Class Reunion Stories

Class reunions can be nerve-racking but usually end up exhilarating – renewing friendships, sharing memories of the the days when we were "young and innocent." Share your class reunion stories, e-mail us.

Beardstown alumni weekend
by Allison Schurman

Beardstown, Illinois, a sleepy, Midwestern farm-town, bustles with excitement during Memorial Day weekend. This small town does its part to honor veterans; however, it is the annual class reunion that draws the crowd.

Beardstown may be a small town, a population hovering at 6,000, but Alumni Weekend is not a small event. Each year Beardstown calls home alumni from up to 14 classes during Memorial Day weekend for reunion parties. With an estimated 500 to 1000 visiting alumni, Beardstown businesses experience a welcome boom. Motels that struggle to fill their rooms during the year are at full capacity, and demand skyrockets for local treats such as Benny’s pizza and the Riverview Restaurant’s fried catfish. For this weekend, alumni and cash registers are full, and everyone is happy.

Beardstown’s Alumni Weekend adheres to the same schedule every year. Occasionally, alumni or community members suggest changes but according to Lori Frasier, Alumni Association Officer since 1989, the reunion model works because it is predictable and stable. “Every person who graduates from Beardstown High School knows the who, what, where and when of their class reunions. There is never any question. Wherever you are in the world, whether or not your class can find you, you know that you can come home Memorial Day weekend and find your classmates.”

The Alumni Association is the key element in the success of Beardstown’s reunion model. The Association hosts the annual Alumni Banquet and Dance, to which all classes are invited. They supply each class with enough free invitation packets to urge everyone in their class to join the festivities. Packets include invitations to the Alumni Banquet and Dance, Chamber of Commerce update information and a postage-paid envelope. By paying for invitations and postage, the Alumni Association ensures that everyone in a class is invited and that there is a reunion event even if a class cannot fund an individual class party. This removes the incentive for classes to cut corners and lends stability to the event.

“At this point, Alumni Weekend really runs itself,” says Frasier. Planning begins in February, when the Alumni Association contacts class chairpersons to make sure the classes start planning their reunions. Then, invitation packets are printed and given to the classes to mail. Class chairpersons plan their individual parties, typically dinner and drinks at a local restaurant or bar. There are a limited number of Beardstown venues, so often two or more classes share. It is common for class chairs to reserve a party venue for the next reunion during the current one. As with the other elements of this model, if a particular venue works, then every effort is made to stick with it.

The Alumni Banquet typically draws about 500 alumni and their spouses, and while some say the event lasts too long, it strengthens the community bond by bringing many generations together in one room to celebrate a common event. It is held in the high school gymnasium, and alumni enjoy dinner at tables designated for their class. The event is capped off with a “class response,” in which one member from each class welcomes and congratulates new seniors. The party then moves downtown for a dance complete with music spanning the decades. There is something for everyone.

Flexibility and inclusion lend to the success of the banquet. One week before the event in 2007, fewer than 300 people had purchased tickets for the banquet. Frasier was worried that they wouldn’t be able to cover costs. By Saturday, they reached the expected number of 500 people, with nearly 100 tickets purchased on the day of the banquet. “It’s hard to deal with that many additions on the day of the event, but we brought in some tables and made room,” says Frasier. “We used to say no to last minute additions, but we want as many people as possible to attend. The catering was a concern but we started planning food for 500 no matter what, and that has always worked out. We’ve never run out of room or turned anyone away.”

An effort is made to keep costs low so it is not a financial burden for alumni to participate. In 2007, the banquet and alumni dues totaled $17.50, and class parties ranged from $10 to $20 per person. “When you have two people attending, the costs do add up, but then again you have to remember it is only once every five years,” Frasier adds. The Alumni Association funds the banquet and dance with alumni dues ($5 every five years), banquet tickets ($12.50) and donations. They also have a 50/50 raffle drawing at the banquet to raise additional funds.

The top challenge for the Alumni Association is engaging each new graduating class. “It is up to them to keep this tradition alive,” notes Frasier. “It is my job to get them excited about the Alumni Association, and its history. It is all about bringing community spirit to life and helping them understand this is something worth preserving. Some years are more difficult than others, but you just need one person to get excited and take charge.” Frasier’s parents inspired her to get involved and become a part of Beardstown history. Both were active in the Alumni Association, and Frasier recalls the meetings at her home when they would plan the next reunion. Classmates would share stories and laugh, and then they would think of a classmate and pick up the phone to ask, “Are you coming home?”

Beardstown is changing with the world and is becoming less isolated and more diverse. According to census data, the Beardstown’s population of Hispanic immigrants grew from less than one percent in 1990 to 17.9% in 2000. Graduating classes are growing with the influx of newcomers, but reunion attendance appears to be dropping off. Many of the new graduates do not have the same multigenerational connection to the town as past classes. “I think there is less of a connection to Beardstown for many kids,” says Frasier. She hopes that they will find a way to keep the tradition alive.

Throughout her nearly 20-year tenure, Frasier experienced plenty of headaches but was also often reminded of her important role in bringing together a community. A letter she received from a class of ‘31 alumna best captures what Beardstown’s Alumni Weekend means to her. During the banquet that year Frashierannounced that Beardstown High School’s first female cheerleader was in attendance and asked her to stand. When the banquet ended, the cheerleaders from the graduating class went over to talk to this alumna. In the following weeks, the alumna wrote she was overwhelmed by the welcome she received. She had never thought being a cheerleader was important until the senior girls came to talk her. She was delighted and wrote that she would do her best to come again next year. Frashier chuckles and says, “Where else would women from those two age groups ever have the opportunity or interest to talk to one another?”

