Robert P Curtis Chapter I
Houses in Alliance
Lived with grandparents Edward (Ned) and Ruth Ann (Summers) Hartzell on Freedom Avenue from birth until Dad came home from WWII mid-1945.Parents rented home on Milton Avenue near Alliance C.C for about 1 year.Parents rented second home on Freedom Avenue near my eventual grade school Freedom Grade School for about 1 year. First memory of falling down outside steps on tricycle and all bloody and swinging on closed porch horse to record of zippy do da day watching kids go to and from school805 South Linden Avenue remodel job of grandparents Telford (Ford) Noble and Martha Jean (Kerr) Curtiss home on many years. Dawson was born in upstairs bedroom.
First memory of playing in house was in closet on my bedroom with silver car and truck.
Walking to grade school
School boy and girl safety patrol and Washington DC non trip
Jr hi dances at YMCA and YWCA
Playing basketball for 7th and 8th and 9th grade teams but never starting.
Football manage with Dee Israel for 3 years.
Going out for football with Dee for about 3 or 4 days in 8th grade before season starts and finding it not our cup of tea and continued to be managers
Riding bike to Bob Montello’s house and walking the rest of the way to school everyday and then walking back to his house after school or practice and riding bike on home rain, shine or snow and no matter how cool it got. There was no bus service for city kids in those days. Only the farm kids had bus service if desired.
Walking to hi school and/or being picked up by upper-classmen who lived up the street and had cars. Walked home for lunch each day since we did not have a school cafeteria and no place to eat if you carried your lunch. Mon did not work, so she was at home and would always fix me a sandwich and soup. I would watch Andy of Mayberry most days for some Barney Fife laughs.
Always had a girlfriend and hung out at the high school Friday and Saturday night dances held in the old gymnasium which was named “The Hanger” as we were the Alliance High School Aviators.
- My 4th birthday party was organized by Mom at the BPOE (Elks Club) pavilion with small riding horses for the kids to ride. Great photos and Dad was not remembered but I’m sure he was responsible for booking the Elks and grounds for the party..
- 10th birthday party organized by Mom at the ACC pool with Norm McCloud (YMCA youth leader, high school teacher and later my high school class advisor) and some other kids. I can remember the day event and the picnic that was spread out on a table in the back area of the pool grounds.
- Swimming outings with Mom and brother Tom and others at local lakes and ponds for admission before we joined ACC during the summer of ’51 when 8-9 years old.
- Joined YMCA with urging of Mom at age of 8 and she enrolled me in a Learn to Swim program with the Y at the local Children’s Home in Alliance because the Y indoor pool and gym was not built yet. Never learned to swim that week since I was afraid of the water. Climbed the outer fence with neighbor kid and walked 5 miles home on the highway on final test day and was in a lot of trouble when Mom found out what I had do.
- More swimming outings with Mom and Tom at the ACC pool and baby pool area until I learned to swim. I do not think my mother could swim real well and that is why she was always taking us swimming each summer from about 7 to 9 years old. Very late for even then.
- Mom signed me up for YMCA summer camp when I was 9-10 years old. It was an OK experience but was not allowed in the row boats or canoes because I could not swim well enough to pass the camp test. So when she picked me up at the end of the week she was not to happy with me since I had not progressed much further in swimming.
- My Mother did not work so my schooling was a huge thing for her to direct. She would read to me every day and I always had a stack of books in my room. At around 4-5 years old we moved into our remodeled home at 805 South Linden Avenue and about then Mom enrolled me in a pre-school nursery program. I was picked up each day and attended this school at a place that I have a dim recollection of being in someone’s basement with not much light and a bunch of kids.
- Mom walked me to kindergarten each day and met me some where close to school since we lived only 5 city blocks from South Freedom Grade School on Freedom Avenue. There were school boy patrols on 2 of the cornors so she need to walk with me 3 blocks. She never had a car until her father died when I was in college, so she walked everywhere, including me to school in all kinds of Ohio weather.
Mom takes Tom and me to Fort Lauderdale, FL in 1952 to visit Grandma Ruth Anne Summers Hartzell and Edward “Ned” Hazelton Hartzell at the Sunset Colony trailer park on Broward Boulevard. Dad drove us to the Pittsburg Airport for a direct flight to Miami on probably Allegany Airlines that eventually became US Air in the ‘80s. They had sold their house and car in Alliance, Ohio and bought a lot and trailer in Sunset Colony around 1950. This was their retirement with social security and a pension from The Morgan Engineering Company in Alliance plus any profits from house sale and savings to cover their living expenses. Grandma did not work and maybe never did to my knowledge.
