'28 History

Class of 1938
HISTORY

62nd Reunion / Ernie Steele / 40th Reunion

Twenty seven members from the class of 1938 showed up for their 62nd reunion.
Rainier Golf and Country Club, 2000

Row # 1 Gerry Mansfield Jones, Borghild Holen McLean, Doris Hamrick Hickson, Bob Burch, Jossephine Downing Steele,
Gerry Hoddinott Wappi, Herbert Lcake, Gerry Thomas Redman, Barbara Snider Passig, Aline Fabbio Gardner

2nd Row Ada Caldwell Mottet, Bobbette Keeler McIntyre, Cloydene Thompson Sorensen.
Zane Green, Betty Rasmussen Solberg, Harold Sabey, Della Utterback Schmitz, Yvonne Cross Efimenko, Marie Jane Stith Kinney. June Brandt Lytle, Bob YeakeL Georgenia Farncomb Green. Jim Norris, Margaret Buxel Allopp, Bob Dalton:, Ernie Steele, Bob Whetsell.

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Ernie Steele stands infront of his sports joint, at the comer of Broadway and Thomas.

Steve Kelley / Times staff columnist

Before there were sports bars, there was Ernie Steele's place. Before basic cable and fantasy leagues, back even when World Series games still were played in the afternoons, people came to Ernie Steele's at the comer of Broadway and Thomas.

"It was an original kind of sports bar," said former Hus¬kies quarterback Sonny Sixkiller.

And Ernie Steele, who died Monday, was aSeattle original. An Everyman with a heart as big as one of his thick steaks. A football player. A restaurant owner. An institution:""

He played high-school football at Highline and illustrative of just how much times have changed, was ready to accept a scholarship from Washington State. But before he left for Pullman, he demanded the Cougars also offer his fiancee, Jo, a scholarship. When they refused, Steele became a Husky.

He playecL..halfback-.for the Huskies from 1939-41. After leaving Washington, he was working on the docks in West Seattle when his good friend and former Huskies teammate, the late Jack Stackpool, called him.

"We need a halfback and I told them that I've got just the guy," Stackpool, who was playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, told Ernie. "I want you to come back here and try out."

Ernie Steele played seven years with the Eagles.

"We took every penny we had and moved to Philadelphia and never thought about whether or not we'd make it there," Jo Steele, Ernie's wife of 65 years said Tuesday afternoon.
He was a member of the Eagles' 1948 championship team and, in 1943, was part of the Steagles, when the Pittsburgh Steelers and Eagles merged because World War II had taken so many NFL players.

In his seven professional seasons, Steele averaged 5.2 passes.

"It was a lot. of fun back there," Jo said. "All the players l had their own apartments in 'the Hotel Philadelphia, We went to wonderful parties. I even got to dance with Clark Gable once."

After his football career, 'Ernie Steele returned to Seattle and opened a restaurant and bar.

Before pretense, before ferns and flat-screen TVs, back when poker was played in back rooms and not on-teIevision, people came to Ernie_Steele's. And once they came, many became regulars.

It was a simple, throwback , place. A 1940s-kind of restaurant that lasted into the 1990s. He finally sold the beloved joint with. the comfortable booths and the long bar in 1993.

"When you were in Ernie's, you felt like you were home," Sixkiller said.

Ernie'.s Checkerboard Cafe became a part of. Seattle sports, just like Hec Ed or the Kingdome.It was an equal-opportunity establishment, Steele served gamblers and businessmen, rich and poor. He had a loyal, local following that stuck with him for decades.

"It was a classic greasy spoon that was the kind of place that people felt comfort¬able in," said Hannah Brown, who went there often in the 1970s. and '80s, "Maybe you couldn't get snails there, but you could get a good burger. You would see everybody from every walk of life. And Ernie was the kind of guy, if you didn't have a couple of dollars to pay for your burger, lle. would float you the money.

"He would always amaze me the way he would let homeless people. come in - andsome of them wouldn't smell particularly nice - and he would take them to .the back of the restaurant and.give them a meal and never think twice about it. That's how I'll remember him."

Ernie's was a joint, in the best sense of the word. And, although it was a plain place, celebrities often stopped in to see him.

Fornier NFL star quartedback Y.A. Tittle came in. So did Hugh McElhenny, a young Shawn Kem:p and fellow adventurer, mountain climber Jim Whittaker.

