Blast from the Past!

Remember any of these faces? Please send us some of your favorite photos from the past - guys with your old favorite cruiser, surfing, girls at those infamous slumber parties, dances, favorite hangouts, whatever!   You can also add comments at the bottom of the page... ENJOY!
Send photos via email to p.gehrke@verizon.net 
or by post to P.Gehrke • 4515 E. 2nd St. • Long Beach, CA 90803

Calls Fine Arts   Donna Bridwell, Charles Campbell, Barbara Brothers,
Walter Welton, Sharla McGinnis

Walter Welton and Barbara Brothers 5th grade
Horace Mann elementary school ice cream social.

1957 Horace Mann Girl Scout troop: Barbara Brothers, Jerilyn Mode, Cindy?,
Patty Lent, Joy?, Karen Lowrey, Debbie Barnett, Caroline Crawford,
Penny Burg, Helen Coe, Sharla McGinnis

Floyd Nelson and Barbara Brothers prom

The 1963 Sophomore Princess Candidates.. can you name them?

Charlie Legeman (1959) ,  David McKay,  John Krafft

Mitzie Hinrichs & Pam Gehrke

Stacy Aspey 1961

Chris Kenady

Sandy & Susie Sullivan 

Scott Dickie & Don Siembeida

How many of you snuck friends in the trunk of your car?

And who can remember where these guys were located? 

Just recieved this YOUTUBE Video from 2009  of Ralph

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ-55gVGp4w&feature=youtu.be

RALPH BARR Class of '65 was one of the original band members of the

NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND!  ANY ONE KNOW WHERE RALPH IS TODAY???

May-August 1966

Jeff Hanna - guitar/mandolin/washboard/vocals
Jimmie Fadden - guitar/harmonica/washtub bass/jug/vocals
Ralph Barr - guitar/clarinet/vocals
Les Thompson - guitar/mandolin/vocals
Bruce Kunkel - guitar/kazoo/vocals
Jackson Browne - guitar/vocals

The band hangs out at McCabe' Guitar Shop in Long Beach, CA, trying to "figure out how not to have to work for a living." Perform in the LA/Orange County Folk-rock scene in 1920's pinstripe suits & cowboy boots. Early line up includes future Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Jackson Browne.

1966-1967
Jeff Hanna - guitar/mandolin/washboard/jug/vocals
Jimmie Fadden - guitar/harmonica/washtub bass/vocals
Ralph Barr - guitar/clarinet/vocals
Les Thompson - guitar/mandolin/vocals
Bruce Kunkel - guitar/kazoo/vocals
John McEuen - banjo/guitar/mandolin/washtub bass
The band records Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Ricochet LPs; "Buy For Me the Rain" hits the Top 40 on the Pop charts. The band appears on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, living in the "Dirt House" with Duane & Gregg Allman. Appeared in concert with Jack Benny and The Doors in the same week.

Another Notable Classmate...

Ellery BOYLE Deaton

Mayor 2014 Seal Beach, CA 

Thanks to Mitzie Hinrichs for saving her 1960 Lariat from Rogers Jr. High!

Mitzie Hinrichs & Larry Totten

Another great pic from Mitzie...

Now, who can name them all?!

Steve Pederson 1967

   "Peace, Peace! He is not dead. He doth not sleep. 

He hath but awakened from the dream of life"  ~ Percy B. Shelley

Hot dog roast with Horace Mann Brownie troop  Debbie Barnett, Barbara Brothers, JerilynMode, Karen Lowrey, Helen Coe, Jeanette?, Joy?, Bobbie Olsen

 7th grade Jefferson Jr Hi Girls glee club:  Debbie Barnett, Bonnie Bargesser,
Susan Driscoll, Jody Shows, Jan Dangers, Barbara Brothers, Jane Barker,
Peggy Knudsen, Donna Collenbaugh, June James

Birthday party: Barbara Brothers, Brian Christensen, Bobby Olsen,Jeff Billings, Ronnie Cover, Jerilyn Mode, Diane and Janice Avery, Penny Burg, Marlene Talley, Loren Magren, Linda Lee, Barbie Hill, Leslie?

