In Muscatine on Sunday, December 14, 1952, Dale wrote, “Cold today, 20° above. Stayed in the house all day. Had roast beef for dinner. Stan sang in ‘Messiah’ at the high school in the afternoon. Bears beat Cardinals 10-7 on TV in the afternoon. Stan and Mike went to a show at night.” A highlight for the chorus every year was singing Handel’s “Messiah,” accompanied on the organ by English teacher Charles Shook, above.