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Chris Pettijohn
DENNIS HILL ROCKS
That's right; that's what I said: Dennis Hill Rocks. It was flat incredible to think about what all he put into our 30 Year Reunion. I was trying to put together who all did what.
Last year at our Homecoming Reunion, Donna Harper had made a great effort to organize that one, and we got together. As the time elapsed before we were ready for it to, some started muttering at that Saturday Night event about having a full-blown summer reunion. As I remember, Sherry Commander, Tina Barker, Rhonda Chase, and I formed a little unofficial committee that resolved to help. I'm using maiden names in this message, and also am probably leaving some out. Tim Yee also? If not, his tireless photo taking, posting, and tagging helped keep us all together. Seems like Mark Ritter was also very interested in helping on the reunion effort.
Anyway, it goes without saying that Rhonda contacted us over and over again as the details unfurled about the Summer 2010 Reunion that was shaping up, and her time and efforts are remarkable and deserving of all the gratitude we can muster up. She was not trying to get famous or be a big shot, but her face and handiwork were just all over this production. However, I want to tell you about Dennis Hill while I manage to tell him how thankful I am to him for what all he did. I offered to help him in the kitchen, and met up with him Thursday (July 29th), where we mostly discussed when to start on Friday. Boyd Clements, Jim Harris, Rhonda, and Sherry were also there, for a little pre-reunion visiting session. Anyway, on Friday, Dennis worked all day from 9:00 A.M. on. Getting the wood going for the fire (barbecue pit) in the Chuck Wagon Gang headquarters which was next to Barn A which housed the reunion. Cutting meat (brisket) for the all-day slow-cooking. Preparing the beans. Chopping onions. Giving directions to those who helped. Making barbecue sauce, and stirring it, and watching it simmer all day long. He planned all the food prep (I'm not saying all the ideas as far as what's on the menu were his, I'm just not sure) and needed no outside help in figuring things out, other than grunt work. He prepared the tea, the lemonade, the drinking water, etc. He planned and cooked a huge mess of peach cobbler. When the brisket was done, he had to trim and prepare it. Figure out the serving area; platters, the heating candles, serving spoons, etc. Then he had to clean up and store all the leftovers at the end of the night while the rest of us (some who were supposed to be helping him) chatted, danced, and laughed till the night was over.
That's not all. The next morning (Sat.), you know that lunch that wasn't supposed to be provided? He provided one. We had chopped brisket sandwiches and many other goodies, by the expert hand of Dennis again. Then, while the vast majority of us went to Odessa High School after that to tour the old grounds and see the changes, he was working tirelessly to (here we go again) clean up lunch and prepare for supper. He barbecued chicken, made delicious green beans, rolls, and yes, that scrumptious cobbler again. Drinks? You bet; more iced tea, lemonade, and water. It was all phenomenal, more than tasty, and a lot of work. Now, he did have some help. James Legg and his girlfriend helped a LOT, and so did Tim Yee and his wife Sheila, and Jeff Findley. Seems like Kenny Black and Jim Harris helped as well at different times, and Boyd some, and Joseph Dennis? At this time, let me insert a mention again of Sherry Commander, who helped Rhonda with the Finances, decoration, setup, and planning. But when we were at the School Tour, who was back at the barn washing pots and platters? Sherry. Who stayed late cleaning up food and dishes? Sherry and Dennis. Several others wiped tables, etc., and they are appreciated greatly. But look: who was up there Sunday morning continuing to put things back the way we found them? Sherry and, you guessed it, Dennis. That afternoon, I heard he was STILL up there handling leftover food refunds, organizing, etc., and I headed up to see if there was something I could do. Once again, I was too late; he had just left.
BUT--that's not all. Who ordered and paid for this food? Dennis. He provided hundreds of dollars, into the thousands, or at least was responsible for that much, to get the food delivered and cooked. It is true that much of the funding was reimbursed, and some unopened food was returned, but still it was a sacrifice on his part to have to absorb the leftover $$$, or to do so until reimbursements came. A huge thank you is in order for people who also contributed money: Kenny Black, who gave LOTS, and I think I heard Jim Legg gave a nice amount, and so did Jeff Findley, and I think at least one other (Jim Harris?). Thank you, men. Even though the eating arrangement was a good deal from a price-per-plate standpoint, you helped us all by making it possible. Thanks to the ladies who did set up and decorating and general helping (Ruth Ann Hawkins, Rhonda, Sherry, & Sheila Yee [& Tina Barker?]). Thanks also to those who took lots of photographs and/or organized and tagged them (Dianne Saulsbury, Feye Whitworth, Sheila and Tim Yee, Rhonda Chase, Carol George, etc.). Thanks to Byron Smith and brother Robin, who donated their own time to bring their marvelous band to the place (The Pictures).
AND--that's not all about Dennis. Barn A at Ector Co. Coliseum had to be paid for. According to Rhonda, the first night was paid for by the Class of 1980 account, but he paid for the second night, or a large part of it (hundreds of dollars). This just isn't right. For all he did, I wish he could have MADE money.
Dennis--you are no gloryhound, but you deserve a big THANK YOU (yes, I'm yelling that) from those of us who came. This message is to everyone who is a Facebook Friend of mine, and it's also on the Class of 1980 website, to people I just have an e-mail address for, and on Dennis' wall. Dennis, you can of course delete it from there when you've had enough of it. I wish there was some way I could include non-Facebook friends of mine who are on Facebook and also in our class.
Again, Dennis, you rock.
Chris Pettijohn
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