Lusana "Valerie" Erekson with Motown Revue Touring Band

     My adoration for black soul music and that spirit, started in High School and led me want to sing it, but accepted my limitation to be Aretha Franklin but would have settled for Nancy Wilson, so I pursued Jazz singing standards & was good at it.  Then one day, singing during worship, and out of the blue, from me came voice I hadn't heard from myself before, one that had quality).  True, I had a career as a painter and calligrapher, still, there always was this nagging tiny pearl of sadness that I could not be a full on Soul singer.

     I decided one day in my mid-forties to try to hand off that sadness to God, hoping he would take it from me, and spoke outloud in my livingroom one morning, rather unceremoniously and conversationally to God, asking if we could just make a deal. The deal was, that if we get to come back in another life, could I please be born a Soul Singer. And indeed, with my surrender of that heart wish, I actually immediately felt lighter and glad.

Three weeks later, I wanted to hear some live music and remembered the Robert Cray band was coming to town, and so grabbed the 'Reader' and looked for the ad I remembered seeing.....when all of a sudden I heard a voice say to me "Turn to the Musician Section, and Look under 'Vocalists' and Do it Now!"....a command. It was 10:30 a.m. I was Terrified!! Even tho I was an ok singer, I wanted to be better. I was not even thinking about joiining a band. So I wasn't in any hurry to take that 'voice' I heard, seriously. So I went back to work on the painting I was doing. It occurred to me, 'well if this IS God', 'are u really not gonna look at the Vocalist ads or obey?" I had fantasized many times about joining a band but now, at age 45, I felt that was ridiculously too late to consider now...but I knew well that ads for singers came under several categories in the Musician Section...like under 'f' for female singer; 's' for singer, 'b' for bands and of course 'v' for Vocalists. I went straight to the Vocalist heading where there were 5 ads, the first one I remember verbatim "Balls out front man wanted for Stix, Van Halen...". No, that's not it! Next one was for a country singer (nope). Next for a man. 4th one was for top 40, no thank you. The 5th and Last ad read exactly this way "Soul Singer sought to complete Vocal Group". I gasped. And did NOT want to call that number. 10 minutes later I did. It was answered on the 3rd ring by a man. I didn't know what to say, so I said, "Um, I can't tell u why I'm calling this number, because I am not a soul singer." He asked, "what kind of singer r u?" "Jazz I said". He said, "well....you must be lookin at an Old Reader, cuz we took that ad out 3 weeks ago." I saw this as my chance to hang up. I quickly answered understandingly, "Oh OKAY, thank you"...ready to hang up. He didn't say anything. I said, "Hello?" He said, "NOT so fast". "We took the ad out cuz we got tired of rehearsing fools". GREAT I thought. Just what I want to be. I'm quiet. He pauses again and asks "So what is it you like the most about singing?" My answer flew out "Harmony!". He said "well, that's what we Can't find in somebody." "Look here! Are u available on June 29th". (I'm like WHAT?!!! you're crazy!).."For WHAT?" i asked...he said, "We do the Del Mar Venue every year and I want that 4th voice....we're 3, but I want 4, so ARE YOU available or NOT?" kinda forcefully. I said, "I guess so." . "LOOK HERE," he shot, "send us an up-tempo and a ballad on CD and if we like your sound, we'll send u tracks....be ready to perform them at rehearsal". I'm totally freaked by now (scared) and the VOICE in my head came back, saying to me "ASK him what the Name of the Band is!". I complied and asked, "O, by the way, what's the name of your band." He replied "INNER VISION". Done. I joined and we did Earth, Wind n Fire catalog, then moved to Vegas to sing for 10 years and did Motown & Soul, to my heart's delight!!!! God did not wait. Tho they say, 'Wait on God'. Good to know God 'takes Requests'. And a very special proof of unexpected gifts in Life!