Cushing Alumni 1060

As forecasted in the bio beside my senior photo, I did become a beautician in 1961 after
marrying Lester (Buster) Eugene Bradley in June of 1960. We left Cushing for Norman
that summer where Buster graduated from OU and I from Central Beauty Academy in
Oklahoma City the following year.

The summer of 1961 Coach Skelton recruited Buster to coach football and teach at
Cushing High School. What an experience to return to CHS with such different
responsibilities. Upon arrival we had no clue as to the major direction our life would take
from one year back at CHS and Cushing. We became life-long friends with Keith (CHS
Wrestling Coach) and Rosalie Plummer that year.

The story goes that Keith, who had family in Phoenix, threw on their kitchen table two
teaching applications, one for Mesa and one for Scottsdale. Buster took the Mesa one and
Keith the one for Scottsdale Unified School District. Fast forward to 1992, Buster retired
from Mesa High School and Keith retired from Coronado High School, both serving thirty
years as teachers and coaches. Ironically, I was the Assistant Principal at Coronado High
School at the time of their retirement.
Now return to the sixties: I was a hairdresser in Mesa, Arizona from 1962 until 1968 when I
began college - first at Mesa Community College for the first two years, then at Arizona
State University. Our first daughter Tracy was born in 1966 and our second daughter
Christy in 1969.

At CHS I had taken the math and science requirements for a home economics major
because Mrs. Rainwater told me I would have to major in something other than fashion
design. I followed her advice nine years later and majored in Home Economics, not for
the design but for the focus in child development and family studies. I speculated if
nothing else the degree would help me be a better mother to Tracy and Christy.

Over the years I graduated from Arizona State University three times: 1974, 1979 and
1996. Can you believe it, me the one who struggled in Mrs. McCuistion English class
graduated with a doctorate let alone a bachelor degree?
From 1962 to the present Buster and I call Mesa home. When we arrived in 1962, to us, it
was a big city of thirty five thousand folks (now 500,000), close to Mexico, California, with
a very different culture than Cushing. The extremely hot summers in the Valley of the
Sun were a challenge to get use to, however we soon realized that the winters were
pleasantly mild and wonderful; people migrate from all over to enjoy the weather from
October thru April. Today we live three blocks from the new Mesa High School. Our
neighbors behind us and on the side are former MHS students, one played football for
Buster. Tracy along with her husband David and daughter Brittany (my only grandchild
whom I adore) live a few miles away. Christy is close by in the city of Yuma, but shortly
will be moving to Scotland to be with her fiancé Allan, a Scotsman.
Besides our family and friends, the joy of our lives is summering at our cabin in Forest
Lakes, Arizona on top of the Mogollon Rim among the White Mountains. From Mesa to
Forest Lakes one climbs from 1500 ft above sea level to 7500 feet in a short two hour drive.
And for me, my career in education was and is very rewarding. I spent twenty-eight years
in public education as a teacher, a teacher educator, and administrator. My last position
before retiring in 2002 was principal of Coronado High School - Scottsdale Unified School
District, where Keith taught for those many years. Keith passed on a few years ago,
however we see Rosalie from time-to-time.

Usually every month I have lunch with Sharon Myers Huggins (Don's sister and class of
1961) to reminisce about our days in Cushing, and about family and friends who are so
dear to our hearts.

Life is good, however much different from the plan I had in my mind in high school.
Fortunately, I would not change it for the world. I am currently an Associate Professor,
School of Education for Wayland Baptist University in Phoenix. WBU is out of Plainview,
Texas with campuses across the southwest, Hawaii and Alaska. My classroom for the most
part takes place in the virtual world on Blackboard.

Our 1960 class was the beginning of an era that changed the world. I wait to hear more
about the path each of you traveled. The photo is of my immediate family taken spring
2009 when Allan was here from Scotland. Buster and I celebrate 50 years of marriage
June 19, 2010. WOW! Check out our wedding photo from 1960 on Facebook. I am sure we
haven't changed that much. Ha! Here is the link:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=1547883822
See you in Cushing to celebrate memories of the past, renew friendships and wonder what
the future will bring