Burma Shave Signs

You’ve got to have a bunch of “road years” to remember these signs driving south, some more immortal than others. Good memories.

As a child in the 50's and 60's we enjoyed reading the Burma Shave signs, which were scattered along the road. My family went west from Chicago to western South Dakota in most summers, and it was a long, hot, boring drive. The clever Burma Shave signs made it more interesting,

I'm sure that Burma Shave actually saved some lives. People laughed and they were more careful! It was a REAL "service" to America, even though it was an advertisement and it was one of the RARE "really useful" ones!

For those who never saw any of the Burma Shave signs, here is a quick lesson in our history of the 1930's, 40's, and 50's. Before there were interstates, when everyone drove the old 2 lane roads, Burma Shave signs would be posted all over the countryside in farmers' fields. They were small red signs with white letters. Five signs, about 100 feet apart, each containing 1 line of a 4 line couplet and the obligatory 5th sign advertising Burma Shave, a popular shaving cream at that time.

DON'T STICK YOUR ELBOW

OUT SO FAR

IT MAY GO HOME

IN ANOTHER CAR.

Burma Shave

TRAINS DON'T WANDER

ALL OVER THE MAP

'CAUSE NOBODY SITS

IN THE ENGINEER'S LAP.

Burma Shave

SHE KISSED THE HAIRBRUSH

BY MISTAKE

SHE THOUGHT IT WAS

HER HUSBAND JAKE.

Burma Shave

DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD

TO GAIN A MINUTE

YOU NEED YOUR HEAD

YOUR BRAINS ARE IN IT.

Burma Shave

DROVE TOO LONG

DRIVER SNOOZING

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

IS NOT AMUSING.

Burma Shave

BROTHER SPEEDER

LET'S REHEARSE

ALL TOGETHER

GOOD MORNING, NURSE

Burma Shave

CAUTIOUS RIDER

TO HER RECKLESS DEAR

LET'S HAVE LESS BULL

AND A LITTLE MORE STEER.

Burma Shave

SPEED WAS HIGH

WEATHER WAS NOT

TIRES WERE THIN

X MARKS THE SPOT.

Burma Shave

THE MIDNIGHT RIDE

OF PAUL FOR BEER

LED TO A WARMER

HEMISPHERE

Burma Shave

AROUND THE CURVE

LICKETY-SPLIT

BEAUTIFUL CAR

WASN'T IT?

Burma Shave

NO MATTER THE PRICE

NO MATTER HOW NEW

THE BEST SAFETY DEVICE

IN THE CAR IS YOU.

Burma Shave

A GUY WHO DRIVES

A CAR WIDE OPEN

IS NOT THINKIN'

HE'S JUST HOPING

Burma Shave

AT INTERSECTIONS

LOOK EACH WAY

A HARP SOUNDS NICE

BUT IT'S HARD TO PLAY.

Burma Shave

BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL

EYES ON THE ROAD

THAT'S THE SKILLFUL

DRIVER'S CODE.

Burma Shave

THE ONE WHO DRIVES

WHEN HE'S BEEN DRINKING

DEPENDS ON YOU

TO DO HIS THINKING.

Burma Shave

CAR IN DITCH

DRIVER IN TREE

THE MOON WAS FULL

AND SO WAS HE.

Burma Shave

PASSING SCHOOL ZONE

PLEASE GO SLOW

LET OUR LITTLE

SHAVERS GROW.

Burma Shave

 

Thanks to Charlie VanLiere MPHS 66 for sharing.

It Was a Lot More Fun

        “It was a lot more fun
        being in your 20’s
        during the 70’s than
        being in your 70’s
        during the 20’s.”

    Thanks to MPHS Alum T.  Visser for Sharing.

Margaret “Peggy” Kord Rest in Peace

Margaret “Peggy” Kord

Rest in Peace

Margaret "Peggy" Elizabeth Kord (Terry), 72, passed away at her home in Ormond Beach, Florida on Friday, June 25, 2021, after a long struggle with multiple sclerosis.

Peggy was born on May 9, 1949, in Chicago, Illinois to Mildred and Joseph Terry. After graduating from Morgan Park High School, Chicago, Illinois, she obtained both a Bachelor and a Master's degree in Education from Western Illinois University. Peggy had a passion for teaching and loved her students. She taught at Galva High School, Atkinson High School, Neponset High School, St. Paul Lutheran Elementary School, the ARC of Kewanee, and concluded her teaching career at Kewanee High School. She also served as a counselor at Black Hawk East Community College. While teaching at Galva High School, she met the love of her life, Donald "Don" Kord. They were married for 48 years.

Peggy had a big personality with a gift for gab. She loved music and enjoyed "concert time" with her family. She also had an appreciation for art fostered by her mother who was a painter. Peggy loved the outdoors and she and Don spent the majority of their weekends fishing and relaxing, including an annual fishing trip in Wisconsin.

