May Crowning

In the late 1950’s there was a housing boom in North St. Paul. The new development, called Saratoga Hills, featured row after row of three bedroom ramblers with detached garages. There were probably fifty to one hundred houses on what had been Eddie Zick’s grandpa’s farm.

Eddie Zick was a notorious bully at Silver Lake beach. He thought it was really funny to hold someone’s head under water until that person went limp, after struggling for what seemed like ten or twenty minutes. Eddie only picked on kids who were at least 2-3 years younger and 20-30 pounds lighter. Why the lifeguards never caught him or banned him from the beach was a mystery to all of us..

As a result of these new homes, there was an influx of new kids at St. Peter’s school. Some families moved from North St. Paul to similar developments in Maplewood and Oakdale, so our class pretty much stayed at 45 students ~ 17 boys and 28 girls.

There is a saying in education that a new kid in school is either instantly the most popular kid in the class, or they become invisible. Invisible was the case for Judy Mederholtz and Jean Tabalish. Penny Sauro and Terry Dixon, on the other hand, were now #1 in the eyes of all of us who had been classmates since first grade.

Penny started St. Pater’s in the fall of 1957. We were in the eighth grade. Our teacher, Sister Esther, called every one by their proper name. Johnny Noye was John. I was Robert. Tommy Sindelar was Thomas. Keith Schouveler was still Keith and Gary Mogren was still Gary.

Sister Esther insisted on calling Penny Sauro, “Pen-a-lope” which sounded like Antelope. Everyone would laugh when Penny corrected her, “My name is Pen-nel-o-pee.” Sister Esther told us that when she was a little girl, the heroine in her favorite book was named Pen-a-lope and she was sure she was right. This whole thing went on for several weeks.

“Pen-a-lope.”

“My name is Pen-el-o-pee.” Everybody laughs.

Finally Sister Esther, never admitting defeat, started calling her Penny.

This wasn’t the only reason Penny Sauro was the most popular girl in our class. Penny was truly beautiful, easily the prettiest girl in the room and also physically the most mature (if you know what I mean.) She didn’t take any s__t from anyone, including Sister Esther.

“You are as bold as a brass monkey, Miss Sauro,” Sister constantly scolded.

Terry Dixon also joined our class in late fall or early winter. He was Terrance, not Terry. He was also physically more mature than most of us and wore his hair in a long duck-tail. All the girls were in love with him from the first day he walked into class.

Keith Shouveller told everyone that he was going to “beat the crap” out of Terry at noon recess that first day. But Terry weasled out of that, telling Keith he was “a lover. Not a fighter.” Keith was still the toughest guy in class.

School was over at 3:00 p.m. each day. One day Terry’s mom picked him up at 2:15 for a doctor’s appointment. We found out that Terry wasn’t going to the doctor, but to Channel 5 TV, so he could be on the “Take Five” show that came on every school day at 4:00. It was St. Paul’s version of American Bandstand.

The boys had to wear a coat and tie. The girls wore a dress or skirt and blouse. We all hustled home after school to watch the program. There was Terry in the middle of it all, dancing with all the pretty older girls. You had to be in high school to get on the program and Terry told them he went to North High, not St. Peter’s. He looked like a high school student and it wasn’t a problem. It was the first time we heard the song, “Tequilla.”

Sister Esther and none of the other nuns watched the show that day. Terry was a hero and no one was ever the wiser.

That spring, the eighth grade class got to elect the May Crowning Queen. It was the biggest event of the year. The eighth grade class assembled in the shape of a rosary and marched across the street and into the church. We all sang  special hymns:

“Bring flowers of the fairest….”

“Immaculate Mary, our hearts are on fire…”

Father O’Reilly held benediction and the May Crowning Queen, in a pure white dress and veil, climbed on a ladder and placed a crown of spring flowers on the head of the Virgin Mary statue. From first grade on, every girl hoped that when she got to be in the eighth grade, she would be the May Crowning Queen. As the girls got older, they realized that it helped to be tall.

The week before the first Sunday in May, 1958, Sister Esther handed out the ballots. Every one in the class voted for Penny Sauro. We eagerly waited for the end of the school day to hear Sister announce the winner. At the appointed time, Sister Esther said, “now boys and girls, listen up. The winner of the election for this year’s May Crowning Queen is ~ Jane Adams.”

Nobody clapped. We were stunned.

Everybody whispered, “Did you vote for Jane?”

“Are you kidding? I voted for Penny.”

“So did I!”

That Sunday the May Crowning went off as usual. The hymns were sung. Benediction was performed. And Jane Adams crowned the Blessed Virgin statue with flowers.

Nobody’s parents called the school or the parish office. Most kids never told their parents, but we talked about it on the playground for weeks. In the end, Sister Esther won.

After high school Jane Adams joined the Sisters of St. Francis and became a nun. Eventually she left the convent and was married. She raised a family on the shores of Silver Lake, right across from the swimming beach.