75 years changes your photo!

The photo on the left was taken in 1943 when I was in basic training to be a Combat Engineer. (WW II)

The right photo was taken seventy five later in 2018  when I was in advanced training for my "Golden Years".

Number 37.

Number 37 is the football team number for my great grandson Ross.

Ross is 14. He is a freshman at West Monroe High School. West Monroe has been a long time football power in these parts. It will be tough to make the team but Ross is going to do it. He has played some in his first two games of high school football. I think that is a feather in his cap. Here are some pics from a game last night. The game was against Ruston, played in Ruston. We got home from the game real quick. West Monroe won.

Here is the team plotting before the game.

Ross is watching a coach holding his hands to his head. I bet the coach is thinking "why isn't Newberry in the game!"

West Monroe cheer leaders.

Ruston has a great scoreboard. You can see the game better on the board.

Four men from Dubach.

This is a human interest story (at least it is interesting to me) about four men who were raised in Dubach, Louisiana. They went through school together and played on the Dubach HS baseball team. The Dubach HS is no more but some sixty plus years later the men attend the Unionville Store Saturday morning breakfast and still talk to each other. I feel fortunate to join them at that breakfast. It is a kick to see how close they still are after that many years. They are good men and are a pleasure to be with. Here is a pictures of them taken last Saturday, From the left they are Richard Jones, James Fuller, John Jeffcoat, and Nicky Davis.

Here are close ups.

These men must have bonded playing on the Dubach baseball team. (State Champs for 1961!)

The men were all outstanding baseball players. But one was named the Most Valuable Player of the Year. That honor went to the Ace Pitcher, John Jeffcoat. (18 wins, 0 losses) John is so proud of that feat that he catties his scrapbook at all times. (In case I want a picture.)

Nicky Davis was the catcher. Never missed a catch.

Here are some clippings. John said that his mother did the book. He claims that the book did not mean a thing to him at the time, but would not take a million for it now.

Two Fs please. John Jeffcoat. The scrapbook is full of items like the above. Victory after victory!

Vital Signs for August 2018

Hooray! I lost four pounds in the month. From 229 to 225. When I started the diet on May 1 my weight was 250. So I am down 25 pounds in four months. 220 here I come! My blood pressure is good. My esophagus  (swallowing) has gotten bad. I am going for a stretch on September 17. It will be the seventh time that I have gone through this procedure. Heres hoping.

K9 Officer Boco died in the line of duty.

I attended Memorial Services for Boco yesterday. He was recently shot and killed by a dangerous fugitive. He was on duty and doing crucial work for the Lincoln Parish Sheriff Department.

Many Lawmen and citizens attended the service.

 Many fellow K9 Officers were present.

Taps was played for Boco. A flay was officially folded for him. Bagpipes played as the Service ended.

I was proud to attend. I am fond of dogs. I like some dogs more than I like some people.

Changes in the neighborhood around my old McKinley Home for Boys.

Neighborhoods can change. Boy! this one did. I saw this one change a lot. From wheat fields
to Freeways in my lifetime. This neighborhood is in the San Fernando Valley. The McKinley Home for Boys was in the south east part of the Valley. Across Ventura Blvd from the foothills. Near the corner of Woodman Avenue and Ventura Blvd.

Here is a relic from the San Fernando Valley Museum. The McKinley Home made it to the street sign.

I first saw the neighborhood around 1932. I was 7 and was put in the home by my Dad. He had more important things to do than bother with his ninth child. He was newly widowed and wanted to see the world.

Here is a view of the Home in a picture taken about when I entered it.

It was a nice place surrounded by wheat fields. I remember watching a thresher working across the street. I was in a dorm in the second building from the left. First floor on this end of the building. The building by itself on the left is the hospital. I recovered from pneumonia there. Boy! do I hate cod liver oil.

My bedroom.

Picture of the dorms.

This picture is of the neighborhood taken in the late fifties. The Home was moved to San Dimas in 1961. The city had completely surrounded the Home.

No wheat fields. Looks different after about 30 years, huh? Ventura Blvd had been made into the Ventura Freeway, The Home was torn down and the Sherman Oaks Galleria mall built in its place. Here is a view of the mall (which was built on the Home site) from the Freeway.

I reckon that the neighborhood has changed a lot since I first saw it in 1932. The white structure  in the left of the picture below is the mall. The name of the mall has been changed from Sherman Oaks Galleria to Westfield Fashion Square.

The San Fernando Valley Museum is located in the mall.

The singing right tackle.

These pics are from the John C Fremont Junior High School 1940 Yearbook. Fremont was in Pomona, California.The building is still there but is now a school administration building. The building was well built. After school I had the job of picking up papers in the school yard. I was 15 and in the Boy's Glee Club and played tackle on the football team.

Here is my picture in the Boy's Glee Club. (top row center)

I remember singing "Stout Hearted Men, I love a Parade, and Deep Purple".

Here is my football team picture. I was known as the ferocious number thirteen!

I was the Singing Tackle.

My great grandson, Christian Steven Newberry was baptized today.

It was a lovely ceremony conducted by Pastor Greg Clark.

Music group of Cedar Crest Baptist Church, West Monroe warming up before the church service.

Christian waiting.

Pastor Greg and Christian in the water.

Two happy souls.

 About to go under.

This is Christian and his two brothers, Ross and Ethan. Christian is following in the Christian path of his two older brothers. I pray the best for them and their folks.

After the service Christian, his brothers, his Mom and Dad (David and Joy), his maternal Grandpa and Grandma (John and Kerry), and the old Prunepicker (Chuck) had a jolly meal at Johnny's Pizza.

Maike Niebergal brings her smile to Ruston.

Isn't that a beautiful smile? I wish that I could smile like that.

Maike (pronounced Micah) is visiting her exchange student parents, Cheryl and Richard Maxwell, for the next week. In 2007Maike spent time as an exchange student in the Maxwell home in Malvern, Arkansas. In the eleven years since then Maike in Germany and the Maxwells in America have kept close ties. (several visits) Here is a recent family picture. (today)

This family is closer together than many families that live on the same continent. It warms and gladdens my heart to see them together. The sight is a tribute to the loving nature and graciousness of these three people.

Unionville Meeting 8-18-2018

I picked up this information at the Unionville breakfast this morning. Lincoln Parish is going to build a 50 million dollar courthouse (lots of taxes) with a car wash out back.