Sacred Heart Elementary School Class - Sister Maria Goretti (spelling probably wrong) - 1955 - We were all about 12 or 13 years old... oh wow.... Here are some of the names Left to Right, Front row: Johnny Holland, Paul Gerdes (me), Eileen (Cousin) Gerdes, Beatrice Paz, Niki Matocha, Katherine Dolan, Gerald Trlica (dig those socks!!!!); Second row - Leroy Ryza, Margaret Ermis, Bridget McWhorter, Ida Luna (?), Geraldine Vanecek, Hughes Thomas, Back Row; ?, Jerry Schultz, Jerry(?) Matula,Sister Goretti, Linda Rozypal, Barbara(?) Gerla, Johnny Janski. Dang it I wish I remembered everybody's name..help me out here....Will edit as I get the names...email = fpgerdes@gmail.com
This isn't me or any of my friends, but it is a picture of what Larry Gingrich and I did to a 48 Ford Sedan with hammer and cold chisels in high school. When we went out on the highway, driving back and forth from the cotton gin (Retama Gin Co.) that my Dad owned, we used to marvel at how the out of balance tires would jump clear off the road if we went fast enough. We cut the legs off of some old steel lawn furniture and bolted the seats to the floor. Had the exhaust "stacks" coming through the floor and shooting up behind the seats..What a great time we had at 15.................
1957
1957-Corpus Christi Caller Times with article about Boy Scouts returning from the Jamboree at Valley Forge. Coincidentally, they published the pictures of me and my BEST friend since about 3 years old, Larry Gingrich. He ended up being an Aggie, but that's ok.
My brother Steve's brand new (well, slightly used) '58 Imapala with 348 engine. Looks like Joe Hart is doing something in his trunk across the street. I guess subsequent to this picture, Joe had his '58 Chevy painted metallic blue. He liked the transmission that I put in the '49 Coupe, so we changed out his transmission to a GM Single Coupling Hydramatic. That thing would snap your neck every time it went through a shift. Four speed...
The ORIGINAL 1949 Ford Coupe with a '58 Pontiac Tri-Power (three-two barrel carbs) engine, that my brother, Steve built back in the 50's with a little help from his friends......I will be duplicating, except with a BAD ASS 383 Stroker Small Block Chevy and S-10 front clip and Jaguar XJS rear end. Picture taken in front of Engineering Department Building, Texas Tech, Lubbock, Texas in 1960. It's the only picture we have of her. I'm in the middle of trying to find out whatever happened to her. Last known information is that she was sold by Allen "Bubba" Shuler to a guy who was at Holloman Air Force Base near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.
Peaked '51 hood, J.C. Whitney tube grille, rear fender joints smoothed, and trunk lid filled in on the indention. Door handles skimmed off. We had a hood T-handle and cable to open the driver's side door under the wheel well. Took the heater core out, brazed hinges on bottom cover, and a latch on top. A six pack would fit perfectly (just in case). The chrome strip came from a 1955 Dodge Lancer.
Left to right (will add names of all the pics when I figure it out) Mary Lynn Kellum, Nancy Montgomery, Johnny Johnson, Frances Gerdes (Mom), Sandy Schick, Butch Beyer, ?.Most likely this dinner was at the Corpus Christi Petroleum Club, as most of the "hoity toity" parties/dinners for graduates were held there.
