Willard School – Basketball Champs 1949 Under Morris Homme
Willard Hoopsters Guests At Dinner – 1949
Willard grade school’s class B basketball champions and the boys that played on the Willard Kiwanis league teams were entertained at dinner at the Willard Saturday night. Superintendent C. S. Porter of the Missoula grade schools and Dr. J. E. (Burly) Miller of the State University were speakers. Rev. W. G. Collier gave the blessing, Principal Waldemar Olson spoke in welcome, Gary Ormesher gave the response, and a quartet of Jeanne Richardson, Alice Burger, Shelia McDorney and Roberta Johnson, accompanied by Mrs. J. D. McDorney, sang. A playback transcription of the Willard-Hawthorne class B title game was a feature of the program. The Willard Parent-Teachers association committee in charge included Mrs. V. L. Gardner, Mrs. D. G. Russell, Mrs. Gilmore Johnson, Mrs. R. S. Anderson, Mrs. O. Nousianen, Miss Berth Rehder[1] and Mr. Olson. Waitresses were Shelia McDorney, Roberta Johnson, Marie Dandrea, Ann Denzer[2], Clara Bartz and Shirley Lewis. Cheer leaders Joyce Logan, Alice Burger, Jeanne Richardson and Marjorie Pickens were present.
Fathers of a number of the basketball players attended the banquet. Members of the Willard championship squad were Kenneth Huston, Dick Morris, Robert Tidball[3], Pete Gardner, Ralph Johnson, James Pickens, Skip Hayes[4], Bobby Anderson, Harley Hardt, Gary Ormesher, Lewis Shull and Coach Morris Homme[5].
The above article appeared in The Missoulian on March 20, 1949.
I went to Willard School for grades 1 through 8. It was a classic public school with many very dedicated teachers. Many of the above names are familiar to me.
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[1] Bertha Rehder was a native Missoulian, born in 1893, the daughter of pioneer Jacob Rehder (1883). She once told me of having to use a boat to get across the Bitter Root River. She lived in the Cold Springs area at one time. Her father was a master gardener & won many awards for it. Her mother was Julie Emmerick Rehder.
[2] One of my brothers said Ann was the cutest girl in his class. When I told her that, not long ago, she blushed and laughed at the same time. She has a scrapbook of Willard memorabilia.
[3] Bob was my neighbor. His father, Robert, died in Missoula in 2013, at age 104.
[4] Skip is a great grandson of Missoula pioneer Ed Hayes.
[5] Morris was my 6th grade teacher. He did not put up with any monkey business in his classes. He died in Msla in 2012 at age 100. He loved sports and was a good athlete himself. He was one of 5 brothers from Outlook, Mt. One of his brothers, Roy, played on the 1928-29 Golden Bobcats basketball team.