i L i n d . n e t

For the past several days, I’ve been trying to identify everyone in the set of photos of a Cub Scout hike up Waialae Nui back in 1957. There were three people in this photo I couldn’t initially recall. So I started searching for clues. It’s the kind of thing a reporter with a little time on his hands could get sucked into.

Over the weekend, I managed to confirm that the guy on the far right, clutching the bag, is Ned Workman. He was four years older than the rest of us and just helping out on the hike. I have no idea where in my memory circuits I dredged that name up from. I didn’t really know if it was correct until I tracked Ned down at his home in Michigan after finding a clue in a Kailua High School alumni note, and he confirmed that he’s the one in the picture. Now just two to go.

Yesterday I dug into a closet and came up with a class photo from Mrs. Ginder’s third grade class at Kahala Elementary School. Actually, I also found my 5th grade class photo as well, but I’m pretty sure that one of the forgotten hikers is here in Mrs. Ginder’s class.

My first guess was Boo Gallas, just because I remember hanging out with Boo in those years. Another classmate, now living on Lanai, agreed. But I was able to locate Boo and he said it wasn’t him.

But with this class photo in hand, it didn’t take long to find the new prime suspect: Joe Shollenberger.

I don’t remember much at all about Shollenberger, but see for yourself. Here are two photos, one an enlargment from the hike and the other from the class photo. I think he’s the one.

So where in the world is the Joe Shollenberger who was my classmate in Mrs. Ginder’s third grade class in Kahala back in 1956?

Let’s put those “six degrees of separation” to work. Please let me know if you’ve got any information about Joe or his family.

Oh, a side note: Notice the ethnic makeup of the class? Recall that Japense-Americans could not get leasess from Bishop Estate in Kahala until some time in the 1950s when they started developing house lots above Hunakai Street and Matsuo Takabuki broke the color barrier. At least that’s the way I recall it.