Jefferson Moore

Jefferson Moore Lions! Maroon and White! Class of '76..."At last we're here and almost gone, but '76 lives on and on" (our class yell). Memorable moments will have to include:
Volleyball team (position - set) for which I earned a letter jacket. Kathy was a 'spike'. We were the "Lady Lions".
Year Book (Co-editor) was so much fun, sponsored by teacher Pattie Green (mother of the now famous Pat Green, singer); working with Kathy, Gary, Ricky, Brent, Monica, Karen and many others I can't recall at the moment - and laughing so much.
"Uh-Huh" "Sure" - T-shirts Kathy & I wore. Don't recall just exactly why, but figure it must have something to do with what we said quite often! We are wearing them in our class picture that was taken out in front of the school.
Little Green Datsun - Beth & I shared this car. It was standard and contrary to the Beth, I did drive it well enough to NOT always bounce her head around!! I remember 'cruising the valley and going thru Sonic, and having a bunch of guys lift the car up onto the back of a trailer.
Funny, but a little scary. Other cards included: a Buick Skylark, brown 2-door; and a Chevrolet Impala, white 4-door company car from Precision. We paid for car insurance and made car payments. Grandpa gave me and Beth a gas card one time, and we were allowed to charge once or twice a month - $5 would fill up the car!!
CB Radios - "Break one-nine. You got a copy on this one? Kick it back!" Oh my, what fun. I really got into talking on the CB in Dad's truck - running down the battery while it was parked in the driveway at least once! My 'handle' was Foxfire, Kathy was the Copper K. I met Robert Casey (Six Shooter) via the radio and we dated a while. Also the Blue Falcon (Clint) who hung around the house a while 'til Dad told him it was time for him to go home. Daddy Long Legs (Don Patterson) was fun to talk to, as was the Pied Piper (Steve (?) Little. Beth (Little Feet or Starshine or Precious Poison?) would complain when I came in and was still talking with that CB lingo-drawl. Guess it was kind of annoying. Dad was the Chrome Dome, go figure. Billy was (and still is) Red Man (after the chewing tobacco). Kathy and I could sit in our driveways and talk to folks on Valley Mills Dr. (aka THE Valley) with no problem..and no one would know our 10-20 was a few streets over. I eventually got a CB of my own in my Skylark, but didn't sit home talking on it!
National Honor Society - I was an officer of some sort and recall making a short speech at an induction ceremony. My GPA was not quite high enough to get special ropes for my graduation robe, but it was good just the same. Kathy & I were also members of Edwards Literary Society, a group sponsored by Mrs. Edwards, our English teacher. I still have some of the poetry we wrote then.
Lunch Off Campus - We usually rode over to the Ivy Square shopping center for the "Sub Shop" with Ricky and Gary, playing a game of electronic baseball or Pong...and of course, there was fooseball. Sometimes we would also drive thru Cameron Park, or maybe go to Long John Silvers or Whataburger. Before I got a car, Kathy was my ride.
Pep Rallies - Always fun, pitting classes against each other as to who could be louder. Then there was the time we got our hands on a bunch of shredded paper and 'dots' (hole punches) that we thru into the air to show our spirit. That was a mess to clean up. Football games were fun, too. We didn't have much of a winning season(s) - always called it 'rebuilding'. Homecoming week with different 'days' was always fun as I liked to 'dress up'. Speaking of football, there was a time when Kathy, Ricky, Gary, and I went to BU stadium and actually played football (or something like it) on the astro turff! I remember running the wrong way for a touchdown. Rick says he might still have those keys to the stadium!
Fashion - Bell bottom blue jeans - big enough to cover your feet, tennis shoes and 'ringer' t-shirts. T-shirts printed at "T-shirts Plus" with any array of pictures/sayings/etc. Short shorts were around, too, as were tank tops and tube tops. Our school 'cowboys' were the "Goat Ropers" who wore boots and hats. Dancing at the time included 'the bump' and 'the hustle'.
Dating - Kathy & I double-dated with Gary & Ricky. I remember riding in Gary's Matador, when the four of us "parked" at the lake...Koehne Park. I have to say that I still remember those kisses! Then there was the time when we dated brothers - John and Harry. I think we dated them at the same time. Both were younger than us. Harry worked at the DQ and I would drive up there and wait til he got off work, then we'd cruise the valley. Some date, huh? Sitting at Sonic with a coke, then driving back down Valley Mills and turn around in the Luby's parking lot. Oh, first love! How grand!