Peggy and Don retired to Florida in 2002. Even though she was retired with failing health, Peggy pursued a further doctorate in Theology and stayed strong in her faith. She loved to sit on her balcony and watch the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean.

Peggy was preceded in death by her parents Mildred and Joseph Terry. She is survived by her husband, Don Kord, her children, Shane Kord of Wichita, Kansas, Adam Kord of Bellevue, Washington, and Emily Miler, of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and seven grandchildren, Nya Kord, Joseph Kord, Anna Miler, Andrew Miler, Jackson Kord, Maxwell Kord, and Helen Kord. She is also survived by her brother, Joseph Terry, her sister, Patricia Ferenc, and their children and grandchildren.


Posted online on June 30, 2021

Published in Kewanee Star Courier

Submitted by her cousin Peter Terry

__________

Very sorry to hear it, Pete. She and her family are in our thoughts and prayers.  I put it her obituary on EMPEHI.com which forwards to empehi.blogspot.com.

Craig Hullinger

Pete Mathis Rest in Peace

Pete Mathis class June '67 passed away Sunday January 2nd in Michigan City, Indiana. (posted on Facebook by Pete's lifelong friend, Jim Dart)

I never knew Pete very well at MPHS, but he was the sort of good guy I always associated with the best of the Midwest: kind, caring, entertaining, reliable.

All these characteristics factored into the way he helped the Cannon family at Christmas 2008. My younger brother had brain damage, a ticket to San Diego, and no way to get from West Chicago to O'Hare. Pete offered to take him and pick him up on his return. Pete lived in South Bend.

On the designated travel day, Pete left South Bend in a major snowstorm. I was going to say at oh-dark-thirty, but in a major snowstorm that isn't even a factor. (I moved away, but I remember!) In any case, he eventually got to my brother's house in West Chicago and they made it to O'Hare just as the plane was taking off.

Pete got the relevant info, booked him on a flight out of Midway, then called me before putting it on his own credit card. My brother arrived at midnight on Christmas Eve on the last flight out of Chicago Midway.

And then Pete did it again in reverse, picking him up at the airport and taking him home to West Chicago.

Pete had never met my brother before their airport adventure. Bless him, and Godspeed.

Taffy Cannon, June '66
Carlsbad, California

________________

So sorry to hear about Pete

Ron McComb

______________________________

What a wonderful story and so kind of you to share. Passing on those memories is so right to do for him and his family.

Ron Veenstra

_______________________

Sorry to hear it. And a wonderful story, Taffy. Pete was a very generous man.

Craig Hullinger

__________

Comments from our Facebook Page

Dennis Dempsey

Pete was one of my best friends at Sutherland and Church of the Mediator - taught me a lot of things 11 &12 year old boys should not know yet. Where did the years go my friend? Rest in eternal peace.

Hank Gentry

Dennis Dempsey yes I remembered that about Pete from scouts. Knowing stuff we shouldn’t have known.

Dennis Dempsey

Hank Gentry Hey Hank - how are you? It probably been how many years since we communicated? I still remember you stealing Jeannie Graver from me in 1964!

Ron McNeill

Pete was my best man for my wedding. As others have said where did the time go.

Thoughts and prayers go out to the family.

Happy New Year!

  

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Photos from Danang, Vietnam, Tet New Year Celebration. A little different today than back in our day.

Danang is Fireworks Festival city. Lunar New Year’s Eve Fireworks is a great celebration.

Which is the way I remember it. We watched the Tet Celebration for 1970 from the top of Hill 327 looking over DaNang and south to Chu Lai.  You could see many tracer rounds fired up from positions up and down the coast, with multiple explosions. Very impressive. The rounds were going up, mostly. They just don't make fireworks celebrations like they did back in the good old days.

https://chinesenewyearblog.com/danang-lunar-new-year/

Click to read the article and view more photos:

https://pierretrowbridge.com/celebrating-tet-new-years-in-vietnam/?doing_wp_cron=1609438817.9648399353027343750000

This time-lapse photo shows a Douglas AC-47 "Spooky" at work on the outskirts of Saigon. The sheet of red raining down from the night sky represents only one of every five bullets fired from the gunship’s miniguns. (U.S. Air Force)

https://www.historynet.com/strange-gunship-operations-in-the-vietnam-war.htm

The New Year's celebration in Vietnam in 2021 is much nicer and better than the ones during the Vietnam War.

Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards Men (and Women).

Do You Remember Video

 

Do You Remember?

 Hi to all - this has been around the block many times but its still fun to watch again! 

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

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These have been around the block many times but still fun to watch!                                                      _._,_._,_