November 16, 2011

Senior Year -- Granger High School, 1967-68

Pre-Mission picture of Warren Lee Hunt, 1968 graduate of Granger High School in Granger (now West Valley City), Utah. Note the Duty to God pin on coat label -- and all the teeth and no beard. Also note the Beatles hairstyle.
I received this letter when I was presented with my The Duty to God Award during Sacrament meeting of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during my senior year in high school. Note who signed the letter: John H. Vandenberg, David L. McKay and G. Carlos Smith.

The Duty to God Award was also signed by Ray L. Wendrich, my bishop at the time. Bishop Wendrich was a super bishop --  tall, strong and tough. We bumped heads at times, but I admired him a lot. His oldest daughter, Sandra, married my Sunday School teacher and Granger High basketball star Dean Whitworth.
During my senior year, I played a lead role in the LDS Church musical "All in Favor." My "girlfriend" in the production was Vicki Kershaw Hunt, my brother's wife. I think Merrill was in it, too! Vicki Hunt and I are at the front right of the picture. I was in the North Jordan 7th Ward at the time in the Jordan North Stake. Later on my mission, I was asked to direct the same play -- but in Spanish with local LDS members in San Jose, Costa Rica. All of Costa Rica only had  1,700 members in 1970 when I was there. Now there are thousands of members and even a temple
One of the best parts of my senior year was being in Granger High School's Madrigals. We had quite an awesome group. I think this picture was of me after the performance of "All in Favor" as I and my high school girlfriend gathered all of our things. Note the Granger High School sweater that she's carrying, which she received for lettering in music.
One of the best parts of my senior year was being in Granger High School's Madrigals. We had quite an awesome group. Note the Madigral coat and Vickie's matching Madrigal dress. We're "dining" in the Stonehenge, the school cafeteria and dance hall. Sometimes I wore my glasses, but most of the time, I didn't. Yes, my hair was always falling down over my eyebrows -- and, yes, I did have pretty nice eyebrows back then.
Lee and girlfriend Vickie sometime after graduating and before leaving on my mission to Central America.
At the time of my mission, there were only four countries in the mission: Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras. I served about 7 months in Managua, Nicaragua, and about 9 months in San Jose, Costa Rica. I came home about 6 months early because of cancer in my leg.
Note the cool white wool Granger High school sweater I'm wearing -- not a school jacket. I thought it would be more useful down the road. However, it turned yellow in a few years and soon became too small.
Note the football insignia on the pocket -- I lettered in football -- as a three-year football manager, which led to Brigham Young University asking me to be a football manager there in the fall of 1968.
Ninth grade through my first year on my mission were probably my best athletic years.
In ninth grade, I won an award for being the most fit in Coach Newton's gym glasses. We had to do different exercises and run certain long distances.
 During that year, the first year of Westlake Junior High, I made the basketball time -- but just barely. I played a few minutes and scored a total of 1 point. I was 5' and 4 1/2" tall. Never grew any taller.
This picture, I guess, shows what I'm kinda hoping for as far as my resurrection -- plus a few inches in height.
Vickie and I were really close in height -- except when she wore any type of heels.
All too soon came graduation from Granger High School. In the front row are several friends in my class. The first guy at the left is ??? (it's on the tip of my tongue!), fourth to the right is Bruce Taggart, school vice president and fellow Madrigal, and to his right is Garth Hardy. Garth and I were classmates through most of my years even back at the old Monroe Elementary, which was on the northwest corner of 3500 South and 4000 West (Gus Paulos Chevrolet dealership is located there now.) If you look really closely, you'll see me on the second row. Look between the first and second guys on the first row to the left. I'm wearing the National Honor Society sash.

Oh, there I am: I'm on the second row. Look between the first and second guys on the first row to the left. I'm wearing the Honor Society shash. Next to me on my right is Carol Linton, a fellow Madrigal. We went to Monroe Elementary together, too, and for awhile were in the same ward.
Notice the hair is up on top in this picture and the bushy eyebrows. I'm not sure if it's a missionary picture or one taken before. I've had the same hairstyle all my life -- but in this picture I had a lot more hair (though no beard-- and it was pretty dark brown then.
Once when I was about 10, 11 or 12 years old, my dad gave me a "haircut" -- he butched it down to about 1/2 an inch. Mom was pretty upset because my head isn't smooth enough or round enough to show it off that way. Mom always cut my hair, and for the past 35 years, Nancy has. Nancy has been a licensed cosmetologist since before we married in 1976.



No comments:

Post a Comment