GHS Class of 1966

WELCOME TO THE GHS CLASS OF 1966

This website is dedicated to a unique group of individuals who were so very fortunate to be together at a time and a place that allowed each one to develop such a strong sense of pride, dedication, caring, service, character, and loyalty that may never be achieved again for lifetimes to come.

These individuals who crossed paths in Grapevine, Texas from the mid-1950s through the mid-1960s were products of so many influences. We were the early Baby-Boomers. We lived during the Cold War. We experienced the Kennedy – Nixon debate on TV. We experienced the first rocket in space, the first dog in space, the first monkey in space, and the first man in space while in school. Howdy Doody arrived and left. We experienced the Viet Nam War like no other generation. We experienced the entire span of Rock ‘n Roll and the initial Mickey Mouse Club. We experienced and were a part of real musical productions at the high school level. We experienced 283s, 292s, 327s, 348s, 383s, 390s, 406s, 409s, 396s, 427s and 440s, while never doubting what a HEMI was. We worked hard and respected work. We were the first to experience television as children. Some were a part of the first GHS band to win a I at marching contest. Qualified more band a vocal music students for state competition than when the high school reached four times the enrollment. We were in school at the start of the first drill team at GHS. We believed in God, and thought everyone else did too. We valued family, friends, and community. We left our doors unlocked. We left our keys in our cars. We respected our parents, and our parents respected us. We respected those who were old, and those who were young.

We respected differences and diversity like no other generation before us…even though we often fell very short. We drank from water fountains labeled “colored” and “white”, and saw them taken away. We were the first class to have African American graduates. We were the last class to have our prom at the campus (gym or cafeteria). We were the last class to graduate inside the building. Our class was selected to form the City’s Safety Patrol that allowed students to help with traffic and pedestrian safety. We built floats that looked like something. We cared about each other; we were always a team in so many ways. Our class had 18% in the National Honor Society a GHS record that has not been and will most likely never be broken.

There were 52 classmates who started the first grade together and completed graduation together. We were in Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, Blue Birds, Boy Scouts, and Brownies together. We attended Church together and worshipped together. Our parents didn’t mind correcting any of us when we needed it, and we respected them for it.

We said the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag without wondering if we should. We prayed at the start of school each day and at sporting events. We believed in country, mom, apple pie, and baseball. We believed that our country was worthy of our allegiance and prayers – we still do. We respected the flag, we still do. We respected Texas and knew we were fortunate to be in Texas before it was popular.

We respected our teachers and administrators and school employees…like Mrs. Annie B. Watters, Ms. Boyd, Mrs. Madeleine Hemley, Mr. W.F. Cannon, Pauline Dosier, Mrs. Dora Mae Shofner, Mrs. Frances Waldrup, Mrs. Lillian Baker, Mrs. Gertrude Dawson, Ms. Joyce Dutton, Mrs. Mattie Mae Wright, Mrs. Edith Hodges (cook), Mr. S. G. Moncrief, Mrs. Helen Lucas, Mr. John Coleman, Mrs. Cletabell Hawk, Mrs. Louise Clark, Mrs. Velma Stark, Mrs. Hallie B. Williams, Mrs. Josephine Moore, Mrs. Joyce Hedges, Mrs. Margaret Stubblefield, Mr. Harlan L. Jewett, Mrs. Mary Logan, Mrs. Sally Echols, Mrs. Jimmie Hosea, Mrs. Virginia Mitcham, Mrs. Ruby Moore, Mr. John Hosea, Mr. Tom Walker, Ms. Ellen Wachendorfer, Mr. Richard Harvey, Mr. Raymond Clements, Ms. Pat Hudson, Mrs. Beverly Horton, Mr. Harold Lowe, Mr. Chester Story, Mr. Jess I. Stockton, Mrs. Mavis Huffman, Mrs. Rose Marie Smith, Mr. Henry Sullivan, Mr. James Lott, Carolyn Frank, Mr. Buster Copp, Mr. Woody Woodson, Mr. Frank Prindle, Mrs. Tom Jane Nowlin, Ms. Gayle Shumate, Mr. Don Witt, Mrs. Isla Bickers, Mr. Dwayne Boydston, Mr. Joe Snyder, Mr. Delbert J. Rowland, Mrs. Shirley Ballard, Mrs. Vera Looper, Mr. Gaylan R. DuBose, Mr. Max Hibbitts, Mrs. Anna Belle Cook, Mr. Lloyd Nichols, Mrs. Darlene Svehlak, Ms. Edith Pewett, Mr. Mickey Koonce, Mr. Lance Graham, Mr. W.O. Echols, Dr. C. A. Lindsey, Mr. R.E. Murray, and Dr. Mike Taylor.

