Rockport High School 1942
Back Row: Left-Right: Nell Curtis, Edward L. Thomasson, Weldon S. Bratcher, Martha
Turley.
Middle Row: L-R: H. T. Kennedy, Margaret Allen, Madelyn Duncan, Kathleen
Vinson, Walter L. Burden.
Seated: L-R: Pete Curtis, Pauline Maples, Lois Robertson,
Mildred Miller, Everett Barnard.
This 1942 Rockport High School Graduation Class had thirteen graduates. After
graduating, seven young girls and six young boys entered the adult world and made
Rockport a better town as well as the world a better place to live.
When this 1942 class started high school, Germany was invading European Countries
and Japan was invading the islands in the Pacific. These two countries, along with
Italy and a few other countries, became known as "The Axis". In control by dictators,
they were on a quest to become rulers of the world. The resistance was minimal at
first, but the opposing countries became organized and became know as "The Allies".
On December the seventh of 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and America declared
war on Japan. In the Pacific Island areas, the Japanese Military was a force to
be reckoned with until the United States entered the battles. The Pearl Harbor
attack awoke a snoozing giant, and in January 1942 a US Submarine sank their first
Japanese warship. The turning point in the war occurred a few months later with a
decisive victory for the United States against Japan in the Battle of Midway.
Squadrons of U. S. torpedo planes and dive bombers from ENTERPRISE, HORNET, and
YORKTOWN attacked and destroyed four Japanese carriers, a cruiser, and damage
another cruiser and two destroyers. The U. S. was not without damages at the carrier
YORKTOWN was lost. From this point on, and until the end of the war, the United
States Military started reclaiming the previous held Pacific Islands that Japan
had claimed.
This 1942 Graduating Class started the school year with doubts of a victory in
the war. Prior to their graduation, Japan was receiving very little resistance
in the conquest of the Pacific and Germany was having very little opposition,
and on their march to Russia. Nine months later, the war effort had improved
and a complete victory of World War II seemed inevitable. Although, the outlook
of victory was improved, this class knew that most would have to serve in the
military. The six young boys had to grow up quickly and morph from being high
school students to becoming young men, as soldiers, to help assure our freedom.
The seven young girls would also be affected by the war and they developed quickly
into young women that would also help assure a victory for the allies. Most of
them knew that they would have to wait for their sweethearts to return home after
serving in the military.
Listed below, in alphabetical order, are the 1942 Rockport High School Graduates.
As you can see, I do not have information on all of the graduates. I have heard
of most of the graduates, but do not have much information about some. Others, I
have more information. If you have any type of picture on any of these graduates,
or any information on them and are willing to share, I would be glad to add that
material to this web page. It does not have to be much. Just enough to account
for some of the sixty plus years that have elapsed since this graduation party
left school and made their mark in history. I can work with you in getting any
material that you have added to this page. Thanks.
I have no information on the following graduates. Help would be appreciated and
used if available.
Margaret Ruth Allen
Weldon S. Bratcher
Walter Lee Burden
Archie Curtis
Everett Barnard
9/1/17
The following information about Everett Barnard was provided by Mary Barnard of
Paoli, Indiana. Have left her paragraphs mostly intact. Thanks Mary. Your time and
efforts are appreciated.
In 1942, at Rockport High School, Everett Barnard was salutatorian. As salutatorian,
he gave the opening remarks at the graduation ceremony. I think he still has the paper
he read that day. Less than a year after Everett gave the opening remarks at the
Rockport High School Graduation, class of 1942, he married a classmate, Lois Robertson.
This marrige took place on February 13, 1943 the day before Everett left for his
military service in the Navy during WW2. During his service time, he was trained as
a carpenter on the island of Guam to build hospital buildings and he later trained
as a medical assistant. After returning home from the war he went to medical school
while he worked as a trim carpenter. Unfortunately, he was never able to finish his
education with the many responsibilities and financial requirements raising his 8
children. Their children are Phyllis, Judy, Everett (Jr), Dale, Brenda, Kerry, Joe
and Sally, four girls and four boys. Like all young people, Lois and Everett had many
dreams, plans and desires when they left high school. They had planned that Lois would
finish her education after Everett completed his, but it did not happen the way they
planned. They received their education from life! Everett ended his college education
after the birth of his fifth child and financed the growing family as a carpenter.
