Betty Quesenbury.

A little while back, I was at my grandparent's house.  My grandmother and I were looking through old photo albums and talking about the people we saw in the pictures. Upon arriving at the final photo album left to look through, I found a high school yearbook at the bottom of the once piled-high stack.  I dusted the front off and read the writing.  'The Grey Eagle, 1947'.  I didn't really know what it was at first. It didn't necessarily look like a yearbook.  So, I opened the book to find that it was actually a publication produced by the Senior Class of 1947 for East Nashville High School (ENHS) in Nashville, Tenn.  I knew my grandmother had attended ENHS, so I asked her if this was her yearbook.  She said no, it wasn't.  She had graduated in 1945, not 1947.  Sure enough, upon checking, she wasn't in it.  I asked her where the yearbook may have come from, but she replied that she had no idea.  Anyway, I decided to read through the book just to look at the pictures and read the history of the school's alumni.  I had no idea I would become so interested in the people and their personalities.  After I finished the book, I decided I would begin trying to find out whatever happened to the people who marked its pages.  I began with someone who really stood out to me in the reading.  Her name was Betty Quesenbury.  Betty, I came to find, was very accomplished.

An excerpt from the the yearbook...

"Betty Quesenbury
Academic

Nicknamed "Quizzy",
Monitor 3, 4; Eagle Club 3; Eagle Staff 3, 4; Editor of Eagle 4; Boy-Girl Friendship Club 4; Chorus 4; Homeroom President 2; Band 2, 3, 4; Dramatic Guild 2, 3, 4; N. F. L. 3, 4, Secretary 4; Spanish Club 3, 4; School Spirit 2, 3, 4; President's Cabinet, Secretary of Commerce 4; January Class Treasurer, Most Versatile Girl, Most Likely to Succeed, History, Office Staff 4."

Betty was definitely very involved in school, both academically and through her extra-curriculars.  I liked Betty, not because we had everything in common (which we don't), but because she was relatable.  To me, you, and everyone.  She was so versatile in her areas of interest. She was able to accomplish so much in her high school days.  That is someone I wish to aspire to be like.  Like Betty Quesenbury.  In a way, I considered her somewhat of a rolemodel, because I wished to accomplish the things she had accomplished.  Especially, write as well as she did.  She had an excerpt about the history of the school in the book, and it was interesting, as well as phenomenally written!

In a dream world, I sort of wished I would be able to track Betty down... Possibly get in touch with and talk to her about what she ended up being able to acommplish in her life.  I bet it was quite a lot.  I wanted to be able to give her the yearbook I had found, in case she didn't still have hers.  I wanted to tell her what an inspiration she has been to me.  Unfortunately though, after conducting some research, I discovered that Betty Quesenbury was a name on the list of Fallen Eagles on the East Nashville High Alumni Association's webpage.  The one thing I had tried not to think about. The possiblity that she may no longer be here to talk to.  I know it may seem sort of pointless, but I cried.  I don't even know why, but I did. I cried.  I wanted her to be alive so badly.

Rest in Peace Betty Quesenbury, as well as all of the other Fallen Eagles of East Nashville High School.  Class of 1947, as well as before and after.

xoxo. haley