Where Were You December 30, 1964?

This started off to be just a short introduction to the songs Bob Stroud played on his Time Warp Rock and Roll Roots Show back on Dec. 30, 2007. He went back to that date in 1964 and to the same date in 1969 for the second half of the show.

It is strange how music can bring back memories. I had forgotten a lot of this, but it just came out of me.

The School

On December 30, 1964, I was on Christmas break from Winston Park Junior High School in Palatine, Illinois, where I was an 8th grader. I had been nominated to go into the 8-1 class, the top group at the school. We were on tracking and all classes were ranked from top to lowest.

The past semester I was in 8-2. I was definitely worried that these kids were too smart for me, but once school started again in January, I found that they weren't as smart as I thought. But, I sure hit the books hard until I discovered it.

They were in algebra, something I'd never had before, and was very frightened. Fortunately, Mrs. Nesbith taught the class, and within a short time she had me right up with the others. She was one great math teacher. I breezed through algebra both freshman and junior years at Palatine High, and scored so well, I didn't have to take it at Northern Illinois.

However, when I transferred to the University of Georgia, they said I had to take their introductory to algebra course. I tried to explain that I didn't have to take it at Northern, but they insisted. This was the easiest "A" I ever got.

There was no bus service to school, so I walked the three-quarters of a mile to school every day. Most other kids did as well, this being well before the parents of today who feel their little darlings must be driven everywhere.

The House

My family was living at 1148 Anderson Drive in Palatine in the huge Winston Park subdivision. It was still in the process of being built as we'd just moved in the summer before 7th grade.

Most of the whole other side of the street was Saint Thomas Catholic Church and School. As such, there was a great playground. Also, there still a big overgrown hill that was transformed into the battleground complete with trails, gunrooms, and ambush sites as we played a lot of war. The hill was good black dirt that Winston-Muss Corporation had scraped up from the lots during construction, so it was eventually used up. Today, a park occupies the site.

My brother Bob and I shared the downstairs room. Sister Julie had her own room upstairs and soon discovered that if she got into trouble, she could sit with her back to the door and put her feet against the entry wall and no one, not even Dad could open that door.

Mom and Dad

Mom had gotten her teaching degree several years earlier from East Carolina in Greenville, NC, and had started teaching. Bad news was that she was at Winston Park Junior High my seventh grade year, but by 8th grade she was teaching elementary school at Jane Addams School several blocks from the house. This was the same school Bob and Julie went to.

Dad was commuting via the Chicago & Northwestern train to Chicago where he worked with the Quaker Oats Company at the Merchandise Mart. Quite a few other Quaker people lived out in the subdivision, including the Haladas, Schrickels, McDonalds, and the Smiths. I was good friends with Rusty Smith and Julie and Bryan Smith got along well.

A Trip Back that Started with Music. --RoadDog