Saturday, July 28, 2007

And now, a great story from Diana Dublo Linsley...


First of all, I want to thank all of you for helping me to celebrate my birthday on Sept 1st (my 39th again.)



Reading the blog and having a junior at Kirkwood High School (Go Pioneers!) has spurred a lot of memories...not many of them had much to do with school sanctioned activities. Mostly, they involved cruising through the streets of Alton, Wood River, and Cottage Hills with my friends, Helen Downing and Vickie Lewis, in a 1972 lemon yellow Ford Pinto. That was back when gas was 10 or 25 cents a gallon.

I didn't think many of you would remember me; I kept to myself or with my own group of friends. High school is mostly a blur. I think I remember more of you from grade school in Bethalto. Does anyone remember the Brownie Troop that met at the Bethalto City Hall? Marsha Harp's Mom was the leader.

After graduation, I spent some time in Washington, D.C. Three years later, I returned to the Alton area and earned my A.S. in Art at Lewis and Clark where I met my husband, Tom. Actually, we met at the Night Gallery. We will be married for 29 years in September; he is my all around nice guy.

I have been a professional photographer for more than 30 years, the past four as staff photographer for the Webster Kirkwood Times, a funky small town weekly newspaper owned and operated by a group of aging baby boomers who love a good fight with City Hall, a war protest, or covering Mayberry-type parades. Over the years, I have earned two Missouri Press Association and two Georgia Press Association awards for my work. You can read the Times at http://www.timesnewspapers.com/.
We have lived in Kirkwood for 21 years and have a 16 year old daughter, Katie, who has caused me to revisit a number of issues about high school...like wanting to cruise the streets of Kirkwood and Webster Groves with her friends. (Yikes!)

All in all, it's been a good life and I have an amazing family. I love where I am now, but I also love where I grew up. I have fond memories of my parent's strawberry fields and being able to ride my bike (without fear) for miles on a county road and play in the creek that ran through the Zakrzewski's farm.

I am looking foward to seeing you all again and sharing your story.

Diana Linsely

P.S. Can you believe how little Helen has changed?

21 Comments:

At Sat Jul 28, 06:38:00 PM CDT, Blogger lois said...

I appreciate this really great story and the link to your hometown paper. Looks like a fun job!
Of course I remember you and I'm looking forward to seeing you at the reunion.
We'll eat cake.

and you're correct, little Helen has changed very little.

 
At Sat Jul 28, 08:42:00 PM CDT, Blogger Sheri Shoff said...

Hi Diane:
You look great and it sounds as if life is treating you well. I'm almost positive we were in Brownies together, because the mention of the community center rings a bell. The center was brand new back in our day, and the library was across the hall, right? I doubt if you could remember this, but my mom taught us how to set a dinner table with the proper placing of silverware, etc. Do you remember that? That's back in the day when Stotler's clothing store was across the street in the next block, along with the grocery store. Ricci's drugstore was on the other corner.

 
At Sat Jul 28, 09:10:00 PM CDT, Blogger Carla said...

Diane,
Yes, I remember you too. I sometimes wonder if anyone remembers me too but hope they forget some of the things I did back then. Ha! Hearing about the old home town does bring back memories doesn't it? Life sure was much simpler back then and we could ride our bikes all over without fear of being snatched and "molestered" and worse. I remember rding my bkie to the pool almost every day in the summer.
I enjoyed reading our life story and congratulations on your long, happy marriage. You look happy in the pic.
Congratulations on your career too. Sounds like you are doing what you love and are successful.
This blog has been the best! I have made new friends and hope it can continue after the reunion.

