Greely High School - Alumni Interviews

Faces of Greely is a multimedia anthology of photos and interviews designed by Greely Senior Amy Young as part of her Capstone Project. Amy researched the history of Greely Institute which lead her to find information on various aspects of the town of Cumberland such as Neighborhood Schools and Cumberland Junction. Through interviews with Alumni and research at the Cumberland Historical Society, Amy developed this web based collection of photos, interviews, and information.

Alumni interviews as reported by Amy Young, Greely Class of 2006

Greely Alumni Interview

Name: Barbara ( Blanchard) Garsoe

Year of Graduation: Class of 1937

1. What was a typical day like at Greely?

Barbara spoke of one school bus that made three consecutive rounds. The beginning of the day was a study period for twenty minutes waiting for the other buses to arrive. They had opening exercises for three minutes each day which helped students "get ready to learn". They did the pledge of allegiance and said a daily prayer. Mrs. Garsoe did not like Chemistry. She recalled that in Home Economics the school could not afford to purchase food. Each student brought food from home to prepare. At the end of the day, they would bring food back home. The students used a kerosene stove to cook. A special memory was of the town meetings. Schools were closed and students attended. They were able to learn about local issues and discuss politics. Mrs. Garsoe said they were a lot of fun.

2. Do you have any special memories?

Twelve people were in her graduating class. The class ahead of her had five students enrolled. She played basketball beginning as a freshman, which was a new opportunity for Greely students. They played in what is now called the Annex. She described the Annex as small with low ceilings. The woodstove was surrounded by chicken wire to prevent the players from getting burned. There were six players instead of five. Girls could not travel down the length of the court. Another fond memory for Barbara was mowing the lawn with her sister on a double- wide push mower. The mower was so big that it required both of them to push together. The fourth of July was a special event in Cumberland. The young men would gather belongings from community members and place them at the monument in the center. On the fourth of July, families would come to the monument to see what had been collected and bring home their lawn furniture and other possessions.

3. What path did you take after graduating from Greely?

Barbara attended Westbrook College and transferred to the Gorham Normal School. She received her teachers certificate and taught sixth grade for six months. She decided to get married and moved to Houston, Texas. She returned to Cumberland in 1947. Barbara has three children and five grandchildren.

4. What changes have you noticed in the town over the years?

The traffic light is well needed today. There wasn’t one in her day. There has been tremendous growth. The first housing development was on Farwell Ave. The schools have changed dramatically. There are no more neighborhood schools. There were five neighborhood schools. Most of the farms are gone. Barbara remembers that most houses had cows. She says because people are not haying their fields anymore, a lot of the town has grown up into trees. Cumberland junction was a busy place. She remembers when you could sled down a hill in the street. Someone clocked her going 35mph on her sled. Transportation has definitely changed.

5. What do you think makes our community a special place?

Barbara believes that Cumberland is a close-knit community and she loves her neighborhood. She knows most of her neighbors well, and they take care of each other. She’s active in the Congregational Church and is glad to see that many young people are participating in youth groups.

Greely Alumni Interview

Name: Norma (Farwell) Seekins

Year of Graduation: 1944

1. What was a typical day like at Greely?

There were six teachers. Students studied four subjects and gym. There were different courses you could take such as business, general, or college preparatory. Home economics was very popular and boys took it too. There was one school bus for the community. Anyone who lived more than a mile away had to walk to school. After school there was an hour of time to relax with the teachers while waiting for the bus. Some people would play the piano. If you participated in athletics, no transportation was provided. Most students walked home. Norma had the same teacher for six years from Subprimary to Grade 5. Graduation was held in the Cumberland Congregational Church as the Gyger Gym was being built in 1938. Prom was held in the gym. Norma graduated in 1944.

2. Do you have any special memories?

The schools put on Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. She remembers close-knit neighborhoods and that she seldom traveled to Cumberland Center from her home on Blanchard Road. Norma skated and played tennis. She went to the neighborhood school on Bruce Hill Road until sixth grade. Norma was nineteen when she graduated. She had nine students in her graduating class. The class following her, had eighteen students. She remembered fondly her class trip to NYC and her chaperone Ms. Harmon. Her father had a Model T Ford. Walking was the mode of transportation. Her father dies when she was a sophomore.

