David Rutledge

For me, school in Marshall was just through 9th grade; 1-1/2 years in Dallas, and 1-1/2 years at two high schools in Atlanta didn’t change my hometown attachment. The funniest things I remember were from junior high football. Melvin Holden, who was one of the humblest, most considerate, and loyal friends you could ask for, had never played football at all—even in PE—and didn’t look like any runner I’d seen, was so fast that that itself was funny. HL was (probably still is) a great all around athlete at just about everything. (Ronnie Carpenter also has to be mentioned, but we had a lot of good players.) It wasn’t funny when he lay like a stone for two or three minutes after tackling a guy on the kickoff in one game, but a couple of things were hilarious. One game, after breaking free on the left sideline and running 20 or 30 yards, he started to lose his balance around midfield and little by little kept leaning more forward till he finally fell after running another 20 or 30 yards with nobody near him. The best ever was when he and Melvin were back in twin punt return formation around the 10-yard line, and HL coolly let the ball go over his head into the end zone. Melvin, not knowing any better, ran around from his side of the field through the end zone, picked up the ball and started running up HL’s sideline, while HL stood where he was turning around as necessary hollering at him not to run it back. Meanwhile Melvin broke through a batch of tacklers near the goal line and headed for paydirt, HL trotting behind still “explaining” (I presume) how stupid that was. I don’t remember whether he scored the touchdown, but if not, it was somewhere close. Hats off to HL, and to Melvin!
One on me: In first grade, Nita Faye Rule passed me a note that said “I hate you”. I took my pencil and scribbled till the note was black, and tried to think of an appropriate response. It was a difficult spot, but I finally decided on the clever idea of “I hate you”, but I didn’t know how to spell “hate “, and her note was obliterated. So I did the best I could and wrote “I HAT YOU”. Before I could pass it back, Mrs. Sternberg took it and started lecturing the class about passing notes. Of course, Nita (and everyone else) was saying “What does it say?”. Mrs. Sternberg very solemnly said, “Oh, I can’t tell you—It’s something VERY VERY BAD.” I was mortified, and Nita, to this day probably wonders what vile thing my first grade mind had tried to send her.

US (missed 5 states), Puerto Rico USA, Mexico, Canada, England, Scotland, and Wales

Get a pilot’s license. Make it to a MHS reunion.

Not nearly enough, and mostly long ago. Kay Clark (McCreary) and I got together after my family moved to Dallas, and very briefly after we moved to Atlanta. I saw Nancy Boyd in Harleton after 9th grade, where she told me she was leaving Marshall at least partly because “the boys” (she didn’t say and I didn’t pick up on mostly me)”were too stuck up, and they weren’t in Harleton.” Big loss for Marshall. I tried to see her in the eighties (got her phone number from the high school in Tyler where she was teaching, but was able to talk with her for only a few minutes, because she was leaving the house. I learned that she was married with children from her dad, who was busy selling some cattle to George Foreman when I found him. Sam and Kay Moseley had Carolyn and me over when we were in town for some ceremonies recognizing my father around 1980(?); we had a great visit looking through annuals, with Sam trying to catch me up on the 20-odd “missing” years since I left. We came across Marilyn Mock (Carrithers) MHS 1958?, 1959? in Brady, Texas when I was there on business. Our kids swam with her kids. We saw Marlee briefly on a trip through Dallas. Once when I was passing through, I got Dr. Harris on the phone at his ranch, but was unlucky enough to catch him at a busy time. In the early eighties Nathan Murray came up to me at Hobby Airport in Houston, out of the blue saying, “Aren’t you David Rutledge from Marshall, Texas?” I remember him and his family well, but thought he was a year behind me. He said he was Class of 1960, but I don’t see his name on the list. I misplaced his card (as I did with a lot of contact info); I hope someone can fill in this gap. Two or three times over the years I stopped by Doug Moseley’s service stations and talked a few minutes. To the best of my knowledge, that’s the total of my personal contacts with Marshallites.
Since the Reunion(and especially the website) has been a-brewing, Jim,and especially Sam and Edd have been very helpful, and it’s much appreciated. I have been really bad at responding over the years; I prefer offline, but I’m making an effort to conform. It’s almost impossible actually to “catch up “, especially since most of your water didn’t go under my bridge, but I’m interested and entertained by whatever I am able to understand. Kay Andrews (a friend for 76 years) managed to get Kay McCreary and me back in touch, and those contacts are always a blessing. Thanks to all remembering me and inviting me to try to stay close.

College degree: Bachelor of Music

Get to know people better, and be more considerate.