12) We stayed about 2 weeks and went a few places with the help of friends in Sunset Colony. We went to Fort Lauderdale beach, Miami, Parrot Jungle, maybe some of the northern keys, an attraction with huge sea turtles in marina holding pens, local shuffleboard courts and all around the trailer park. We got into trouble with some of the neighbors when we collected their newspapers and brought them back to the house. There was no way to take them back to their proper owners since we had no idea of where we got them. This was a very bad thing and we stayed on the wrong side of every one for most of the stay when at the house. All in all this trip was a big deal for me and the family, since most of my school friends a had never been outside of Alliance, much less out of state and all the way to Florida.
- Joining Boy Scout of America mom’s idea but she would let me decide on what troop to join and when to go to weekly meetings. Joined Troop #106 that was sponsor by the 1st United Presbyterian Church that was located on Arch Avenue about 2 blocks from home. The church had a good and active troop and the church had a gymnasium with a full basketball court. We were always allowed to play before and after the meeting. Mon paid for summer scout camp Camp Tuscazore in Zore, Ohio on the Zore River for the first couple years but I think years 4 and 5 were paid by me since it was my choice to go and most all of my buddies had already dropped out.
- Mom Started playing golf, caddying for Dad and swimming on the ACC swim team in the summer after 6th grade. Dad joined the Alliance Country Club with the support of Dr. Bob King, his life long friend. Dad had played some golf while in college and before going into the military service, but only at public courses and with friends. His was self taught and shot around 90 to 100 and had some no name clubs that were about 20 years old and old oval brown leather bag. He up graded his clubs soon after joining and started playing weekends with a steady group of 4 guys and in a short time, got his game to the low 80’s and 10 handicap.
Mom, on the other hand, had never played golf, so she started playing right-handed, at dad’s advice, even though she was left-handed. She got a used set of Patty Berg woods and irons, but with 2,3,4,6,8,2w,4w missing. Her bag was an oval red plaid and putter was a 2 faced upright given to her by Bob King. She loved the game but had a tuff time making good contact and getting any power into her shots. Therefore she really never got out of the 60’s and 50’s for 9 holes and didn’t really move to the next level of playing around 100 and wanting to play 18 holes with the other women in that group.
Mom wanted me to swim with the ACC Swim Team so that I would stay in shape for the winter YMCA season and get to know some of the other kids, besides the golfer guys (Terry Tolerton, Bruce Wagner, Kurt Wolters, Bud Morgan, Hugh Morgan, Jim LaFountain) and one girl, Carrie Hollis. The swim team trained all summer and meets were with other country clubs in the area. I practiced only a few mornings each week and therefore didn’t lower my times much and can’t remember going to many away meets over the 3 years that I was on the team. I swam all the strokes at one time or another, trying to find a way into to ribbon and trophy category, with the least amount of practice. Mom and Dad never made me go to practice or games or meets or matches for any of teams that I played on over the years. It was all up to me to decide to go and how I was going to get there. 98% of the time I would ride my 3 speed bike to all of the events or walk to some one’s house to catch a ride with their parents.
- Started playing Hot Stove Little League baseball for 3 years. My first team was class B division since most all of us had never played the game before. I wanted to be a pitcher but only knew how to pitch from a stretch position. So it was not long before I was in the outfield (CF). we got to the championship game and won but later had to forfeit since our main pitcher and hitter was too old.
Next year I played on a team where we got full uniforms and player A Division level. Played 2nd base now but we lost most all of our games. We had poor fielders, no hitting and the managers kid played 1st base and could not catch.
Next year I played for a better team that won 50% of our games and agained played 2nd base and batted 2nd. Walked a lot and hit enough to have a better than 300 average. Had a lot of fun this year as many of the guys on the team were good friends from the YMCA and school.
- Swimming on the YMCA and ACC swim teams for 3 years each. Swam on the 1st YMCA boys swim team right after the indoor pool was built ’58-’59. I swam all freestyle and tried some back since not many guys wanted to do that stroke. We had many guys on the Y team from my end of town and a few from the more affluent side. We would travel around to all the surrounding towns with Y pools and teams. I would sometimes finish 3rd or 4th in dual meets. Did learn to swim all strokes and became pretty good for not practicing much on my own. ACC team was much more competitive and some of those guys went on and swam in high school and college.
