So many of us have a place in our hearts for Mr. B, James Buster, who taught at Bevier for many years, serving as 7th grade teacher and counselor. This photograph, taken at his retirement, captures Mr. B. doing something he often shunned, speaking in public. Although he goes on record as one of the most intelligent people we will ever meet, Mr. B.'s forte was conversation... witty, warm, and to the point of it all, conversation. He was fond of sarcasm, loved to laugh, and was often known to say, "This too shall pass," whenever the going got truly tough. Whether you were a coworker, a student, or a friend, you have many Mr. B. stories. This would be the post to share your warmth and affection for this wonderful man. To leave a comment, simply click on the small number/comment label at the bottom of this post. Thank you so much for helping give us more memories of Mr. B. Don't stop at one if you have more. We love comments.
6 comments:
One of my favorite Mr. B memories happened on the senior trip of 1977. He and Alice, his wife, helped us sponsor this lovely and good class. During one evening's swim a young lady in the class made a "too sudden ascent" from the pool, leaving a part of her swimsuit( a very needed part) slightly off center! She stood there, water to her waist, chattering happily with Mr. B... who chose to remain the gentleman and avert his eyes but not embarrass her. Many of her classmates were screaming at her to "GO down under the water" and ah, arrange herself a bit better. After a few seconds of conversation, Mr. B, turned away from the pool and his eyes met mine in a quick twinkle. I heard him murmur to me as he passed, "Oooh, it's cold tonight." Ever the understatement... ever the gentleman... I truly loved this man.
Ah, our favorite - Mr. B!! Before he was "Mr. B" to me and my brothers, he was one half of "Jim & Alice" who frequently came to visit & play cards at our home with my parents while we kids did all we could to interrupt and distract the whole endeavor. When I entered 7th grade, it was strange & funny to begin calling him "Mr. Buster", then equally strange for quite some time after graduating from Bevier Hs to call him anything else! This, an excerpt from the eulogy I wrote for my father, Don Sprague, who counted Mr. B among his very closest friends...conjures for me the wonderfully challenging-but-playful way that Mr. B touched so many lives and funny bones......"I warmly recall Jim Buster teasing us about being like `Archie' and `Gloria' from `All In the Family'!" My dad and I both loved this analogy......and to Jim's delight, he and my father most certainly found a way to fit in references to "Meathead" as the years went by! I celebrate Mr. B and my dad, and their friendship,...and all the amazing and enduring friendships like this that originate in our beloved Bevier, MO. (p.s. - and don't think there isn’t a photo somewhere of Jim and Don dressed up -- as WOMEN -- for a Bevier HS function/event in the 60s!)
Nostalgically, Deb
Mr. Buster was one of my favorites. His dry humor and witty personality can never be replaced. I remember, especially this time of year. Lilacs. He was allergic to lilacs. Every year his desk was adorned with lilacs. He handled it all in stride without missing a beat. "Oh dear, what a surprise" he'd say sometimes added, "how original". I would truly love it here him recite the poem "Casey at Bat" just one more time...
hear, not here, sorry english teacher...
Mr. B what a great teacher!! My 3 boys were lucky to have had him and then my 2 Grandchildren also were his students.
fjyb
A very memorable man--- Does anyone else recall the very wordy sentences Mr. Buster would assign to anyone who misbehaved, or was the graduating class of 1975 the only ones who earned that punishment? I was even then fascinated by words, and kept a little notebook, and by the last day of school, it was full of l-o-n-g sentences which Mr. B. had given to different deserving members of my class. Really entertaining to read now and it takes me right back to that 7th grade room. Also, he read "The Cremation of Sam McGee" to us as well as to all his other classes, I imagine. What fun! I then had the pleasure of working with Mr. B. at Bevier school until his retirement. Even after that, he came in every so often and ate lunch with us. He always said how it pleased him to see so many of his former students teaching there. Cindy
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