Hang in there Buddy. Have a nice birthday, hopefully with family.

Posted on: Feb 05, 2024 at 6:31 AM

Once again you beat me over the line to the next birthday number but I’ll catch up in April. Have a good B/D Gordon. Tell Jane I said Hi.

Died Feb 8 2009 in CA per info from older sister Olive.

Finally caught up to the rest of us old folks. Hope you have a good birthday.

Hang in there buddy.

Bernard “Bernie” Norris was my uncle and I would like to provide a brief summary of his life after leaving MHS.
After graduation Bernie went to the Milford NE vocational training center to learn aircraft assembly and maintenance. He then married Wilma Byrd and took a job in Southern California with an aircraft company. When WWII started he was with Lockheed Aircraft but was drafted and spent multiple years in the South Pacific. He moved from island to island as the US advanced and was in at least one invasion where they go ashore on landing craft. At one time he was doing aerial photography over Japanese occupied islands.
When he returned home he and Wilma produced a daughter, then a son which then resulted in 5 grandchildren. He resumed working for Lockheed in Burbank CA and had over 49 years there when he retired. His goal was to have 50 years seniority but had to retire when he needed to care for his wife.
His work at Lockheed involved a number of aircraft models from commercial to anti submarine and he worked his way up from assembler to Manufacturing Engineer.

Wilma Byrd Norris was my father’s youngest sister and I would like to write a short summary of her life after leaving MHS.
She first attended two years at McCook Junior College before marrying Bernie Norris and moving to Southern California where Bernie found employment in the aircraft industry. Then when WWII broke out Bernie was drafted and assigned in the South Pacific for several years with no leaves to visit home. During that time Wilma worked in a chemical laboratory.
When Bernie returned he resumed his career with Lockheed Aircraft and they bought a new house in Panorama City produced two children. A daughter and then a son. That resulted in five grandchildren that were Wilma’s pride and joy.
After raising her children she worked as the secretary for a church school operated by their church. She continued that until health issues intervened

The following is a summary of the life of my wife for 65 years Margaret Fassler Byrd ‘53.

Marge was born at home on Christmas Day 1935 to Walter and Margaret (Brown) Fassler. She was the middle of three sisters and with no brothers she became somewhat of a Tomboy and worked with her Dad milking cows, driving tractor at 12, and riding a horse to bring the cattle in from the pasture.

She went to Perry School through 8th grade then graduated from MHS at 17. With a summer program at McCook Junior College she started teaching country school and taught for 3 years. When I returned from Korea we married and lived in Milwaukee while I finished my Army enlistment. Marge worked a clerical job at American Motors. We settled in Southern CA for 13 years where she worked as a school secretary after all three of our children were in school. Her children are son Corrie, daughter Jill, and daughter Rhonda.

We then moved to Michigan in 1971 where she resumed her school secretary career, this time as secretary to a Director of Special Education and retired in 1995.

Her passions were family, arts and crafts, and especially photography. She had over 14,000 pictures in her computer she had taken herself on our trips to Mexico, Hawaii, Alaska, Scotland, Ireland, and all over the continental U.S.

When she was close to passing from Parkinson’s her granddaughter who was expecting Marge’s 5th great grand child whispered the baby’s name in Marge’s ear as they didn’t want to reveal the name until she was born. Marge kept the secret. 

Her family thinks of her and misses her every day.

In the absence of an obituary I would like to describe what my brother Ron did after leaving MHS. He attended two fall semesters at McCook Junior College and played on the football team, working for the telephone company on a traveling line crew in between. He then volunteered for the draft and began a 2 year hitch. He married his high school sweetheart Grace Moffitt while in the Army and achieved the rank of Sargent. After discharge he and Grace settled in Southern California where he worked as a draftsman on drawings for an oil company and then decided he should finish college to become a high school Industrial Arts teacher and Coach. He taught mostly wood shop but did some extra Driver's Education and coaching of football and track. Ron retired at 58 and enjoyed life with his wife Grace, a daughter and a granddaughter until he passed from Multiple Myaloma complications at age 68. His passions, besides his family, was deep sea fishing in Mexico and helping friends with whatever type of construction project they had. He is missed every day by many.

I didn't really know Don at MHS as he was 4 years older than me. I think my brother Ron Byrd may have played football with him and I recall his father had an interest in the shoe store Dunbar and Osborne on the northeast corner of Main (at that time);and B Street. I became acquainted with Don when were were in the same Army basic training unit at Fort Bliss TX in July 1954. Don had completed 4 years at the University of Nebr and was drafted for a 2 year Army hitch. While we were there, another MHS grad, Glen Hummels '44, somehow found out we were there in training. He was career Army and had the rank of Warrant Officer. He obtained permission for Don and I to be released for an evening and took us to his house for dinner. After basic we each went on to another training assignment and I lost track of him.

The obituarie for Betty's husband Jim below provides more information on her life. https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/scottsbluff-ne/james-jim-barker-7922802

We just keep clicking them off. Have a Happy Birthday Jay.

Hope your B/D is a good one Kieth!

Posted on: Mar 26, 2023 at 5:54 AM

TYPO - Make that BIRTHDAY.

I hope you are having a good Bityhday today.

Have another good one Bob.