- Saved all my grass mowing, leaf raking, snow shoveling and caddying earnings to purchase my 1st brand new 3 speed skinny wheel Schwinn bike at the local Alliance bike shop when in about 5th grade. Always had older guys wanting to take it for a spin since it was new, had gears, and would go faster than all the other traditional bikes. Many times I would not want this to happen but would have to go along with the guy or get beat up. The bike got me all over town including the Y, ACC, school, scouts and all friends houses in Alliance. I never was unable to make an activity because of not having a ride. We only had 1 car in the family and that was my fathers company car he used for sales travel and was out of town every week for everyday of the week. By the time I left Stanton Junior High School the bike was pretty beat up with no brake wires, so no brakes since guys would always cut your wires to get their kicks, no fenders, no lights or generator to power lights, and no kick stand or handle grips. This became one very dangerous, cold and exciting mode of transportation. By the time I started Alliance High School in 10th grade in 1958, I could and did walk most places in town and by 11th grade some of my friends were driving so rides were available.
- Building and putting up basketball backboard and rim on garage roof with Dad and the court was an inclined cement driveway. Out of bounds was the yard on left, ally on the right and the street in the back court. Many a garage window was broken over the years from air balls. We played games with the neighbor kids for 9 months for many years into high school.
- Playing Gray-Y basketball at the YMCA in 5th and 6th grade was one of the high spots for me in sports while in grade school. I think mom never saw me play since your mother never with to any sports games unless you were a moms boy. This included basketball, baseball, swimming, golf and all other activities.
- Mom always supported all of my sporting endeavors but never watched a game that I can remember, maybe some baseball games, swimming meets and scouts awards nights. She never had a car to get around town and would always need a ride from someone if she were to get to any of her activities or Tom’s or mine. Dad never encouraged me to play sports since that was how he made his way to college by playing basketball. He realized it was only a fleeting moment in your life and you would be much better off studying and working to prepare yourself for life after school. I guess he was right, since I never had the drive to practice a lot and was not real good at any sport.
- Mom was always home to fix my lunch while in school from K thru 12. Not many guys or girls around my age had that kind of home life. I walked to grade school, rode my bike to Stanton Junior School and walked or got picked up by buddies up the street to Alliance High School. There were no school cafeterias then and since I could make it in time, I always came home for lunch, no matter the weather. Very hard for me to believe today that I did that. I guess if mom were not at home to fix my lunch, we would have been not as close then and maybe that is why I was so anxious to go away to college. I think she and dad knew that was the case and therefore they never had a question about my choice to go to Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. Did apply to Kent State University (TDC, TAC alma mater’s) and Mount Union College (DTC, HCH, SAH alma mater’s) and was accepted to both. Dad said that if I picked MUC, I may have to repay his old debt that he left on the books from his graduation in ’33. He also attended KSU for post-graduate courses in industrial arts some time in the 30’s before he went to WW II in ’43. He taught school and coached women’s basketball sometime after graduation in Fowler, Ohio at Fowler High School. Parents were married in’35 and moved to Fowler then, I guess this is close right.
- Mom always taught me to be very respectful of girls and adults. As far as the boys were concerned, I looked out for the underdog if possible. All of my girlfriends were introduced to my mother and father and I always looked for that approving eye from mom. She really never had any complains about my girlfriends and consequently I always treated them and all other women with respect.
- Mom and Dad drove for AHS All-night Graduation Party that began right after graduation at the Alliance High School auditorium on June 6, 1961. Parent cars were parked outside the school and all students were to ride with parents for the first leg of the all-night experience with another couple of your choice. We were hosted by the Elks Club for some kind of dinner at the outside pavilion, the ACC for a pool party, the local Mount Union movie theater for feature film and finally breakfast at someplace I can’t remember. Some people would drop in and out of the activities and try to sneak some beers and alcohol drinks, but this was highly discouraged and not allowed in the cars of the graduates parent’s cars. All and all we (Darlene Hite ’61) had a good time together.
- She had been my girl friend from early in the fall of our senior year. We had been in the 5th grade together at South Freedom Grade School, but I had very little recollection of her from those days, other than being very forward and extremely aggressive and very much a tomboy with a sensual look. We got reacquainted at a party after a football game in the early fall. Darlene and her best friend Patty ?????, from 2 doors up Arch Street, or 3 blocks from my house, spent their Sophomore and Junior years dating upper classmen football players and then college freshmen scholarship football guys. Having a high school girlfriend was un-cool for college sophomores, so they both needed to find a way back to their our classmates and a way to become accepted again with the group that they laughed at the past two years.
