All of the articles in this archive were written by Gene Behler and I believe all were published by the DeKalb Chronicle.

Archive Index
1. 50th Renion is Smashing Success
2. Purple and Gold Forever
3. Growing up in the 1950's in Sycamore, Illinois
4. Soldiers
 

50^th Reunion is Smashing Success

Purple and Gold Forever
                                                            By Gene Behler

We came together from St Mary’s, from South, West, and Central schools and from several country schools. Marjorie Buell and Irene Jacox joined us from Genoa-Kingston, Dave Jones from Chardon High School, Darlene Keller from Sterling, Donna Rogers from Streator, Georgia Sloniker from Malta, Wanda and Wilda Stiles from DeKalb and Harlan Scott from Wyoming, Illinois.

Our parents were farmers, doctors, dentists, nurses, tool and die makers, factory workers, school administrators and small business owners.

It was a time of peace and prosperity. The Korean War was ending and no one had heard of Vietnam. We knew little of class distinctions, racial injustice, unemployment or poverty. Maybe we were naïve…our lives sheltered from the harsh reality of life in the great heartland of America. Naïve or not, it was a great time to be a teenager and Sycamore, Illinois was a great place to live.

We respected and admired our teachers…and they cared for us.

Among our early experiences in the high school building was discipline as dispensed by Miss Cora Christian. She got us off to a good start. She was tough and demanding…at the same time, no teacher was more beloved or respected. In my mind’s eye, I can still see that little blue-haired lady walking the lower hallways.

Some of the staff was known to us by their first names: there was Sally and Pete and Vern and Cliff.

Others were and would always be Mr. Hauswald, Mr. Shrout, Miss Adams, Mr. Muns, Mr. Scott, Mr. Greathouse, Coach Wennlund, and Miss Miner.  

Henderson’s, Lahti’s and Anderson Brothers tried to keep us in style. Remember the pink and black craze and poodle skirts? Still, a well-dressed boy wore Levis and a white tee shirt (jockey if he could afford them) with sleeves rolled up just one turn. Girls typically wore sweaters and long skirts.

We ate lunch at Couch’s or the school cafeteria. After school and on weekends we spent time at the park, the White Pines, Duval Drive-in Threate, the roller rink, Dairy Queen, the State, Egyptian and DeKalb theatres.

We were there when Teen Town started in 1953.

Tony’s was our favorite meeting place after school and throughout the year. We were welcomed and encouraged to loiter. Sitting on the mailbox in front of Tony’s was a favorite past time of most boys. Both boys and girls enjoyed cruising State Street.

The Oaks Drive-in in DeKalb, which was run by Ron Salemi’s extended family, was a popular nighttime destination.

We did not vandalize cars, trash restrooms, or start fights at football games or come to school drunk. By today’s standards, I guess we were not very exciting.

Of course, there was the “Foster Field” incident. Some of you look perplexed…you don’t remember the “Foster Field” incident? Big Jim Foster, using equipment for lining the football field, made eight-foot tall letters on the blacktop west of the football field proclaiming it “Foster Field.” School officials were not happy. It took Jim a while to scrub the area clean.  

To be expelled was probably the most serious thing that could happen to a student. Yet I can recall only one threatened expulsion in four years although I am sure there were others. One of our members, who was a fine student and all-around solid citizen, was sent home. His “crime” was that he wore side-burns. He was told that he would be expelled if the side-burns weren’t cut. Remember, these were the days before Elvis and the Beatles came to world prominence. He shaved his side-burns that afternoon.

Our athletic teams were pure excitement. In fact, in many ways, 1955-1956 was the year of the athlete. Our teams excelled in every sport. Many of our players are legends in Sycamore sports history.

The football team went 9-0. It was the first time any Sycamore football team had gone undefeated. Bob Lindgren, Mark Johnston, Gary Holland and Bert Fredrick were named all-state. Other team leaders were John Clark, Dave Drenckpohl, John Dunmore, Jim Foster, John Florent, Dick Henigan, Pat O’Connor, Joe Peplow, Bob Quigley, Chuck and Fred Sibley, Jerry Thomas, Elmer Troutman, Jimmy Tucker and Danny Warner.