3. What path did you take after graduating from Greely?

She decided to be a teacher and enrolled in the Gorham Normal School. She taught one year in Falmouth. She married Raymond Seekins and stayed home to raise her four children for the next thirteen years. She returned to teaching at the Cumberland Elementary School and retired from the Mabel I. Wilson School in 1985.

4. What changes have you noticed in the town over the years?

The town has few working farms left. There were very few houses. Farwell Avenue was the first neighborhood development and now there are so many housing developments. There were four greenhouses at the time. Men worked in the family business if they didn’t go into the service during World War II. She remembers when there were neighborhood schools. (Gray Road, E.K. Sweetser, the Primary School(now owned by the Cumberland Historical Society), Tuttle Road, Winn Road, Bruce Hill Road, Skillins Road, and Greely Road.)

5. What do you think makes our community a special place?

Cumberland is home. Norma grew up in the house where she now lives. Her class does not have reunions because they see each other all the time and know where to find each other if needed.

Greely Alumni Interview

Name: Willis Thurston and Evelyn (Frye) Thurston

Year of Graduation: 1946

1. What was a typical day like at Greely?

Both Mr. And Mrs. Thurston took the only bus to school, but Mr. Thurston could run home faster. They remembered Mr. Farwell and Mrs. Aires. They had twelve students in their graduating class. Mr. Crandall was the principal. Evelyn received a 100% in spelling most every day. There were four periods in a day. They had English, French, Latin, Math, Agriculture, Manual training, History, Science, and Home Economics. Anyone who lived more than a mile away had to walk to school. They had to carry water for the younger students and by the time they got back to the school they would only have half of the amount that they started with. They had to use out houses in back of the school. There was one for girls and one for boys. Evelyn had “tolerable” teachers

2. Do you have any special memories?

There were twelve students in their graduating class and they were like brothers and sisters, even though they still had a few clicques. Basketball, baseball, and softball were the sports offered. They had gym class everyday. The class of 1946 was one of the first classes to use the new Gyger gym. They remember playing basketball in the Annex. They talked about a farming or agriculture course. They remembered that there were dairy farms, pig farms, chicken farms, goat farms, and a turkey farm. There was a wide -open piggery on Route 9. There was a dairy farm at the present Dr. Hanson’s and the cows would walk down the road to the pasture. Evelyn's father would raise 25,000 chickens at a time. Boys ended up being farmers. They both are amazed at the price of housing today, especially farms. They remembered the $.05 ice cream cones. You either brought lunch to school or went without. Girls always wore dresses. Evelyn remembered how students would play ping pong after school and one day she ran into a classroom that was still in session after the bell yelling, “me next!” She served detention that afternoon. Willis remembered putting a flag up by the train tracks to get the conductor to stop. They would ride the train into Portland where their dentist would pick them up and take them to his office to clean their teeth, then send them back on the train.

3. What path did you take after graduating from Greely?

Mrs. Thurston was a telephone operator for Cumberland. She rode her bicycle to work, where she was paid $.25/hr. The phone system was a crank system before it was coverted to a dial system. She would talk to students at the junior high school about how the phones worked. She had two children; Pam and Brian. For thirteen years she worked for the postal service. Mr. Thurston worked for Merrill transport. He liked working as a dispatcher. He left the company in 1990, as he retired after 41 years.

4. What changes have you noticed in the town over the years?

The center was just a crossroad. There were no traffic lights. There was a general store with a post office on Main Street and people would gather there. There are so few farms now and were so many years ago. The goat farm was lively and the goats would make lots of noise until fed. Food Stop was a slaughterhouse. While in school, they could hear the squeals from the animals being slaughtered. A lot of farms used to trade animals. There were no houses on Main Street from the Stockholm’s to Phil Chase's house. Children used to slide down the dirt roads in the winter. The Thurstons find it shocking to see all the school buses lined up by the schools each day.

5. What do you think makes our community a special place?

The Thurston’s both agreed that the schools are very important. Many people would move to Cumberland for a great education. They feel that everything they need is right around them.

Greely Alumni Interview

Name: Herbert Foster

Year of Graduation: 1947

1. What was a typical day like at Greely?

Upstairs in the school was for seventh and eighth grade. School ran from 8-3. His courses included American History, Agriculture, Manual Training, Math, Science. His used to walk to his teacher’s house and ride to school with her and then walk home. Gas was rationed. He would either walk or ride his bike.

