November 22, 1963 Death of President Kennedy

Today’s event is another where people who were alive at the time will be able to tell you exactly where they were and what was happening when they heard the news.

I was in Mrs. VanNostrand’s fifth grade class at Interlaken. The class had been on a short break and when we returned to the classroom, Mrs. VanNostrand told us the news and then asked everyone to stand and face the front windows. Mr. Patterson was walking to the flag pole in the school’s front yard to lower the flag to half-staff.

Her full name was Harriett B. VanNostrand, but to most of her co-workers and others she was HBVN. As I recall, she even signed cards and notices HBVN.

HBVN was a delightful lady and teacher. By fifth grade some of the students were even taller than her. In addition to our school subjects she also taught us school spirit as learned on the sports field.

One morning she was out of the classroom, and a couple of the boys decided it would be an adventure to leave the classroom via the front windows. The classroom was on the first floor, to the left of the main doors as you look at the building today. They were detoured to the main office on their return. Their departure had been witnessed by the folks in that office and decided a conversation on appropriate behavior was needed.

Fifty-four years have passed since fifth grade, but many of the lessons learned are still a part of the memories.

Dewitt’s Diary, Friday, November 22, 1963

Clear, temperature 44, still.

Went hunting this morning. I saw one buck.

Mom gone to Ithaca with Biri Lantos.

I rolled down the last of the corn stalks.

Mom gave us the bad news that the President of the United States was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas. An awful shock to everybody. Lyndon Johnson, who is the vice president, was sworn in as our 36 President on a jet plane bringing John Kennedy body back to Washington.

Nothing on radio and television except the shooting of the president. They made an arrest of a man who is suspected of the shooting within a short time of the shooting. He was shot by a Mauser rifle and telescope sight while driving in Dallas. They found the rifle on the fifth floor of a building.