Leading the cheers were Sharon Dunlap, Nancy Reh, and Jane Henry.

Homecoming was especially memorable.

We worked hard on the homecoming floats. They were not always works of art but they were built with great enthusiasm and effort. There was A Cappella’s “We’re expecting a victory”, The Leaves’ “Buzzin’ to victory”, FAA‘s “We’ll bulldoze Dundee”, and the first place winner, the DO Club’s “We’ll swallow all but dee-feet.”

The bonfire at East School was spectacular. Afterwards, the student body snake danced its way from East School through the business district, to include Bergie’s, Morrie’s, and Snyder’s Taverns (how bold), enoute to the theatre to see that great western movie High Noon.

Jeannie Askins was our homecoming queen. Among the beauties in her court were Sandy Gustafson, Alice Cudden, Sharon Dunlap, Nancy Neiwold, Elsie Wavelet, Kathy Leinauer, Nancy Hardesty, Lois Lloyd, and Nita Campbell.

We whipped Dundee 34-6 in the football game.

Among those Homecoming Committee members responsible for organizing and coordinating the many homecoming events were Don Smith, Karen Hilstrom, Ann Coan, Joyce Elliott, Darlene Frantum, Nancy Hardesty, and Barbara Ouimet.

We were proud of our basketball team too. They went 21-6 and were Little Seven Conference champions. Three of the losses, to include the last game of the season, were at the hands of our dreaded rival DeKalb. Among the leaders on the team were Jack Lindstrom, George Thomas, Ron Bowman, and Gene Behler.

We were fortunate to have a dance after every home football game and many home basketball games. Many of us were high at those dances--high on winning and high on life. Never on alcohol or drugs. In fact, most had never heard of marijuana. A fixture at most school dances was Jimmy Johnson and his band. They worked hard to learn the hottest new pop songs…occasionally they were successful.

A favorite dance for many was the Sadie Hawkins Dance, a culmination of the annual TWIRP Week. The girls invited the boys and we all dressed as country bumpkins. I suppose kids today would find it beneath them. We thought it was fun. Does anyone remember what TWIRP stands for?

The Woman Is Required to Pay.

The theme for the GAA Dance in January was “My Blue Heaven.” The Junior-Senior Prom theme was appropriately entitled “Memories”.

Do you remember who said, “I washed my feet today and now I can’t do anything with them?” It was Jim “Mongie” Carlson in the class play…a comedy called “Turn Back the Clock”. Other cast members included Charlene Albrecht, Roberta Anderson, Elaine Benson, Dorothy Hodge, and Carol Stroburg.

The success of the play can be attributed, in great measure, to the outstanding work of people behind the scenes--the Class Play Committee that included Dorothy Arneson, Arliss Buzzell, Phyllis Carlson, Pat Crosby, Sally Davis, Janice Erlewine, Margaret Jennings, Lois Hindenburg, Ethel Jolly, Alta Kuntz, Elizabeth Miller, Karen Olson, Norma Sabel, Carol Wilkin, and Imogene Wilson.

While we had an abundance of gifted athletes, our school also was blessed with a number of gifted scholars. John Clark comes immediately to mind. He did some work on something called polymer resins. Later, we found out that that was the scientific name for the stuff used to make bobble head dolls. Seriously, John was ahead of his time in his polymer resin research--quite an accomplishment for a high school senior.

Other outstanding scholars were Orrin Vandeburg, Ken Swanson, Gloria Johnson, Louise Emenheiser, Pat Cretsinger, Dorothy Becker, and Loretta Astling.

Just as smart but in a different way were the students studying in the Diversified Occupations or DO program. They learned life skills studying and working at local business and industry. Participants in this program included Bob Campbell, Kent Carlson, Terry Fleetwood, Bill Fraedrich, Jackie Mabel, and Lauralee Maveus.

