Welcome!


Guestbook Entry #31
Visitor Name: Harry Moore
Visitor's Info: Male, 79
HomePage url: 
You Are From: ,
Your Comments:I arrived at BB in 1934 after spending two months at the Edwin Gould Foundation Center in Bronx, NY. Mrs. Berrisford was the superintendent of the school. Ralph Fraser was the director of boys and Charlie Group was the secretary and administrative assistant. Pop Blazier was the farm manager, Mr. Graham was in charge of all the farm animals, Mike Frolich was horticulturist and keeper of the grounds. Mrs. King was the nurse at the infirmary. Dan Dunn joined the staff and directed athletics. Mrs. Bradley was the housemother in Osborne cottage and was still there when I left in 1938. There were three people working in the kitchen, all were negroes: our chef, Lamar; Helen and ?, the cooks. I first lived in Osborne Cottage and later lived in Pauls Cottage before leaving the school in 1938. I attended school at Bonnie Brae and Bernardsville High. There were 80 boys total in those days, 20 boys in each cottage. These are just highlights off the top of my head right now. I can submit a longer account of my life at Bonnie Brae in the future. Anybody out there from my generation at the school who can help me remember more names? The song I remember singing on the bus was the Bonnie Brae school song: "when the orange and blue team falls in line, we're gonna win again another time. . ." Sincerely, Harry nickname: Governor (because the governor of New Jersey in 1934 was A. Harry Moore)

Guestbook Entry #30
Visitor Name: George Edw. Seymour
Visitor's Info: Male,
HomePage url: Bonnie Brae Alumni Just Boys
You Are From: San Diego, USA
Your Comments:I just found a BB alumni newsletter dated September 27, 1961 (39 years ago). Paul Hess had been elected President, and Joe Dorman, Richard Fitzsimmons, and John Francisco were elected V.P., Secretary, and Treasurer. Mr. Persiko was proposing a sixth cottage that would cost about $115,000, with another $10K for furniture. Ray Falls was a champion at the pistol range, and Richard Fitzsimmons had a 3 month old girl. The annual dance (a square dance) was held in the gym on October 21st. Bob Loeffler was interested in the San Diego Children's Home, and John (Lindy) Verge was buying a home at the shore. It mentions Arnold, John, and Richard Francisco. Were they brothers on the Farm? Also, if you have any old newsletters, please send me a copy (PO Box 84990, San Diego, CA 92138) so other BB alumni names can be added to the Just Boys page. Thanks, it will be appreciated, and hope to see you at the reunion in October.

Guestbook Entry #29
Visitor Name: Lewis O. Van Horn
Visitor's Info: Male, 62
HomePage url: 
You Are From: Howell, USA
Your Comments:I went to school with in Bernards High with Frog, JoJo, YoYo and others. I have been intouch with Frog(George Seymour).Are any of the others still around?

Guestbook Entry #28
Visitor Name: Rich Murray
Visitor's Info: Male, 60.917
HomePage url: 
You Are From: , USA
Your Comments:Two things struck me as I read Frog's comments, the first was the "Grand Ole Opry". We were able to receive it on WWVA Wheeling, West Virginia. The second was the first color TV broadcast. I can recall a group of us sitting around the TV in Osborne watching the broadcast. We were all sure that we could see something different in the picture. (I thought there was more of a blueish cast to the screen.) Ah, the power of suggestion. 89 days and counting down.

Guestbook Entry #27
Visitor Name: George Edw. Seymour
Visitor's Info: Male, 61
HomePage url: Just Boys
You Are From: San Diego, USA
Your Comments:The BB Just Boys page (above) was just updated. We now have names from 1934 to 1980--almost half a century. 1934: Charles Asmanes and Bob Leslie arrive at BB. There are no TVs, polio vaccines, FM radio, color movies, Batman, astronauts, copy machines, air conditioning, Disneyland, McDonalds, DDT, Playboy magazines, mini-skirts, microwave ovens, baseball strikes, Social Security, etc. 1934: The average income was $1601, a new car cost $625, a gallon of gas 10 cents, gallon of milk 45 cents. 1936: Life magazine begins publication, and Jesse Owens wins in Berlin. The Volkswagen is invented. 1938: The first minimum wage is twenty-five cents an hour. 1939: US TV made its official debut; however broadcast was suspended during World War II until 1945. 1941: Radio was the primary means of entertainment, and Arthur Godfrey and Gene Autry (the Melody Ranch) had their own shows, and the Grand Ole Opry was a huge favorite Saturday nights. A new car cost $850, a loaf of bread was 8 cents, a gallon of milk cost 54 cents. 1942: US sends its first troops of the war to Northern Ireland in January. Roosevelt's priorities shifted from the New Deal to the War Production Board as he called for mass mobilization. Xerography was invented, and IBM introduces fast electronic calculator. 1950: There are 2200 drive-ins. 1951: CBS transmitted the first television broadcast in full color, and J.D. Salinger published "Catcher in the Rye." 1952: "Don't walk" signs introduced, U.S. dedicates world's first atomic sub, and GM offers cars with air cooling, and the average annual pay is $1,436. 1953: A new polio vaccine was unveiled. Mass immunization campaigns began in 1955. 1954: Price cut on first color TV to $1,110, Roger Bannister breaks 4-minute mile, and Disneyland opens. 1956 Interstate highway construction begins. 1957: Russia launched Sputnik I, the first artificial satellite. 1959 Hawaii becomes the 50th state, and Charleton Heston stars in "Ben Hur." 1967: First microwave oven, and on and on. Collectively we have seen it all, and as Gordon E. Verge said, "We were all brothers." Like families, we did not always agree, or get along, but if one thing is certain, it is that we all share a rare and common bond. Let me hear from you, and I hope that you can make it to the reunion this October.

Back to Bonnie Brae Alumni.

[ Read GBook ] [ Sign GBook ] [ T-Center ] [ Free GBook ]
[ Previous Page ]   [ 5 viewed out of total 31 ]   [ Next 5 messages ]