The "The Other Larry" Story

It was an ordinary day.  My boss at Grebinger Gallery in Neffsville, Pennsylvania, Keith told me to do a really good job on the "Beatles" poster he had just given me.  When I looked at him with a confused face he laughed and said, "The job is for a former high school friend of yours!"  My friend began talking to Keith when he brought in the poster and Keith told him his former high school teacher worked for him, the customer asked whom that might be.  Keith passed along my name and the customer instantly got a smile on his face.  "Make sure you tell him to do a good job on my poster."  

Larry, framer of the Beatles poster with the other Larry, childhood friends.
We removed our masks just for the photograph.

He then told Keith that we lived a few blocks from each other while growing up and went to school together.  When Keith told me his name was Larry Snyder, I had to tell him about all our time together in school from kindergarten to the end of 9th grade.  Seems that at the end of 9th grade, Larry's mom and dad decided it best if he went to a Military School to help with his.....well.....schooling!  The stories I could tell here, but won't, might have been responsible for his switching to a more formal schooling for the final three years of high school.  When I went home I began to search for photographs of "the other Larry" as my mom and dad used to call him.  Being that they had named me Larry was the reason for my friend's name.  The other Larry lived on Jackson Street near the world famous Armstrong Cork Company.  He lived a few blocks from another friend and now my traveling buddy with his wife Sue, Jere Herr.  The other Larry, Jere and I all began elementary school together in 1950 at Brecht Elementary School.  Jere and the other Larry lived on the West side of the  Lancaster Train Station while I lived on the East side.  

Mrs. Good's 1st grade class.  Jere is front row far right while the
other Larry is front row far left.  I'm top row, far left.
Masks weren't necessary in 1950.

We all walked the mile-and-a-half to elementary school, but Jere and the other Larry walked across the Prince St. Bridge while I walked across the Duke Street Bridge.  All of us had Miss Boché, who became Mrs. Good part way through the year, for 1st grade.  When we began Jr. High School we all met at the local lumber yard, between our homes, to get on the school bus.  After we lost the other Larry due to changing schools, Jere and I both graduated from the same high school where we ended up teaching together after college.  We did miss the other Larry for the final three years of high school.  Then, the Manheim Township High School class of 1962 began to hold class reunions.  The names of a few who didn't graduate with us for one reason or another were suggested as being added to our class list.  The other Larry was one of them so Jere and I once again had the chance to spend some time with the guys from the neighborhood.  Then, a few days ago I had the chance to see the other Larry once again when he came to pick up his matted and framed poster that I worked on for him. It looked great, but getting to see him once again was more eventful than working on his artwork.  

One of the 4 group shots of the MTHS Class of 1962 taken at our 50th Class Reunion in 2012.  Top row, far left is Jere and I am two from him in the light brown jacket.  The other Larry is middle row, second from left.  Jere's sweetheart and now wife, Sue, is in front row, second from the left.  Great time was had by all!

Our 60th Class Reunion will come in 2022 and we will all have a chance to gather once again and relive "the good ole' times."  The stories will fly and be the same ones that we told at the last reunion and the one before that.  But, that's OK, since we probably won't remember what stories we told and may not even remember how we fit into the stories.  We'll all laugh and have a great time anyway.  And, hopefully we won't need masks by then.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.