- I was one of the lucky guys to be picked and since I didn’t have anything else going on at the time, I was in love with Darlene. This lasted until the summer and she met the drummer of a rock and roll band, at an Ohio vacation spot on Lake Eire name Geneva-On-The-Lake. That was the end of Darlene for a few years until they were divorced and we spent some time together one evening at a friends party in Alliance while I was home from college that summer. I did happen to be home from college my freshman fall semester to attend with my parents, her wedding in Alliance. I really do not remember anything about the wedding except how beautiful and different the inside of the Catholic church than from my Presbyterian church.
- We have seen each other at a couple high school reunions and she is living with her third husband Rochester, NY and I think had two daughters. 4th in SC now after seeing Darlene at the 50th year reunion at Elks and ACC on August 5 and 6, 2011.
Alliance High School Golf Teams (1958-59, 1959-60 & 1960-61). Page 1.
Note: Probably the best-unqualified three (3) seasons of team and individual competition in the history of the AHS golf program. The 1959-60 team, which undoubtedly would have been the best, could potentially and did shoot four (4) low 70’s scores in one (1) round of competition and could and did routinely totally blank the opposition teams of any points in match play. Home matches were played at the Sleepy Hollow Golf Course, since the Mt. Union College team used the Alliance Country Club as their home course.
- Bruce Wagner, 12, Alliance CC, USAFA/Purdue U.
- Jimmy Bertrum, 11, Sleepy Hollow GC, Mt Union College
- Kurt Wolters, 11, Alliance CC, U. of Denver/Miami of Ohio
- Buddy Morgan, 10, Alliance CC, Mt Union College
- Bob Curtis, 10, Alliance CC, Bowling Green
Coach, Barry Vogeli, Mt Union College
We won District Tournament and competed at State Tournament in Columbus, OH on OSU Campus Scarlet & Gray GC’s.
- Terry Tolerton, 12, Alliance CC, Mt Union College
- Jimmy Bertrum, 12, Sleepy Hollow GC, Mt Union College
- Kurt Wolters, 11, Alliance CC, U. of Denver/Miami of Ohio
- Hugh Morgan, 10, Alliance CC, Hiram College
- Buddy Morgan, 11, Alliance CC, Mt Union College
Coach, Ray Red Ruffin (football coach). Mr. Vogeli was on a teaching sabbatical.
They won District Tournament and competed at State Tournament in Columbus, OH on OSU Campus Scarlet & Gray GC’s. Did really well. May have finish in top 3 places as a team. With one or more challenging as top medalist over 3 rounds of golf.
- Hugh Morgan, 11, Alliance CC, Hiram College
- Buddy Morgan, 12 Alliance CC, Mt Union College
- Bob Curtis, 12, Alliance CC, Bowling Green
- Mike Dietz,, 10, Sleepy Hollow GC, Kent St.
- Bruce Hartzell, 12, Tanenhoff GC, MSU
Coach, Barry Vogeli, Mt Union College
We competed in District Tournament. Hugh Morgan was medalist and competed at State Tournament in Columbus, OH on OSU Campus Scarlet & Gray GC’s.
Alliance High School Golf Teams (1958-59, 1959-60 & 1960-61). Page 2.Author’s notes:
During my sophomore season, I qualified to play about half of the matches as the fourth man and did fairly well. But during district and state tournament Buddy Morgan rightfully played as our fourth man. Only 4 golfers played matches and metal play and 5 men traveled to away golf meetings during this period. Therefore knowing I was only the 6th best golfer in AHS, I did not compete for a position on the team my junior year. Bad decision, because I never got much better!
I grew-up with most of these great fun loving guys playing golf and caddying at the Alliance CC and a few became good friends during those years and later. We did a lot of crazy and stupid things together, but there was a common bond created at the “club”. I guess that was why those teams were so good. Guys with privilege, that didn’t want to let the others down.
Buddy and Hughy Morgan, who were cousins, and I, while still in junior high school, slept-out on our parent’s ACC golf course one summer night in a wooden rain shelter on #11 fairway. We built a small fire in the shelter on the wooden floor to keep warm and tell stories around. The floor caught fire and much water was needed from a near-by creek to contain the damage. No one ever found out who did it!
Senior Bruce Wagner showed me a putting grip in 1959 that I still use today, 50+ years later. He also taught me about the Student Blotter Service he operated at Purdue and I started one at Bowling Green and ran it successfully for 6 semesters. Those valuable tips proved to be so helpful in many ways.
Kurt Wolters put, a OX brother, Scotty Hugo and me up, in his off-campus apartment above the downtown bike shop in Oxford, OH during a football game road trip to watch BG play Miami of Ohio my sophomore year. A very generous and good guy!
And, I was a very small part of all this great AHS golf history.