Randy Morse 1947 – 2014

1965 Girardot Randy MorseI read Facebook to be amused, distracted, annoyed and to keep up with real and virtual friends.

Today, however, I was stopped in my tracks by a post by Lois Seabaugh: “To members of the class of ’65 at Central High School: A dear childhood friend of mine died on Tuesday October 7, 2014, in his sleep of an apparent heart attack. His name was is Randy Morse. He was one of the guys who bought an old hearse and took a trip to Florida. He was a great friend and a fun guy. He had been a lap swimmer for at least 36 years. I talked with him at least 3 mornings a week at the lap pool at HealthPoint Fitness for many years. RIP dear friend.”

“Randy Morse?” I thought. “Holy cow, that can’t be true. He’s only in his 40s.” Then it dawned on me: we were both in the Central High School Class of 1965. He was MY age.

The infamous hearse

1965-05-24 Missourian Hearse story 1I’ve been looking for the photos of the old hearse Mike Seabaugh, Pat Sommers, Randy, Phil Vinyard and Paul Schwab bought for $76.50 for a trip to Florida, but they are so far missing in action. When I saw Lois’ post, that hearse story was the first thing that popped into my mind. Fortunately, I was able to find the May 24, 1965, Youth Page story in The Missourian. The photo was taken in front of Mother’s house, so I know that means the negs are someplace.

It wasn’t easy putting the deal together

1965-05-24 Missourian Hearse story 2The 1946 hearse was headed for the junkyard when Mike and Paul spotted the beast. Overcoming legal, financial and insurance issues took some serious juggling, with an assist from Teacher Calvin Chapman. If you have trouble reading my scan of the Missourian story, go here to read it in its original form.

Boys made a good impression

1965-09-09 Missourian hearse storyThe Missourian ran a front-page letter to the editor from a Winter Haven, Florida, woman who praised the five Cape boys as being “good ambassadors” of our community, calling them “fun-filled, clean-cut American youth.” You can read the September 9, 1965, letter here.

 Classmates Remember Randy Morse

There were quite a few posts made on the Growing Up In Cape Girardeau fan page. I asked for permission to publish these comments.

Lois Seabaugh: Randy always got to HealthPoint Fitness just before.the doors opened at 5:00 a.m. He would swim laps until about 6:00 a.m. and when he left he would always say goodbye to the ladies in the 6:00 a.m. pool class (he was so funny, he would bow and bid us goodbye with a big smile and a wave as he went to the locker room.

Pat Sommers: Randy was a good friend for a long, long time. I remember when we won the KGMO Name that Tune Contest. He had the answer and I made the call from the Dairy Castle and got though first. We won in dollars the AM call number (can’t remember the amount, but less that $100). We took our winnings and went the New Orleans and had a $1.00 coke and then down to Woolworths and had banana splits — big spenders.

Randy, Paul Schwab, Phil Vinyard, Mike Seabaugh and I did buy the 37 Cadillac Hearse near the end of our senior year (1965). Had a blast around Cape and then took it on a 16-day odyssey to New Orleans and then to Daytona Beach — I believe these stories are still classified. There was a follow-up story in the Missourian based upon a letter the paper received from a couple of really nice older women we met at the hotel in Daytona Beach. They thought we were such nice young men — made our mothers feel really good to read it – and relieved at least some of their concerns. I will miss Randy – he was a great guy.

Lois Seabaugh: His sense humor was great. Some of the things we talked about during his early morning laps was how much he enjoyed doing laps at the Central Pool during the summer. One year there were some long-term repair issues and he had to use the indoor lap pool at HealthPoint Fitness. One morning during that time period he said, “Lois Ann, I really like this pool but I miss watching the sunrise on the Central Pool, but most of all I miss that early morning collection of bugs left over from the night before.”

We had a good laugh and I apologized for our lack of bugs in the water and reminded him that he could see the sunrise through our wall of windows, and I promised to ask our manager if I could bring a handful of bugs for him. He loved a good laugh and for weeks on end he would ask me when I was going to deliver the night bugs for him. RIP to my childhood friend, Randy Bill Morse. He did his pool laps until his last day on earth!

Obituary

1964 Girardot projectionistsYou can read the full obituary which has funeral arrangements at the Ford And Sons Funeral Home website. This is a much better than average obit. My compliments to the writer.

Randy William Morse, 66, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri left this part of his life on Tuesday, October 7, 2014 while resting comfortably at his home waiting for the Cardinals game to start. He was happy and he was loved, and his passing will change neither of those things.

Randy was born October 20, 1947 in Cape Girardeau to Claude E. “Pete” and Helen Margaret Layton Morse, both of whom preceded him in death. Already a precious son and brother, on October 20, 1972 he celebrated his birthday by (as he said) “marrying up”. Barbara Jordan would spend the next 42 years with his unwavering love and adoration, as often the recipient of a loving embrace as that of the most beautiful flowering weed he could find on his morning walks. Loving his family was important to him. Even more important was that they knew it.

Randy’s work was far from done when he left. He was well known in Southeast Missouri for his work in many area pharmacies. Almost every day for over 30 years started with a mile swim in the pool. He conquered or destroyed every golf course in the area and caught a few largemouth bass as well. He was proud to be a member of LaCroix United Methodist Church.

He is survived by his wife, Barb Morse, who is cherished by all but was never loved by anyone else the way Randy loved her. His son Erik and his wife Andrea will be in Columbia hugging, kissing and chasing Oliver and Amelia who will always love their Tops. His daughter Emily will continue to share their love of swimming, dogs and each other. And of course his perfect match of a sister, Sandy Burton and her husband Don of Wickliffe, Kentucky, will continue to know how loved they will always be by Randy Bill. Many nieces, nephews and cousins are also missing his infectious smile.

