TLC #50: Feb. 7, 2003
Dear Hearts and Gentle People:
Exciting days in Lexington. The movie theatre opens
to the public tonight! A gala was held last night for 1,500 carefully
chosen invitees. They expected 400 to attend, but I suspect it was way more than
that. I know these people (B&B Theaters) have been in business since 1924,
but I think they underestimate the interest and excitement in Big Lex. At least
I hope so.
The first movies will be: "Catch Me If You Can,"
"Maid in Manhattan," "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days," "Shanghai Nights," "The
Wild Thornberrys Movie," "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers." Some of these are
opening today around the country, and on Feb. 21
- the day it premieres in NYC and LA (and LEX!) will be "Gods & Generals."
There are 6 screens and they are open every day, with 3 showings (approximately
4:00, 7:00, 9:00, with 2:00 on weekends also). They have popcorn, nachos, candy,
and soft drinks.
It's a beautiful theater, done in the right
character for Lex, has a tin ceiling with old-fashioned lighting and classic
movie posters on the walls. There was a huge crowd there for the gala, black-tie
optional, lots of food and champagne, entertainment, and they cut a reel of film
instead of a ribbon. The company, B&B Theaters, is a family operation, and
they are very nice people.
And now, notes from others. First a reminder from
Gene Boyer:
In your next issue would you try one more time
for some grade school pictures. I would like a few pictures of just Arnold
school, Plus I still need grades 2,4,& 6. Central has been coming in better,
but I still need grades 1,2,& 6.Just copies, with teacher's name on the
back of the picture. Thank you for getting this infomation out.
Then, from Jerry
Shinn Warner:
Gene Boyer is in need of copies of grade school
class pictures for the booklet he is preparing for the LHS Class of '53
reunion. He has grades 1,3 and 6 from Arnold School but needs the rest, as
well as all grades for Central, the Catholic School and country
schools. Please send them to Gene at 3306 Georgia Ave, Muskogee, OK,
74403-7773 by March 15 which is the date he would also like the "bio forms"
returned. Thanks for your help, Susan and '53 classmates!
Many comments came in about Nicknames, and that will
probably be a separate chapter in "Growing Up in Lexington." Marilou Edwards is
ready to publish the first addendum. It can be added to the original notebook
and will cost $5 for the copying and postage. You may place an order through me
or directly to Marilou at jame@cox-internet.com. I think the original books may be ordered
also, but you'd have to check with her about that.
Now...nicknames! Slick Heathman came up with
more for the original list, submitted by
the Warners:
"BEADIE" HANNON
"BIGGIE" BERSANO
"BIG BOY" GASPERINO
"BLACKIE FAUSS
"BUBBLES" FROST
"BULLY" FOSTER
"BUSSE" JENNINGS
"CHALKY" KUFFEL
"CHAMP" REED
"CHECKO" MAUTINO
"DAGO" BERSANO
"DIZ" BARROT
"DUB" HACKLER
"FLASH" EMKE
"FLAT" FAUSS
"FLUTE" CLARK
"FRENCHIE" MAVEL
"GOOFY" JAMES
"HAM" KEYS
"HARD ROCK" JENNINGS
"HORSE" ARDINGER
"HORSE" CLEVENGER
"HOUND DOG" FENNER
"JAYBIRD" RUEHTER
"JENKS" HOLMAN
"JEEP" BEARD
"JEEP" SHAW
"JIGS" WOODRUFF
"JOHN "THE GREEK" SILAS
"MEALY" VADA
"NAP" NEAL
"PINKY" SOULE
"POOKY" RATLIF
"ROCKY" HILL
"SHOES" RONCELLI
"SKUD" RATLIF
"SMOKIE" BECKWITH
"SMOKIE" MALLOT
"SONNY" SOUTER
"SPIDER" BALDWIN
"SPOT" MAVEL
"SQUIRE" BARFERDE
"TUTTLES" RYAN
"TINO" MAUTINO
"TOM CAT" LANGFORD
"WINK" DANNER
"WINK" HOEFLICKER
Also if anyone is interested in making corrections,
please change FAUSE TO FAUSS, DUTCH PRASH to BRASH and HANCY TO HANNY.