2. Do you have any special memories?

Girls sat on the opposite side of the room as boys. If they wanted to talk to each other they had to ask permission. He remembered playing basketball and the games were very low scoring. He played baseball for fun. The Annex was a gym and it was open on Saturdays. During his first period of the day he would sort mail at the Post Office and make all their special deliveries. He built a camp in the woods behind his house that had a woodstove that would get white hot. He was released from school during the war to harvest apples and beans. There were seventeen students in his graduating class. He went to the Empire State Building for his class trip. He would go sliding by the library in the winter.

3. What path did you take after graduating from Greely?

Herb took a year off after high school and was a Carpenter. He enrolled and graduated from Wentworth’Institute in Boston.

4. What changes have you noticed in the town over the years?

There is much more traffic, houses and development. Everyone used to be a republican. Many people were related. Main Street was lined with Elm trees.

5. What do you think makes our community a special place?

Schools, sports and good sportsmanship, and close neighbors are what Herb likes about our community.

Greely Alumni Interview

Year of Graduation: 1968

1. What was a typical day like at Greely?

School began at 7:30 and ended at 2:15. Most students took the same classes. Languages and Life Skills were the only electives. Students participated in sports, plays, student council. Seniors had privilege cards to keep track of where students had been everyday. The back steps were called the sundeck.

2. Do you have any special memories?

They had a Maudi Gras celebration to try and raise money competing against the other classes. Each class came up with an idea for a mascot. The class that raised the most money, would get to have their mascot idea used for that year. Prom was held at Val Halla. The theme was the sun. They did a daffodil drive to collect daffodils from the town to decorate. The Annex was a cafeteria and they sold hot meals and really good food. When the high school was built, Donna remembers picking up her chair and desk and carrying it over from the Institute. The pool was opened the year that Donna graduated. She said that someone in her homeroom gave the teacher, Mr. Reny, a chocolate covered ant. She had 69 students in her graduating class and felt that there was more school spirit back then. She remembers how her friends were cheerleaders and that they always bickered about things. She was on the first Field Hockey team. Boys soccer started the year before. She remembers going to Cole Farms after games. Living on Chebeague, she remembers that the boat couldn’t always make it across the bay through the ice. She would stay with friends on the mainland for weeks at a time. The school was small enough that we knew just about everyone.

3. What path did you take after graduating from Greely?

She went to UMO for two years and then had to come home after a severe case of food poisoning. Then she went to USM, living in an apartment in Portland, for the next two years. She worked in social welfare and banking. She taught at Lincoln Junior High and Greely Junior High School before coming to work at the high school. After being a longterm substitute at Greely High, she realized that she wanted to work at the High School. Donna oversees the Learning Center at Greely High School helping many students in all academic areas.

4. What changes have you noticed in the town over the years?

More people live in Cumberland now. Old time families are now in the minority. There are no longer animals and apple orchards by the Wilson School. She remembers having gym class every day. You could rent the pool for $15 for birthday parties. Milk was $.25 a week. Hot lunch was a dollar per day. Movies were $.75 on Sundays. Also, Cole Farms was very popular. There wa a bus from Portland to Cumberland until 1964-65.

5. What do you think makes our community a special place?

There are still old time families. People care about preserving heritage. There are many efforts to preserve land as well such as the Town Forest, Blueberry Hill, Twin Brooks, Val Halla, Rines Forest, Sally Merrill’s Farm, and The Fowler’s Farm We have a great library.

Greely Alumni Interview

Name: Fay (Brown) Bolduc and Rita (Clinch) Drew

Year of Graduation: 1954

1. What was a typical day like at Greely?

"High School was a blast. Everyone knew everyone at school." They both took business courses. They offered agriculture classes. Rita brought her lunch everyday and helped serve lunch that was cooked at the Drowne Rd. They brought the food up in pots. Mr. Crandall was the principal and everyone loved him.