 
At Sat Jul 28, 11:51:00 PM CDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great profile! You haven’t changed much either and Tom remarkably looks the same. Yep, we put a lot of miles on that Pinto just going nowhere! LoL. I kind of remember that picture, granny glasses, mood ring(?) and the long hair parted in the middle…although I could never get mine to lay smooth like your’s and Vicki’s… I still have that problem. I’ve even got a camera in my hand…haha that hasn’t changed. Night Gallery, wonder how many classmates hung out there? I do remember Randy Crochett being a dancing fiend. The rest is a bit of blur..I guess that’s why I don’t drink much now because I did enough then to last me. We had fun. I just have to grin and bear it when I hear my girls talking about their social lives…30 years from now they’ll have something to talk about. See you at the reunion if not sooner!

 
At Sun Jul 29, 02:26:00 AM CDT, Blogger Gwennie said...

Diane,
It was so great to hear from you!
What a fantastic picture of you three girls! I mean it! I will agree with you that Helen has held her own very well, but I don't see that you haven't also done the same.
BTW I checked out the website for The Times and I took the POLLCATS poll of the day. I was right that Lindsey Lohan is the "most out of control hollywood celebutante."
See you at the reunion!

 
At Sun Jul 29, 11:56:00 AM CDT, Blogger SteveD said...

what is it with grade school? i have strong memories of all three levels, but grade school memories are the ones that will, i think, hang on the longest. Diane, without checking report cards or a stash of pictures, can you name all of your grade school teachers?

 
At Mon Jul 30, 04:42:00 PM CDT, Blogger LindaWright said...

I can name mine at Meadowbrook Grade School:
Kindergarten - Mrs. White;
1st - Mrs. Lippert (many years later she was killed by her husband);
2nd - Mrs. Stanko (I think);
3rd - Mrs. Hancock;
4th - Mrs. Bohannon;
5th - Mrs. Sparrowk;
6th - Mr. Wallace (not Willard).

Can any of you Meadowbrook folks confirm the 2nd grade teacher's name? I can't remember if that was her actual name or if it was a nickname now that I typed it.

 
At Mon Jul 30, 04:45:00 PM CDT, Blogger LindaWright said...

Oops - I forgot to finish my thoughts!

Diana - I'm very glad that you'll be at the reunion. Be sure to bring your wide-angle lens for my pictures! :)

Are you any relation to the Dublo's who live on Sunset in Meadowbrook?

 
At Tue Jul 31, 12:27:00 AM CDT, Blogger Patty said...

Hi Diane, you look great after all these years yourself. I remember riding my bike all around town and to the pool. I also remember sitting in class in fifth grade watching them put the pool in. I went to brownies and girlscouts at the city hall. Don't remember who the leader was though. I don't remember you from grade school but I do remember you from high

 
At Tue Jul 31, 07:48:00 PM CDT, Blogger Diana said...

Steve,
I can remember most of my grade school teachers
Kindergarten- Mrs. Hillgandorf
1st grade ?
2nd grade Mrs.Swarm
3rd ?
4th Mrs.Shaw
5th Mr. Sanders
6th Mr. Carson (best teacher I ever have, and they fired him)

Bethalto Teacher Trivia Questions
who was the music teacher?

Sheri, I do remember you form Brownies, I think Claudia Murray was also in the troop. Is Ricci"s still there?

Linda, If they're Dublos I am related to them. It's not a very common name.

Its great to hear from all of you,
See you at the reuion.

 
At Wed Aug 01, 01:36:00 AM CDT, Blogger debbi miller stambaugh said...

WoW, What a blast from the past.Diane it sounds like you are in a great place in your life.Do me a favor and tell me what the Meadowbrook teams were called. Cottage Hills were the Wildcats, I think Bethalto was the Bomber's(correct me if I am wrong but I love saying bombers and it is soooo appropriate) can't remember Forest Homes either.Can't even remember who I was a cheerleader with in 6th grade.Its good to know I work in a field where memory is of no importance, I just make it up as I go along. It was nice reading about Diane and hope I will see you at the reunion. I sent the money in so I may have to have the "blue Flu".

 
At Wed Aug 01, 07:21:00 AM CDT, Blogger Linda Kaye Lack said...

