2025.05.29 THROW BACK THURSDAY - MORE ZOO PICTURES PLUS CLASS NEWS
THROW BACK THURSDAY - MORE ZOO PICTURES PLUS CLASS NEWS
Ruth Rebsamen Remmell with the "two Ellens" . . . her daughter Ellen and Ellen the second elephant at the zoo after Ruth.
As the story goes:
"Raymond Rebsamen bought and had delivered both Ruth and Ellen, elephants to the Little Rock zoo. Ruth was named for his daughter, Ruth Rebsamen Remmell,
Mary Remmell Wohlleb‘s mother. Ellen was named for Mary’s sister, Ellen Remmell, granddaughter of Raymond Rebsamen and another daughter of Ruth Remmell.
Philanthropist that he was, Rebsamen also donated the land that UALR is now located on, the golf course in Riverdale, which bear his name and the hospital in
Jacksonville formerly known as Rebsamen. These are just a few of his well-known charitable donations locally."
Joe Crow
I always heard that Raymond Rebsamen paid $25,000 for Ruth. (Then Ellen was purchased later to be a companion to Ruth, so the story goes.)
Bob Smith '54 (husband of Key Kerby '56, and brother of Jerry Smith '56)
I well remember Ruth and how admired she was, but I don't remember Ellen. Larry Carlson and I used to go to the zoo a lot after we left the
Fair Park swimming pool.
I also remember how to use a Victrola and the 45s we used to dance to - “Earth Angel,” “Moments to Remember,” etc. - Ergo: I must be one of the “old” Tigers
Gary Frederick
I remember Ruth and Ellen WELL... I TOO used to feed them peanuts, and I went to the zoo often back then!! I was born in '39, so those elephants
must have been OLD by the time they got to Little Rock !!
Betty Chandler Ward
Spent many a day visiting Ruth and feeding her peanuts - Thanks for the memories, Mary Lou!
Kathryn "Kitty" Kirkpatrick Tardy
The article on "Ruth" is delightful! I remember how much fun it was to see her, when we went to Fair Park Zoo, as kids. She drew crowds!
Thanks for sharing that! Anne Bone Brantley
I remember Ruth clearly. I fed her peanuts for many years.
Love, Gilbert Rainey
I remember Ruth fondly. We lived close enough to walk to Fair Park pool to swim. Always stopped to say hi to Ruth. Vaguely recall riding her?
We also lived close enough to hear the lion’s roar at feeding time!
Karo Kampbell
(Karo, did you all live near the Kasslers?)
1956 CLASS NEWS
I need some help. Is anyone in touch with LINDA BENNETT Nicholson? As far as I know she still lives in California. I have phone numbers
for her son and daughter. Son's phone doesn't allow you to leave a nessage and I have messages on Dee Dee's phone with no reply.
Her emails are bouncing back. Want to make sure she is OK. If you have any ideas, please share with me.
OK, we're only two weeks out! Get signed up if you haven't already. Join the LRCH Alumni Association for a night of revelry and reconnection at TigerFest 2025.
This year's event will move to a new venue at First United Methodist Church Downtown Little Rock, where there is FREE and EASY PARKING right across Center
Street. TigerFest is a great opportunity for Alumni and Friends of Little Rock Central High School to gather with one another and raise funds to support current LRCH
students.
Our Class is known as one of the biggest contributors in bodies and donations so we need as much help as possible this year from everyone: You can help by
> 1. Spread the word to your classmates, neighbors, and friends! We need to sell 150-200 tickets to the event.
>
> 2. Solicit sponsorship. Although $100 sponsorships are not listed, they are available and greatly appreciated. Our Class raised over $1,500 in $100
> donations at our last Tigerfest a few years ago. Again this year we have some big donations and are listed on all advertising as THE LRCHS CLASS
OF 1956 (see above)!!!!! You are all appreciated! Sponsorship money can be sent to the Alumni Association PO Box or can also be paid via our website on the
ticket purchase link OR you can send your donation to me.
AND I HOPE YOU WILL COME. Please let me know if you plan to come and I will reserve a table(s) so we can all sit together!!!! You've got plenty of time\
to come, eat, have a beer or a glass of wine and still get home BEFORE DARK!!!
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I asked old Maud how she lost her husband. She told me her sad story.
"Well, he needed a blood transfusion, but his blood type was not on record, so the doctors asked me if I knew what it was, as they urgently needed
to know, in order to save my Norman's life. Tragically, I've never known his blood type, so I only had time to sit and say goodbye. I'll never forget how
supportive my Norman was. Even as he was fading away, he kept on whispering to me, "Be positive, be positive!"
That was my Norman! Always thinking of others."
ML