Hempfield Band Had Memphis Dream Treat

Originally posted in The News-Dispatch, June 3, 1977

Luck and talent combined forces for the Hempfield Area Senior High School band during its recent trip to the Forty-fourth Annual Cotton Carnival in Memphis, Tenn.

The talented young people not only walked away with the first place "Outstanding Band Award" trophy in competition with 63 other bands from every state in the nation, they experienced a high school student's dream treat - a gala pızza party.

Attending one of the nine concerts the band participated in were Mr. and Mrs. Walter Exline Jr., a former Greensburg couple now operating three "Best Pızza In Town" pızza parlors in Memphis.

The Exlines, who have resided in Memphis for the past five years, spotted the Hempfield band and invited all 162 performers from the 180-member band present for the carnival to crowd into one of the pizza parlors for a free-of-charge pızza banquet.

"They put out a lot of money for the kids," said an appreciative Jack Irwin, band director. The former Westmoreland County couple, 1953 graduates of Greensburg High School, have stated, "We enjoy lıving in Memphis " but, they conceded, "Our hearts and home are still in Greensburg."

Exline was employed at Westinghouse Electric in Pittsburgh prior to leaving the Greensburg area in 1967.

Mrs. Exline, the former Violet Watus of Greensburg, was employed at the Greensburg Water Authority from 1953 to 1967. She has a sister Mrs. Ronald (Janie) Ranier of Jeannette and brothers Stanley and Frank Watus of Crabtree and Andy Watus, residing in Greensburg. Her parents are both deceased.

Her husband's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Exline Sr. still reside in Greensburg, at 229 Alexander Ave. as does one of his sisters Mrs. Robert (Dolores) Blatnık. Another sıster, Barbara, is living in Pittsburgh.

In addition to these relatives and other friends still living in the area the Exlines now have 162 new friends, Hempfield Area High School band members not likely to soon forget the good time they had in Memphis, thanks in large part to the homesick couple they met there.