Memories, Stories, Songs, Pictures And Poems About People, Places, And Events Around Hubbard Hill, In The Catskill Mountains, In The Town Of Gilboa, In The County Of Schoharie and The State Of New York.
Monday, September 20, 2010
A Darker Shade Of Blue, The Ballad Of Patty Russell
FROM CAMILLA ACELLO: My earliest memory of the morning after the accident was our bus stopping at Patty's house and none of the kids came out. (I didn't know that the house belonged to Hub. I knew that the Russell's rented it.) Ford Nickerson tooted the horn several times and there was no response so he just proceeded to the school. As I was climbing the stairs to go to my locker, Bucky met me and told me about the accident. My first period class was typing with Mrs. Humphrey (later Hub's wife) and no one was doing warmup although Mrs. H kept prodding us to get to work. I don't remember the rest of the day at all.
I remember the basketball game that Friday and how we were all waiting for news about Patty and Tommy. Patty's mother went on a "game" show or something like that to win money to get Patty an iron lung. Someone called in the program and donated one for her.
Several years later I was watching a news segment on NBC and Betty Furness was interviewing a girl who had been in a sledding accident and was now painting. I was stunned when I saw it was Patty. All the information I could glean from the interview was that she had married, was painting and lived in Great Neck, LI. I didn't catch her married name and was unable to get more information about her. Pre internet days.
FROM FRED WICKERT I was away in the Air Force when that happened. We used to come down that hill on a big bob sled before I graduated from high school in '52 (Laverne's class.) I heard about the accident when I came back from Japan in '59. I was overseas for five years straight, going to Okinawa, then Korea and then to Japan. I guess the rest of us were just plain lucky none of us ever got seriously hurt. Rusty Germond drove the bobsled up the hill in his fathers pick up and then followed us back down the hill. Sometimes he clocked us in excess of 75 mph and oftenwe were afraid we wouldn't stop in time before going in the road in West Conesville, but we always did manage.
Gerry Did you write the ballad? It's very well done. I'd like any information about it. Patty Russell and I were born on the same day- July 12, 1937. You probably know--Forrest Ballard still has the sled he bought for that night. Its never been used. Thanks, Clayt Buel
You're always young in your mind it is said, No matter the face in the mirror, That you see with surprise then say to yourself, "What is that old man doing here?"
3 comments:
FROM CAMILLA ACELLO: My earliest memory of the morning after the accident was our bus stopping at Patty's house and none of the kids came out. (I didn't know that the house belonged to Hub. I knew that the Russell's rented it.) Ford Nickerson tooted the horn several times and there was no response so he just proceeded to the school. As I was climbing the stairs to go to my locker, Bucky met me and told me about the accident. My first period class was typing with Mrs. Humphrey (later Hub's wife) and no one was doing warmup although Mrs. H kept prodding us to get to work. I don't remember the rest of the day at all.
I remember the basketball game that Friday and how we were all waiting for news about Patty and Tommy. Patty's mother went on a "game" show or something like that to win money to get Patty an iron lung. Someone called in the program and donated one for her.
Several years later I was watching a news segment on NBC and Betty Furness was interviewing a girl who had been in a sledding accident and was now painting. I was stunned when I saw it was Patty. All the information I could glean from the interview was that she had married, was painting and lived in Great Neck, LI. I didn't catch her married name and was unable to get more information about her. Pre internet days.
FROM FRED WICKERT
I was away in the Air Force when that happened. We used to come down that hill on a big bob sled before I graduated from high school in '52 (Laverne's class.) I heard about the accident when I came back from Japan in '59. I was overseas for five years straight, going to Okinawa, then Korea and then to Japan. I guess the rest of us were just plain lucky none of us ever got seriously hurt. Rusty Germond drove the bobsled up the hill in his fathers pick up and then followed us back down the hill. Sometimes he clocked us in excess of 75 mph and oftenwe were afraid we wouldn't stop in time before going in the road in West Conesville, but we always did manage.
Fred
FROM CLAYTON BUEL
Gerry
Did you write the ballad? It's very well done. I'd like any information about it.
Patty Russell and I were born on the same day- July 12, 1937.
You probably know--Forrest Ballard still has the sled he bought for that night. Its never been used.
Thanks,
Clayt Buel
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