"Ernie was a good old Seattle pioneer," Whittaker said from his PortTownsend home. "He was a guy who loved life, a
real spdrtsmian. When I went in there, .we'd ta1k..about mountains and fishing. He was a great fisherman. HeIr like we were kindred spirits.

The food there wasn't gourmet, but it was standard fare served wonderfully. There was a comfortable atmosphere and the people were really nice. We should have more places like that."

Less than a month. short of his 89th birthday, Ernie Steele died after a long illness.His funeral will be 1 p.m. Friday at Bonney-Watson Funeral Hone on, Capitol Hill.

Mr. Steele left behind,his' wife Josephine, four daughters, a son, 13 grandchildren and 15 great;grandchildren.

"All of his children worked there. It was always our summer job," Ernies daughter, Becky Whitescarver; said. "And Dad brought so many of the people from the restaurant home. We felt like so many of them were part of our family and that our family seemed even 1arger than it was.

Ernie. also left. behind the memory of a great, old joint where people could come indoors and talk about the outdoors, come in eat a real meal at real prices. His was a joint where everyone was welcomed, where sports talk hung in the air and sports memorabilia hung on the wa11s.

"You went in there and you felt.1ike you had found a nice corner bar in a much larger city," Sixkiller said. "Ernie served good, honest food. And if there was a game on TV you wanted to watch,you knew it would be on.

"I didn't know Ernie well, but I really enjoyed, the time we did spend together. If you asked me to describe him, the best way I could do it would be to say that he was a good, old Dawg;"

Steve Kelley: 206-464-2176 or
skelley@seattletimes.com.
More columns at
www.seattletimes':com/columnists .

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40th Reunion in 1978 at Glen Acres Counrty Club