About the author
Allison Schurman is a freelance writer living in the San Francisco bay area. In May she will return to Beardstown, Illinois, to celebrate the Class of 1988's reunion alongside her grandfather, a Class of 1938 alumnus. When she is not writing, Allison enjoys running, traveling, and caring for her two dogs.

50th reunion celebration
by Arliss Treybig

The El Campo (Texas) High School (ECHS) Class of 1953, last to graduate from the old Northside campus, celebrated its 50th anniversary with 38 members, 8 former classmates, one teacher and guests. Besides the El Campo area and other towns in Texas, California, Wyoming, Kentucky and Florida were represented.

Some attended the Friday morning pep rally at the school, and were introduced there. A larger group attended the football game, while others gathered for dinner in a local restaurant.

On Saturday morning some toured the remodeled campus, where they recalled specific classrooms and teachers. For their Saturday evening party, arrangements of red, white and gold centered the tables and were later given as door prizes. Many class members celebrated their golden anniversary by wearing gold and Wearing the Gold awards were presented including Most Spirited, Most Sophisticated, Most Glitzy and Golden Guy.

Commemorative booklets included a copy of the 1953 graduation program and the class history written in 1953. An area was set aside for class and school history displays, which triggered many memories. Class members signed a photo display, which was placed in the library’s history room. They also signed commemorative booklets for classmates who were unable to attend due to illness or distance.

Individuals donated a variety of items for a silent auction to benefit a scholarship fund in the name of the class.

Following the meal, a brief program included music and recognition of class members whose grandchildren continue ECHS traditions.

Reported by Arliss Treybig, El Campo, Texas.

Who are your classmates, anyway?

Arliss Treybig, El Campo, Texas, writes her thoughts about “inviting former classmates who did NOT graduate with us”:

We always invite those who were once part of our class. Many were with us longer than some who graduated with us. We knew some who graduated with us for only one to four years. Some came a year or so before graduation. Some classmates who eft before graduation may have been with us for eight or ten years, so they were part of our shared educational experience much longer than some in the graduation class. Most reunions celebrate and remember the entire school experience, not just the event.

Besides, we always feel that if they want to be with us, we want to be with them — like inviting friends and family to an anniversary or birthday party. After all, most spouses or dates who come to reunions did not graduate with us, so some who did not graduate with us attend reunions more often than some who did. 

This year someone who left our school in the seventh grade joined us for our 50th anniversary reunion celebration. Seeing her and her sister again was a special experience.

Presidential reunions and their alma maters
by Erika Dreifus

This year, especially, with “biography” so key to the Presidential campaigns, it's not hard to remember where current candidates attended college. What about the Presidential predecessors? Which campus reunions might they have attended? See if you can match Presidential alumni with their colleges and universities.

About the author
Erika Dreifus earned a PhD in history from Harvard University. She currently writes and teaches in Massachusetts, where she also edits a free monthly newsletter, The Practicing Writer (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/practicing-writer/).

School bus ride 50 years later
by Loraine Faschingbauer

This reunion of grade school years at a one-room schoolhouse was a beehive of chatter. It was like getting back on the grade school bus 50 years later. A few of the students were missing, but I could picture them in their seats.

Everybody brought picnic foods and refreshments. Two long tables for food and refreshments were set up.

Temperatures were in the high 80s under a bright sun.

Looking over the crowd, I wondered if I would know anybody. Years had gone by swiftly, and I was now completely grayed (never did want to color my hair) and a bit thicker around the middle.

Through the door came a couple I recognized. We decided to take our potlucks to the tables and see who else we knew. A name tag was placed on my blouse. Immediately I was swamped by “Hello, what you been doing these years? Where do you live now? Are you retired yet?” Now the old memories of the school classes and the bus rides were brought back to life.

I confess I hadn't kept up with these folks once I left the area. My curiosity was enormous about how they'd aged, how they looked, and what they did for a living. The one remark, “I almost didn't come, because I thought I wouldn't know anybody,” said we all had the same feelings in coming today. Fifty years was a long time ago.

How delightful to remember back to those “first crushes.” Old beaus asked if I remembered things that were said and done that made a lasting impression.

Many songs were sung on that school bus ride to and from school. I was reminded of the music, and I sang out with no fear of the sound I made. My laughter and singing were contagious. Eventually every student followed my example. One of the crowd spoke up and said, “We can't sing like we did back then. Our breathing is more serious now.” And, oh, those yearly school pictures we had to take home to show our parents. One man actually brought along some old pictures to pass around. We all looked so different. The men had filled out from being so skinny. Some were bald. The distinguished gray heads stood out. Hair coloring helped a few of the ladies, and I was not the only gray hair. Some of the girls had added pounds, and the chunky ones had slimmed down. Whatever our lot, aging had been kind.

About the author
Loraine Faschingbauer lives and writes in Bloomer, Wisconsin.

IntroReunion West began in the east, on Long Island, New York's, “Far East.” After graduation in 195l, some Baldwin High School classmates went off to college, but most went to work; girls married young, raised families and stayed.

A few, like class explorer Bill Goodwin, ventured away and settled in places most in the class could only imagine. Bill moved to Montana, where snowy peaks and crisp air were in sharp contrast to sultry flatland towns like Baldwin that dotted the south shore of Long Island.

