Batavians Remember Kennedy Assassination

For many Batavians, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Nov. 22, 1963, was something learned about in a history book.

For others, it was a hazy, half-century-old memory of youth. And for some, it was as vivid and horrifying as if it were yesterday.

Here are some of the comments from the Batavia Patch Facebook page, in answer to the question, "Do you remember where you were on Nov. 22, 1963?":

• Pj Wasser Muse 2nd grade at Blaine St School. Mrs Parker was called to the office, then came back to the classroom and told us that President Kennedy had been shot and that we were all to go home.

• Jen Baxley Sunleaf That was 11 years before I was born!
  
  
• Rene Wiesmore Moynihan 4th grade, Buffalo, NY.......horrible day....
  
  
• Karen Ann Schindler probably in my crib. I was only two weeks old.
  
  
• Colleen Staniszewski In diapers!
  
  
• Elizabeth Bohler Thompson High School Biology class.
  
  
• Ruth Bryan Martin watching bozo circus. Mom was folding clothes.
  
  
• Cathy Agnew Steinbach 5th grade. I remember thinking that Nixon would become President. I didn't understand about the Vice President becoming President. It was a day I will never forget.
  
  
• Debbie Buelow chewing on a toy
  
  
• Lori Parker Yes....4th grade. The Class Clown broke the news to us at lunchtime. We didn't believe him. When class resumed, our teacher confirmed the story.
  
  
• Steve Fox Yup....not born yet
  
  
• Pam Moseley Nope
  
  
• Hannah Kruger Hartman Twinkle in my daddy's eye!
  
  
• Anita Salkill-Grimes Lived in Carpentersville at this time. Was play as my mom was ironing...when the new came across the TV. Remember this day like yesterday. I was 5.
  
  
• Eric Anderson Half day kindergarten at JB Nelson- had just come home to watch Bozo when they announced it.
  
  
• Bill Peterson In 2nd grade at the old Louise White school.
  
  
• Grazia Francioli Bittner Sadly pick up kids daycare streamed to the tv
  
  
• Nancy McLean Beauchamp In Florida. I was 6 years old.
  
  

• Robert Hooke At St. A's in Villa Park. Getting ready to have my pals over for my xxth birthday. Nuns came in crying and sent us home. Spent the entire weekend in front of the TV.

• Dawn Reczek Firek A glimmer in my dad's eye:)

• Joyce Elliott Kdg 4th Street School
  
  
• Jayne Wilkins Scott Fifth grade, fifth row, next to the last seat. We came in from lunch recess with all our teachers huddled in the hall crying. Principal announced that he president was killed and that were going home till further notice. We all went to our lockers in silence and rode home on silent buses. Our teachers were all still in the hallway crying. I got to go back to that school a few years ago and the first thought I had was of that day President Kennedy died. Horrible childhood memory.
  
  
• Jeri Jones I was 11. I was in 6th grade and the principal came over the loud speaker to tell us that President Kennedy had been assassinated - but I didn't understand that statement at first because I had only ever heard the word "assassination" in reference to President Lincoln and even though I knew that President Lincoln had been shot and killed - the word 'assassinate' didn't mean 'murder' to me. I was very confused. Shortly after, all classes were dismissed and we all went home and for the next three days we did nothing but sit in front of the television. We even ate in front of the TV.We watched the replays over and over. And we watched the funeral and his little boy salute him - and even at 11 I knew that little boy had no real idea what had happened to his world. It was sad and scary and unreal to me at 11. I felt that same way again on September 11th 2001. Two horrible events in history that will live in my memory forever.
  
  
• Dennis Lencioni 3rd grade, 4th St. School.
  
  
• Sara Peters 2 nd grader at Harrison St. school....
  
  
• Kathleen T. Hawkins Home room at Geneva High School
  
  
• Kurt Wehrmeister About seven months before we moved to Geneva, I was home with Mom in Clarendon Hills, a first-grader home from school with a cold. Watching Bozo's Circus a bit after 1230p, when Len Johnson of Channel 9 News broke into the Grand Prize Game with the bulletin. Mom switched to Cronkite (with Rather in Dallas) after that, and we were glued, through Monday.
  
  
• Virg Tobin Third floor of "B" bldg, homeroom. Announcement was made & like others cried for days in front of TV with weeping parents. I was old enough to know what was happening...