WE LIVED IN SUCH A DIFFERENT ERA. As a graduate of the Class of '69', I look back and see more and more how different we lived our school years compared to just a few decades later. We managed to thrive even without all the conveniences of the digital age. For example, the Yearbooks, big thick, hard covered and pretty much the only visuals we would have of our classmates and experiences. As much as I love photography these days, I'm sad that I never volunteered to work on Yearbook while in school. I always was eager for the last days of school when the Yearbook staff would sell off all the black and white prints not used , for a dime each, during lunch periods. First come, first to purchase.
So yes, we began as a small little country school who took about 15 years to win our first Homecoming football game. But we also had lots of 4H people, horsemen and horse women in school with lots of talent that seldom was heard about. Also we had teachers who went above and beyond to help students have fun. Mr. Tom D. Olsen, our well known choir teacher, was at one time sponsor of the Knights student Pep club. Back in 1962, my older sister, Pam, was a sophomore, and besides being in the top 3 of her class most years, she also was a real horsewoman. She and Mr. Olsen came up with a fine idea for the homecoming football game half time show. It was something that her classmates would remember and sign comments about years later in her senior yearbook. It was a stunt that would never be allowed today, just on school insurance fears alone. Through the yearly music department 'operetta' costume connections that TDO' always had, he found and arranged to rent a full suit of knights armor , which by luck, fit my sister. We decked out her horse in red and black, made a Knights banner for her lance, and then practiced with her in armor on her horse in our corral at home. Note: Her horse was nearly a wild animal to ride. She hardly had him 'tamed' to just ride normally. He threw her constantly, and she says if my parents had known, they would have got rid of the horse. But she worked with that horse until he was almost comfortable with her suited up in armor, to ride around just a bit. The plan was for her to come out of the back trails at north end of football field, and ride fast down the field with lance, rear up and toss an Eagles head on ground. (yep, Carl Sandburg HS), and ride off. But that horse was soo spooked, he was lucky to just walk slowly to the end zone, let crowd cheer and then turn around and slowly walk back to the horse trailer out behind the weeds. It still got a big cheer. Can you imagine someone riding a horse onto our muddy grass field back then? I thought the yearbook would have pages of pics on it, but I guess it caught them by surprise since it was kept a secret, so few pics were taken. But I'm sure anyone who was there at the game in fall '62' will never forget that sight. I got a couple pics from practice at home, but looks like this site only allows for one to be added to story. So here's the one that as faded as it was, scanned the best and edited up for color. Hope to see more adventures from the early years shared here.