The Other CYOs: Denny Kelahan

St. E CYO Reunion Sat Nov 12, 2011 My Other CYO Experiences
CYOs were everywhere when I was in high school. My first contact with one, other than St. Es, was when I was 16. Tom Krieshok and I were visiting Chicago and my late Aunt Jinnie allowed us to use her friends apartment while she was on vacation for two weeks. The first thing I did when we arrived was to check the phone book for Catholic Churches. I called the one my aunt said was the nearest and asked about CYO activities. I was told there was a CYO dance that weekend. So, Tom and I walked to the church and attended the dance. As usual, Tom met a young lady and spent the whole evening dancing with her. I spent the night talking Cubs baseball with the church janitor. When I was 17, I went with Fr. Mank and another priest to the CYO convention in Salt Lake City. That was the first time I had ever flown. I remember touring the Mormon Tabernacle and marveling at the size of the historic organ there. All the streets were named in physical relationship to the temple. The first street south of the temple, for example, was named First Street South. Finally, I remember driving the rental car. While I didnt feel very confident driving in a strange city, it seemed the two priests wanted someone else to drive. Unfortunately, I dont remember a single thing about the Salt Lake City convention. Hopefully, I got a T shirt. The next year I joined fellow St. E CYOers going to the National Convention in Denver. I should have skipped this one. As soon as we got to Denver, I caught the stomach flu and was in bed for most of the convention. At the airport, many were singing Im Leaving On A Jet Plane, Dont Know When Ill Be Back Again. Ive never been back to Denver. Finally, I remember our CYO participating in some activities with a CYO in Collinsville, IL. I met a particular young lady who was only 14. I think I was 16. I asked her out several times but she told me her parents would not let her date yet. I did not see her again until I was a senior in college and she was a sophomore. I asked her for a date again. She told me she did not date upper classmen. Ironically, I wound up marrying a girl from Collinsville (Karen Moutrie) who was just a bit older than me. (Just a wee bit, Dear!). I finally realized, you dont date younger women, you date older women. I wish I would have known that when I was 16. Since Last We Met After GCHS, I graduated from SIUE in 74 with a BS in Social Work. Karen and I married in 76. In 75, I started working at the GC Coordinated Youth Services, working with troubled teens a tough job. After 2 years, I burned out and we moved to Jacksonville, IL where I began working with persons with disabilities a position I held for the last 34 years. Along the way, I finished my Masters at U of ISpringfield while Karen continued her Elementary and Special Ed. teaching career. During all the teaching and social-working and graduate work, Karen and I raised two daughters, Michelle and Kristy. Michelle, our eldest, is president of a wedding photography company. She resides in Chicago with her husband. Our daughter Kristy and her husband and our two grandchildren live in Leroy, IL about 15 miles SE of Bloomington. I retired from working for the state of Illinois a few months ago and Karen retired from her teaching job. I work, very part time, from home while Karen works part time as a substitute teacher. We are trying our best to spoil our two grandkids.

Since Last We Met

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