There are surely more errors in spelling so please let us know.
Ray
Miller chimed in:
Great idea Bob. I never knew where your nickname
(Doghair) started.Abe Horton-Babe Born-Baby Kehrees-Birdlegs Hanson-Big Jim
Strodtman-Bonecrusher Simmons-Cackle Finner-Gick Nicola-Groucho Marcks-Mikey
Mike-Mel Fisher-Jinx Holman-Old Man Kelly-Rabbit Frasher-Razor Frasher-Smokey
Woods-Snag Amos-Sonny Fiora-Tank Mavel.
From
Duncan Lee:
GREAT! Many nicknames I recognized and many I
didn't - too young or too
old,I guess.
I thought Paul Fenner's
nickname was Hound. Pretty sure. His brother,D.E.,lived next door to
us.
Yes. (See above.)
And the nicknames brought insomnia to Harry
Dunford...or maybe it was the other way around.
The list of Lexington
"Nicknames" was quite comprehensive. I couldn't sleep last night so counted
nicknames and came up with a few not on the list:
Horace Gibson was nicknamed
"Cookie" and I was also "Cookie" but have spent nearly 55 years trying to get
rid of it. Others are as follows:
Chuck Warden,
Auctioneer
Chuck Mudd, Standard Service
Station
Red Kuykendall,
Taxicab
Snooks Reed, A
Doll
Silk Hat Gregg (Not Craig),
Gambler
Bitty or Bitsy Aull, Sister of
Bill Aull
Happy Payne, Daughter of
Doctor Payne
Mugs Butler, Married Gerald
Thee
Pene Butler, Married Bill
Dobson
Dutch Brasch, Shared nickname
with Dutch Mischon
Little Mac McFaddin, Gave out
parking tickets
Blondie Frerking, Served in
25th Division, WWII
Blon Bryant, Managed
Mainstreet Theatre
Curly Reynolds, Aviation
Expert, My Buddy
Casey Barron, My
Uncle.
Billie Mollenkamp, WMA secretary
Billie Barron, my cousin,
sister of Betty Mussatto
Augie Neidig, Lived down on
Highland Ave.
Buster Gueguen, well known
here in his later years.
Mickey Lomax, She was
Secretary to Mac at WMA
Mikey Mike, Father and son
both. Son KIA WWII
Tonk Anderson, Doris Jean,
Married Cleo Henderson
Smokey Beckwith
My sleepness came up with 8
more names but in reviewing the list, they were already on it. Now,there is one
"honorary" nickname which should be on the list:
"SELDOM SEEN" an occasional Kansas City visitor
to Lexington who when last here was thrown in the river from Lexington bridge by
Kansas City gangsters.
I doubt if we had more nicknames than any
other small town; believe it goes with the territory. Maybe does not apply in
big cities but nearly everyone knew these names who were around at the times
that they were. Now,maybe I can get some sleep.
Yours truly,
Harry (Not Cookie) Dunford
Then
later he wrote:
Beans Stoll, Class of
1942
Sweet Pea Ward, Beauty
Operator
Circket Wood, Mayme at
Commercial Bank
Dukie Lierman, Class of
42
Boob Francis, Gary Cooper
Lookalike
That's all Folks,
Bugs Dunford
Was Horace ever called Hoot
Gibson? I think his daughter Diane was called Hoot by some of her
friends.
Marlene Martin chimed in
from warmer climes:
.
I gave that list of nicknames to Charles
Howard who lives in the park here in Sun City where we are. Charles is a
brother to Raymond Howard who was in the Sheriffs office. Charles and his wife
Ruth (Viola Ruth Stricklin) as she was known in school she graduated in
1949. They got a kick out of the list and gave me these to send to
you. RED - James Howard : RED - Kuykendall (sp) : MONK -
____ Lentz : BOOTSEY - Charles
Wells.
