 18:53
Subject: Re: Portsmouth school board makes wise move
do you know ray? His sister Phyllis was a couple of years ahead of me but what a beauty.
-----Original Message-----
From: Sam Kegley
Sent: Nov 7, 2008 6:40 PM
To: samgabe
Subject: Re: Portsmouth school board makes wise move
Now I remember. Another Mabert Road fellow, Ray Pelfrey, was born in
Sardinia OH.
Sam
----- Original Message ----- From: "samgabe"
To: "Sam Kegley"
Sent: 2008-11-07 18:36
Subject: Re: Portsmouth school board makes wise move
nod, I was born in Sardinia Ohio.
1 comment:
I am always interested in what people in and from Portsmouth are doing, and appreciate your blog. I came across it via Google Alerts, which is a great way to track subjects you are interested in.
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