Class of 1956
Do you have information that I can use in a bio for anyone on this page? If so, please email it to me at LatonHigh@comcast.net Linda
I am attempting to compile a list of all Laton Alumni who were in the Military, as well as those who were Killed in Action or were POWs. They will be honored with the following stars next to their names ---
* - Served in the Military
* - Killed in Action
* - Prisoner of War
Give me a few months then if I have missed names that should be added, please contact me at LatonHigh@comcast.net
********************
Do you have information that I can use in a bio for anyone on this page? If so, please email it to me at LatonHigh@comcast.net Linda
I am attempting to compile a list of all Laton Alumni who were in the Military, as well as those who were Killed in Action or were POWs. They will be honored with the following stars next to their names ---
* - Served in the Military
* - Killed in Action
* - Prisoner of War
Give me a few months then if I have missed names that should be added, please contact me at LatonHigh@comcast.net
********************
|
100 Top songs of 1956
1. Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel 2. Elvis Presley - Don't Be Cruel 3. Nelson Riddle - Lisbon Antigua 4. Platters - My Prayer 5. Gogi Grant - The Wayward Wind 6. Les Baxter - The Poor People Of Paris 7. Doris Day - Whatever Will Be Will Be (Que Sera Sera) 8. Elvis Presley - Hound Dog 9. Dean Martin - Memories Are Made Of This 10. Kay Starr - Rock And Roll Waltz 11. Morris Stoloff - Moonglow And Theme From "Picnic" 12. Platters - The Great Pretender 13. Pat Boone - I Almost Lost My Mind 14. Elvis Presley - I Want You, I Need You, I Love You 15. Elvis Presley - Love Me Tender 16. Perry Como - Hot Diggity 17. Eddie Heywood and Hugo Winterhalter - Canadian Sunset 18. Carl Perkins - Blue Suede Shoes 19. Jim Lowe - The Green Door 20. Four Lads - No, Not Much 21. Bill Doggett - Honky Tonk 22. Tennessee Ernie - Ford Sixteen Tons 23. Johnnie Ray - Just Walking In The Rain 24. Patti Page - Allegheny Moon 25. Fats Domino - I'm In Love Again 26. Patience and Prudence - Tonight You Belong To Me 27. Gene Vincent - Be-bop-a-lula 28. Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers - Why Do Fools Fall In Love 29. Four Lads - Standing On The Corner 30. Buchanan and Goodman - The Flying Saucer 31. George Cates - Moonglow And Theme From Picnic 32. Cathy Carr - Ivory Tower 33. Bill Haley and His Comets - See You Later Alligator 34. Pat Boone - I'll Be Home 35. Vic Damone - On The Street Where You Live 36. Platters - Magic Touch 37. Chordettes - Born To Be With You 38. Don Cherry - Band Of Gold 39. Perry Como - More 40. Guy Mitchell - Singing The Blues 41. Fats Domino - Blueberry Hill 42. Stanford Clark - The Fool 43. Don Robertson - The Happy Whistler 44. Bing Crosby and - Grace Kelly True Love 45. Little Richard - Long Tall Sally 46. Teresa Brewer - Sweet Old Fashioned Girl 47. Norvus Nevous - Transfusion 48. Ames Brothers - It Only Hurts For A Little While 49. Teresa Brewer - A Tear Fell 50. Lonnie Donegan - Rock Island Line |
51. Dream Weavers - It's Almost Tomorrow 52. Pat Boone - Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love) 53. Frank Sinatra - Hey Jealous Lover 54. Eddy Heywood - Soft Summer Breeze 55. Andy Williams - Canadian Sunset 56. Eddie Fisher - Dungaree Doll 57. George Hamilton Iv - A Rose and a Baby Ruth 58. Eddie Fisher - Cindy Oh Cindy 59. Jerry Vale - You Don't Know Me 60. Dick Hyman - Moritat (Theme From Threepenny Opera) 61. Gale Storm - Ivory Tower 62. Joe Valino - Garden of Eden 63. Vince Martin and the Tarriers - Cindy Oh Cindy 64. Otis Williams and the Charms - Ivory Tower 65. Crew Cuts - Angels in