Darryl Ammons

Perryton, TX

Address information may be obtained by emailing your request to the webmaster 

Greetings PHS class of 1958.   

As I recall attending twelve years of school in Pampa, one of my first recollections is enrollment day in 1946.  (That date looks so long ago, but I remember it well). I was enrolling at Horace Mann in the first grade.  There were approximately 70 students and some parents gathered in the small auditorium, with a small stage.  As our names were called out we were to go either to the south side or the north side of the auditorium.  I had hoped and prayed that I would be in either Rodney Davis or Meredith Meaker’s room.  As it turned out Rodney and Meredith were both on the north side of the room and I was on the south side.  Did any of you know there was a wooden, rolling room divider that was to come down?  After the announcements, my teacher, Mrs. Miller and the other teacher started pulling a chain and this huge room divider started coming down. I began to think out a plan.  Since the divider was coming down so slowly, I decided to discreetly move over to the north side with my friends.  It worked – for about 10 minutes.  Shortly after the divider was down, my new teacher asked if there was anyone in her room that was supposed to be in Mrs. Miller’s room.  I sat quietly and soon Mrs. Miller came into my new room.  She ask my new teacher if she had an extra student and of course she did.  To this day, I don’t know how they figured out that I was the one, but I was very tenderly removed from my new room, back to Mrs. Miller’s room. Mrs. Miller was very sweet and kind throughout the year. 

 The next BIG event I recall was transferring, with approximately 70 other students, from the four elementary schools, to Jr. High in the fifth grade.  Most of you will recall the construction that went on in the Elementary Schools when we were in the fifth grade.  I recall the plea for volunteers to attend the remainder of the fifth grade school year at Jr. High.  Being an adventure seeking young lad, I obtained my parents permission and attended approximately seven months of fifth grade at Jr. High. The Patrick’s hamburgers and Coney Island’s hot dogs, made the transfer worth while. The last month or two of the school year, we transferred to Baker Elementary, as it was the first to complete the construction work.

My favorite activity in elementary school was playing softball.  While at Baker we played Horace Mann in the spring.  I had and still have a very competitive spirit and in the last inning the game was tied.  We, Baker, had two runners on base, two outs and I was up to bat.  You must remember I was playing against MY school, Horace Mann. The pitch came, and I hit a beautiful “home run”. Of course the game was over and Baker won by three, but as I rounded second on the way to home plate to my cheering Baker classmates, it occurred to me that my home run had just defeated all my friends and I was sad, so sad in fact, that I started crying.  If you were there that day I’m not sure any of you noticed or knew why I was sad, “But, now you know the rest of the story.” 

 After graduation I attended Decatur Baptist College (now Dallas Baptist University) and played basketball.  We won conference and runner-up in district two years.  I met Dot Pitts, an amazing athlete, at DBC.  We were married Sept. 17, 1960, at Hobart Baptist Church in Pampa.  We will celebrate our 46^th anniversary next month.  We have three sons and one daughter.  We have sixteen grandchildren. 

I worked 44 years in the oil field, starting in Spearman, TX. I worked in the Texas Panhandle, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado.  For the casual reader, that’s about it. I enjoy reading about our class and appreciate the effort Mike and others put into our web site.

 (For the curious there’s more).

Our oldest son, Bruce, is a minister and author.  He conducts “Conquering Debt God’s Way” seminars across the U.S. and Canada.  He has authored a book by the same title. Bruce is married to Ruthie, a teacher, and they have three daughters, Carlee 16, Shaylee 10, and Allee 8. They live in Houston, TX.

Gregg is married to Tinese, they are both in education, recently moved to Lubbock, TX. Gregg is a Superintendent, and Tinese is a Middle School Librarian.  They have two children, Austin, 13 and Shanae 11.

 Shanda is a teacher and is married to Scott Wilkens, a fire fighter and financial adviser for Waddell and Reed.  They have four children, Halie 13, Hayden 11, Hannah 9 and Heidi 7. Shanda and family live in Hutchinson, KS.

 Shawn is Shanda’s twin brother. Shawn is married to Cheryl. Shawn is a Youth Minister in Wichita, KS. Cheryl is an educator.  Shawn and Cheryl have seven children, Kileab 15, Kendra 13, Kramer 11, Kody 9, Kaz 7, Kip 4, and Kreed 1.

 We are blessed to have a healthy and loving family.  I retired from Duke Energy Field Services, July 1, 2005.  Dot and I moved to Hutchinson, KS to be near family. This past year has been a Hoot!  We are learning so much from the little people.  Dot is teaching at Community School of Hutchinson. This is a Christian school – home school Co-Op. Dot teaches Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The students are home schooled on Thursday and Friday. For parents who lean toward home schooling but don’t have the time this schedule seems to work well.   She retired from the Texas Public Schools after 30 years of service.  She taught in a Christian school in Perryton for four years.  This is her second year to teach at Community School of Hutchinson. I substituted at Community School of Hutchinson for 6 weeks last year.  We had a Kindergarten teacher who took a 6 weeks maternity leave, and I taught her class.  Can you imagine how much fun that was?  Some of the funniest stories of my life happened during that 6 weeks. 

 Let me close by saying that the most important decision I’ve ever made in my life was in 1950, at Central Baptist Church, Pampa, Texas.  At the age of 10, I realized I was a sinner, and I was sorry about that. Up until that time I knew I was a sinner, but I don’t think I cared. I believe that Jesus is God’s Son and that he lived and died for me. (John 3:16). I prayed and asked God to forgive me of my sins and invited Jesus to live in me. My life was forever changed. Dot and I attend Westside Baptist Church in Hutchinson, KS.  We sing in the choir, work in the AWANA program, and teach Sunday school.  We have directed a Greeting Team Ministry and conducted home Bible Studies.

May God richly Bless all who read this “bio”, and I’m honored to be a member of your class, the class of 1958.   

Darryl C. Ammons