Almost five decades later, Bill invited classmates to Montana for the first class reunion away. “East goes West” was published in Reunions magazine in Spring 1996. High attendance and the success of Reunion West I in Montana encouraged another reunion away from home.

Three years ago, Bill moved from Montana to Albuquerque, New Mexico. With a southwestern reunion in mind, he began exploring the dry desert region of his new home state. New friends and good community rapport helped direct the southwestern experience for Reunion West II. Bill found the best places to stay, eat and shop in and around Albuquerque. He mapped out side trips and set up tours. After a year of preparation, Reunion West II became the reality that brought “Easterners” to the West for its second reunion away from home. With Bill as a personal guide, what could make for a better way to feel at home away from home?

Note: Baldwin High grads from all classes still gather at Jones Beach for an annual beach party reunion that captures memories of swimming in the cool Atlantic by day and being warmed by shore bonfires (no longer legal) under the stars at night.

Reunion search for roots

by Doris Norrito Albuquerque

This was one reunion we couldn't miss. Sure it would be great to see classmates again after so many years; but a reunion in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was almost providential. We had to go. Albuquerque is my husband's family name and Reunion West II was a chance to find out more about the city that bears his name. Often trips to the Land of Enchantment had been pushed aside in favor of family visits to Brazil, where Paulo was born. Reunion West II was a siren song, a calling to discover part of the country we hadn't seen while finding roots to the old world.

Baldwin High School Class of '51 explorer Bill Goodwin lost no time investigating Albuquerque after his move from Montana. With an eye on Reunion West II, he lined up activities to engage everyone's interest and accommodate their activity levels.

“Getting us all together was most important,” said Bill.

For the Albuquerques, it was that and more.

Present and past histories were interwoven. Classmates with whom I had shared a lifetime, mingled with dreams of a colonial past and wonder about the first Duke of Albuquerque.

Tracing roots began well before the September trip. Hours with email and phone calls to Brazil dead-ended. Paulo's father came from Portugal, married a Brazilian woman and had ten children.

A call to the genealogy society in Albuquerque surprised me. No Albuquerque was listed. In fact, I would later learn, the Duke of Albuquerque, for whom the city was named, never set foot there. Curiosity heightened. How did the “Duke City” come by our name? Maybe the answers were there.

“Just let's go and enjoy,” Paulo said. We suspended Albuquerque queries. When we made reservations for the trip, this was the conversation.

“Name?”

“Albuquerque.”

“Yes, got the city but what's your name?”

Repeat: “Albuquerque.”

Surprise, interest and friendly questioning invariably followed; no one let us forget. At least there were no requests for spelling, though later we learned that even the spelling had been changed.

The dry desert and mountains of the great southwest were a new and welcome change from our sultry east coast shoreline and far different from the beaches of Rio de Janeiro where Paulo grew up. Rekindling memories with classmates--swimming, fishing and boating in the cool Atlantic--were all the “roots” I needed.

For Paulo, the Hotel Albuquerque was the only place to stay. The Spanish-Native Indian décor and the wide tile-lined entrances with large urns of fresh flowers set a mood for discovering “his” city.

For five days Hotel Albuquerque was home base for evening dinners that followed day trips to historic Old Town, to Santa Fe and atop Sandia Peak for a spectacular view of the city. It was also a message center and meeting base for side trip departures.

Our first get-together at the rustic Los Amigos Roundup broke the ice. Alumni and friends talked, danced, ate barbeque and experienced southwestern entertainment by the Watermelon Mountain Jug Band and the Aztec Fire Dancers. Entertainment with local flair accompanied the lively buzz of conversations about where to go and what to see.

Next morning we strolled to historic Old Town‚ ten minutes away. Across from the 18th Century San Feliipe de Neri Church, a tree-lined plaza centers shops, museums and eateries. Credit cards got a double take and friendly kidding when I introduced Paulo as “The Duke of Albuquerque.”

Research of the city's name - our name - soon took a back seat to a scenic drive to Santa Fe, the sunset funicular ride to Sandia Peak, a tour of a Native American nation, and a drive along the Turquoise trail. No one we spoke to knew any one else named Albuquerque.

At the Albuquerque Museum, we learned the reason. In 1706, the city began as a small unstructured settlement. Francisco Cuervo y Valdes, then provisional governor of this new territory, wrote King Philip V of Spain and, most important, wrote the viceroy of New Spain (stationed in Mexico), describing the settlement in glowing terms in the hope of gaining favor by establishing a town. Cuervo reported there were indeed 30 families, an urban center and a governing body. And knowing that the viceroy was “The Duke of Alburquerque,” a walled town in Spain, he flattered him by proposing the settlement be named “villa of Alburquerque.” (not a mistake: the original spelling had an extra “r”).

Formal investigation in 1712 found requirements for the villa were not as reported. There was no church, no plaza and no government buildings. But by then, Albuquerque had grown and the charter was not revoked.

After four days of southwest immersion, Reunion West II met at Hotel Albuquerque to say adios. “Til we meet again,” the theme for our last dinner together, led the way for planning the next reunion.

“Spain!” I shouted.

“No, the years are catching up; maybe a gentle cruise,” someone said.

“Make it soon,” another shouted.

All agreed.

About the author
Doris Norrito Albuquerque is a news correspondent and features writer for Tampa Bay Newspapers weekly publications, WMNF community radio news broadcaster and freelance magazine writer.