the Sky 66. Mitch Miller - Song For a Summer Night 67. Gale Storm - Why Do Fools Fall in Love 68. Gale Storm - Teen Age Prayer 69. McGuire - Sisters Picnic 70. Al Hibbler - After the Lights Go Down Low 71. Patti Page - Mama From the Train 72. Nat King Cole - That's All There Is to That 73. Kit Carson - Band of Gold 74. Tony Martin - Walk Hand in Hand 75. Diamonds - Why Do Fools Fall in Love 76. Perry Como - Juke Box Baby 77. Rusty Draper - Are You Satisfied 78. Jo Stafford - It's Almost Tomorrow 79. Platters - You'll Never Never Know 80. Perry Como - Glendora 81. Johnny Cash - I Walk the Line 82. Tony Bennett - Can You Find It in Your Heart 83. Pat Boone - Tutti-Frutti 84. Fontane Sisters - Eddie My Love 85. Don Rondo - Two Different Worlds 86. Jane Powell - True Love 87. Richard Hayman and Jan August - Moritat 88. Nat King Cole - Night Lights 89. Cadillacs - Speedoo 90. Diamonds - The Church Bells May Ring 91. Peggy Lee - Mr Wonderful 92. Fats Domino - My Blue Heaven 93. Clyde McPhatter - Treasure of Love 94. Eileen Rodgers - Miracle of Love 95. Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers - I Want You to Be My Girl 96. Lawrence Welk - Tonight You Belong to Me 97. Chordettes - Lay Down Your Arms 98. Richard Maltby - Theme From 'the Man with the Golden Arm 99. Teresa Brewer - Bo Weevil 100. Blue Stars - Lullaby of Birdland |
**********************
Some statistics from 1956:
US GDP (1998 dollars): $438 billion
Federal spending: $70.64 billion
Federal debt: $272.7 billion
Consumer Price Index: 27.2
Unemployment: 4.4%
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.03 Autherine Lucy, the first black student at the University of Alabama, is suspended after riots (March 1). U.S. tests the first aerial hydrogen bomb over Namu islet, Bikini Atoll with the force of 10 million tons TNT (May 21).
World Series – NY Yankees defeats Brooklyn Dodgers (4-3)
NBA Championship – Philadelphia Warriors defeats Ft. Wayne Pistons (4-1)
Kentucky Derby Champion – NeedlesNCAA Basketball Championship – San Francisco defeats Iowa (83-71)
NCAA Football Champions – Oklahoma (10-0-0)
With many hit singles (including "Heartbreak Hotel"), Elvis Presley emerges as one of the world's first rock stars. The gyrating rocker enjoys fame on the stages of the Milton Berle, Steve Allen and Ed Sullivan shows, as well as in the first of his many movies, Love Me Tender. The Wizard of Oz has its first airing on TV.
Best Picture: Marty
Best Actor: Ernest Borgnine, Marty
Best Supporting Actor: Jack Lemmon, Mister Roberts
Best Actress: Anna Magnani, The Rose Tattoo
Best Supporting Actress: Jo Van Fleet, East of Eden
Best Director: Delbert Mann, Marty
Some statistics from 1956:
US GDP (1998 dollars): $438 billion
Federal spending: $70.64 billion
Federal debt: $272.7 billion
Consumer Price Index: 27.2
Unemployment: 4.4%
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.03 Autherine Lucy, the first black student at the University of Alabama, is suspended after riots (March 1). U.S. tests the first aerial hydrogen bomb over Namu islet, Bikini Atoll with the force of 10 million tons TNT (May 21).
World Series – NY Yankees defeats Brooklyn Dodgers (4-3)
NBA Championship – Philadelphia Warriors defeats Ft. Wayne Pistons (4-1)
Kentucky Derby Champion – NeedlesNCAA Basketball Championship – San Francisco defeats Iowa (83-71)
NCAA Football Champions – Oklahoma (10-0-0)
With many hit singles (including "Heartbreak Hotel"), Elvis Presley emerges as one of the world's first rock stars. The gyrating rocker enjoys fame on the stages of the Milton Berle, Steve Allen and Ed Sullivan shows, as well as in the first of his many movies, Love Me Tender. The Wizard of Oz has its first airing on TV.
