Wish Book

I found this memory book at an estate sale last Saturday.  It was $1.50 and seemed worth saving.  It was made especially for students of Froebel School for the class year of 1947/48.

Froebel School is now the Froebel Literacy Academy.  Surprisingly, it hasn't changed much.  It stands at 3705 Nebraska Avenue in St. Louis.

The owner of the book was Darlene Culigno.

Darlene was born in 1934 and was 14 at the time of this autograph book.  She lived at 2815 Chippewa Street.

It's a vacant lot now

Her parents were Italian immigrants named Mennato and Filomena Culicigno.  She had 5 sisters: Olivia, Edith, Elvera, Lorraine and Ermelia and one brother, Milton.  The only reference to any of them that I can find outside of census records was a small note in a local newspaper:

 Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Deeken and her mother, Mrs. Anna Niernann, will spend the holidays in St. Louis, where they will attend the wedding of Harry Stevens and Elvera Culicigno. Mr. Stevens is a brother of the Rev. Aloys Stevens here.

Darlene's Teachers

Note that all of the teachers were single.

Darlene's Favorites:

Author: Kathleen Norris

Book: Mystery House

Song: Ballerina was recorded by several artists around 1948 including Bing Crosby and Tommy Dorsey.

Favorite Sport: Basketball

Favorite High School: Barrett Center (I couldn't find any reference to this school)

Motto: "Yesterday's Work is Today's Reward".

Class Leaders, in Darlene's eyes.  All of them sign in her book.

Darlene's Classmates, along with addresses

Alas, we have no photo of Darlene.

The reflections and well-wishes in the book begin with one from Darlene's mother on January 5th, 1948.

Dear Darlene,

When you are in the kitchen learning 

how to cook, 

remember it was 

Mother who wrote

 this in your book,

Mother

Next up are her teachers, most with inspirational and devotional thoughts.

"There is nothing impossible to him who will try." Alexander

Best Wishes, Darlene

Thelma Koeln

Room 1

Dear Darlene,

Best wishes for your happiness and success.

Sincerely,

Miss Huff

Room 2

Dear Darlene,

The Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.

-Psalm 84:11

Elda S. Frank

Room 6 

Dear Darlene,

"A thoroughbred controls his thoughts, words, and actions."

Best wishes,

Sarah Drennan

Room 10

Dear Darlene,

May you have a happy and successful future.

Sincerely,

B Steber

Room 11

Dear Darlene,

Success and happiness is my wish for you.

Ruth Meyer

Room 12

Dear Darlene,

"Do all the good you can and make as little fuss about it as possible."

Sincerely yours,

Emily Koenig

Room 13

"All who joy would win Must share it -- happiness was born a twin."

Byron

Best Wishes,

Delphine Cleary

Room 16

Dear Darlene,

There are girls who can smile

when they're happy

And life goes along like a song,

But the girl worthwhile is

the girl who can smile

When everything seems to go wrong.

Best wishes to a sweet girl,

Margaret Miller

Room 18

Dear Darlene,

I'm sorry I didn't have you in my kindergarten.

Sincerely,

Veda Lynn

Kindergarten

Then some more light-hearted sentiments from her friends and classmates.

Dear Darlene,

Love your Mother,

Love your Father,

Love your sisters and your brother,

Love your playmates and your toys,

But never, never, love the boys.

Your friend,

Pat Hezel

Dear Darlene,

If all the boys lived over

The sea, what a good swimmer

Darlene would be.

Your Classmate

Roy Higginbotham

  2 bad

+2 be

______

4gotten

I wonder if Roy is related to this Higginbotham.

Dear Darlene,

If ever a husband you should have

and he this book should see

Just tell him of your youthful days

and kiss him once for me.

Your Classmate,

Marilyn Mechler

Dear Darlene

The higher the mountain

The stronger the breeze

The younger the couple

The tighter they squeeze.

Your Pal & Classmate

Ray Dove

   2 good

+ 2 be

4 gotten

(I hope)

OUQTINVU

Eyes are made to sparkle

Cheeks are made to blush

Lips are made to ------

Oh no you just hush.

You Classmate

Duretta Ortner

p.s. Good Luck

Dear Darlene,

Think of me long

Think of me ever

Think of the fun we had together.

Your friend & classmate

Betty Wortman

Dear Darlene,

On this leaf in memory prest,

may my name forever rest.

Your Classmate

Bill Hartmann (The Great)

Dear Darlene,

When you go to a party

And come home late

Don't stand talking

And swinging on the gate.

Best of Luck

Your Classmate

Elinora Smock

2 good

+2 b

_____

4 gotten

Dear Darlene,

Apples are grown in Washington,
They're grown in Oregon too,
But it took Missouri
To grow a peach like you

Jackie Svenson

Dear Darlene,

Never fall in water

Never fall in mud

If you fall in anything,

fall in love.