Lois began having memory trouble in 2004 and quickly began to show signs of Alzheimer's
disease. During the next eight years Everett, with the help of his 3 adult children
that lived in Indianapolis area supplied for all her needs. She passed away June 23,
2012. Her passing left a large hole in the family but soft and kind memories have filled
the space she still occupies in all hearts. Everett had a tough first year without
Lois, they were married 68 years and their love for each other was well known. He has
been inundated with love by his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and
still lives in the same house he has for 67 years, drives his little red truck to
supply his needs. He will be 94 on October 23, 2017.
Thanks Everett for you service to your country.
Nell Susan Curtis
Guess that Nell knew what she wanted in life, even before she graduated. I am not
aware of her life before she married H. T. Kennedy. Nell and H. T. probably waited
until H. T. was discharged from the Army before they got married. My first
recollection of the married couple was of them living next to H. T.'s parents in
Rockport. Robert and Ida Mae Kennedy lived west of where the Presbyterian Church
stands today. Robert was a coal miner and Ida Mae was a homemaker. H. T. and
Nell purchased a house across the road from Robert and Ida Mae and started their
family which consisted of one boy. The pair tried a few business ventures before
H. T. started working for Ken Coal Mine. During this early years of their marriage
Neil was very active in the Rockport PTA, the Presbyterian Church, and other
activities that related to making Rockport a better town to live and to raise a
family. H. T. loved the Green River and Nell joined him in the swimming and boating
activities. Nell died at an early age and Rockport and Ohio County lost a very
good citizen and life long worker for the betterment of the community.
This page will be left in the construction stage for now in hopes that someone can
add to this page. Please feel free to send me a picture of Nell in her adult life
and more information about her would be appreciated. Thanks.
Madelyn Duncan
H. T. Kennedy
H. T. was a good athlete, especially a good basketball player, in high school, as
well as most boys that attended the old school at Rockport. After graduation from
RHS, H. T. was drafted into the army and served his country. Returning from the
war, as a hero, he married Nell Curtis and settled in this small river town to
raise a family. After a few business ventures and other work trials, H. T. got
a job with Peabody Coal Company. A son was added to this family and with a good
job, the Green River near by, and a home in Rockport, H. T. was a happy camper.
I am not sure if H. T. finished his working career with Ken Mine or if he
transferred to another mine. It seems that he may have gone to Homestead Mine.
Regardless, he retired from Peabody.
Nell Kennedy died at a relatively young age leaving H. T. the responsibility of
being a father and a mother to his young son. Later in life, H. T. remarried Emma
Rhea Ashby. Emma Rae had a son from a previous marriage and H. T. had a son. H.
T. and Emma Rae became parents of two children, a boy and a girl, thus it was his,
hers, and theirs as far as children were concerned. Their two children settled in
Louisville to raise families of their own and H. T. and Emma Rae moved to Louisville
to be close to their grandchildren.
OBITUARY:
KENNEDY, HARLEN THOMAS "H.T." SR., 88, of Louisville, passed away on Tuesday,
March 26, 2013 in Louisville.
H.T. was born in Rockport, KY, on July 22, 1924 to parents, Robert and Ida Mae
Kennedy. During World War II, H.T. fought for his country in Europe and received
a Purple Heart and Bronze Star. After returning home to Rockport, H.T. worked in
the coal mines for 39 years. In 1960 he married his high school sweetheart, Emma
Rhea Ashby from Centertown, KY. H.T. was an elder in the Presbyterian Church, a
Boy Scout leader, and a member of the Freemasons. At the time of his death, H.T.