A legacy in class reunion planning
Consider your school's history

by Ray Py

When my high school changed names in the mid-1960s, the decision triggered a series of events that tragically eliminated 100 years of school history and traditions and stole the past from thousands of graduates. Decisions that followed sent hundreds of artifacts to landfills or still-lost storage containers. One decision was to cover priceless interior artworks with plasterboard. Another decision ordered the removal of our proud "tower of learning," a tower that literally rose high over the main school entrance and was the pride of an entire community.

Four years ago, in preparation for my class's 50th anniversary celebration this June and to correct these egregious errors, other classmates and I began searching for our lost past  in attics, garages, basements, yard and estate sales, auction houses: anywhere that a trace of our school might still exist. As a result, we will bring back much that had been lost to a special Historical Center established within the school by the local historical society.

I graduated in June 1954 with 390 classmates from Wauwatosa Senior High School (affectionately called 'Tosa) in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin-at that time the city's only secondary school.  This building was built in the early 1930s under a WPA-funded program. Since it first opened in 1871, Wauwatosa High School enjoyed a state and national reputation as a superior high school, noted for its high number of graduates who went on to colleges and universities, and for successful graduates who flourished in rich lives and careers worldwide.

The school board's decision that a second high school was needed required changing the school's name to Wauwatosa East High School and adopting a plan to eliminate all reference to the former name. That meant hundreds of pictures, trophies, meaningful artifacts, sports items, mascots, publications-anything bearing the former school name-would be stored, sold or taken to landfills.

It was also decided to cover WPA oil-on-canvas artworks painted on interior walls and raze the main tower over the front door on the town's main street. The 'Tosa tower had been a proud addition to an avenue of spires where most of the community's churches were also located. Its image had been reproduced on thousands of publications, yearbook covers, stationery, photographs, works by artists and the centerpiece on the school's diplomas.

When I returned to attend my 45th high school reunion, I was disappointed at the condition of the school and its changes. I was determined to learn where our past was taken and to restore it for our next reunion.

What has become a four-year search began in the school basement. Under debris I found my first "treasures"-a 1948 trophy for the state high school basketball championship and a second for coming close four years later.

Yard and estate sales-even local auctions-produced a quantity of materials: books, papers, photos, pennants, certificates, keepsakes, notebooks, pins, homecoming posters, scrapbooks. I expanded my search to include computer auctions and I found artifacts as far away as California, Arizona and even Canada. At an estate sale, I found a graduation announcement for the class of 1898, still bound by a silk ribbon. The 12 graduating seniors included sons and daughters of Wauwatosa's prominent and successful pioneer families.

I stood on an auction floor to outbid others for athletic awards. One such auction produced a ukelele and case once owned by "Shorty," a female student in the 1920s. I found cheerleading sweaters and a megaphone, athletic awards and certificates, carefully stored by their proud owners over the years. Children have donated items from their parents and parents from their children.

A former athlete took me to his garage and pointed to the beams. There I found a cane pole heavily wrapped in tape that he had used as a champion pole-vaulter in the 1940s. When the school went to aluminum poles, he bought his old vault pole and stored it in his garage for 60 years.

From an internet antique dealer I found an oak-framed, panoramic photograph of the school's 1932 marching band taken in their brand new uniforms. Classmates have given yearbooks, newspapers and scrapbooks. One approached me at a social function, took off his sterling silver class ring and gave it to me on the spot.

I volunteer as a tour guide during high school reunion tours, giving me an opportunity to get others involved in the collection process.  A website, www.raider-room.com, informs more students about the collections, a newsletter keeps 500 alumni informed of our progress, and I wrote and self-published a nostalgic history of the school which has been updated, expanded and re-published.

When my collection was displayed at the public library, the local historical society asked me to help establish an historical center in the school. Many of my 1954 classmates became involved, sending small checks and donations to pay for display cabinets for the center. Before we could get the center established, we recalled that the WPA murals were in the school's old main lobby, covered over in the mid-1960s. The Wauwatosa Historical Society and the school district joined us in a campaign to uncover and restore those treasures. Together we raised more than $120,000, mostly from alumni, to hire an artist to uncover and restore the paintings.

The project expanded even further when the current high school principal agreed to establish a Wall of Inspiration to honor the school's many outstanding alumni. We helped identify the first seven honorees. In March 2003, the school and community paid tribute to these men and women with an all-school assembly and a community reception. The list included an Academy Award nominee, two founders and CEOs of major American corporations, a nationally recognized film critic and author and a renowned classical composer. Honorees met with students and related stories of their high school and career achievements.

We will never restore the once proud tower, as estimates for the work are into seven figures. But its memory is intact in photos, yearbooks and other memorabilia that will be on display in the Wauwatosa High School Historical Center forever. In June, 50 years to the date we received our diplomas, my class will tour the old high school building and see the splendid lobby, the Wall of Inspiration, the glazed tiles that once again gleam in some of the hallways. Our three-day visit to the past will give us all ample opportunity to revive old memories with classmates we haven't seen in years. It will also serve as a reminder that as graduates and alumni, we must be stewards of our past, our heritage and traditions.

It can be a time to promise ourselves to stay in touch with those in charge of our past and to restore its splendor when called upon. Our coming together this June will assure us all it is a burden we can shoulder together.

How to preserve your school's history

1.      Do a survey of what your school is doing to preserve its history. Make it a topic for a Parent-Student Teacher Association meeting.

2.   Look in the local library's history section or the periodical files to see how much has been collected about your school's past. Is there a collection of your school's history in the school library?

3.        If anything has changed at your school in recent memory, determine how this has affected school traditions. Ask the principal what is done to inform students about tradition and the school's past.

