The "A Remarkable Memory From My First Year Of Teaching!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  On April 2, 2019 I received the first of a few emails from a fellow named Steve.  It read:  Hi Mr. Woods...Have been on Facebook for about 2 weeks and found your blog.  Would like to connect to talk about my printing experience.  Steve Graver.  

Steve Graver, 1969 graduate of MTHS.

Recognized the name immediately!  Steve was one of my students the first year I taught Graphic Arts at Mannheim Township High School.  I had begun teaching wood and metal shop in the fall of 1967 at my alma mater and found they still had the small print shop next to the drafting room.  Asked my department head, Mr. George Ehemann, one of my former shop teachers, if I could start a program in Graphic Art and that was the start of over 30 years of Graphic Arts students at the high school for me.  During that first year Steve Graver was one of my Graphic Arts students.  Tall boy with a great smile and glasses.  The class that year was all boys and had several in it that went on to the field of printing after graduation.  

Steve and his wife Pat.

I had over 100 students a year for 33 years, so it is easy to forget the names and faces of many of them.  But, Steve was one I remembered.  Very polite young man who had a keen interest in printing.  So, when I opened my email on April 2 I was anxious to learn more about my former student.  The following day I sent him a short email telling him I'm not sure I would recognize his face anymore, but I certainly remember the name.  Asked where he lived and told him my two sons were also in the printing trade.  Told him about my retirement and a few things about himself.  Wasn't long before the return email came telling me:  There is so much to share in 50 years time.  Then he hit me with the story of being my mom and dad's paperboy when I lived with them on North Queen Street.  

Steve and Pat with their family.

Don't remember seeing you much,  think you may have been in college at the time.  I think you had a pretty cool car.  He lived at 926 N. Prince St., a block from my house.  After graduating from M.T. in 1969 he got a job at Intel Printing Company and married his high school sweetheart Pat Gilroy.  Ten years later he moved his family to California where he ended up in Napa Valley printing wine labels.  

My wife Carol and son Derek who is holding our new
daughter Brynn in front of 925 Janet Ave.

He retired in 2103.  He raised a family of 7 children with his youngest son continuing in the printing industry, just as my son; who is working at LNP, formerly Intel Printing Company.  Steve sent me a photo of he and his wife.  Didn't recognize him; I remembered him with glasses.  Grabbed the 1959 yearbook and sure enough, Steve had glasses.  In another email he told me he had cataract surgery to correct his vision.  I also wore glasses since I was 12 and recently had cataract surgery and no longer wear glasses.  

Steve's wife Pat, the little girl on the far right,
 when she was young in front of 925 Janet Ave.

But, I wasn't prepared for what came next.  He told me that when his wife was young, her father moved his family to Lancaster when he got a job at nearby RCA.  They lived at 925 Janet Ave. a few years while waiting to have their house built.  As I read this part of Steve's story to my wife I looked at her...we were both in shock!  We lived at 925 Janet Ave. for 29 years.  We bought the house in 1968, a year after we were married.  Emailed that to Steve and his wife found photos of her family in front of 925 Janet Ave.  It brought back memories for both our families.  We plan to stay in touch and hope Steve and his wife of 50 years, Pat, can return to Lancaster for Steve's graduating class' 50th Reunion.  Going to have to get together and relive the past 50 years.  Too bad mom and dad aren't around to see if they would remember their paperboy from the mid-1950s.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.