Our band, led by Mr. Brand, while not flashy, was composed of solid, competent musicians who routinely turned in strong performances. They marched with precision and played flawlessly. Clearly, they were the pride of the school and its parents. Outstanding among the band and its auxiliaries were Frances Blade, Phyllis Eggers, Phyllis Gorbet, John Holcomb, Sally Middleton, and Ralph Muns.

We wonder if the class soothsayer got any of the class prophecies right. Remember these prophecies:

--John Denby will be holding lectures on the advantages and disadvantages of attending class regularly.

--Evelyn Hall will quietly settled down and run the old homestead farm.

--Nancy Martin will raise her own corps of waves and sailors.

--Ken Parsons will still be driving his 1956 Ford.

--Ken Raymond will be teaching American history in Sycamore’s suburb of DeKalb.

Unfortunately, along the way, some of our friends left us before graduation. Yet they are an important part of our story. Included are Barbara Miller, June Balsis, Sally Lease, Floyd Worden, the late James Kerwin, Jack Daniels, Don Kendall, Gary Jeffries, Mary Crosby, Jack Masterson, Dick Nordgren, the late Harold Campbell, Delores Carey, Marlene Elliott, Gayla McMillian, Loralee Edwards, Patty Baker, Dick Berquist, Bob and Shirley McCall, the late Stuart Hammett, Ivan Jones, Miriam Hubbard, the late Irving (Peanut) Shott and Charles Gibbens.

And we honor and will always remember thirteen classmates who are no longer with us. They are Frances (Blade) Hartman, Marjorie (Buell) Harris, Juanita (Campbell) Schou, Jim Carlson, John Clark, John Dunmore, Phyllis (Eggers) Knudson, Jim Foster, Darlene (Frantum) Swanson, Jane (Henry) Hudson, Bob Lindgren, Norma (Sabel) Johnson, and Jim Tucker.

Tonight we have captured just a few highlights in hopes of stirring memories of a wonderful time long, long ago. We had many other great teams, events, activities, and school organizations. Let us keep these memories and the good times they represent alive always.

Today, a grocery store and a fast food restaurant sit where our proud high school once stood. Apartment buildings stand where we once played on our field of dreams.

Purple and gold no longer adorn the uniforms of our mighty Spartans. But for me, it will be purple and gold forever.


 

SOLDIERS

by Gene R. Behler

Seventh Installment

Berlin and the British Duty Train…

During my first tour in Germany (1961--1964) I was an enlisted man. While I consider myself a tourist at heart, I found that I had time for travel but often lacked the financial resources to do much traveling.

The situation reversed itself for my second tour (1974--1977). That is, I was a captain and later a major who was much better off financially but serving in very demanding position. It was difficult to get away from my jobs.

One of the most interesting trips our family took was to Berlin on the British Duty Train. Once a day, the Brits ran a passenger and supply train from West Germany into West Berlin. It took three or four hours to get to there. Many friends had taken the train and said it was a great family experience. Children and wives loved the train and it was free.

At the time, I was driving a huge Ford LTD station wagon. The thought of driving that car through hostile East Germany and then trying to find parking in Berlin during our one week stay didn’t excite me. Besides, public transportation in Berlin was excellent and inexpensive.

So we took the train. It was a wonderful experience. Our family was assigned its own compartment, much like the ones you see in the movies. Our compartment was near the front of the train because it happens that as a major, I was the senior officer on the train. The Brits routinely treat officers with great respect and consideration. In fact, in American terms, my family and I were treated royally.

I had, of course, no official authority or responsibility. The treatment was solely because I was a senior officer.

Any time a stop was planned, I was informed in advance of what we were doing and why. The British staff went out of its way to make sure I was informed all along the way. Jackie and especially the children loved all of the attention we were getting.

When the time for lunch came, we were seated and served first in the dining car. Again, Brit attendants made sure our every wish was rapidly and completely responded to.

For lunch we a very popular English meal called “Bangers and mash”. Bangers are link sausages and mash is mashed potatoes. It wasn’t the great meal, but it was tasty and inexpensive.

The train ride lasted several hours. During the various stops, we could see Soviet soldiers all around the train. We were told not to conspicuously look at the soldiers and absolutely under no circumstance take a picture of a Soviet soldier. We were warned that serious consequences for us all would follow if we didn’t obey those rules.