4.  Start a collection of artifacts about your school from yard and estate sales. Items are often only old school newspapers or yearbooks but they could also be from the band or sports teams as well. Contact teachers. They often keep accumulations from their teaching years.

5.        Encourage your local historical society and school district to put items on display or begin collections. Offer to be a curator and contributor.

6.      Get publicity. This is a good story and editors, local television stations and radio program directors will be interested in learning about your efforts.

7.     Ask the public to help collect items or to donate money for their preservation. Get as many alumni as possible involved.

8.      If you are planning a reunion, establish a legacy committee that will explore ways to help keep the school's history and traditions alive.

About the author
Ray Py, Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, is a 1954 graduate of Wauwatosa Senior High School and a retired writer, reporter and editor. His book, Around the Tower, is a nostalgic history of his high school. He writes a bimonthly alumni newsletter and was chairman of his 50th class reunion.

Editors note
Copies of Around the Tower by Ray Py are available from the author at 2450 N. 63 St., Wauwatosa WI 53213; 414-453-6891; raypy@msn.com. Send $18 including shipping. Even if you're not a 'Tosa High School grad but are interested in documenting your school history, this is an excellent example for you to consider.

Voices from the past
by Jodi M. Webb

Baby photos - they seem to be a staple of reunions. But since many reunion members met as young adults, the idea of matching chubby, bald, toothless babies to the young people they remember seems like an impossible task. Instead, try using voices from the past that start people reminiscing. Set up a match-the-quote activity. Although it may be difficult to recognize snapshots taken decades ago, words always have a familiar ring.

Who could forget the classmate who was forever explaining forgotten homework to exasperated teachers with, “There just aren't enough hours in the day. Did we change the clocks and lose an hour yesterday?” Or the shipmate who finished every cleaning job with, “That's as clean as my mama's kitchen floor. And believe me, that's clean!” And the grandmother who greeted a dirty face at her dinner table with, “You must be one of the neighbor's kids. No one in MY family would come to the table looking like that.” Or who prefaced each Sunday family dinner with, “We're never going to eat if you people don't get those extra chairs in here.”

He said, she said, they said

When choosing quotes, make sure they're memorable to more than just you. Pick frequently repeated quotes, like the grumpy comment dad made as he walked into the house after work - every day for 40 years. Words remaining in people's memories are those associated with special occasions. Tom Smith may have ended only one Christmas Concert with a muffled, “Yeow! Get off my foot, George!” but everyone in the Glee Club and audience still remembers it. When choosing quotes, avoid troublemakers. If an off-color, cruel or controversial statement led to arguments, tears or detentions the first time around, chances are hurt feelings still exist.

What's your favorite quote?

Setting up a match-the-quote activity is much easier with many people's input. Include with each invitation a request for famous words; contact people to help. Don't rely solely on your memory; get quotes from many sources. After all, if you don't know the Kansas relatives very well, someone has to introduce those famous Kansas quotes.

What the principal said

Don't be afraid to include posthumous quotes. Often reunion planners ignore missing friends in order to avoid grieving during what they hope will be a happy occasion. Quotes can be an effective way to alleviate sadness as attendees relate fond memories brought to mind by a quote.

Unsaid quotes

In addition to the words of old friends, quotes can be found in many other places. Quotes can include everything from the administrative warnings posted in the cafeteria (that were meant to be threatening but everyone found ridiculous) to the muffled announcements over the PA system to the one-size-fits-all excuse note that Aunt Martha sent whenever someone was absent from school.

Answer box

Memories have a way of dimming just when we need them most. To help your friends unravel the puzzle of quotes, provide an answer box of names to make choosing easier. You can also preface quotes with a hint that sets the scene such as “Every time the dog got into the garbage, who could be heard to yell …” or “When he pulled guard duty for both Christmas and New Year's Eve, who threatened …?”

The fun with quotes doesn't end with finding out who said what. Each quote leads to a story, a memory, a laugh. Let the voices of the past turn awkward semi-strangers back into the good friends they once were.

About the author
Jodi M. Webb is a freelance writer from Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Although she has only one brother and three children, Ms. Webb always describes herself as coming from a “big family.” The majority of her 12 cousins and their 14 children still live in Pennsylvania.

Believe it! an 80th class reunion!
Ethel Cade plans to celebrate Class of 1928
Emporia Gazette - Emporia, KS, USA, By Joey Berlin
Reaching your high school class' 80th anniversary reunion might seem like a big deal to everyone but the person who actually achieves it. ...

Reunion warm-up
    In an effort to focus attention on the upcoming 55-year reunion of Warren Harding HS, Warren, Ohio, Class of 1948, Jean Totten and Ralph Capito and spouses gathered classmates who live in Arizona. They set a time and centrally located place for a pre-reunion get-to-know-one-another social.
   Here five former classmates and spouses, Ann Thompson Yerkes, Jean Totten Rice, Ruth Young Norling, Vera Capito, Richard Norling, enjoy an evening at the Organ Stop Pizza in Mesa. Members flew and drove some Arizona distances to join in.
   “It was just like an old hometown gathering. I enjoyed them all and I hope they all had a good time,” organizers said.
  Submitted by Bill Williams, Norfolk VA

General Myers reports to oldest friends
Recently retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers spoke at his Shawnee Mission (Kansas) North High School Class of 1965 reunion. These were friends he's known since kindergarten.
The chairman used the opportunity to report about the state of the military and progress in the war on terror. Myers said everyone can do something to strengthen America, pointing to teachers, "who are the most important people we have in this country."
Myers told classmates he hopes we can keep our resolve, because if we don't, the life our children and grandchildren are going to have will be much different than how we grew up.
From an American Forces Press Service press release.

