Random Thoughts from a Random Memory

By Edward Master

I’ve known Harold Eugene “Harry” Roberts since grade school, probably since the 4th grade when Emlenton came to St. Petersburg for elementary school. Harry was known as Eugene then, just like classmate Harold Eugene Winkler (Wink) and my father Harold Eugene Master (he was Harold or Harley yo coworkers or friends). No one ever called my dad Eugene. We called Wink and Harry just Gene or maybe Eugene once in awhile. Harry didn’t become Harry until senior high school sometime. I may claim, at least partly I’m sure, for that moniker of Harry.

Harry in the worst way wanted to go to IUP. I think he wanted to emulate Jim Cochran, our junior year chemistry teacher. He settled for Clarion and a major in chemistry. I was almost a permanent visitor for two years in Harry’s (I wish I could remember whether it was Jefferson or McKean) dorm and ended up good friends too with the members of his future pledge class to Phi Sigma Epsilon fraternity. Harry pledged in Fall 1968, and I followed in Spring 1969. Harry was my Big Brother.

Harry basically took care of me, telling me ins and outs of fraternity pledging. He really couldn’t do much my having to wash dishes at the trailer of Speedy Duncan, Little Joe Robosky, and Ray Costello. It was not hazing, in the true sense of the word, but assigned chores for brothers. Later, after full brother initiation, the dishes stuff was easy pickins. It brought out a good laugh with passage of time. I actually developed a stronger bond with those guys. Speedy and Little Joe were wrestlers at one time, while Ray was a current hurdler on the college track squad.

The fellas’ trailer was far off Greenville Avenue; I learned the location well. I don’t recall many other tasks I performed actually doing my 6-week pledge period. I recall that I was just glad pledging was finished. I was especially glad to be rid of the burlap under garments we pledges were required to wear during our final week.

I don’t recall Harry holding a fraternity office; he was on committees though. He was on several frat athletic teams, especially being a member of the fabled “B” team capturing second place in intramural football in fall 1971 under quarterback Chad Hanna. The Phi Sig A squad were football champs that year. We played our championship match (A vs B) at the college stadium. We were loaded that year.

The summer before Harry graduated (1971) Harry and I decided to take one last road trip together, a trip through New York state and into and down through New England and back into Pennsy via East Stroudsburg and I-80.

Our first night was a stop at the Surf Club in Bemis Point, on the eastern shore of Lake Chatauqua. We slept overnight in a secluded pulloff in Harry’s VW with the seats folded forward. We were a little cramped, but with the pieces Harry’s dad made us for the floor in the back seat, we were okay. All snuggled up.

Lake Seneca at Canandaigua was night two and our first morning wash up in really cold August finger-lake water. On to New England and Lake Champlain. We took a ferry across the lake. We did the trip through Stowe, VT, and saw the remnants of ski trails of winter. Really steep hills.

We made a pass into Boston, and each of us remarked how narrow the streets were. There was probably a comment or two about colonial times in the visit. Again we found a secluded spot in the woods, near another creek with what seemed even water colder than Lake Seneca. I picked up some rocks just in case, since I was an earth sciencd/”mud” major.

Unfrozen and undaunted, we started west toward Pennsylvania. I think we followed I-95 into the commonwealth, bypassing the Tappan Zee Bridge in New York state, later to be experienced on a honeymoon trip with my spouse. We spent the night in a rest stop near the exit for White Haven on 80. Breakfast was at a diner in downtown White Haven, PA. There wasn’t much to write home about in White Haven except the waitress working behind the counter at the diner.

The waitress must have been a local favorite among the retirees looking for a morning meal and some chatty up morning excitement. I have never had cold fried eggs and potatoes before or since. The waitress must have had other things on her mind other than serving a hot breakfast.

We completed our journey and Harry and I were none the worse for doing New England. Harry ended up taking a teaching job in Delaware, eventually ending as a superintendent of the school system. I never expected him to make a career in education. Unfortunately, Harry passed a few years back from Lou Gehrig disease. Harry, thanks for the memories.