Class Prophecy -- Jerome's Class of 1938

  Taking a book under my arm one afternoon, I strolled down to the seashore.  It was a lovely day. The sun was shining brightly, the birds were caroling to one another, and the grass seemed to spring under my feet.

  As I reached the beach my mood became pensive.  Sitting down I began to reflect on the past years and vaguely wondered what the future would hold for my friends and me.

  The soft lapping of the waves seemed to lull me to sleep. At any rate I was transformed from this world to a mystical one full of unreality and romance.

  Suddenly from the midst of nowhere I found myself aboard a huge ocean liner, sailing from New York to Liverpool.  Every-one on the boat was having a glorious time, while I stood by watching. Several minutes had passed when the captain came walking along quite briskly.  Beneath his stately air I seemed to recognize an old familiar swagger.  Our eyes met and there came a simultaneous "Oh!" from us, for here was my old school friend, Verle Brummit.  He laughed when I questioned him about his official title -- said that he wasn't a captain at all, but the band leader on the boat.  I agreed that was more his style.

  Naturally we fell to talking of our school mates.  Verle took a letter from his pocket which he had just received from Howard Sidles.  Howard was a superintendent in a large Diesel Engine plant in Chicago.  No, he wasn't married -- no time for that I guess.  Howard also wrote that Margaret Hamm had been married - happily no doubt, and was busy making life pleasant for others in her vine covered cottage surrounded by roses.

  Nellie Fry was the only member of the class about whom I knew anything.  She was running a large beauty salon in New York City.  Of course she had taken a French name and say, she looked like a million.

  We concluded our chat for that day and the next day landed at Liverpool.  My business took me to the American Consul's office where I met one of the greatest surprises of my life.  There was Bob Felkner acting in that capacity.  Bob always did have his eye on politics, though.

  Later, Bob and Verle and I had lunch as a sort of reunion. It was Bob that told us that Ed Massa has headed for South Africa with an exploring expedition.  It seemed that the entire class of 1938 had been successful.  As the waiter brought us more water, he accidentally slipped when he got to me and I awakened with a start and a regret that I had neglected to bring along my umbrella.

  [This is the Class Prophecy that was read by Catherine Blozevich at the Graduation of the Class of 1938.  The author is unknown.]

  [Source: Memories of Jerome, Iowa - 1989, page 28]