These were, of course, the days of the Berlin Wall. Each time our train stopped Soviet soldiers were there waiting so that they could surround our train. They did not want anyone getting on the train and escaping to the free world.

President Kennedy said it best in his “Eich bin ein Berliner” speech in 1963: “Freedom has many difficulties and democracy is not perfect, but we have never had to put up a wall to keep our people in, to prevent them from leaving us.”

On arrival in Berlin, we took public transportation to our hotel at Templehof Airport. Templhof played an important role in the Berlin Airlift.

The Swiss Alps…

Jackie’s dad and mom visited twice us during the three years we were in Wuerzburg. Most men complain about their parents-in-law. Not me. Virgil and Ollie were terrific folks. They were nice, they were fun, and when we needed help they were always there for us.

We had planned a two week vacation while they were there. We started by traveling to Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria in the summer of 1976.

While Garmisch was a well-known winter resort, it also was a very busy summer vacation destination. We rented an Army-owned, fully furnished duplex for a week. Its windows looked out on the German Alps. During the day, we saw many of the attractions in the area to include the late King Ludwig’s beautiful Neueschwanstein castle and his summer home, the Linderhof.

From Germany, we headed south through Austria and then into Italy. Venice was our destination. For years folks had told me that Venice was dirty and not a great tourist destination. However, my wife had dreamed of going to Venice and was not about to give up her dream.

We found Venice to be a magnificent city well worth the visit. Our only regret was that we had planned only one day in Venice. Spending a night in the city would have been a great experience.

From Venice were traveled to Pisa to seen the great leaning tower. We arrived in the late afternoon. We spent the night at the Florida motel. There aren’t many motels in Europe and we were surprised to see this one. It had a swimming pool and the boys wanted to swim.

When we checked in I asked the motel clerk if the motel would take a credit card. He said yes. However, when I got ready to check out the next morning, the clerk said they had run out of credit card charge slips and would I mind paying in dollars. We learned that almost everyone in Italy wanted greenbacks--they were worth far more than the government established exchange rate.

However, I did not have a lot of cash and wanted to conserve what I had. The clerk tried very hard to convince me to pay in dollars. Finally, he gave up and said he would send someone to get charge slips. I returned to our car to await the arrival of the charge slips.

After at least a 30 minute wait, I became quite impatient and upset and returned to the motel office. It must have been obvious to the clerk because as so as I walked in he said the charge slips just arrived. That was quite a surprise because no one had entered or exited the building in the past 30 minutes.

We drove north through Italy into Switzerland. We were anxious to get out of Italy. While most Italians were friendly and helpful, I felt like someone was out to screw me the entire time I was in Italy. The Florida Motel was but one example--there were several others not mentioned here.

Switzerland is divided into three distinctive sections represented by the language each section speaks. They speak Italian in the southern third, French in the western third and German in the northern third. I vowed I wasn‘t going to stop for the night until I found a place where German was spoken.

Going north into Switzerland we went through the San Bernardino Pass--the Saint Bernard Pass in English--high up in the Swiss Alps. There were numerous switchbacks as we moved through the mountains. At times I felt I needed someone turning my rear wheels, much like firemen do on hook and ladder trucks, as drove my Ford LTD station wagon around the many sharp turns.

The scenery was absolutely spectacular. There were beautiful green valleys with immaculately manicured fields that had been used for hundreds of years surrounded by rugged mountains and occasional water falls.

At one point there was nothing but air on the right side of the road. I remember one of the kids saying “Look at the water falls, mommy.” Jackie, the kids, and I saw a stream of water falling hundreds, maybe several thousand feet down the side of a mountain. It was a wonderful sight.

My in-laws did not like heights. Virgil, my father-in-law, was sitting in the right front passenger seat. His body was turned to the left and he was looking to the left. He would not turn his head to see the gorgeous water fall. I looked in the back seat to see that Ollie, my mother-in-law, had covered her head with a newspaper. She wasn’t going to look out any window.