First job - Besides babysitting, I went to work for the ABC (Plitt) Cinema, up on the hill near where Richland Mall is now. I worked in concessions and Beth worked in the token (ticket) booth. Remember turnstyles? Some of the movies that were out and 'new' at that time: Jaws, TunnelVision, Rocky Horror Picture Show, ET, Tootsie, A Star is Born (Barbara Streisand & Kris Kristoferson). It was fun to get the "one sheets" or movie posters and hang them in our room. I also went to the 25th Street Theatre as concession manager when they needed help. Worked with Maurice in the projection booth and Charles as the manager. That was one old theatre, but still fun. Carrying the film cases up stairs - not so much fun. But working the crossword puzzles with Maurice made up for that!! A remake of Gone with the Wind played there, as did Star Wars. Also working at the Plitt were Lydia and her sister Olga, plus Robin and Terry. Terry was an usher with a crush on Robin. We used to have competitions to see who could sell the largest popcorn, drink, candy, hot dogs and super dogs. What fun to count everything and try to balance at the end of our shift. No cash registers then! Both theatres are long gone now. I think I made somewhere in the neighborhood of $3/hr.
Church - Our family attended Lakewood Christian Church since the time we moved to Waco. After I outgrew the youth groups (CYF), I helped Mrs. Parker (or Parker as we called her) in the nursery, and eventually taught Sunday School for the little ones. Our first pastor was Luke Bolin, followed by Tim Griffin. Tim & Donna had two daughters, Marcella and Lindsey. Marcella must have been about 4 when they moved to our church, and Lindsey was a baby. I babysat for them quite frequently, as well as their neighbors, the Ryans (George & Ashley). I loved working in the nursery and Parker would sometimes come a sit for us when I was younger. She had her hands full, that's for sure. Lindsey is my daughter's namesake, and when she got married in 2006, I attended the ceremony in Dallas and saw the family. I still happen to meet kids I had in the nursery from time to time, or their parents, who catch me up on all the 'news'. Gee, makes me feel old!! I was baptized at 13 in the church, I think on Easter Sunday. Our church 'dunked', so I came out from the baptistery looking like a peeled onion. Church camp was always alot of fun...Ft. Parker State Park is where it was held each summer. There were 3 cabins of 24 for girls and boys, plus the mess hall, bathrooms, crafts area, outside games, and of course, walking to the swimming hole. (Lake Mexia). I remember being call the "preacher" of cabin 4, cause I would volunteer to say our prayer. Camp is where I first heard about peanut butter on toast for breakfast, and I had a friend named Shawn who ate it all the time. I thought she was crazy. Our youth leaders, Paul and Linda, were counselors too, I think. (Sorry, I slipped back to elementary/junior high there for a few minutes!)
Prom - Well, I didn't go to MY senior prom, although I helped to plan and make decorations. I went to Beth's senior prom with Jerry. Mom made our dresses - Beth's in baby blue and mine in a mint green. I remember Jerry and I going to the WaterWorks restaurant..that was the 'thing' to do then. The prom was held at MCC's student center, but that's about all I remember.
Friends - Lots of nice people to mention: Maria "Taco" Salinas - one of our Hispanic friends who spoke Spanish fluently, wrote her French papers in Spanish first then translated them to French. Magnifique! Her boyfriend, Bill Summers. A super-nice guy who if I remember correcly, went into the military and married Maria. There was also Marilyn, Don Hainesworth, Jimmy Stewart, Beverly, Suzanne. Lots of folks who I attended school with from elementary on up - that I may have not mentioned thus far: LeeAnn McCurrin, Stan Mason, Dwight Allen, Herman Bell, Bobby Henson, Don Hardwick & Alice, Craig Sanders, Vicki Woodall, Terri Martin, Lisa Lawson, Rhonda Kaluza, Carol Ware, Steve Farrar (who died in a car accident in High School), Jill Reay and her sisters JoAnne and Judy; neighbors: The Davidson girls, The Rossi girls; Sandra Sawyer; Kathy's sisters Diane and Joy; neighbors - Becky and Martha, Linda Songer and her brother Bobby, Joseph Cox, Melissa and Chris Niemann. I am sure I have left some folks out! Kathy was my special best friend all through high school and into college..and now. Even though we don't talk often, when we do, its like we've not missed a beat!!