2. Do you have any special memories?

They went to NYC for their class trip. No transportation was provided for athletics. Softball, Basketball, swimming, cheering were all sports. In basketball you could only take two dribbles. There was only one person that could travel the length of the court. Softball had no uniforms, they would wear jeans and a white t shirts. Cheerleaders had to wear skirts to cover up their knees because Mr. Crandall thought that "a girl’s knees were the ugliest part of their body." They knew everyone in the school because there were only 100 kids in grades 7th -12th. Rita was on the swim team of four girls. She was able to be part of the relay. They would perform operettas and one act plays. They had 24 in their graduating class. They remembered going to school dances. They would do circle dances to find a dance partner. Each girl would hope to be matched up with a cute boy but usually would end up with some 8^th grader. Their prom was held in the Gyger Gym. They had sock hop dances where they would take their shoes off to dance and not ruin the new floor.

3. What path did you take after graduating from Greely?

"Women went to college to find a husband." Rita really wanted to be a stay at home mom, and she was until returning to school in her 50’s. Fay, as a senior, started working at an insurance company.

4. What changes have you noticed in the town over the years?

They used to know everyone. There were only three buses. They remembered having the day off from school to go to town meetings and the church would put on lunch. They put on minstral shows or community theater for the townspeople to participate in. In order to play sports you just needed to want to play. You didn’t have to be good at it. Sports are really competitive now.

5. What do you think makes our community a special place?

The town concentrates on young people, which is important. It is a good place to grow up.

Greely Alumni Interview

Name: Carolyn (Fordhan) Small

Year of Graduation: 1961

1. What was a typical day like at Greely?

She got up, took the bus, had lunch in the Gyger Gym. She started attending Greely in the middle of her Junior year. She remembers that the amount of students in a single classroom at her previous school was more that the whole graduating class at Greely. She graduated in a class of 36.

2. Do you have any special memories?

She remembers that her Chemistry lab partner blew up the room. Mr. Renny was the teacher. She went to a basketball game in Porter. The court was upstairs in the fire station. Growing up out of state, she remembers trying to come up to Maine as often as she could.

3. What path did you take after graduating from Greely?

Carolyn did not attend college. She was 17 when she graduated and she took a job at a nursing home. Carolyn would work from 11am to 7pm. When she turned 18 she got a job opportunity at Maine National Bank. She married to George Small in 1962. In November of 1963, her first son, Alan, was born.

4. What changes have you noticed in the town over the years?

There are fewer farms and less wide open space. The town is more suburban. She thinks that life is not as simple now a day.

5. What do you think makes our community a special place?

It still has a small town atmosphere and community feeling. She thinks that a lot of people volunteer, which makes the town special.

Greely Alumni Interview

Year of Graduation:1945

1. What was a typical day like at Greely?

He remembers having 6 teachers. Mr. Crandall was the principal. There were four periods in a day. One was a study hall. There was one school bus. The first run went to West Cumberland to the Valley School, and The Shawtown School. The second trip was to the Foreside and Tuttle Road Neighborhood schools. The third bus went to Cumberland Junction. Outlying areas such as Winn Road had to walk. There were 59 students at Greely. There were 18 in Phil’s graduating class.

2. Do you have any special memories?

His father drove the one bus. They used candles as a defroster. He played baseball and they only had one bat. It broke in a game and they had to stop playing until they could buy a new bat. They had no transportation for sports. They had to use private cars because gas was rationed. Most boys were in the service. Mr. Chase did the janitorial work for the school and tended to the coal stove in the school. He also plowed for the town. He managed all of this while doing an accelerated version of his senior year to allow him to go into the service. He left in May and the school sent him a copy of his diploma. He remembers calling the other side of Main street “She Street” because that is where all the widows lived.

3. What path did you take after graduating from Greely?

He was in the service for three years. Then he studied electronics at Wentworth Institute for a two year course of study. He worked at the Watertown Arsenal in space exploration. He was recalled to the Navy for the Korean war. After the Navy, he worked at Dielectric Communications. He retired as the manufacturing manager. He has played many rolls in the community, from fire chief and police department and has served on many committees.

4. What changes have you noticed in the town over the years?

There are fewer open fields. He remembers being able to see from the Stockholm Farm on Main Street to the Prince Memorial Library. He could see SD Warren’s smoke stacks from his house. He remembered seeing trains go by everyday. There were farms everywhere. He used to know everyone.

5. What do you think makes our community a special place?

Cumberland is home to him. He likes his house because he grew up in it.