Student protesters plan reunion
The Black student protest at the University of Minnesota in 1969 culminated in the occupation of the central administration building, Morrill Hall. The protest led to the establishment of the Department of Afro-American/African Studies, the MLK support program for students of color, hiring Black faculty and an increase of students of color on the campus.
The 1969 Morrill Hall Reunion Committee and the Coalition for the History of African American Contributions to the University of Minnesota are planning a two-day celebration April 2006 with workshops, panel discussions and discussion of the state of the freedom struggle today.
Organizers are trying to locate people who participated in the protest. Contact Rose Freeman-Massey, 3874 North 42nd Street, Milwaukee WI 53216; 414-873-7712.
From an article by Chris Nisan in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, South Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Entertainment industry alumni meet
Notre Dame alumni who work in the entertainment industry returned from Hollywood and other world media centers for the Film, Television and Theatre (FTT) Alumni Reunion. An Alumni Film Fest featured five short films created by Notre Dame graduates, and a screening of The Late Shift by Bill Carter, now television writer for The New York Times.
Students got a chance to meet and talk to alumni to learn firsthand how the industry operates. There were panels and workshops about a variety of topics, including program development, ethics in broadcast journalism, writing, producing and editing. Theater workshops included panels about acting, producing and the societal role of theater.
Tales by FTT alumni of hard work, failure and success demonstrated possibilities open to graduates in the entertainment industry. The reunion was also an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of graduates.
From a story by Brian Doxtader in Observer Online, Indiana.

Elementary school classmates celebrate
The 1966 graduating class of PS 173 in Fresh Meadows, Queens, New York, celebrated its 40-year reunion early with about 75 of the original 190 classmates from all over the US. Word spread rapidly when Debra Davidson, a PS173 alumna, started to plan. Many who had not spoken since elementary school bonded through a website with a flurry of bios, e-mails and phone calls.
"Remembering back to PS 173, John F. Kennedy was elected President, and two years later the principal announced he was assassinated. We watched John Glenn orbit the earth, the World's Fair of 1964-1965 was within three miles of school, Malcolm X was murdered and Alice Crimmins might have murdered her own children. The Beatles appeared in the US for the first time in 1964. Overall, these days were happy, carefree and full of bonds the reunion re-cemented.
A memory page sadly recalls nine no longer with us. It is like having lost close family. Some former classmates were not located. But no one gave up the hope the rest would be found. Contact Debra Davidson at DebraLDavidson@aol.com. 

New Orleans Hillel's "Reunion Road Trip"
Professionals from the Hillel Foundation of New Orleans have hit the road to reconnect with students from Tulane University who were dispersed around the country after Hurricane Katrina forced Tulane to close for the fall semester. Jewish Student Life Coordinator Jody Portnoff kicked off the "Reunion Road Trip" in October at Boston University with a free Shabbat dinner for Tulane students temporarily enrolled on that campus. In spite of the nippy temperatures, everyone got into the N'awlins spirit, donning Mardi Gras beads and comparing hurricane evacuation stories.
The road trip itinerary included campuses around the country where there are large concentrations of Tulane students. Visit www.hillelneworleans.org.
From a press notice at Hillel.org, Washington, DC.

Author James Michener was invited to the White House by then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Michener sent his regrets because he had a previous engagement: "Dear Mr. President" he wrote. "I received your invitation three days after I'd agreed to speak at a dinner honoring the wonderful high school teacher who taught me to write. I know you will not miss me at your dinner but she might at hers.

'41 grad honors WWII classmates
Russ Kohloff, one of the first Wauwatosa High School graduates to enlist in World War II, returned to his old high school to place a flag next to the plaque that honors 57 classmates from the 1940s who died in service. Russ, 80, was a delightful guest, touring the old hallways of the school he'd not been back to since his graduation in June 1941. He joined the Marines soon after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and fought throughout the Pacific. His exploits are detailed in "The Hero Next Door."
Russ founded a Beloit chapter of the Marine Corps League when he returned from military service in 1946. His organization has agreed to post the colors at the world War II plaque for WWII classmates who died in the war that is located in the high school, each Memorial Day.
The plaque was placed in the school at the request of the School Board on the last day of the war in 1945. For years it stood in the school's main lobby, but at some point was put in storage, then lost. Coach Martin Jackson who coached several of the men whose names appeared on the small, engraved panels, found the old memorial in a janitor's closet where it had been used to dry rags. At his own expense, Coach Jackson restored the scroll that contained the 57 names and had it rehung on the hallway wall when the school's new expansion was completed in the 1970s.

Give it time, and they will come
Class reunion interest is low with students just out of high school. That changes with time according to Michael Schutzler, classmates.com president and chief executive.
Schutzler said that after 10 years or so, individuals gain interest in measuring their lives with fellow alums. When people get to their late 30s and 40s, there's a need to connect with former classmates. Apparently it takes 10 or 15 years to mature.
Nick Lansing found those sentiments to be true. After attending his 15 year reunion, he commented that "there were people I had not seen at the five and 10 year." He wonders if there's "a core that won't show up to any."
Lansing believes multi-class reunions are efficient. The reasoning is that more people will show up, making it more fun and reasonably priced. Plus, added income could provide a bigger menu or multiple bands.
From the Marshfield (WI) News Herald. Shared by Ellen Vanderboom.

