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We grew up on the south side of Henryetta. Natural and manmade
boundaries created a separate sort of neighborhood there during our formative
years of the 1950’s. Coal Creek formed the western and northern borders,
providing places of adventure and danger. The Old Lake Road established the
eastern border and put us in a convenient position for access to Nichols Park
and the lake there with its popular swimming beach less than a mile south.
Louise Street ran through the southern area of the neighborhood, connecting the
refined residential area of the east with the more rugged portion to the west.
Streets on the western side where I lived were either gravel or dirt. But on
the east side the streets were paved.
It was in this modest neighborhood (approximately 9 blocks square) where the students of Roosevelt Grade School, the Class of 1959, met and formed lasting bonds of friendship and memories. Each member of that group of 31 students knew Joyce Dudley and I’m sure appreciated her sweet friendly manner in the classroom and on the playground. And many could share stories of their own personal moments shared with Joyce outside school hours along Jefferson Street.
For me, there are special memories of Joyce in addition to all the school time experiences and the good feelings that grew out of spending six years in that small but special school on the south side of town.
I suppose it must have been our outgoing natures and neighborhood mobility that brought four of us together outside the classroom. My good friend Jimmy Tarwater and I were connected through our families and a small church on Barclay Street. So it was natural for the two of us to connect and spend time together roaming not only our neighborhood but the entire town and surrounding area. Jimmy had motor scooters from an early age and was generous in having me ride along on many an adventure.
Marilyn Bissett and Joyce lived within a block of each other on Jefferson Street and just a block from the school. Rather than spending most of their time indoors, the two girls could often be found in their yards or garages. This made it easy for Jimmy and me to stop by and discover what they might be up to on any given day.
It is one of those occasions that I will forever associate with the music of Elvis Presley and how it felt one hot summer afternoon to spend time with Joyce, Marilyn, and Jimmy in the garage of Joyce’s family home in the 300 block of West Jefferson Street. When I arrived, the three of them were there in the garage, the door open, listening to Elvis records. Marilyn was a huge Elvis fan and by that time, probably 1957, already had a good collection of his records. It is likely these records belonged to her older brother, Phillip, and perhaps the portable record player as well. But whatever the source, the music that day made a deep and special impression on me. The song I most associate with that experience is “All Shook Up”.
Because Marilyn’s brother was involved in Teen Town, Marilyn had learned the latest dance that was popular among the teenagers of the day. Although we were only ten years old, Marilyn and Joyce got Jimmy and me out on the garage floor and commenced to teach us to dance with them to the loud, exciting songs of Elvis Presley. Other sessions followed in Joyce’s garage and in Marilyn’s living room.
On another occasion, Joyce and Marilyn set up a makeshift stage in Marilyn’s garage and invited Jimmy and me to be the audience for a play they had written or co-opted. It was a classic scene of kids in the 1950s; kids who were creative and knew how to have fun and entertain themselves.
Another memory of the four of us involves a chilly Fall afternoon, playing touch football, barefoot, in Marilyn’s yard. I injured my big toe when I slipped in the wet grass slamming into Joyce’s foot. She was unhurt but I limped the four blocks home, across the small creek at Gilliam’s Spring, to my house on West Jefferson Street.
Our camaraderie ended after sixth grade when we joined students from five other elementary schools of Henryetta in what would become the high school class of 1965. Although I moved away after 7th grade and never maintained a close relationship with the other three, the significance of the times we shared will always remain with me. The innocence with which we shared music and laughter holds a special place in my heart.
In the 1980’s, I was saddened by the tragic and untimely death of our friend Marilyn. Then, last year, through the Facebook page, “Class of 65”, I learned that Joyce had become ill with a life threatening disease. Someone posted a cell phone number through which she might appreciate text messages. The text messages allowed me to communicate with Joyce a few times and to share some of the memories noted here. The last successful exchange was on March 26, 2015. Text messages on June 17th and 20th went unanswered.
Memories live on.
Joyce and Me, May 1959
by: James Middleton
It was in this modest neighborhood (approximately 9 blocks square) where the students of Roosevelt Grade School, the Class of 1959, met and formed lasting bonds of friendship and memories. Each member of that group of 31 students knew Joyce Dudley and I’m sure appreciated her sweet friendly manner in the classroom and on the playground. And many could share stories of their own personal moments shared with Joyce outside school hours along Jefferson Street.
For me, there are special memories of Joyce in addition to all the school time experiences and the good feelings that grew out of spending six years in that small but special school on the south side of town.
I suppose it must have been our outgoing natures and neighborhood mobility that brought four of us together outside the classroom. My good friend Jimmy Tarwater and I were connected through our families and a small church on Barclay Street. So it was natural for the two of us to connect and spend time together roaming not only our neighborhood but the entire town and surrounding area. Jimmy had motor scooters from an early age and was generous in having me ride along on many an adventure.
Marilyn Bissett and Joyce lived within a block of each other on Jefferson Street and just a block from the school. Rather than spending most of their time indoors, the two girls could often be found in their yards or garages. This made it easy for Jimmy and me to stop by and discover what they might be up to on any given day.
It is one of those occasions that I will forever associate with the music of Elvis Presley and how it felt one hot summer afternoon to spend time with Joyce, Marilyn, and Jimmy in the garage of Joyce’s family home in the 300 block of West Jefferson Street. When I arrived, the three of them were there in the garage, the door open, listening to Elvis records. Marilyn was a huge Elvis fan and by that time, probably 1957, already had a good collection of his records. It is likely these records belonged to her older brother, Phillip, and perhaps the portable record player as well. But whatever the source, the music that day made a deep and special impression on me. The song I most associate with that experience is “All Shook Up”.
Because Marilyn’s brother was involved in Teen Town, Marilyn had learned the latest dance that was popular among the teenagers of the day. Although we were only ten years old, Marilyn and Joyce got Jimmy and me out on the garage floor and commenced to teach us to dance with them to the loud, exciting songs of Elvis Presley. Other sessions followed in Joyce’s garage and in Marilyn’s living room.
On another occasion, Joyce and Marilyn set up a makeshift stage in Marilyn’s garage and invited Jimmy and me to be the audience for a play they had written or co-opted. It was a classic scene of kids in the 1950s; kids who were creative and knew how to have fun and entertain themselves.
Another memory of the four of us involves a chilly Fall afternoon, playing touch football, barefoot, in Marilyn’s yard. I injured my big toe when I slipped in the wet grass slamming into Joyce’s foot. She was unhurt but I limped the four blocks home, across the small creek at Gilliam’s Spring, to my house on West Jefferson Street.
Our camaraderie ended after sixth grade when we joined students from five other elementary schools of Henryetta in what would become the high school class of 1965. Although I moved away after 7th grade and never maintained a close relationship with the other three, the significance of the times we shared will always remain with me. The innocence with which we shared music and laughter holds a special place in my heart.
In the 1980’s, I was saddened by the tragic and untimely death of our friend Marilyn. Then, last year, through the Facebook page, “Class of 65”, I learned that Joyce had become ill with a life threatening disease. Someone posted a cell phone number through which she might appreciate text messages. The text messages allowed me to communicate with Joyce a few times and to share some of the memories noted here. The last successful exchange was on March 26, 2015. Text messages on June 17th and 20th went unanswered.
Memories live on.
Joyce and Me, May 1959
by: James Middleton