Class of 1938 HISTORY 62nd Reunion / Ernie Steele / 40th Reunion Twenty seven members from the class of 1938 showed up for their 62nd reunion. Rainier Golf and Country Club, 2000 Row # 1 Gerry Mansfield Jones, Borghild Holen McLean, Doris Hamrick Hickson, Bob Burch, Jossephine Downing Steele, Gerry Hoddinott Wappi, Herbert Lcake, Gerry Thomas Redman, Barbara Snider Passig, Aline Fabbio Gardner 2nd Row Ada Caldwell Mottet, Bobbette Keeler McIntyre, Cloydene Thompson Sorensen. Zane Green, Betty Rasmussen Solberg, Harold Sabey, Della Utterback Schmitz, Yvonne Cross Efimenko, Marie Jane Stith Kinney. June Brandt Lytle, Bob YeakeL Georgenia Farncomb Green. Jim Norris, Margaret Buxel Allopp, Bob Dalton:, Ernie Steele, Bob Whetsell. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ernie Steele stands infront of his sports joint, at the comer of Broadway and Thomas. Steve Kelley / Times staff columnist Before there were sports bars, there was Ernie Steele's place. Before basic cable and fantasy leagues, back even when World Series games still were played in the afternoons, people came to Ernie Steele's at the comer of Broadway and Thomas. "It was an original kind of sports bar," said former Hus¬kies quarterback Sonny Sixkiller. And Ernie Steele, who died Monday, was aSeattle original. An Everyman with a heart as big as one of his thick steaks. A football player. A restaurant owner. An institution:"" He played high-school football at Highline and illustrative of just how much times have changed, was ready to accept a scholarship from Washington State. But before he left for Pullman, he demanded the Cougars also offer his fiancee, Jo, a scholarship. When they refused, Steele became a Husky. He playecL..halfback-.for the Huskies from 1939-41. After leaving Washington, he was working on the docks in West Seattle when his good friend and former Huskies teammate, the late Jack Stackpool, called him. "We need a halfback and I told them that I've got just the guy," Stackpool, who was playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, told Ernie. "I want you to come back here and try out." Ernie Steele played seven years with the Eagles. "We took every penny we had and moved to Philadelphia and never thought about whether or not we'd make it there," Jo Steele, Ernie's wife of 65 years said Tuesday afternoon. He was a member of the Eagles' 1948 championship team and, in 1943, was part of the Steagles, when the Pittsburgh Steelers and Eagles merged because World War II had taken so many NFL players. In his seven professional seasons, Steele averaged 5.2 passes. "It was a lot. of fun back there," Jo said. "All the players l had their own apartments in 'the Hotel Philadelphia, We went to wonderful parties. I even got to dance with Clark Gable once." After his football career, 'Ernie Steele returned to Seattle and opened a restaurant and bar. Before pretense, before ferns and flat-screen TVs, back when poker was played in back rooms and not on-teIevision, people came to Ernie_Steele's. And once they came, many became regulars. It was a simple, throwback , place. A 1940s-kind of restaurant that lasted into the 1990s. He finally sold the beloved joint with. the comfortable booths and the long bar in 1993. "When you were in Ernie's, you felt like you were home," Sixkiller said. Ernie'.s Checkerboard Cafe became a part of. Seattle sports, just like Hec Ed or the Kingdome.It was an equal-opportunity establishment, Steele served gamblers and businessmen, rich and poor. He had a loyal, local following that stuck with him for decades. "It was a classic greasy spoon that was the kind of place that people felt comfort¬able in," said Hannah Brown, who went there often in the 1970s. and '80s, "Maybe you couldn't get snails there, but you could get a good burger. You would see everybody from every walk of life. And Ernie was the kind of guy, if you didn't have a couple of dollars to pay for your burger, lle. would float you the money. "He would always amaze me the way he would let homeless people. come in - andsome of them wouldn't smell particularly nice - and he would take them to .the back of the restaurant and.give them a meal and never think twice about it. That's how I'll remember him." Ernie's was a joint, in the best sense of the word. And, although it was a plain place, celebrities often stopped in to see him. Fornier NFL star quartedback Y.A. Tittle came in. So did Hugh McElhenny, a young Shawn Kem:p and fellow adventurer, mountain climber Jim Whittaker. "Ernie was a good old Seattle pioneer," Whittaker said from his PortTownsend home. "He was a guy who loved life, a real spdrtsmian. When I went in there, .we'd ta1k..about mountains and fishing. He was a great fisherman. HeIr like we were kindred spirits. The food there wasn't gourmet, but it was standard fare served wonderfully. There was a comfortable atmosphere and the people were really nice. We should have more places like that." Less than a month. short of his 89th birthday, Ernie Steele died after a long illness.His funeral will be 1 p.m. Friday at Bonney-Watson Funeral Hone on, Capitol Hill. Mr. Steele left behind,his' wife Josephine, four daughters, a son, 13 grandchildren and 15 great;grandchildren. "All of his children worked there. It was always our summer job," Ernies daughter, Becky Whitescarver; said. "And Dad brought so many of the people from the restaurant home. We felt like so many of them were part of our family and that our family seemed even 1arger than it was. Ernie. also left. behind the memory of a great, old joint where people could come indoors and talk about the outdoors, come in eat a real meal at real prices. His was a joint where everyone was welcomed, where sports talk hung in the air and sports memorabilia hung on the wa11s. "You went in there and you felt.1ike you had found a nice corner bar in a much larger city," Sixkiller said. "Ernie served good, honest food. And if there was a game on TV you wanted to watch,you knew it would be on. "I didn't know Ernie well, but I really enjoyed, the time we did spend together. If you asked me to describe him, the best way I could do it would be to say that he was a good, old Dawg;" Steve Kelley: 206-464-2176 or skelley@seattletimes.com. More columns at www.seattletimes':com/columnists . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 40th Reunion in 1978 at Glen Acres Counrty Club
	Row #1 (Back) Melvin Laird Burl Clements Jim Gleason Benton Howard Art Leonard Bob Burch Sherrell Bassett Doug Martyn . Harold Sabey George Mathews Gilbert Quantz Dallas Graham	Row #2 Shirley Brown Jim Norris Harry Love Bill Bledsoe Robert Dalton Elmer Armstrong Jean Campbell Bobbette Keeler Delfo Zari Cloy Thompson June Brandt Erling Solberg Vince Matelich Barbara Snider Annamae Shawver Virginia Henry Ada Caldwell Pauline Banks Jo Downing Eleanor Newbill	Row #3 Hayden Roberts Veryl Glithero Martin Wilcox Georgia Farncomb June Moen Evelyn Moody Elva Allen Gerry Hoddinott Mildred Bellingham Margret Buxel Gerry Manafield Birghild Hilen Ellen Erixon Dolores Srtewart Betty Rasmussen Alice Furman Katjleen Miller Helen Maxwell Leroy Wagner	Row #4 (FRONT) Don Pierson Gordon Osborn Lorraine Cobb Zane Green Frank Schultz Joe Nakatsu Marie Skube Ernie Steele Pat Bushell Bob Yeakle Aline Fabbio Herb Leake Bud Roe Richard Orchard Bob Erickson Peter Fisher Della Utterback Mary Helen Briggs Ardean Caldwell