Owensboro Mom Just Found Some Fun Artifacts from Thruston Elementary School

I have written about Thruston Elementary School a lot. Why wouldn't I?  It was such an integral part of my childhood.  I started kindergarten there when I was four.  I barged into the principal's office as a third-grader and asked if I could skip ahead to 4th Grade because I was bored.  I burned up the floor at the disco in Mr. Melhiser's music room during the annual Fall Festival.  I mean, someone left the cake out in the rain at "MacArthur Park", Donna Summer, and I thought I was "Hot Stuff."  LOL.

I have shared memories about my first day of school at Thruston.  Yes, this was my outfit and hair. Gasp!

I paid tribute to our beloved Mr. Pendley when he passed away.  There's no debating it. Mr. Pendley set the bar for school principals.  He had us sing Debby Boone's "You Light Up My Life" every day, but the truth is, he lit up ours. He was an educator, leader, role model and friend.

I shared memories of our fantastic and magical school librarian, Ms. Nation. I still have vivid memories of her library and reading books there as a kid.

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Well, now I am sharing some fun memories from my mom. I had no idea my mother was such a skilled and organized hoarder.  Her attic is full of totes from her childhood and mine.  I wasn't aware, until she back handsprang it on me last week, that she was a Thruston Tomcat Cheerleader.  I'll confess it.  I didn't know there was such a thing.

I mean, I knew that Thruston had sports teams. My grandfather coached the girls' softball team for years.  That's likely where I inherited my love for baseball and softball.

When he passed away a couple of years ago, I found these photos of the school playground.  First, I found a team photo.  That's my grandfather, Russell, on the left.  And, fun pre-Google Earth fact, that's my grandparents' house behind the team on the right.  That was convenient, I suppose.

I also found these two photos. Thruston hosted the county softball championship and there were photos taken of all the participating teams.  When you think about it, this was decades before drones.  So, I have no idea how this photo was taken or who took it.  I just hope they didn't fall.

Here's another shot.

While I was aware that Thruston had teams, I didn't know the school had cheerleaders to cheer them on.

As a Thruston student, my mom was apparently waving her pom poms proudly because she still has the actual letters that prove she was on the squad.  Think lettering in football, but for cheerleading instead.  Check out these vintage Tomcat beauties!

And while Mom was digging through totes, she found a couple of more fun artifacts and souvenirs from the school.

I don't remember these at all (and my memory is typically on point), but my sister and I apparently had Thruston Tomcat hats.

Here's the front!

Here's the top!

Now, as an adult who has only ever found ONE baseball hat that actually fits my head, I can't ever imagine wearing that tragic-looking thing.  However, as a piece of Thruston Elementary School history, it's pretty remarkable.  But souvenirs like that aren't truly meant to be worn anyway.  They're meant to be carried.

I've said this often, but it's true. Anyone who ever attended Thruston will tell you that they carry that school with them daily- in their memories and their hearts.  All these years later, it still lights up our lives.