Then Marlene made
some reference to 80 degrees down there, and at this moment it is 10 degrees
here.
Jerry Warner
responded to my question (Why aren't there more "girl"
nicknames?):
It's good to hear you are receiving some
responses. We'll look forward to reading them.You're right, there are no
female nicknames. It seems most girls didn't rate nicknames. We just
thought of a few and they seemed to be lost in the shuffle. Also they
weren't as colorful as the guys. Certainly if somebody wants to start
a list they should go for it. Bob and I, and others as well, just might be
surprised with what could turn up and we'll be glad to add to it.
And finally an answer, from
Mary K. Wilcoxon Gooseman:
Thanks for sending the nickname list out with the
TLC, Susan. I am really curious to see if any of your readers will come up
with new ones and I have a feeling they will.
Regarding the "nicknames", the only one I can put
an explanation to is my uncle, "Slide" Knapheide. It was my understanding
that he used to play softball with the Church teams in the goose pond, and one
night he was running bases, and someone yelled "slide". Thus the name
"Slide" stuck.
Now here is the complete
list...I think. We'll make room for more.
Your devoted
scribe,
Susan
A
"ANIMAL" BAINE
B
"BANJO" FAUSS
"BATMAN” ATKINSON
“BEADIE” HANNON
"BEAMIS" ARTH
"BENO
" CROSS
“BIG
BOY” GASPERINO
“BIGGIE” BERSNO
"BIG
IKE" SKELTON
“BIG
TURK” TERREL
"BINGO" OLARIO
“BLACKIO” FAUSS
“BO” SAVIO
“BOBO” MEIERER
"BOOGHER" PAYNE
"BONES" WILLIAMS
"BONEY" JOHNSON
"BOOB"
LUEHRMAN
"BOONER" SKELTON
"BOZO" HOWARD
"BUBBA" LEGGETT
“BUBBLES” FROST
“BUCK”BUCHANAN
"BUCK" MCALISTER
"BUD"
SHINN
“BUSSE” JENNINGS
"BUFFALO" CLARK
“BULLY” FOSTER
"BULLY" GIORZA
"BUMPER" DRIVER
“BUSSE” JENNINGS’
"BUSTER" BURGMAN
"BUTCH" DOAK
"BUZZ"BOLDRIDGE
C
"CATFISH" PHILLIPS
“CHALKY” KUFFEL
“CHAMP REED”
“CHECKO” MAUTINO
"CHICK" HADER
"CHICK" JOHNSON
"CHIEF" JOHNSON
"CHICK" HADER
"CHICKEN" FAUSS
"CHIP" PERRY
"CHOPPY” SIMONETTI
"COON" TABB
"COBB" WHITLEY
"CORKY" GRINDSTAFF
"COTTON" BOYER
"COTTON" BURNS
"COTTON" DAVIDSON
"COTTON" TRENT
"COWBOY" TYE
"CRACKER” MCDOWELL
D
“DAGO” BERSANO
"DING” FAUSS
“DIZ” BARROT
"DOGHAIR" WARNER
"DOC" SWEARINGEN
"DOOTSIE" GUEVEL
“DUB” HACKLER
"DUBBY" RUSH