was a member of Beulah Presbyterian Church in Louisville.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Emma Rhea (Ashby) Kennedy; sister, Juanita
Kennedy Park of Rockport, KY; children, Harlen Kennedy Jr. (Brenda) of Calhoun, KY,
Paul Walton (Jan) of Westminster, CO, John Kennedy (Kelly) of Crestwood, KY, and
Peri Jacobson (Bruce) of Louisville; grandchildren, Robert Kennedy, Reggie Kennedy,
Shane Kennedy, Carly Kennedy, Zachary Kennedy, Sean Jacobson, Emily Jacobson and
Michelle Hopper; eight great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
His funeral is 10 a.m. Friday EDT at Beulah Presbyterian Church, 6701 Bardstown
Road, Louisville, KY, 40291, with burial in Rose Hill Cemetery, Central City, KY,
at noon CDT. Visitation is 3-7 p.m. Thursday at Fern Creek Funeral Home, 5406
Bardstown Road, Louisville.
Memorial gifts: his church memorial fund or Parkinson's Disease.
To view more about H. T. click on the following link.
H. T. Kennedy
To view H. T.'s Soldier Page, click on the following link.
H. T. Kennedy-Soldier
Information unavailable for the following graduates. Again, help would be appreciated.
Pauline Maple
Mildred Miller
Lois Robertson.
9/1/17
The following information about Lois Robertson was provided by Mary Barnard of
Paoli, Indiana. Have left her paragraphs mostly intact. Thanks Mary. Your time and
efforts are appreciated.
Lois Robertson was valedictorian of the 1942 Rockport High School Graduation Class.
A few months after graduation, she married a classmate, Everett Barnard. They married
on February 13, 1943, the day before Everett left for his military service in the Navy
during WW2. After returning from the war effort, Lois and Everett settled in the
Indianapolis, Indiana area where Everett found work as a finished carpenter. Their
children are Phyllis, Judy, Everett (Jr), Dale, Brenda, Kerry, Joe and Sally; four
girls and four boys. Like all young people, Lois and Everett had many dreams, plans
and desires when they left high school. They had planned that Lois would finish her
education after Everett completed his, but it did not happen the way they planned.
They received their education from life!
I came into the Barnard family in 1980, when I married Dale. But my family had lived in
the area for years and I knew them since I was in the first grade. Lois was my scout
teacher and all my brothers were in her children's classes at school. In my opinion,
Lois was a mathematical genius. Her creativity was unsurpassed. She was born 17 May 1924
in Pond Run, Kentucky and moved to Indianapolis, IN when she and Everett married. She
managed her large family successfully by raising a huge garden every summer that she
processed, canned and fed all her children throughout the winter until she was in her
late 70's. She not only made most of their clothes as children, but taught her four
daughters to be excellent seamstresses. All her children were in scouts, Everett Jr
and Dale were eagle scouts. She was scout leader many years. Lois hand built toys to
enhance their learning ability in the 1940's and 50's that toy companies would finally
catch up with in the 1970's. She made quilts, stuff animals, and other hand toys from
her imagination, she made Everett's work clothes by hand. My husband Dale followed
in his dad footsteps and after deciding not to teach math, he applied his talents as
a cabinetmaker and is recognized as an expert in his field. (http://www.the-cabinetmaker.com)
Lois began having memory trouble in 2004 and quickly began to show signs of Alzheimer's
disease. During the next eight years Everett, with the help of his 3 adult children
that lived in Indianapolis area, supplied for all her needs. She passed away June 23,
2012. All her children, with 19 grandchildren, and 20 great grandchildren attended
her funeral bringing handmade gifts for display she given them during her life time.
A beautiful large Cathedral Window quilt she had made covered the end of her coffin.
It was made only of material that had been used to made clothes for her children and
the extended family. Each tiny piece of material was different and all material had
originally belonged to a family member. She handmade stitch by stitch 8 of these
incredible quilts, one for each of her adult children. I think it was symbolic for
the importance she put on her family and the detailed and intricate way she wove
through each of their lives.
Edward Lee Thomasson
Edward attended the 2008 Rockport High School Reunion and I was able to meet him
and to get a good picture. I have the picture, but not much other information.
If you can be of help in this area, please send me some material on Ed and I
will update his web page. Thanks in advance.
Click on the following link for a picture and a short write-up of Ed.
Ed Thomasson.
Martha Lee Turley
See you.....
jrd
:-)
