Growing up in Wichita

I was born in 1947 and I always thought I was born at Wesley Hospital.  One time while I was looking through some papers from my mother's stuff I found a certificate of live birth from the Wichita Hospital.  No big deal, just a change from what I always thought.  I was a baby boomer and lived way out east just off Central Ave near the Beech Aircraft plant.  544 Byrd is still a house on that block but one of only there still not bought up by Raytheon.  

Because we were just outside the city limits, the local school was one in its own school district.  Minneha was the name of that school and at the time it was an elementary and Junior High combined.  I went there from Kindergarten to the end of the ninth grade.   

One of the neat things about where we grew up was that the Beech Employees Club had a nice lake at 13th and Webb road and ball diamonds that I played little league baseball on.  I don't know how many years I played but I was in the league as long as I was eligible.   I played first base, catcher and left field.  I wasn't fast enough to be a short stop but I could catch the ball most of the time and could throw out runners stealing 2nd base.  Our pitcher was also the third baseman and when he was on third base, no one stole that base as we were a darned good team in that area.

I do remember one year when we didn't win many games during the league play.  For some reason we all came together in the tournament and would up second place.  The next year we would not accept the name the Meadowlarks and I don't remember who we were but it was a different name.  Most of the team was the same group and I recall we finished second in league play and didn't win a game in the tournament.  Oh well. we had a lot of fun.

Yesterday we went to KC and a lot of the family was there.  It was a fun time visiting with everyone and as usual, Dan grilled a great meal.  Everyone brought their specialty and man was that ever a great meal.  The most fun was watching the kids play and enjoy each other.   It was pretty warm outside so most of the adults stayed inside and visited.  

I am not sure of the details, but many of us expressed a need to have a visit with the cousins of our Uncle Hazen.   Probably will have to wait until well after Labor Day.  I think many of us are planning a trip in August.

Oh well, better run.

MUD