HERE IT IS - BRUCE CHENOWETH'S ('58) LONG SOUGHT AND (SOON TO BE)
NEARLY NEW, 1948 OLDSMOBILE 98 FUTURAMA(sp?):
While at WCHS, Bruce, '58, owned and drove a bright red '48 Olds fastback. A straight-eight cylinder beauty (did I say beauty?) that took us on many great adventures (when we could scrape together 50 cents for gasoline.) Here is the email that Bruce included with the pix:

7/2/2007
Hi guys,
Check it out. I just brought this beauty back from west of Chicago, yesterday. There is absolutely no rusted through places anywhere on the body and no major dents. The frame is solid with no rust. The straight eight motor purrs like the day it was new and the Hydramatic Transmission shifts flawlessly. This was a barn find from the high desert of eastern Colorado. Mike (West...ed.), you will especially appreciate the fact the gearshift has been broken off (see photo) and repaired, as was the original "BIG RED ONE". For some reason, they didn't put the gear selector on the left side as I had done, but we can correct that oversight. The interior will be done by Marine Upholstery, who used to be located in the house on the river next door to where Bonnie lived. He is coming to the warehouse Monday to pick up the interior parts he can carry in his truck. The body finishing and paint will be done by my good friend Neil Green at Waynesville Body Shop. I ordered the wide whitewall tires (you can't find port-a-walls anymore, darnit). Today, we took out the seats, vacuumed it out (two canisters full), and removed the wheels. Tomorrow I will have the tires removed from the wheels and take them to the sandblaster. After sandblasting, they will be painted (creme colored I think...if not black). Black would give it the WCHS colors as the body will be painted, what else but Red. By the time the wheels come back, the tires should be here (they're being shipped in from Coker of Tennessee) so will have them mounted, balanced, and reinstalled. The biggest problem will be finding bumpers, grill parts, glass, and other miscellanious chrome parts that are missing or broken. However, I sold the Black '56 Olds (actually made a profit) to a guy in Des Plains, IL who is a real Olds fanatic with two six car garages full of Olds parts. He tells me he believes he has most of what I need. I will be taking photos of the progress on the restoration of this rare gem (only 3,854 of this body style were ever built...they made a whole lot of '49's, as due to starting production late in '48, they changed to the '49 model two months after production began). As you can imagine, I'm charged up. The goal is to have it done (at least the painting and interior) in time for Frisch's Frolic. As near as I can estimate, it is going to wind up costing me about one hundred (100) times what the original cost, but what the hell. It'll be a great car (when done, it will most likely appraise for $20,000.00 or better) and a marvelous piece of WCHS history for the few of us who remember the trips to school and back and the trips to the Lebanon sock hop and back. I'll be sharing the progress with you.
Always your good friend (semper fi)
Bruce



- posted by Mikey @ 2:08 PM

 

- posted by Mikey @ 2:00 PM

 
WECATON SPECIAL REPORT !! -- 04 JUL 2007:
Bonnie writes:

We have an accident with which to deal! This past Sunday, July 1, 1960's EDGAR L. "EDDIE" KELLY, sustained a broken back, resulting from an ATV mishap. He and wife Marilyn had spent the entire day in the scenic Idaho countryside, riding their ATVs. They both have their own units. As Eddie was loading his, it did the very thing for which ATVs are so notoriously known; i.e., it went over backward on him just at the moment it reached the, "no-more-gravity," point, as you load. People who are familiar with these things (and motorcycles and trikes, too) will know instantly what I mean.

In any case, Eddie instructed Marilyn to let me know. I was happy that he did. She called me and he wanted to talk with me. This was just about an hour ago, and I think the time differential is 3 hours earlier in Idaho, but it may be only 2. In any case, Eddie and I talked on the phone for possibly 10 minutes. I could tell he was heavily drugged and was also in extreme pain. I was told to notify his schoolmates and that's what I'm doing.

At this moment, he's a patient at Boise's (Idaho) St. Alphonsus Hospital, where he was air-lifted, directly from the desert accident scene. He awaits surgery. I believe Marilyn said that would be done tomorrow.

All of you who came to last year's dinner/dance will vividly recall Eddie stealing the show in his full kilt outfit and of course, he remained our very cool and very hip, "Fonzie," even after all these years. He's told me many times since then, what a warmth he felt for everyone and how much fun he had there.

Well, Eddie needs us all to rally around now. So let's do what we do best---stick together!! After Eddie has his surgery, he'll likley be sent (within a few days) to a VA hospital for recuperation and rehabilitation. But for now, he can be reached directly by calling 208-367-2356. His home phone number is 208 442-4366, and Marilyn will be thrilled to relay messages of support and good cheer to him, from all fellow WC alumni.

Of course, everyone will want to send e-mail! It's so fast and so instantly gratuitous. But please don't do that, Marilyn says. She doesn't know how to do the e-mail and Eddie obviously isn't there to do it. We have to put a bit of effort into this one. She would dearly love to see him get lots of postally-mailed cards. So here is the complete mailing address:

1109 South Bonneville Drive
Nampa, Idaho 83686.

It doesn't matter one bit, if you knew him or not. Just sign your school name and class year, okay?

There were several people who were specifically mentioned by Eddie, as being those he wanted to know about this. They included his lifelong friends, AARON COUCH, 1962's RICHARD C. CALL, and CURTIS A. KEMP. I've notified all of those folks. He also mentioned his, "high school crush," EULA FAYE BAILEY (and I've told her, too), teacher DAVID E. COLLINS (are you there, Mr. C.?) and his high school girlfriend, DIANA JEAN MILTON. Does anyone know how to reach her? If so, please do. There's also 1960 classmate RICHARD LEE "DICKIE" PHILLIPS and I'm going to try and get word to WM. M. ROHLER, as well. I think I can reach him. He mentioned his two very glamorous "escorts" into the dinner/dance, too (1962 classmates and lifelong best friends DONNA JEAN RICHARDS and PAULA ROSE WILSON).

It would be an understatement, I know, if I wrote that I know we all wish the very best for Eddie in his full and speedy recovery from this tragic accident. But in the meantime, let's get out those postage stamps (do you all remember what those are), and those pens and get those cards in the mail. Failing that, let's dial that phone, en masse!!! If there's any good news here, it's that Eddie is still with us and he IS going to recover. I know that is very often NOT the outcome with the ATV accidents, so we're thankful for that. I'll be doing a new WNR, sometime this month. Best to all!

--- Bonnie
- posted by Mikey @ 5:32 PM