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NewsMonday, September 3, 2007 11:32 PM CDT

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Moore township school remembered by graduates

By Kelly Youngblood
fcjournal@mchsi.com

FARMER CITY — It’s been more than 60 years since they walked the halls of Moore Township High School, but nine former classmates have managed to stay in touch.

Most of the men graduated with the Class of 1946 and are about 80 years old. They meet for breakfast one Monday a month at People’s Cafe.

“We do it to maintain our camaraderie,” said Dean Dubson of Farmer City. The group has been meeting for the last six years.

Robert Little of Normal suggested the group call itself “The Has Beens.”

“That’s better than The Never Was,” laughed Dubson.

Jokes and laughter are customary among the men. Asked what they have in common, Dick Pilchard of Farmer City quipped, “Avoiding that last breath.”

The only off-limits topics are politics and religion, but the conversation almost inevitably goes to the good old days when the school colors were purple and white, and the athletic teams were sometimes called the Farmers.

Today, Moore Township High School is Blue Ridge High School, home of the Knights, and the school’s colors are royal blue and silver.

Dubson remembers a chemistry lesson that required students to smoke cigarettes and then record their blood pressure. They remember a Farmer City bustling with crowds and three grocery stores, two drug stores, two barber shops, two Main Street restaurants, a portrait studio, and a tailor shop.

Saturday and Wednesday evenings were especially busy. Drawings were Saturdays nights in front of the Kendall Theatre. On Wednesdays, city bands played in the park. Grocery stores and barber shops stayed open as late as customers needed.

“It was the most active small community in the state, according to state sales tax data at that time,” said Pilchard.

The men all are avid sports fans. Everyone agrees the Cubs are the best baseball team in the league. They still talk about girls, although it’s usually their wives. Of the nine, only Knight and Pilchard have lost their partners.

Men of Moore Township

Dick Pilchard of rural Farmer City worked in agriculture throughout his life. He’s known within the group as the historian and statistician because he can recall the exact dates of events.

Jack Henry of Farmer City is a retired assistant superintendent of the Illinois State Police. His friends refer to him as a wordsmith and a minister because he quotes the Bible frequently.

Dean Dubson of Farmer City was in the U.S. Navy and worked at Illinois Power for many years. He’s known for his gardening skills. The group refers to him as a “north-ender” because he grew up north of the Illinois Central railroad tracks.

Kenny Huff of Bloomington worked at the McLean County Law and Justice Center after years of delivering gasoline to rural users. He organized the group meetings. Huff used to pay younger kids a nickel to hit fly balls.

Lyle Knight of Farmer City retired from civil service work at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul. He might be considered “the steady hand at the control of this group’s rudder,” Pilchard said.

Kenneth Milton of Heyworth is a former pilot and retired farmer. Milton, voted a member of the “King’s Court,” married his high school sweetheart, who was voted queen.

Jack Short of Farmer City retired from ABF Freight Lines and lived in Denver, Colo., for 25 years before moving home. He was also in the Navy and used to be a marathon runner. He’s known as a good listener.

Harley Dawson of Mansfield worked in the veterinary medicine department at the University of Illinois for 25 years. He also farmed. His friends said he made the best fudge ever in chemistry class.

Robert Little of Normal was a bank farm manager and farmer for many years. He also worked part-time at the IRS. Little balanced both a push lawnmower and 12-foot ladder on his chin on April 18, 1946, during an All-School Athletic Exhibition put on by the boys’ physical education classes.