Your classmate 

Dorin

2 cute

2 be

4 gotten

Dear Darlene

Under the spreading Chestnut Tree

The village Smithy stands

But instead of holding the horsehoof

He's holding Darlene's hand.

Friend and Classmate

Jane Slavik

P.S.  I forgot your poem.

Dear Darlene,

There are Gold Ships

There are Silver Ships

But there are no Ships

Like our Friendship

Your Classmate

Marian Kraus

Dear Darlene,

Write in your book for critics to spy

For learners to laugh at

No not I.

Your Friend

Virginia Nash

FOR-GET-ME-NOT

I wonder what Virginia would have thought of all the eyes that are spying her words now.

Dear Darlene,

When on this page you chance to look

Just think of me and close the book.

Your friend and Classmate

Louis

2 cute

2 be

4 gotten

for get me not (one word in each corner)

Dear Darlene

I wish I were a fish

I wish I was a bass

so I could climb the poles and trees

and slide down on the hands and knees.

Your classmate

Jim McClane

Not sure what Jim was trying to get at there.  I'm sure it was meant to be a play on the expected rhyme for "bass", but the second verse reads like he lost all train of thought.

Dear Darlene

I thought & thought & thought in vain

at last I thought to write my name

Your classmate

John Drews

Dear Darlene

Darlene had a steamboat

The steamboat had a bell

Darlene went to heaven

The steamboat went Toot Toot.

Your classmate

James Provaznik

Dear Darlene

When you get married & your hubbie's cross

pick up the broom & say "I'm Boss",

Your Classmate

Violet Lyons

Dear Darlene,

I had a little doggie

I fed him on tim cans

And when the litle puppies came

They came in Ford Sedans.

Love & Kisses,

Toots

Dear Darlene:

Harry

That Harry.  What a jokester.

Dear Darlene,

When you get married and have twenty-five

Don't call it a family, Call it a tribe.

Yours till Niagra Falls

Warren Underwood

2 cute

+2 b

______

4 gotten

OUQTUINVU

Dear Darlene,

It is not the pen that writes friend,

But the friend that writes with the pen.

Your Classmate

Robert Bundy (?)

Dear Darlene,

May all your troubles

be little ones.

Your Classmate

Bob Hughes

Darlene,

When evening draws her curtains

And pins them with a star

Remember me Darlene,

Though I may wander far!

Arabia? Venezuala. Alaska - Kentucky?

Best wishes for the future with 

fond memories of the past.

Sincerely

Betty Boop (it's as good a guess as any!)

Dear Darlene:

I wish you luck,

I wish you you joy

I wish you first a baby boy,

and when his hair begins to curl

I wish you then a baby girl

Your Classmate

Christine Polewski

2 cute

2 b

_____

4 gotten

Dear Darlene,

That delectable dish

May perhaps be fish

But remember the blue book

That taught you something to cook.

Minnie C. Grant

We now leap forward 2 years to May of 1950.

Dear Darlene,

I don't know anything witty to say so I'll just wish you lots of good luck in the future.

Your Classmate,

Charlotte Steffen (or Stiffen)

Dear Darlene:

First comes Love, then comes marriage, and here comes Darlene with the baby carriage.

Best wishes and happiness for your coming life and career.

Your Classmate,

Celestine Applean (?)

Dear Darlene:

I wish you success and happyness in the future years of life. 

May you and that ( ______ ) of yours be always in good health

and happyness.

Love Mary (Butch)

Dear Darlene

Life is like a deck of cards

When your in love its hearts

When your engaged its diamonds

When your married its clubs

When your dead its spades.

Your friend

and classmate

Carol Mueller

Dear Darlene;

I know this page

is saved for your lover

but the heck with him

he can write on the cover.

Your pal and classmate,

Betty Hampton

Dear Darleneee

Love and trust few,

always paddle your own canoe.

Love & Stuff

Donnie Deliberti

Yours till pillow cases goes to court.

Dear Darlene,

I love you little
I love you big
I love you like
a little pig.

Your Classmate
Dolores Walcher

for get
me not

Dear Darlene,

Just to show that I'm a clown,

I'll write my name upside down.

Marilyn Sartori (?)

Lots of luck and happiness in the future.

Dear Darlene,

Roses may wither

Flowers may die

Friends may forget you

But never will I.

Your pal

Virginia Koenig

I don't want to wax too sappy, and believe me,at times sap runs through me like a Maple in spring, but I wonder where the wishes go when the life has been lived and those that vowed to remember them forever are gone.

We'll never know if Darlene's friends did remember her forever, but thanks to the internet, Darlene won't be forgotten.