Mrs. Tindell's class, Thomas Jefferson School 6th Grade, 1961. Darlene Carothers is on the far right, first row.
In “alumni speak,” there is a term “X graduates” which refers to people with whom you went to elementary and junior high schools but who graduated from different high schools. Such is the case with Darlene Carothers Lovell, who attended Thomas Jefferson Elementary and John Muir Junior High, but then moved to Orange County before getting a chance to go to Burbank High. She discovered this blog and found many familiar names and places. (Thomas Jefferson alumni, can you please identify yourselves in the picture above? Click the picture to see an enlarged view.)
Burbank Methodist Church members, 1962.
She sent along a number of photos of Burbank memories, and I was especially happy to see the one from the Burbank Methodist Church, located right across the street from Burbank High School (yes, it’s still there!) The photos were taken on Palm Sunday 1962, and wouldn’t you know it, Christians are celebrating Palm Sunday this very weekend. In the picture of the Youth Members are many youngsters who became Burbank High 1968 grads. Some of the names I recognize from our class include Kay Hoadley, Laurie Whitehead, Jan DeJaegher, Suzanne Schweitzer, Janet Ogle, Cynthia Redding, Rick Reynolds and Skip Johnston. (Click the photo to the left to enlarge it to read the complete list of names.) Say, wouldn’t it be great if any of those people wrote in to let us know they’re still alive and kicking?! Some of them have already contacted us, such as Jan DeJaegher (“Retired and loving it”) and Skip Johnston (“Wrong Wray!”)
Darlene Carothers Lovell
Darlene also has memories of the Burbank Cotillion, a series of dance parties, which she remembers as a fun way to learn to dance, held at the Burbank Women’s Club. (Burbank residents, is this still here? I remember it being located on Olive Avenue, and I used to play the piano for fashion shows there.)
Today Darlene lives in Temecula Valley, California, with a Jack Russell terrier, enjoys cooking and works for the school district. She has two daughters, one son who currently resides in Burbank, and two grandsons. Her son moved to Burbank to take advantage of a great job opportunity, and Darlene couldn’t wait to take him to The Castaway Restaurant, where she celebrated her 12th birthday many years ago.
Ah yes, the Castaway — The restaurant is known as “The Jewel on the Hill” and has been a landmark in the Burbank area for over 40 years. Our class was there for our 40th reunion in 2008!
Burbank High Class of 1968 
I know that the second and third boys from the left are Dale Rubin and Anthony Bellemo. The boy fourth from the right has the last name of Moon. The name of Rick Reynolds comes to mind for the boy to the very left, and Crilley Butler for the boy on the very right.
And the tough-looking boy to the right of Anthony is Andy Houston.
I remember Darlene and was so sad when you moved away! You look great. I think that’s Mike Mooney 4th from the left. And, yes, that’s Ricky Reynolds & Crilly Butler. I was in the class next door: can’t remember the teacher’s name — I guess that’s not a good sign. I see Kay Hoadley and Eileen Bird, Janine ____? and Annette Dinolfo?
Kathy,
I can identify a few of the Jefferson sixth graders with Mrs. Tindell. (A year or so after this photo was taken Mrs. Tindell became Mrs. Lois Sharff. She and her husband Lou Sharff lived near me here in Santa Clarita, and I would see them fairly often for the first few years I lived here. Lois passed away first, and Lou a few years later, which now would be 15 to 18 years ago probably. I think she was about 84 when she died. When Lois taught at Jefferson they lived on Bel Aire between Walnut and Fairmount, until about 1969 when they moved to Santa Clarita and she commuted to Burbank until she retired. Originally she was “Mrs. Tindell”, then she became “Mrs. Burbank”, then went back to “Mrs. Tindell”, and finally became “Mrs. Sharff”. This was all during the years she taught at Jefferson. She and Lou Sharff were longtime members of First United Methodist Church of Burbank, which they continued to attend after moving to Santa Clarita in 1969. ( I didn’t have her as my sixth grade teacher, just knew her. Mrs. Lynn Eichlin was my sixth grade teacher at Jefferson.)
Sixth grade photo:
back row: #1 Rick Reynolds; #2 Michael Kushner; #3 Angelo Bellomo; #5 Miles Cooperman; #9 Ron Unis; #10 Crilly Butler.
seated: #2 June Ingersoll.
About four of the others look familiar, but I can’t remember their names. Maybe others will write to you with more names.
Alan
Yes, of course, Mike Mooney. Isn’t boy number six David Blackburn? Possibly?