THE BUNKIE CORN FESTIVAL AND BUNKIE HIGH GRADUATES:      JUNE 2002

What a great time in Bunkie!  The class of 1954 was in reunion at the Bailey and of course I knew most of the entire class.  I came from the class of 1953 and four of my class members met during the Corn Festival, not knowing that the class of 1954 was there, so we horned-in on all of their activities.  On behalf of the class of 1954, I am sending Bunkie.com a little info about each of these marvelous old friends in hope that those who were unable to attend can hear a little about each one. 

1.        Pam Biles:  Still classy like her older sister Murel.  Beautiful smile and very friendly.

2.        Terry Jeansonne:  I would guess that Terry had a growth spurt after high school.  Wonderful personality still, and reminds me of Patty Duke, the actress. 

3.        Nancy Jo LaPrairie:  Lives in Bunkie and is a great part of the community.  Very outgoing and pretty.

4.        Paul Plaisance:  Paul is still tall.  I hear he is an avid reader and I think I would have recognized him.  Very friendly, and we were lucky to be invited to his and Ann’s house in Bunkie for wine and cheese.  Excellent.

5.        Bobby Richardson:  Bobby is another one who I think I would have recognized.  He has a great laugh and looks much like I remember his Dad at the Weill’s Department Store many years ago.  Bobby says he is haveing eye problems but I’m guessing that he can handle it, and I hope all goes well for him.

6.        Glenda Boone:  I recognized Glenda as one of the beautiful Boone girls, but I really didn’t know which one.  Still pretty but I wished that she had brought Betty with her.

7.        Ronald Sawyer:  Forever young.  It appears that Ronald is a great promoter of the Bunkie Web Page, getting everybody together and works at making everyone feel good. 

8.        Lillian Barker:  Lil named the Bunavola when she was a freshman, so we all have a connection to Lil.  I failed to ask about her sister Betty Jean. 

Those were the class members who I recall.  There were many other graduates there who I will name below:

1.      Patsy Brown:  Patsy was one of my favorite majorettes and I think she is still prancing.  She was everywhere and still carries herself with a great degree of class.

2.      Roselyn Baronne:  Roselyn looks great and appears to have had a good time at the activities.  I did not get to visit with Roselyn except for a minute or so at the wine and cheese party.

3.      Deanna Beaubouef:  What a delightful person and her looks defy the fact that she graduated in 1955.  She is married to Mitt Butler (class of 51, I think) and I think they live in the area.  Bunkie has been good to her.

4.      Ann Ducote:  Beautiful Ann was the middle girl in the “Ducote Girls”.  If you were in sixth grade in Bunkie, you may have been in her mother’s class.  Ann is married to Paul Plaisance and they live in Virginia.  They are renovating Ann’s very old family home in Bunkie, which they will use off and on.  That’s sound good to me.

5.      Barbara Dupree:  I had lunch with Barbara and her husband on Saturday outside the north side of the gym under one of the great live oaks.  Barbara looks great and walks with a lot of warm personality.

6.      Don Fletcher:  Most of you know that Don lost his wife Barbara Hines, his high school sweetheart, some time ago.  Don looks 15 years younger than he should, but Bunkie apparently has been good to him, too.  The scuttlebutt around the reunion was that he and Anita Davis is an “item”.  I hope so.  They are both great people.

7.      Patsy Johnston:  Patsy lives in Bunkie and she also exhibits a stance that makes me feel like Bunkie takes good care of it’s citizens.  She looks great.

8.      Ardie Keller:  Ardie loves these gatherings, it appears.  He looks much like I remember his Dad many years ago. 

9.      Franklin Kyle:  Franklin came from far off, I think.  Much like Ronald Sawyer, he gathers his wit and personality and visits to make sure that everyone is having a good time. 

10.  Anthony Palermo:  Anthony, looks great and is willing to always extend a good hand to those who may not recognize him at a moment.  He has that  great Palermo smile of his older brothers.

11.  Nickie Parrino:  I would have known Nickie anywhere.  He looks just like his Dad.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to visit with Nickie as much as I would have liked.  He lives in Bunkie.

12.  Freddie Rabalais:  Freddie looks great.  He has had some health problems but is over them.  Here again, I did not visit with Freddie but for a moment.

13.  Lynette Stokes:  She is the busiest person in the bunch.  She looks fantastic and has the personality that makes those around her feel good.  Lynette graduated from Lafayette High, but she was a member of the class of 1955, and her heart is there with her old friends.  She is married to Cut Cut and I think they will retire and return to Bunkie.  Cut Cut is from Bunkie also, class of about 1958.

14.  Fred Vollman:  Fred made a quick visit in and out of the activities and lives in Bunkie.  He lost his beautiful wife Patsy Jusselin several months ago.  I think he is doing well.

15.  Carmen Sawyer:  Carmen is still very small, but still carries a big personality and I’m sure the Sawyer intelligence and grace. 

16.  Dickey Biles:  Dickey came all the way from Seattle where is a retired Pediatrician.  His open and vibrant personality is still with him. 

17.  Lila Lewis:  Lila is from the class of about 1946 and lives in Bunkie.  I remember Lila as she was a friend of my older sisters. 

18.  Eddie Grimshaw, Harold Dupree, Jeanette Norman:  These three are members of my class in 1953.  We met at the corn festival and then discovered that the class of 1954 was having their reunion.  We missed Marilyn Scott and Murel Biles both of whom could not come. 

19.  Don Hines and Jackie Ewing (his wife):  Don and Jackie are from the class of 1952 or there about and live in Bunkie.  Don is a Doctor and a State Senator. Jackie graduated from Marksville High.  Both are old friends of mine.  They came and went from some of the activities but made sure that their presence was first class to everyone who went to Bunkie last weekend

20.  Ronald Sehon:  Ronald lives in Baton Rouge and knew most of the people at the reunion.  He graduated in 1951, I think.

21.  Don Clark:  Don has lived his life in Bunkie and I think he graduated in about 1958.  He knew everyone and a pleasure to talk to and be with.  I just happen to meet him on Thursday night and I don’t think he came to any of the activities.

Remember that most of these people had their spouses with them, so the old Bailey Hotel was jumping for a few days with a lot of people great dinners and marvelous parties.  The Corn Festival also was very well attended.  I’m sure I have left off some one who was there and I apologize if that is the case.  I am doing this purely from a memory which is crammed with a lot of junk that is unimportant as compared to that wonderful two days with a bunch of old friends.  Someone ask the question, “Why are all these people so enamored with each other?”  My reply was that in the 1950s, Bunkie had no drugs, no TVs (hardly), kids had few cars of their own and a lot of other things that kids have today, so we just had each other and we studied, played hard and lived closely in that little Southern town. 

I doubt that I would have known very many of the people at the reunion if they had not been so willing to identify themselves.  Upon identification, I could always see that untiring young person somewhere, which made it evident that even though we have all changed on the outside, our friendships, our hearts and our wonderful memories of our youth are still with us, deep inside somewhere.

Thanks for a great weekend.

Bill Hunt                                                                            bunkyboy@pclnet.net       6/18/02

122 N. Marion St.

Athens, AL 35611