Bio, 2014: Ralph Renfro
Hard to believe it's been 50 yrs since the best class SHS ever had has graduated. Time certainly flys when you're having a good time. Here's a little scoop on what has transpired in the past 50 years for me.
After graduation, I began school at OSU. I was majoring in Pre-Dentistry. I continued on that path for two years and two summer sessions. While working for the rec department, I got a taste of coaching kids and I really liked it. I told a friend, "I could see me doing that". So my life took a big ole northbound turn. I transferred to Sterling College, a small four year college in Sterling, Kansas. I switched majors to Elementary Ed and I was back to playing baseball, which I had really missed since my last Legion stint.
I graduated in December of 1968 and took over a teaching and coaching position in Douglass Kansas. The individual I took over for was drafted out of his job. I was teaching 6th grade and coaching Jr. High BB and Track. Before my semester was over Payne County was trying to fill a need. I transferred my draft board to Butler County Kansas and that gave me another month. I began working with an Air Force Recruiter in Wichita, since I had been in Air ROTC and had taken the AFOQT, I decided I'd rather be a 90 day wonder and a Jet Jockey if I was going to tour SE Asia.
I had met and married Dianne Daniels on April 25th 1969. I went to KC for my pre induction physical for the AF and they discovered that I had four vertebrae fused in my lower back. They asked, "How badly do you want in the Air Force?" I told them if I had a choice I'd rather be teaching kids and coaching. They said I'd be reclassified as 4F and wouldn't be draft eligible. I saluted the recruiter, told him thank you and went to the nearest bar to call Dianne.
About a week later the superintendent of USD 401 in Chase, Kansas, came to our home in Douglass with a contract to teach Jr. High Math and Science and coach FB, BB, and Track. I signed the contract and we we off to Chase Kansas for the beginning of the 1969-70 school year. It was a wonderful experience, an undefeated FB team, League Champs in BB, and track was off and running well until April 26th, the day after our first anniversary. While burning some limbs and debris on Dianne's parents farm, I had a little trouble and came very close to burning myself to death. I managed to get the fire out and spent the next 91 days in the hospital.
In 1977 our daughter Krystyn was born and our world changed. We had waited so long. Krystyn was a joy from the beginning. She was beautiful and bright, just like all our kids. She graduated in 1995 and moved to Lawrence to attend KU.
She wound up getting married before she graduated and started a family. We have three grandkids, Griffin 16, Isabel 13 and Greyden 4 years.
I went back to school in 1979 and obtained a Masters in Education Administration. So from 1981 till I retired in 2001, I was also the Principal of the Jr. High. Still teaching a full load and still coaching three sports.
After retirement from a life in the 8th Grade, I went to work on a farm for a friend. I worked for him until Jan 31st 2009. That is the night that changed everything in my family's life. Greyden was three months old and Dianne had gone to Lawrence to visit with the baby and our daughter. Late that evening Krystyn was jogging and walking, which was common for her. She had stopped in a residential neighborhood and was visiting with a friend on the cell phone. A lady came out of the house and asked her if she was alright and she replied, "yes, I'm fine". She put the cell into her coat pocket but missed and it fell off the curb. Krystyn bent over to pick it up and at that instant a vehicle hit her. Her head was at bumper and hood level. It knocked her out of her shoes. Then the sob, excuse my French, ran over her to get away.
She was life watched to KU Med Center in KC. Within the golden hour, they had done an MRI and had her in surgery. They removed the frontal lobe of her skull to relieve the pressure, installed four cranial drains, and had her in a coma, with approximately 100 lbs of traction weights to keep her pelvis aligned where the vehicle busted it front and back.
I have never prayed so long and so hard for anything in my life. It's a four hour drive to KC from Chase and it was the longest ride of my life. Not knowing if I'd ever see my only kid alive again.
The neurosurgeon told me after 25 days in SICU that 95 percent of the people that come in with trauma that severe, don't make it at all.
Krystyn made it. She's back in school finishing up and Dianne and I have Greyden with us. It's the only home he's ever known. Krystyn cannot afford day care, she's taking a full load of classes and It's a great pleasure in life to be raising this little guy and helping our daughter get a degree so she can better provide for her family.
So, we will be bringing a little person with us to the reunion. He's a special little boy, Bright and Adorable, just like all our other kids.
So now my days are full of making bows, bowhunting, gardening, taking my 69 Judge to Car Shows and just enjoying life with the love of my life and my Little Buddy.
Bio, 2009
Hi All, after graduation from SHS, I attended OSU for two years and two summer sessions. In late summer of 66 I moved to Sterling, Kansas to enroll in Sterling College. I still wanted a chance to play baseball. I graduated from SC in December of 1968 with a BS in Elementary Education. In January of 69, I took over the contract of a young man who had been drafted out of his job. I almost made it through the semester without getting the call, however it came anyway. I transfered my draft board from Payne County to Butler County Kansas, to get and additional 30 days to finish out the year. In the meantime I started working with an Air Force Recruiter hoping to become a "Jet Jockey", as I didn't care for swamps at that point in my life. After induction test and AF test and whatever, I didn't pass my AF Physical because of some fused vertebrae in my lower back.After the first year of teaching was over, I took a job in Chase, Kansas teaching Middle School math and science, coaching FB, BB, and Track. The next 32 years was spent in the same position, except after earning a Masters in 1981, the last 21 years also included the principalship of the school. For the last 20 years, I always had a student that I had taught one or both of their parents in Jr. High. Pretty Cool!
Oh did I mention, in April of 69 I married Dianne Daniels and we will celebrate our 40th Anniversary on April 25th. We have a daughter, Krystyn, and two Wonderful Grandkids, Griffin 10 and Isabel 9. They live in JayHawk land in Lawrence.
Outside of my school life, I've been actively involved in Drag Racing and of course fishing and hunting. Dianne and I bought our first new car together in May of 69, a GTO Judge.
We still own the "Dinosaur", and it has all of 30,000 miles on it.
I began bowhunting in the late 70,s and have server on the Executive Council of the Kansas Bowhunters Association for 16 years, 4 of that as President. In 91, I began building my own equipment, bow bows and arrows and have been hunting primitive since that time.
During the last year I teamed up with friends from Stillwater, Norman, and Sapulpa to found the Oklahoma Selfbow Society. The OSS was established to educate and instruct others in the building of Native American Archery Equipment. We have a Rendezvous the third weekend in March, 6 miles east and 6 miles south of Stillwater. It has grown over its first 5 years, from 75 attendees the first year to over 500 this past March. This year, we have attendees from 14 different states.
I have been retired from Education for 8 years now and am helping out a friend with his farm and mechanical repair shop. Gotta pay health insurance some way.
Looking forward to seeing you all in October.
Ralph, Still The Youngest Kid in Our Class, Renfro
©2009 Stillwater High School Class of 1964