The Chase

I went to the school with Sam Postema and Fred VanZoest. We were the first ones to go to CCS. We also had Mack Holthouse with us. Those boys would chase me home from school, but I was faster than those boys. I was the only girl!

I can see from my house all the wonderful things going on at the school. I watch the football and soccer and the kids playing out there.

~Nancy Honda - CCS Alumna

The President

I started the 1st Grade with Miss Cok as my teacher and being a child of the baby boomer generation, there was a class of 9, which was considered a big class in the '50s.

One of my favorite memories was when the entire student body went to Willard to watch the train pass by with President Eisenhower waving to the crowd.

I was young and one of the shortest in my class and I would not have seen the President had it not been for Billy Holthouse lifting me up to look over the crowd. Thanks Billy!

~John Vanderbilt - CCS Alumnus

Old Pete's Car

Approximately 1940, CCS had a principal/teacher named Peter Decker. He was an excellent teacher, but was quite austere and proper. At graduation, he always gave a speech complimenting the students. When I graduated I was the valedictorian. After my speech, he said "I have nothing to say about this class." My parents were crushed! I wrote a poem for English class and even proper Peter smiled. Before I get to the poem, Peter would pack his lunch and when he ate, he always folded his wax paper back perfectly. I think he used the same wax paper all the time he was in Celeryville. The Poem...

Pete's old car was a rattle trap,

He'd ride right by with a tip of his hat,

He should buy another but he's too cheap,

So he rides around in that tin heap,

Never a smile, always a frown,

When he returns from his trip to town,

The motor is shot and the tires are thin,

But like the driver, it's in good shape, for the shape it's in!

~Jim Buurma - CCS Alumnus

Speech! Speech!

Here is a story that involved two people with the same name. At that time, we would hold our graduation program in the church sanctuary. On the program, it said "Welcome Speech" by Fred VanZoest. Older Fred VanZoest, who was on the school board at the time, went to the front of church and stumbled through a welcoming speech. As soon as he sat down, young Fred VanZoest, his nephew, got up and gave a welcoming speech. Needless to say, the audience erupted into a supressed laughter.

~Cal Cok - CCS Alumnus