We grew up with businesses like Cumbie Electric, J.E. Foust and Son, Wilhoite’s Garage, Clark Food Store, Wm. Cameron & Co Lumber Yard, Linthicum Sinclair Service Station, Dude’s Drive In, Tate Hardware, Henderson’s Grocery, The Palace Theater, Cotton Thompson Garbage Disposal, Tillery Grocery & Market, Opal’s Beauty Shop, High Smith TV, Griffis Corner, Arthur Simmons Real Estate, Robert Stark’s City Photo Service, Pair Motor Service, First National Bank of Grapevine, The Grapevine Sun, J.B. Daniel General Contractor, Fred Statum Gulf Station, Wilkins Florist, Aubery’s Laundry and Cleaners, City Drug, Tom Maggard Ford, Guest Brothers Cosden Service Station, Whites Cleaners, E.L. Jordan Heating & Plumbing, Allen Butane & Gas Equipment Company, Claude Books Service Station, Lucas Funeral Home, Parker Furniture, Trigg Grocery, Cole Florist, Buckner Feed Company, Rod and Reel Boats, Jackson’s Barber and Watch Shop, Lloyd Brown Gulf Station, Tillery Barber Shop, Dalton’s Service Station, Ed Davis Gravel Contractor, City Cafe’, Spinks Drug Store, Townsend’s Variety, Grapevine Ice Co., Smith Brothers Humble Station and Cafe’, Byron Cox Electric Service, Yates Dry Goods, Lipscomb’s Dry Goods, Otis Variety Store, Grapevine Lockers, McNutt Rexall Drug, Pierce Horton Insurance, Triple B Drive-In, Yancey & Yancey Insurance, Whiteside Butane Gas Co., A.L. Duke Automotive, Hargis Jewelers, Johnny Stowe Sinclair Products, Hudiburg Chevrolet, Powers Mobile Station, Thweatt and Lipscomb Magnolia Products, V.T. Harston Drive-In Grocery, Tate Hardware & Grocery Store, B&D Mills, K-Way Station, Burrus Supermarket, Western Auto, Quick-Way Drive-Inn, White’s Auto, and Buddies Supermarket to name a few!

We remember many of our classmates who were here, or came, or came and left, or came and left and came again. Even those who went away to other schools in the later years, like Bob Lawrence, Jim Box, and Bob Stevenson (to name a few). They are still a part of us, they always will be. For you long-term class members, we remember classmates like Alvin Burnside, Gary Denttenmayer, Robert Porter, Milton Blackwell, Craig Carlson, Suzanne Paul, Obie Watkins, Nancy Smith, Dean Daffern, Marva Goldsberry, Lee Hudiburg, Cathy White, Gwen Austin, Mike Snodgrass, Christine Peterson, Johnny Moran, Linda Dromgoole, Billy Stanfield, Woody Prichett, Anne Hedges, David Dixon, Debra Pickney, Bennie Thomas, Carla Ann Taylor, Harold Bryant, Freddie Esch, Danny Wells, Dixie Henry, Larry Dennard, Ralph English, Hope Blackwell, Glenn Cumbie, Shirley Kirby, Douglas Cummings, B.W. Edgington, Gary Good, Judy Hennessey, Kelly Tidwell, Carol Smith Strange, and numerous others!

Our class has been fortunate to have so many who live around and near Grapevine and Colleyville. We have many classmates who have never lost that desire to serve. We have mayors, city council members, planning & zoning commissioners, county commissioners, police chiefs, fire chiefs, FBI agents, career Armed Forces personnel, elementary teachers, ordained ministers, crime commission members, high school teachers, nuclear submarine instructors, university teachers/professors, doctors, administrators, Chief Financial Officers, medical research personnel, Chief Operations Officers, business owners, deacons, artists, and wonderful mothers and fathers.

At this point we have eight (8) classmates who have been honored as Distinguished Alumni of Grapevine High School: James Richard Stacy, Curtis Larry Oliver, David A. Florence, Barbara Curry-Childress, Bobbie Jo Benson Mitchell, Gary Cumbie, James Rucker Wilkins and Van Morrison. No other class is even close, and I know that we are not yet finished.

We have also lost many friends, teachers, parents and relatives over the years. Some of those friends were our classmates: Danny Bass, Carol Smith Strange, Doug Moore, Barbara Ethridge, Janis Bryce Frank, Clyde Bryce, Jeannine Dossey Carson, Randy Flanagan, Gail Defibaugh Fowler, James Wilkins, Dennis Keelin, Jimmy Cross, Ken Hughes, Ruth Ann Henderson-Lloyd, Linda Blevins-Ibarra, Bobby Lawrence, Roger Jordan, Donnie Moss, Becky Presley, Danny Bass, Shirley Gilbert Vencill, Jerry Rogers, Kathy Lowe, Larry Wayne Robbison, Zoe Ann Dickerso-Bell and Diana James. We miss them, but we have not forgotten them.

I know that I often reflect on those times between 1954 and 1966. Those thoughts are always fond ones. I consider the friends I made during those years friends today. And, I know that each of you feel the same. When we do see one another, it is as if no time has passed (if you don’t look too closely) and we just seem to pick back up where we left off years ago. That is something very few people ever experience – so I say to you, appreciate those years of growing up in Grapevine and Colleyville, Texas. Appreciate the friendships, the times shared, and the times we can be together again. Thanks to each of you for the impact you’ve had upon my life. Each of you in some way touched my life during those years between 1954 and 1966. But, please know that most have touched my life in many ways after those times.

So, I say to you who were a part of the Grapevine Public Schools Class of 1966, God Bless you, God Bless the Grapevine High School Class of 1966 – Friends in the truest sense of the word.

ENJOY!