Best Picture: Marty
Best Actor: Ernest Borgnine, Marty
Best Supporting Actor: Jack Lemmon, Mister Roberts
Best Actress: Anna Magnani, The Rose Tattoo
Best Supporting Actress: Jo Van Fleet, East of Eden
Best Director: Delbert Mann, Marty
Class of 1956
Abel, George A. - Living on the road in his RV
Aguiar, Manuel - Deceased (2018) - Manuel and his wife, Betty Duty, married and settled down in Laton to raise 2 children. They have been married for 49 years and have 6 grandchildren. No great grands yet. Manuel couldn’t find it in his heart to leave Laton. He worked in construction for 11 years and worked for the Laton Unified School District for 33 years. He, along with Bob Nester, has been “The Keeper of the Flame” until recently. Thanks for keeping us together.
Aguilar, Jennie Valdez - Hanford CA
Alcoser, Fred - Deceased (2023)
Balver, Peter - Laton CA
Barger, Jeff - Hanford CA
Borges, Adeline Chisholm - Deceased (2018)
Brassart, Ray Brassart, Ray - Deceased (2021) - Ray appears to be a man of few words. His questionnaire states the following: Jobs since graduation? “Attorney” What are you doing now? “A Law practice limited to trust and estate work.” Ray has been married to his wife, Marty, for 46 years. They have 2 children and 3 grandchildren.
Cardoza, Ann Lam - Deceased (2016)
Chandler, Jim Robert - Deceased (2020)
Charparro, Gary - Deceased
Cotta, Irene Miller - Deceased (2017)
Crain, Edith Tolbert - Carmichael CA
DeRuiter, Nick - Hanford CA
Dotson, Elve * Deceased (ca 2019) - Fuerth, Germany I learned recently that Elve Dotson from the Class of 1956 passed away a few years ago. For many years, Elve had eluded all efforts to find him but his classmates finally located him in Fuerth, Germany where he had been since 1978. Although quite shy, Elve was a popular guy in high school. At 6'4" he was a great asset to the Laton High Basketball Team and they ended up winning the 1955 Valley Championship after defeating Bakersfield High School. I've learned a lot of interesting facts about Elve that I want to share. After graduating from Laton High he attended Antelope Valley College for two years where he played basketball. He was then drafted into the U.S. Army for two years. During his stint at Fort Sills he played basketball and was an asset as he had grown another inch and was now 6'5". After those two years in the Army he decided that two years weren't enough so stayed for 20 more years. He served in the 98th ASG and the 235th, 279th, 280th and 417th BSBs - Army Community of Excellence. During those 22 years he went to Viet-Nam twice for a total of 30 months where he served as an advisor to the Vietnamese Army. He retired from the Army in 1982. Following his retirement from the U.S. Army he worked for 10 years for Central Texas College - European Division.
In a 2006 letter to his 1956 classmate, Bill McIntire, Elve wrote that he was now 69-years old and "still going to the gym and playing a little basketball". He also wrote "Believe it or not I think that I can dunk the ball better now than I could at 50-years old."
Elve and his wife had one son and one grandson. His son became an Engineer for Siemens, a very large German electronics firm. After 23 years of marriage his wife passed away with breast cancer.
Also in the letter to Bill McIntire, Elve wrote that he "assumed everyone in this entire world had long forgotten him". That breaks my heart to think that he thought that he was forgotten. Elve Dotson, you will never be forgotten.
Duty, Jack * - Deceased (2017)
Duyst, Ruth Stryd - Hanford CA
Ellis, Wanda Hintze - Hilo HI
Fraley, Bob - Fresno CA - Bob and Elaine (Turner) Fraley have been married for 50 years. They have 3 children and 6 grandchildren. Bob has been an elementary, high school and university teacher and coach. He is now teaching and coaching at Fresno State University where he has an impressive record as a coach. His honors include Pole Vault Hall of Fame - 2003, Developmental Coach of the Year - 2003, US Track & Field Nike Coach of the Year - 2003, WAC Coach of the Year - 2002, WAC Coach of the Year - 1994, and on and on. He is in his 28th year at Fresno State.
Garcia, Mary Huffman-Sawdey - Hanford CA - Mary appears to have had a varied career since high school. She has been a dental assistant, office manager, and a teacher at a dental school. She is now an administrator at the Clovis Urgent Care Medical Center. Mary has been single now for 19 years. She has 2 children and 7 grandchildren.