... And the advice it produces
Rick Ansorge in the Colorado Springs (CO) Gazette, used Romy and Michele's High School Reunion in an article of observations about how "at real reunions" we may feel "the urge to make a good impression – and produce a padded resume."

He quotes Judith Martin in Miss Manners' Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior. "Keep in mind the purpose of the high school reunion, which is to give those who would least have suspected it the impression that you turned out to be a success in life after all."

"At class reunions," Ansorge writes, "we want to show former friends and foes (especially foes) we've conquered our demons and emerged as a well-adjusted (and preferably well-heeled) adult.

Success, the author fears, is too often "defined as svelte as Julia Roberts and as rich as Bill Gates." Ways to make a good impression in spite of anxiety and angst are "to be yourself, be a good listener, and be honest about your life ... up to a point." You don't need to reveal that you're recovering alcoholic or mention your several failed marriages or years in jail.

Privy Pride
This must be some kind of record. As part of a weeklong All-School Reunion and Wisconsin's Sesquicentennial Celebration, dozens of outhouses, pulled by vintage cars, floated through the streets of Eagle River, Wisconsin. That's right. The privy parade had more than 500 participants, representing 60 different graduating classes. "I'll bet there's never been a parade like this," said Sharon Brenda, who works for the chamber of commerce. Some of the outhouses made preview runs during a 4th of July parade. One, decorated in red, white and blue, boasted a sign proclaiming: "Come Downtown to Do Your Business!"

from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

One-room reunion
Class has been over for 42 years at the one-room Woodland Road School near Hustisford, Wisconsin. The school opened in 1867. The floors are now buckled and walls scarred and cracked. But that didn't stop 63 classmates, five former teachers and their families from gathering at the old schoolhouse for the reunion. "For years, everyone talked about having a school reunion," recalled Beverly Becker Mann, one of ten children, six of whom attended the Woodland Road School. Will Henkel, 63, now a retired avionics engineer, came from Seattle, Washington. Others came from North Dakota, Ohio and Illinois.

Esther Mass, 91, was the oldest student to attend the reunion. She graduated in 1911. "Everyone I went to school with is gone now," she said. Asked about her school days, Mass said she didn't really like them too much. "Spelling and geography were hard for me," she admitted. "To tell the truth, I wasn't crazy about it."

Stuck in the sand!
Last summer I became aware of just what it means to turn fifty. Each year former college roommates and I get together for a reunion weekend of reminiscing and catching up.

As is our custom we alternate the site annually. I volunteered my recently purchased beach house for the reunion. On the afternoon of the second day we headed to the beach to enjoy a few hours in the sun. I had purchased each friend a low slung beach chair with her name imprinted on the back. We had a great time soaking up the sun and rehashing old memories. The moment of truth came, however, when it was time to go home. Three hours of sitting left us unable to extricate ourselves from the beach chairs. After several minutes of crawling about on the sand, accompanied by a good laugh, we agreed that next time we go to the beach we would bring "old fashioned" chairs like we used when we first got together.

Reported by Joann Higgins, Newton NJ

Even presidents ...
AP - George Bush relived boyhood memories with Phillips Academy (class of '42) pals at their 55th reunion. Bush was described as an "indifferent scholar" but distinguished athlete while in school.

Class of '27
Most graduating classes are fortunate to reach a 50th reunion before age and infirmity spoil the party. The Athens (GA) High School Class of '27 reversed the usual order of reunions - they didn't have their first until the 50th year but have been meeting annually since. Now in their late 80s, moving with the help of canes, most don't hear as well as they once did.

The class was 123 strong at graduation and 20 attended the 70th reunion. Just amazed that they were attending a 70th reunion, one classmate announced triumphantly, "We're still kicking, just not as high." They reminisced how different life was. Theirs was a cotton town until the boll weevil struck during their junior year resulting in three failed banks and a county-wide depression. No one had money, there was only one car in their class, radio was so new, few families had them. When asked to tell about their lives 70 years later they talked about family, not troubling experiences along the way such as World War II in which many male and female classmates served.

submitted by Ken August Brunner, Atlanta GA, from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The impossible dream
by Bard Lindeman
On a rainy night perfect for amphibians, in a low ceiling rented hall, we gathered for the impossible task of reliving the last half-century. None of the obstacles, or hardships, seemed to matter as the Westwood (NJ) High School Class of 1946 staged its 50th anniversary reunion.

The long, crowded room was filled with friendship, laughter, good cheer and fond memories as gray-headed, thick-waisted men and women reached back to recall only good moments and buoyant times when we groped together toward adulthood.

There was only a brief opening speech from good guy, Herbie Hackbarth, who spent his adult life in Westwood and earned the privilege of being master of ceremonies.

When the recorded love songs from the 1940s and 1950s began, Bob Vogler, a planning committee stalwart, swept to the dance floor with his wife Winnie. In school, quiet, well-behaved Bobby Vogler spoke only when spoken to. And, forgive me, but I recall him carrying ten to fifteen extra pounds. Here was a lean, vigorous Vogler, enjoying himself and in command of his movements. From the sidelines, a woman classmate yelled out: "Hey Bobby, if I'd known you were going to turn out so good, I would have made a play for you!"

This autumn night was filled with surprises, both pleasant and unpleasant. Helen Dobroslavich Whalen, the workhorse who, more than any other individual, made the reunion happen, was aglow, because people had come from New York, Connecticut, Virginia, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, California, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, and other points, east and west. My wife Jan and I came north from Georgia. Clearly, everyone made considerable effort to attend.