We stopped at the first gasthaus or hotel where German was spoken.

The next day we drove to Liechtenstein, the tiny principality that is in the middle of Switzerland. Then it was home to Wuerzburg.

It had been a great trip and my in-laws had enjoyed all but the mountains.

What’s that on top of your car?…

The early 1980s took us to the beautiful state of Wisconsin. I was assigned to a unit called a readiness group at Fort McCoy near Sparta, Wisconsin. Sparta is a town of about 7,000 people with some 22 bars but that’s another story.

A readiness group assists in the training of National Guard and Army reserve soldiers and units. My job was Chief of the Administration Team. We helped National Guard and Army reserve units with administration, logistics, mess hall operations and reenlistment programs. There were 10 of us on the team--two other officers and seven noncommissioned officers.

Snow comes early to that part of Wisconsin. In fact, in my three years there, we always had a foot of snow on the ground by Thanksgiving. Winters were tough although state and local government did a superb job in keeping roadways cleared. Below zero temperatures were not unusual during the winter months.

Whenever possible, the Army tries to wind down at Christmas time. For the holidays, I had an officer and a noncommissioned work each day. Everybody else was free to stay home with their families and do whatever they wished.

On one especially cold and windy day I was on duty with Sergeant First Class Al Melton. Al was the best food service sergeant I ever know. There was nothing about a mess hall (now called a dining facility) that Al did not know.

Al was an African-American from Alabama who did not like the cold and wasn’t happy about being in Wisconsin. His wife and a son and daughter came to Wisconsin with him. They lived in Sparta.

As far as I know, the Meltons were the only black family in the community and probably in the area. I always questioned the wisdom of the US Army in assigning Sergeant Melton to the readiness group. I know the Army tries to be “color-blind” when it makes personnel assignments. But it is not easy for a black family to fit into an environment like the one that existed in Sparta.

Yet, the Meltons got along well with their neighbors and most folks in the community although I understand that Al’s son wasn’t real popular with some parents. Al’s son was a good-looking young man and an excellent football player. He set several state records in track and when he graduated from high school was offered a scholarship to a Big Ten school. While he wasn’t popular with some parents, he was very popular with several of their daughters.

On the day Al and I were on duty together, I remember standing by a window watching the blustery weather. As soldiers do, our conversation eventually turned to what we planned to do when we retired.

I hadn’t decided for sure but was thinking about returning to Indianapolis and finding employment with state government. At that time, I didn’t know that Army colonels earned more than the governor did.

I asked Al what he was going to do.

“Major Behler,” Al said, “I am going to put a snow plow on the top of my car and drive south. I am going to stop at the first place where someone says to me ‘What‘s that on top of your car?’”

I don’t know if Al’s comments were original or not. But, it was the first time I had ever heard them and thought they were great. Later, I submitted his comments to Reader’s Digest but never heard anything from my submission.

I am glad I finally have a forum in which I can share Al Melton’s comments. He was a fine man, an outstanding soldier, and a good friend. Where ever he is now I am sure he is enjoying great success. 

I never met a better man…

My father, Raymond Behler, died on May 16, 1980. He was one of the nicest people I have ever known. I loved and respected him and I still miss him today. He was 67 years old.

There will never be a biography written about Ray Behler. His story is not unique, he did nothing to further mankind, and his only legacy was four children.

Yet, it is men like Ray Behler that have made this country great. A tool and die maker, he was a competent, loyal and industrious worker who always did the best he could at his trade. He was a loving and compassionate father who with my mother, Sally, raised four children. He was a man of strong character and high moral values which he instilled in his children by example.

He was born on January 2, 1913 in Erie, Illinois. His grandfather, Christian Beehler, came to the United States from Germany. He became a US citizen on February 25, 1890 when he renounced his allegiance to “…William, Emperor of Germany whereof he was heretofore a subject.” Sometime later Christian dropped the extra “e” from the family name.

He married my mother, Leota (Sally) Margaret Ayers, on October 10, 1932, in Clinton, Illinois. Those were difficult times economically. Work was hard to find. My father was proud that he never had to go on welfare. Somehow he found work and was able to provide for his family.

