Young JCity squad pays special visit to former cheerleader
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Bob Howard had his eye on the beautiful cheerleader. Everyone did for that matter. From the sixth grade through high school she, and the other cheerleaders, had motivated the teams with their balletic moves and unconditional support.
But the object of Bob's affection was Louise Chesney, the prettiest girl in school, to his way of thinking. That was in 1945-46, at Bonnie High School.
Fast-forward to October 2011 and Louise is still the apple of his eye after nearly seven decades. But some other cheerleaders have caught his eye: the Southern Illinois Youth Flag Football League, kindergarten variety, called the Johnston City Indians. There are 13 little ones on the cheering squad coached by Adrianne Galbraith with Dabrina Bruce as co-coach.
The connection between the young cheerleaders and Bob and Louise can be made with just one word.
Love.
"This nice man walked up to us at a game and told us a remarkable story," Bruce said. "He said his wife was a cheerleader and his high school sweetheart and watching the little ones encouraging their team with such enthusiasm reminded him of his bride."
It would have been a burden for Louise to travel to Indian Country to watch these talented tiny ones perform. So the caring of the cheerleader coaches and their charges came to the fore.
The girls were very excited about it. They picked out the cheers they wanted to do and with their mentors headed for the Howard homestead to give the cheers of their young lives.
"Bob was great," Bruce said. "He even had little gift packages made up for them. We wanted to make them happy."
They got the job done. And some 65 years after giving her last cheer, Louise reaped yet one blessing from being married for 65-years to a true romantic.
The Howards have three sons, six grandchildren and six great grandchildren. One of those offspring, grandson Cameron, plays in the great Johnston City flag football league. Since
Louise is a little less active than in her cheering days of yesteryear, Bob would go to the games and come home to his bride and share wondrous stories about the youth and vigor he witnessed.
After making the contact with the coaches, who became as excited as the kids, they established beyond a doubt that love will find a way.
Bob called his wife and told her to, "Get dressed up, I have a surprise for you."
Bob describes it. "Suddenly cars began filling up the driveway and four beautiful little girls in their cheerleading uniforms jumped out and did several cheers. It was a wonderful sight thanks to the mothers who were gracious enough to give so generously of their time to 'cheer' up an 82-year-old former cheerleader."
And Bob, the old rascal, topped it off with the perfect ending line: "I love her even more today than I did then."
Now that's something to cheer about.