In December 1979, Stanley and Luella's children and their families gathered for a Christmas and 50th Anniversary Celebration at St. Petersburg, Florida. There was a surprise Anniversary Dinner and an entertaining skit put on by the grandkids and their parents.
The skit was put together by their children, Mary, Charles, and Leah from stories they had heard their parents talk about over the years. Notes from the Golden Wedding Anniversary Skit about the lives of Luella and Stanley follow:
Characters: The main characters in the play were Stanley and Luella. They were portrayed by descendants, identified with signs "LUELLA" or "STANLEY" and other relatives filled in for the other players. The list of players in order of appearance (sort of): Barbara Parsons, Linda Parsons, Norma Smith, Janet Smith, Leah Smith Micklatcher, David Parsons, Tom Parsons, Mary Lou Parsons, Debbie, Bryan Smith, Ray Parsons.
December 29, 1979 - Luella & Stanley's 50th Anniversary Skit
Charles W. Smith was narrator of the skit!
Scene 1: Palmerton, Pennsylvania, at home.
As a young girl, Luella stood out from the rest of her three sisters. (Barbara acting as Luella in red shirt, red striped ribbon and sign around neck, "Luella") Here they come now - Hilda, Luella, Della and Alma (Song - "Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters." by 3 girls and Barbara) When the other girls were content to stay at home to do chores about the house, Luella enjoyed traveling with her Dad (better known as Pop) while he sold insurance.
Scene 2: Uncle Warren's house, Allentown.
Often she visited her uncle and aunt in the big city of Allentown. The city fascinated her with its trolley cars and fancy houses. She was often found dreaming at the big bay window of her uncle's house - dreaming of faraway places and events. Perhaps there was a knight in shining armor in the picture! (David riding broomstick across stage in Shriner's hat.)
It was while visiting her Uncle Warren's, and with his encouragement, that she started thinking of the possibility of going to college. Her parents, she knew, could not afford to send her so when it came time she asked Uncle Warren for a loan to attend Kutztown State Teacher's College for two years, which was all that was needed for a teacher's degree in those days.
Scene 3: Kutztown State Teachers College Dormitory
Luella was quite a flapper during college days. She loved to do the Charleston (Debbie) and play her ukelele: (Mary, playing uke, singing, "Anybody see my kitty? Anybody see my cat? She came home with a kink in her tail, and I know she's been flirting. Down in our alley, up in Finnegans flat. Kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty. Anybody see my cat?")
You think coed dorms just came in a few years ago? Not so! Luella lived in one - the girls on the top floor and boys on the lower floor. This is a typical Friday night at the dorm. (Tom and David singing "Knock three times on the floorboards for a sundae, twice on the pipes if you want it with nuts... Oh, my dorm-mates... Knock three times on the floorboards for a sundae, thrice on the pipes if you want whipped cream. When you look out your window tonight, Pull up the string with the box full of ice cream for you....(Girls, "I want one! I want one!) "See how the flavors are tempting, Strawberry, chocolate, banana.." (Girls, "Running around for a spoon you've forgotten to send me.") All "Oh, my dorm-mates... Knock three times on the floorboards for a sundae, twice on the pipes .... But, who's going to pay!!!"
Luella's college days ended with her writing the senior class song, "Goodbye dear classmates." All sing.!!
Scene 4: Schoolhouse, Aquashicola, Pennsylvania.
One of Luella's first teaching jobs was in a small Pennsylvania town of Aquashicola in a one room school house. This is the first day of school! (Linda is teaching children to spell, Aquashicola. After that is "conquered she proceeds to teach them to spell Ziegenfus!!)
Alice Mooney was Luella's best friend and together they dated state police men. Was Virgil, the policeman, to be her knight in shining armor?
Scene 5: Smith Farm, Weissport, near Lehighton
About 20 miles away from Palmerton where Luella was raised, lived a family of five children. They were a hard-working family, raising vegetables in their garden to sell at market. (Tom, as Stanley and Ray, as Alvin, picking and throwing tomatoes at each other on stage.) Tomato throwing really paid off... because later baseball was a big event in their lives. At Franklin Elementary School, Stanley had a grand career as the team's star pitcher until the day their elementary school team played Franklin High and his lightning fast balls were hit out of sight by none other than his brother, Sphener, giving the high school team all the homeruns.
Alvin and Stanley enjoyed horsing around in the garden and playing baseball, but even more they enjoyed playing checkers, huddled up to the parlor heater on a cold winter night, with the cat next to them.
They had dreams too! The scene is the bedroom where Alvin and Stanley are...(Lying back dreaming of good things. Ray and Tom - What do you think we'll have for breakfast tomorrow morning? ... Finally they discover FIRE!!... from the stove....)
Scene 6: Street in rural community.
Seriously, though, Stanley did have high goals in sight. During his many trips to and from town with the vegetables he often listened in on the town band rehearsing. Oh, how he would love to play an instrument. One day the director did ask if he'd like to play the cymbals. Oh, he was in seventh heaven! Soon there was a trombone player needed and Stanley stepped into fill the spot. (Tom, sitting on the floor while all march past with kazoos, etc. - second time around Tom steps in and plays "76 Trombones" while they all march on.)
Stanley set his sights on college, and after high school graduation he attended Stroudsburg State Teacher's College, where he worked his way through by waiting tables. His first teaching job was at good old Franklin school, where he enjoyed giving plays in the evening by kerosene lamp - until the school board prohibited it because of fire hazards.
Scene 7: Used car dealer in town.
It was about this time that Stanley saved enough money to buy himself a car. ( David and gang looking over a car, buying it, and going for a ride - to discover that "Stanley" doesn't know how to drive it.)
It was a beautiful day in the fall of 1929 that Stanley met Luella at Teacher's Institute. It was love at first sight, and they were married February 10, 1930.
Scene 8: Chicago World's fair.
The following summer Stanley and Luella made a big trip to Chicago World's Fair with Alvin and his wife, Helen. This is how Alvin tells the story ....(story told by Charles. )
By the time the skits were over, all players and audience were laughing so hard, they had tears in their eyes!!!!