Gillam, Paul - Deceased (2011) CA
Goble, Arnie - Deceased (1992)
Greenhaw, Gene - Springdale AR
Hagopian, Stella - Selma CA
Haun, LaVerne Hooten - Locust Grove GA
Hennesay, Emma Owen - Lompoc CA - Emma has always been adventurous and her life after high school proves it. She started out as a waitress and ended up a domestic engineer. In between times, she was in the US Air Force as a Librarian and Technical Order Clerk, and a motel clerk. Emma has been married to Jim Owen for 38 years. She has 3 children, 7 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild.
Hernandez, Marcie - Deceased
Heuseveldt, Margaret Lezchuk - Fremont CA - Margaret has been married to Bill Lezchuk for 17 years. She has 7 children and 9 grandchildren. Since graduation, Margaret has been a cosmetologist and an elementary school teacher. She is now retired, doing luncheons and teas. She enjoys her hobbies of Red Hat Society, church activities, singing in the choir (of course), traveling, and her grandchildren. She loves being retired.
Hill, Leslie - Deceased (2017)
Holder, Joyce Preston - Carbondale CO
Homen, Margaret Adams - Hanford CA - Maggie married Laton High alumnus Falvey Adams. They celebrated 35 years of married live in May, 2008. Maggie has 2 children, 4 step children, 3 grandchildren,11 step grandchildren, and 9 step great-grandchildren. She has had all office jobs since school; working for LeFleur Crop Dusters, Wickes Lumber, Santa Cruz Dodge, World Ariel Spray Co., Sun Valley Pies and Mark Woods Wildwood Trucking. Maggie is retired but still on the go. She bowls 3 days a week and takes care of two of her grandsons twice a week.
Huddleston, Marilynn Lee - Deceased (2016)
Huffman, Evelyn Beaver - Gold Hill OR
Lea, Albert - Deceased (2004)
McIntire, Bill - San Diego area? CA
Miranda, Anita Rodriguez - Clovis CA
Murphy, Darlene Bridges - Deceased (2019)
Murphy, Dorothy Baker - Hanford CA - Dorothy has been a very busy person. She worked for Kings River Gin, Anderson-Clayton (4 years), Sears Credit in Fresno (2 years), W.M. Lyles in Avenal (4 years), Lemoore Police Department (2 years), Avenal Community Services (2 years), and Last Chance Water Ditch Co, in Hanford (30 years). She also worked in R.E. part time during the late 70's and early 80's. Dorothy retired on December 31, 2003 and is spending time in her 5th wheeler at Pismo and Hornbrook. But don’t say she’s stopped! She’s learning to quilt and works in her church as well as spending time with family and friends. Dorothy and Bill Frank Baker have been married for 49 years and they have 1 child and 2 grandchildren.
Nester, Bob - Deceased (2010) - In 2000, Bob retired from Laton Unified School District where he worked for 38 years.
O'Daniel, Buford - Deceased (1994)
Payne, Kelly - Deceased (2007)
Pierce, Nina Greer - Tulare CA
Raven, Margaret Nester - Deceased (2000)
Rios, Herman - Antioch CA
Simerly, Linda Johansen - Hanford CA - We have some busy people from the class of 1956 and Linda is one of them. She has worked in title insurance, as a secretary, and in real estate since graduation. She is currently a Transfer Analyst for the Kings County Assessors Office. Linda was married to Ray Johansen who is now deceased. Linda has no children.
Spurlock, Hershel - Lacey WA
Stryd, Jake - Hanford CA
Taylor, Robert - Deceased (2021)
Turner, Annette Lockett - Los Angeles CA
Turner, Carole Lewis - Anchorage AK - Deceased (2012) Carole lived in Alaska since 1960. She had two children and five grandchildren. Prior to her retirement she spent 25 years of nursing in public health.
van der Veur, Michael - Westport WA
Vargas, Annie Perez - Galt CA
Versluys, Eleanor Van Waay - Granite Bay CA
Vink, Agnes Manzoni - Soledad CA
Webster, Bill - Deceased
Willhite, Marjorie Genzer - Deceased (1996)