What a nice profile, Diana. Hope to see you at the reunion. I remember picking strawberrys out where you did live. And, I lived at the pool, it ws my Moms babaysitter for the summer. Iws there with the twins and we did everything together. Wish I could talk them in to going to the reunion. Diana, see you at the reunion.

 
At Wed Aug 01, 07:48:00 AM CDT, Blogger lois said...

Memory. Mine's around here someplace.
Debbie Miller...I was part of your wildcat squad, and I hear, from someone with a better memory than mine, that we were "hot". ha! I think (emphasis on think) that Tara Whalen and Diane Meiser were part of that group.
I'll take a stab at grade school teachers.
k-Mrs. Bartels, 1st Mrs. Bailey (the definition of mean) 2nd Mrs. Emert,3rd-Mrs. Lloyd, 4th-Mrs.Horton 5th-Mrs.Arterberry, 6th-Mrs.Whaley. Pretty good, eh?
I have nothing to refer back to, but some things you don't forget.
Have you ever ran into anyone from our old Teenette days? I have, and they always ask about you.
Looking forward to seeing everyone in 4 weeks!!!

 
At Wed Aug 01, 09:39:00 AM CDT, Blogger LindaWright said...

Debbi - It seems that I remember the Meadowbrook sports team name as the Indians or the Warriors - something like that.

 
At Wed Aug 01, 01:57:00 PM CDT, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have no idea why this comes to my mind but wasn't Alvina Phillips one of the Cottage Hills 6th grade cheerleaders?

 
At Wed Aug 01, 02:07:00 PM CDT, Blogger lois said...

Oh, you're good, Helen.
I think she probably was...and what a sweetheart she was too.

 
At Wed Aug 01, 07:25:00 PM CDT, Blogger Carla said...

Hi Diane,
Our music teacher was Miss Ilers. Not sure if I spelled her name right. I remember her playing the harpsachord.
My grade school teachers were:
Kindergarten: Mrs Hilgendorf
1st: Mrs Hoppert
2nd: Mrs Goekel (sp?)
3rd: Mrs Benetti
4th: ?
5th: Mrs Higgenbotham
6th: Miss Thompson

 
At Thu Aug 02, 08:13:00 AM CDT, Blogger Linda Kaye Lack said...

Hey Carla
The one and only teacher I remember is 4th grade and that was Mts. Lash. She lived 2 houses down from use on Park Dr. To close for comfort. She was way to friendly with my mother. They always ganged up on me, about "she can apply herself much better"
If I hear that once, I heard that twice. I even had to go over to her house sometimes. Boy, I will never forget that year. My kindergarden teacher, I think, was Mrs. Stevenson. Back then, they let kids start school, at age 4. I cried the entire 1/2 day. I should of been held back. Definatly not ready for school.

 
At Fri Aug 03, 08:57:00 AM CDT, Blogger anna banana said...

Diana, of course I remember you, but you were sort of quiet as I recall. Steve is right, the grade school memories seem very vivid. Fourth Grade--assassination of JFK--we watched news coverage on TV in Mrs. Lash's class.

My dad wouldn't let me join Brownies. it was 4-H for me :-( I can make a mean snickerdoodle though.

No idea about Grade School music teacher, I only remember Mr. Opp, next to Brent, competing for first chair clarinet!!!

 
At Sat Aug 04, 04:16:00 AM CDT, Blogger debbi miller stambaugh said...

Lois, as usual, you memory is much better than mine.Ruthie died about a year ago and the last I heard from Carol, she was in a group home. She had some serious psych problems years ago.I did get to see qute a few former Teenettes at the funeral.Where is Alvina anyway?

 
At Sun Aug 05, 09:43:00 AM CDT, Blogger Deb Parsons Mooney said...

Yet another great profile. Diana, I'm so envious of anyone who has talent like yours. And it's so great to be able to make your living that way. I don't think I have any pictures of my kids without something being cut off or my thumb in the corner. I never even attempted anthing more challenging.

 

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