A Christmas season I can remember was when Cliff Hardwick was living in a Midland bungalow with a good friend of his and mine (whose name I can’t remember right now) and they frequently had parties featuring country and western music. We’re talking Hank Thompson, Hank Williams, and the like. These parties were held regardless of mid-week or weekend nights.
The dining room was vacant except for one wall against which there was a stack of Coors beer containers stacked to the ceiling. This was back when Coors gave a pittance per returned container, if you might recall. Cliff (and his friend) struck gold with redeeming the volume of those returned containers.
There was almost always a pretty good crowd of couples at their parties and the dining room (with hardwood floors) was perfect for country and western dancing. The floor stayed packed with dancers. Really, always a great evening.
Sometime before this Christmas season, Randy Kerth and I had been circling the A&W Root Beer stand and we hooked up with some girls there (imagine that!?!). I met Mary Ann Ross (LHS ’64) for the first time and we became friendly and ended up dating for a period of time.
Anyway, Mary Ann and I went to Cliff’s (and his friend’s) house for these Christmas season country and western parties. One night it was bitterly cold, not unusual in Midland, especially when the wind was blowing. It might even have been snowing. It was a very festive and fun party with lots of people active on the dance floor. We probably (surely?) added to the stack of Coors containers as well. Mary Ann and I hit it off quite well so it was very fun. I remember she gave me either a Gene Pitney or a We Five album for Christmas. (I can’t remember what I gave her).
Alas, college intervened.
Despite the foregoing story being rather undramatic, it is a Christmas season in Midland that immediately comes to mind. Midland was so great for those us lucky enough to have grown up there.
Interestingly, 30 or some odd years later, Mary Ann and I reconnected as her son (Alex) and my daughter (Sharman) went all the way through high school together and they were close friends. It turned out that she lived only a few blocks from us. And, yes, Alex and Sharman were much amused that his mother and her father used to date.
Small world!
Linda Wofford
Ahhhhhh, I love your story, Pete! Mary Ann was great!!!! I really liked her and remember her fondly!
Bob Ittner
Pete, you were a Rocker even in those days.