"DUDE” BARNETT
"DUDE" DELAPP
"DUKE" MCALISTER
"DUTCH" MISCHON
"DUTCH" BRASH
"DUTCH" STABLETON
F
"FIREBALL" JUNG
“FLASH” EMKE
“FLAT” FAUSS
“FLUTE” CLARK
"FOXY" ROSETON
“FRENCHIE” MAVEL
"FROSTY" SMALL
"FROSTY" TEMPLE
"FUZZY" MARTIN
G
“GOOFY” JAMES
"GOOSE" GREY
H
“HAM” KEYS
"HANNY" STAPLETON
"HAPPY" HOFFMAN
“HARDROCK”
JENNINGS
"HIPPO" HARDEN
"HOG" FENNER
“HOUND DOG” FENNER
"HOPALONG"/“HOP” MCFADDEN
"HOPELESS" BOEHM
“HORSE” ARDINGER
“HORSE”CLEVENGER
"HOTROD" CARPENTER
I
"IRONHEAD" JOHNSON
J
"JACKO" PRICE
“JAYBIRD” RUETHER
“JENKS” HOLMAN
“JEEP” BEARD
“JEEP” SHAW
“JIGS” WOODRUFF
JOHN “THE GREEK” SILAS
"JUICY" LUEHRMAN
K
"KINGFISH" BARNETT
“KRAUT" FAUSS
L
"LEACH" AMOS
"LEFTY" LUCE
"LITTLE IKE" SKELTON
“LITTLE TURK” TERREL
M
“MEALY” VADA
"MICKEY" CONGER
"MONKEY JOE" ALBERT
"MOONEY" ROSTINE
"MOOSE" HELM
"MOOSE" RODEKOHR
“MOSE” BUTLER
"MOUSE" SHORT
"MUGGINS" BUFORD"
N
“NAP” NEAL
O
"OBIE" PARIS
P
"PACK" HUNTER
"PAPPY" O'DELL
"PEANUTS" SCHELP
"PEELY" OLDS
"PIGGY" PHIPPS
"PIGGY" SINGLETON
"PIMP" CROSS
“PINKY” SOULE
"POLLY" PARROT
“POOKY” RATLIF
"POOPSY" BACKS
"POOT" BOYER
"POPS" VILLARS
"POSSUM" CLECICO
"POTS" MOLLENKAMP
"PREACH" ATCHLEY
“PUD” RATLIF
"PUSS" HUFFORD
R
"RAGS" REEVES
"RED DOG" WILSON
"RIP" ROSEWELL
“ROCKY” HILL
S
"SCRAP" PARKS
"SHEIKI" VIALLE
"SHARKIE" BEISSENHERZ
"SHIPWRECK" KELLY
“SHRIMP” OETTING
“SHOES” RONCELLI
"SILKHAT" CRAIG
"SKEETER" LIERMAN
“SKINNY” SWARTZ
"SKIPPER" SHORT
“SKUD” RATLIF
"SLICK" GILKEY
"SLICK" HEATHMAN
"SLIDE" KNAPHEIDE
"SMOKEY" CLIFTON
“SMOKIE” BECKWITH
“SMOKIE” MALLOT
"SNAG" AMOS
"SNAKE" EDWARDS
“SONNY” OETTING”
“SONNY” SOUTER
"SPARKY" ADAMS
"SPECKS" VILLARS
"SPEEDY" BURNETT
“SPIDER” BALDWIN
"SPIKE" EVANS
"SPIKE" THOMAS
“SPOT” MAVEL
“SQUIRE” BARFERDE
"SQUIRREL" JENNINGS
"STINKY"STEVENSON
"STUD" HOFFMAN
"SWEDE" JOHNSON
T
"T-BONE" JACKSON
"TEETER" BLAND
“TEETLES” RYAN
“TINO” MAUTINO
"TINY" BRYANT
"TINY" EPPERLY
"TINY" LARKIN
“TINY” MALLOT
"TOAD" SIGLOCH
“TOM CAT” LANGFORD
"TOOTIE" WILLIAMS
"TOOTS" HARRISON
"TRASH" HOWE
"TUCKER" THOMAS
"TURK" LYBARGER
"TURTLE" STONE
W
"WEEGIE" CHEDOTTI
"WEEGIE" MAUTINO
"WHATSEE" DICKMEYER
"WHIPPLEJACK" DELAPP
“WINK” DANNER
“WINK” HOEFLICKER
"WOODY" MITCHELL
“WOP” “GUILLIA”
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