[Editor’s note: this photo in the 1964 Girardot says that Randy was in the picture, but it doesn’t look like him to me. Thoughts?]

 

 

Okay, Who Did It?

I’ve already done a page on the Red Dagger’s My Sister Eileen and Our Hearts Were Young and Gay, so when I discovered these frames stuck in with a fire I shot in Ohio, I almost relabeled them and stuck them back in the file. Then I saw something that piqued my interest.

Whose car is this? Who did this nefarious deed? Their timing was good. I see one of the pages is from The Missourian’s Achievement Edition. That was usually the biggest paper of the year. Gaining entry to the car wouldn’t have been difficult. Most folks didn’t lock the doors and about half of them left the keys in the ignition.

Surely these guys didn’t do it

Principal Fred Wilferth and custodian James Criddle were on this roll of film, which means they were in the vicinity of the hooliganism, but they don’t have the guilty look of someone who has just stuffed someone’s car with a week’s worth of papers.

By the way, this film was in pretty bad shape, so I had a choice of spending hours spotting out all the flaws or pretending that the practice took place during a snow storm. I opted for the latter. In one frame there IS a cup flying through the air and water or some other liquid frozen by the strobe flash.

Gallery of the usual suspects

If I was a cop, I’d round up this gang of suspects from My Sister Eileen. I’m pretty sure that at least one of them would crack when you shined the bright light in their eyes. I bet you wouldn’t even have to bring out the rubber hoses. Click on any photo to make it larger, then click on the left or right side of the photo until you find the guilty person or persons.

Anola Gill Stowick was kind enough to provide a cast list when I ran the other story. I’m having the names run right now for wants and warrants. We should have this wrapped up in a matter of hours.

Chuck Dockins, Sally Wright, Sherry Harris, Larry Loos, Pat Sommers, Tom Spitzmiller, Steve Crowe, David Reimann, John Reimann, Rick Meinz, Jane Randol, Mike Daniels, Pam Parks, Mike Seabaugh, Steve Folsom, Anola Gill, Lee Dahringer, Don Mowery, John Magill, Preston Foster, Kenny Fischer, Vicky Roth, Jim Stone
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Faculty Director – Kitty Hart, Jerrette Davis, Carl Meyer, Becky McGinty, Steve Strong, Marsha Seabaugh, Janice House, Hilda Hobbs, Martin Hente,  Bill Kuster, Tom Holt, Ralph Frye, Shari Stiver, Cheri Huckstep, Tana Austin, Diane Siemers, Betsy Ringland, Francie Hopkins, Ruth Ann Seabaugh, Beth Hayden, Judy Dunklin, Peggy Estes, Judy Brunton, Terry Hinkle, Robin Kratz, Marcia Maupin, Sally Nothdurft, Toni Starkweather, Bunny Blue, Mary Sudholt, Cheryl McClard, Emma Pensel, David Stubbs Ron Hill, Gwynn Sheppard Mary Rickard, Mary Jean Rodgers, Carol Klarsfeld, Dean Kimmich, Donna Eddleman, Marsha Harris, Martha Mahy, Paul Schwab, Amanda Ashby, Della Heise, Don Sander, Anne Buchanan, Ronnie Marshall, John Mueller, Pat Johnson.

Red Dagger Play, Which One?

We haven’t had a mystery post in quite awhile, so here’s the question: What is the name of the play? I thought it was My Sister Eileen, but I couldn’t find anything in the Google News Archive for 1964-1965 in either The Missourian or The Southeast Weekly Bulletin that supported my guess. Ditto my Girardots.

Was it Our Hearts Were Young and Gay?

Vicky Roth wrote a piece for The Missourian’s Youth Page on Feb. 15, 1965, headlined Casting for Red Dagger Production Is Completed.

Cornelia Otis Skinner will be portrayed by Miss Sally Wright, senior, and Miss Sharon Stiver, who is also a senior, will enact the part of Emily Kimbrough. Cornelia’s father will be played by Albert Spradling, and Mrs. Skinner will be characterized by Miss Mary Sudholdt. The two young women’s romantic interests, Leo McEvoy and Dick Winters, will be portrayed by John Magill and Lee Dahringer.

On a cruise to Europe, Cornelia and Emily have amusing encounters with the ship’s company, among them the steward, Gary Fischer; the purser, Steven Crowe; the stewardess, Miss Frances Hopkins; the admiral, Wm. East [Editor’s note: The Missourian had a style quirk that said to abbreviate William as Wm.]; and the inspector, Miss Marcia Maupin. The two girls also meet two English girls, Harriet St. John and Winifred Blaugh, portrayed by Miss Norma Wagoner and Miss Ann Buchanan, respectively.

During the Paris visit, Cornelia and Emily conquer their living problems with the aid of Madame Elise, Miss Yyonne Askew, the landlady, and her daughter, Therese, played by Miss Sheila Kirchoff. Cornelia also attempts acting lessons with the “great” French actor, Monsieur De La Croiz, who will be portrayed by Ronald Marshall. During the confusion and laughter, the window cleaner, Grant Holt, adds his comments to the hilarious events. The play is under the direction of Mrs. Wm. Busch.

It STILL sounds more like My Sister Eileen

When I read a synopsis of My Sister Eileen, it sure sounds like the characters I see in the photos, up to and including the pack of Portuguese Merchant Marines and their conga line, led by Sherry McBride.

I started to put names on the pictures, but then decided, hey, if I don’t even know the NAME of the play, what are the odds that I’m going to get the names of the cast right? So, I’m going to throw up a gallery of photos, some of which have names (some of which might even be correct); the rest are going to be fill-in-the-blanks.

Gallery of high school play

Click on any image to make it larger, then click on the left or right side to move through the gallery. Good hunting.