Both of my sisters were born in Clinton. Susan was born November 23, 1933 and Phyllis, October 17, 1935.

My grandfather, Charles J. Behler, owned a hardware store in Sycamore. Charles Townsend, a close friend of my grandfather, was the general manager of Anaconda Wire and Cable which was Sycamore’s biggest employer. Townsend promised my grandfather that he would find his son a job if he moved to Sycamore. My father jumped at the opportunity for full time employment and my parents moved to Sycamore, Illinois, where I was born in 1938. While my father never earned more than a modest salary as an inspector in the laboratory, my parents still were able to own their own house.

My brother, Charles James Behler, II, named after my grandfather, was born on January 31, 1947.

In 1950, my parents made a bold move. They moved to Phoenix, Arizona. Dad dreamed of being a tool and die maker. He tried without success to become one while at Anaconda but was never given the opportunity. So they sold their house, bought a 1947 Buick (the newest car they ever owned at that point) and moved the family to Phoenix where Dad hoped to find work. He had worked for Anaconda for 22 years. I was 12 at the time.

Unfortunately, despite his very best efforts, he was unable to find employment. He lacked marketable job skills.

We returned to Sycamore in 1951 where Dad was employed in a local factory. He also worked part-time in a small tool and die shop, Jensen and Son, which offered to train him as a tool maker.

While he had little formal education beyond high school, he was very bright and it was easy for him to grasp difficult mathematical concepts. He was especially skilled at problem solving. He learned his new trade thoroughly and quickly. After few years, he took a tool and die maker position with General Electric in DeKalb, Illinois. When he retired in 1977, he was a master tool and die maker responsible for training all newly hired tool makers at the factory.

Ray Behler enjoyed working. He retired when he was 64 years old mostly because his eye sight was failing. He had worked the 3 to 11 pm shift at General Electric for over 20 years.

I don’t know anyone who enjoyed retirement more than my father. He was an avid television watcher. Yet, because he worked the evening shift, he never got to see the Monday thru Friday evening shows that most Americans of that era enjoyed. In retirement, he finally was able to enjoy television to his heart’s content.

He had scrimped and saved most of his working life to raise four children. He worked the 3 to 11 p.m. shift because General Electric paid employees an additional ten percent for working those hours. He never turned down overtime which most often occurred on Saturday.

By the time of his retirement, the mortgage on the house was paid and improvements over the year made the house very comfortable.

As a boy, I remember asking my father for a quarter to go to the Saturday afternoon movie and to buy popcorn or a candy bar. While I always got my quarter, at times it seemed to pain him to give it to me.

When he worked at Anaconda, I remember some Fridays when we would wait at noon for him to cash his weekly paycheck and then run by the grocery store to buy food for our lunch.

In retirement, he always seemed to have ample money. In the last decade before his retirement, he bought his first new car--a Ford station wagon.

My father was always there when he was needed by anyone, especially his children. It didn‘t matter what the challenge was, he would do it. He was terrifically talented when it came to fixing or doing almost anything. He was a genius at figuring out how things worked and how to fix them.

He remodeled the kitchen, built a brick fireplace, enclosed the space between the house and the garage, dug out half of the basement, and then finished the basement. He did it all with his own hands.

Dad was always ready to take on smaller, more insignificant projects if a family member asked. Doing things for his grandchildren especially pleased him. I remember how he fabricated a special weight for my son Christopher’s Cub Scout pine box derby car and figured out exactly where to place the weight for maximum advantage. Christopher’s car was very competitive in the derby although it fell short of winning the championship. Always positive, my father said we would do better next year…he would a find a way to get more speed. Unfortunately, we moved before the next derby.

It was a rare event when my father gave any specific guidance on a subject or even told any of his children what to do. I think he just expected us to do the right thing without being told.

But he set a strong example in his everyday life. He had a strong work ethic, he was honest to a fault, rarely raised his voice, and demonstrated exceptional patience in all things.

My father was a great man and a wonderful person. I wish I was more like my father.