LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: WHEN NIXON CAME TO ILLMO-FORNFELT, I WAS THERE

Dear Editor,

Last week as I watched the proceedings of Richard Nixon's funeral, I remembered when he was in Cape Girardeau campaigning for the vice-presidency in 1952. As I watched I remembered that Mr. Albert Feldhoff, journalism instructor, Illmo-Fornfelt High School, arranged for several of us students to meet and interview Mr. and Mrs. Nixon at Cape Airport.

After the services on TV were concluded, I went to my library and found the '53 Illmo-Fornfelt yearbook. In it, I found the picture of Mr. Nixon and those of us who met with him. This included Jon Pribble, Marilyn Habum, Yvonne Weaver, Jenny Owen and myself.

I recalled feeling that Mr. Nixon was very reserved and perhaps a bit uncomfortable with us. On the other hand, Mrs. Nixon was very warm and gracious to us.

Little did any of us realize that we were in the presence of a man who would become one of the dominant world leaders of the twentieth century.

None of us could have imagined the ups and downs the Nixons, our country, and ourselves would face in the next 40 years.

If any of those who were there (or, indeed, any members of the class of '53 from I-F High) read this, I would enjoy hearing from you and learning about your activities.

DON "PETE" SCHMITT

Chapel Hill, N.C.

(919) 942-4573