Fairview School, Ottumwa, Iowa 2003 Fairview School, Ottumwa, Iowa Steve ([email protected]) Hi Mary, I guess I was pretty hard on Irving School, but being a kid moving first away from all my friends just across town, then knowing we would be going all the way to California was pretty hard to take. I really loved Fairview because of a great principle named, Mr. James. It didn't matter how big or small you were, everyone was allowed to participate in every sport there was and he saw to it that we could box, wrestle, play baseball, football, play volleyball or do gymnastics. He called me "Pee-Wee" because I was small for my age and a person knew he liked you just by the way he acted towards people. One day he took the pitchers mound to pitch me his best pitch and I hit a line drive that hit him and bloodied his lip. He just laughed and wiped the blood away. I was scared to death and didn't run to first base, but instead ran up to him to see how he was. When he walked away he said, "Pee Wee take first base, no one tagged you out." We lived out on West Second Street and Caldwell Hill, right across from Clyde Lancey's grocery store. I remember one day talking my little brother into playing hooky from school. We stayed in the alley and watched the other kids walking to school and when they were all gone we saw our dad in his Buick looking for us probably, so I let him see us. He took us to school telling us that he wasn't going to spank us, because Mr. James would take care of that once we got to school. When we got to Mr. James office my little brother was crying and I told Mr. James that it was my idea and all my fault and he gave a talking to while holding a ping-pong pattle. He said, "I'm not going to give you a spanking because I know your father probably already took care of that." We didn't say a word, because we sure couldn't lie, or we would get another spanking, so we just kept quiet. When our dad came home from work he gave us a good talking to and said he wasn't going to be to hard on us after we a good licking at school, so again we just kept quiet. We never did get a spanking, but never played hooky again. Throwing snowballs was no problem and Mr. James would join right in. He was strict though and saw to it we kept our grades up as well, stopping by our classrooms etc. He use to pop up at recess and ask us a question out of nowhere. One day I along with other kids were rolling down this grassy hill next to the school and when I got up I tripped and fell on my arm, breaking it at the wrist. I went up to Mr. James and he was talking to a man and I waited, but finally tugged on his coat saying, Mr. James I...." he would cut me off saying not to interrupt, finally I just yelled out, "I think I broke my arm." He looked at it, picked me up and took off to his car and gave me a ride home. My mom then took me to the hospital and after that it was a lot of ice cream. Us kids use to play down by the river which wasn't far from our house. I loved Ottumwa, as a kid. I remember when the circus came to town and they would parade all the animals right down the street to the Ottumwa Park and we would go down there and see them. Carny people aren't very friendly though. I only have an aunt living there now. She is now in the Good Samaritan Home at age 84. They lived out on Finney Cottage before. Her name is Bernice (Smith) Day. I still have cousins out around Highland Center on the Emery side. School sure wasn't the same in California, because there are just to many people then and now. No snow, no river bank to play on, only wall to wall houses and buildings. We made do but it just wasn't the same. I would have liked to have stayed at Irving than had to leave to live in California. My dad said it was the best move he ever made as far as work etc. We had a good life here. My father is dead now, my mom is still living at age 83. She remarried to a widow who has nine children all in Wisconsin. I'm a retired meat-cutter as well as my older brother. My little brother is a retired police officer, now living in Texas. My dad retired from the Los Angeles Water & power and my mom worked at the Elks Lode twenty years. We did Ok in California and always wondered what would have happened if we had stayed in Iowa. Well Mary I didn't mean to write a book, but it looks like I did. I get carried away sometime typing. Steve