Annabelle!
Don't be sad.  Everyone is just a little shy right now but they will open up before too long. 

Yes, Will Geer is from Frankfort.  I believe he went to FHS class of 1919.  He made his last trip back to Frankfort in the summer of 1976, two years before his passing.  Below is a photo of him during that time here in Frankfort.  He is pictured here with Kate Goodwin on the left and Gloria Laverty during the Syphony COffee get together in 76.  This photo was contributed by Gloria herself. 

 

Hattiebell had a lot of influence on a lot of people.  It could never be tabulated.  Her reputation at the time I had her was that of a grumbling old bat.  But, I liked that grumbling old bat.  I used what she taught me to write for the High Life, then a campus magazine at I.U., then tens of thousands of business reports, and then more recently as an occasional columnist for the Dallas Morning News. 

It can all be traced back to Hattiebell Campbell and her influence.  She was one of the most valuable teachers I had in high school.  FHS was blessed with the quality of teachers we had at the time. 

I remember Home Ec and Mrs Kirkpatrick. She took our class to the A&P to learn to shop. I loved her classes. She was one of the best.

I was born in 47'I miss the old Frankfort,51'to 60'.Those were  to me the good times.I think the best example of that for later generations would be Chrismas story.Not neccesarly(sp) the plot but pay attention to scenery;just like the 50's.
Another thing which might be at Wally World or a top name bookstore(this will be interesting for all you Roxy people)is a serial DVD of Batman in 1949.Yes ,you look at it now and it's hokey but look at the scenery in background it's pure 50's.For us old geezer's it's nostalia(sp),for newer generations it's like a time machine.I think if you get a chance to see the background in these shows you'll get a kick out of it.
GO FRANKFORT HOTDOGS!

The grade school in Christmas Story looks so much like Kyger School to me.Many memories of friends.Jack Hickson,David Lipsett,Terry Bradley,Gary Arnold Rex Pitzer,Steve McClain(who reminds me of "the red-headed bully"in the movie.Also at the beginning of the movie with the toys in store front reminds me of Woolworths,Murphys next door and Spensers on the south side of the square.My father was asst manager there a few years and the manager Harry Koster who later moved to Mich.to open a store near(?) Kalamazoo.What was good abt Frankfort in the 50's was the local farmers would patronise the business' on Sats.
I believe that always helped Frankforts economy back then.The Farmers Bank I always thought was an anchor business to the community too.I actually forgot abt this site until reminded.Both parents passed away last fall and I left Frankfort Place behind.I think what was nice abt the 50's that todays generation(I'm bored)doesn't understand is there was always "something"to do.Sure we didn't have ipod cellphones and all that junk to sit around the house and tinker with.But our parents or at least mine didn't worry abt what us kids were up to.We went to movies by ourselves(and watched the same ones at the theater over and over).If we didn't come home after it was done.We'd either get our butt beat or grounded or both.We could leave the house to see friends and not show back for hours as long as our parents knew we were at least in town.Its true you could leave doors unlocked and not worry abt someone breaking in.At 10 yrs old I never had a house key.If I left home and come back and Mom & Dad weren't there,no big deal,they'll be back later or they've left a note.The 50's weren't boring. There was always something to do or you found something to do.You didn't get in trouble because if your parents found out you got a whipping or your parents friends would rat on you. As children we invented things to do for ourselves so we would be "bored."

Ya know........when I was growing up in Frankfort, I thought I was the luckiest person in the world because I was aware of the good times I was having and no one else was. I felt sorry for the ones that did not know what a good time they were having. I have now learned otherwise. It seems now that far more people than I knew was having the same good ole' time. That makes me feel good. We all were most fortunate. I don't think that the number of websites dedicated to the late 50's and early 60's is any surprise and far outnumbers all other time groups. It was a grand time.......and we were in it.