When it was time to hand out the goofy prizes ("Who has the most grandchildren?" "Who has been married longest?"), Millicent Liccardi had come the greatest distance. A teacher of literacy among the Indians of South America, Millie - whom I remember only as quiet, unassuming, proper - had come from Coxipo da Ponte Mountain, Brazil. In her prepared biography, she wrote: "I have been working in Brazil since 1987 and in Bolivia between 1956-85 with Wycliffe Bible translators."

Kenneth C. Rogers, whom we called "Kenny" and undervalued because he studied so often and so hard, came alone from Bethesda, Maryland, where he works "as a federal government official." Modest, Rogers is a nine-year veteran of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Before that, he was president of Stevens Institute of Technology, in Hoboken, New Jersey, for fifteen years.

Since Rogers is a physicist and comfortable talking about "particle accelerators" and "optical spectroscopy," I slid up to him with no idea what to ask. We stood in a corner and, inside of five minutes, struggled to retrace the years since 1946, when the world was so very different. I asked for his business card; encouraged by his friendliness, I promised to get in touch.

At our crowded table of ten - eight women, two men - classmates enjoyed one another, and talk was free and easy. Yet one of our pals, the victim of a stroke, sat silently, except to comment, "Golden years? Phooey!"

The tough assignment was seeing the carefree boys and girls of my youth showing the ravages of aging. Another friend, suffering with emphysema, sat all night, because he was too weak to stand, much less table-hop or dance.

Yet, the majority of this group of sixty-eight successful agers in a class of 119, showed themselves to be robust, socially speaking. Reading our biographies, I find one positive, contented declamation after another. "I am blessed with a beautiful family ..." "Married my high school boyfriend. And they said it was just puppy love! ..." "Things turned out much better than I thought they'd be. I feel really blessed..." "My life has been a series of joys and heartaches, but nevertheless intriguing and surprising..." "The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful wife of 42 years, a zest for life, and energy and enthusiasm to make each day an experience of wonder..."

We slipped through high school with World War II as our historical backdrop, losing one member, Robert Langer, killed at Iwo Jima, to the catastrophic struggle. Moreover, a handful of us were caught up in the Korean War, drafted to serve two years. As I look back, trying to call up the image of our reunion night, especially that sea of excited faces, so few of whom I recognized, I conclude there surely is a rich, bountiful Robert Michener-style novel inside the Class of 1946, Smalltown, USA.

Lastly, let the words of an absent classmate, Muriel Simon Ronay, serve as an epitaph to the once-in-a-lifetime experience: "Best wishes to our class of 1946 and, from John 3:16-17, I add: 'May God shine his light along our paths and bless us in the coming years.' "

About the author
Bard Lindeman is a synidcated columnist and the author, most recently, of Be An Outrageous Older Man.

Reunion of reunions
Overseas BRATs (Bringing Rotated Americans Together) serves as an umbrella organization for more than 240 alumni groups representing more than 178 schools located in 56 countries around the world.

Their Homecoming '99 in San Antonio, Texas, was a reunion for all Americans who attended school overseas. In conjunction with Homecoming, those who went to various schools in Belgium, England, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Iceland, Iran, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, The Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey and Vietnam staged their reunions. In all, approximately 165 countries, from throughout the world, were represented.

A portion of the proceeds from "Homecoming '99" will be donated to the American Overseas Schools Historical Society to help create a historical park containing a museum, visitor's center, and archive to showcase the American overseas schools heritage.

The Reunion BRAT, a military reunion coordination service, was General Manager of the Event; 509-582-9304; or e-mail BratEmail@aol.com.

ClassMates.com stages multi-decade reunion
In July ClassMates.com, the web's largest high school alumni community, hosted a multi-decade reunion party in Las Vegas. It gathered people spanning seven graduating decades from more than 200 high schools across the US.

This was the first offline reunion event for www.ClassMates.com, a top 50 Internet site that has over 7.6 million registered users from over 30,000 high schools.

Many old friends and high school sweethearts decided to meet at the event after being reunited on ClassMates.com. Several groups chose to gather for the party in between their own school reunions. "Instead of having our own personal reunion back in quiet Aurora, Colorado, we decided to join the ClassMates reunion in glitzy Las Vegas which made it even more exciting!" said Tina Villescas, Aurora Central High School, Class of 1984.

Bands sound off
Cindy Coker (Trumpet '79) reported about the planned reunion of the Huntsville, Alabama, Grissom High School Band from 1969-1985, "The Ward/Sparks Era." They found 850 of 1000 members, former directors and Band Parents.

For souvenirs they're compiling a collection of photos for a CD-ROM and digitizing video tapes of winning contest performances at marching contests as QuickTime videos and converting the best material from old concert recordings onto audio CDs. All proceeds beyond expenses will be donated to the current band program.

Linda Kalinowski reported that the Woodward High School Marching Band in Toledo, Ohio, will play for the 40th reunion of the class of 1960. Instead of a band or DJ, they will have a no-pay juke box with songs from the 50s. For an ice breaker they are renting a local bus for an informal tour of Toledo to see the many changes in the city. They will be picked up at a local Mexican restaurant for a two-hour informal tour with snacks.

A class under the magnifying glass
For 40 years, Parade Magazine has followed the Class of 1958 at CK McClatchy High School in Sacramento, California. In 1964, Parade revisited the class to survey early marriages. McClatchy grads were 23 and for the most part settled into careers and family life, with an average income of $6,000 per year. By their 20th reunion in 1978, they were approaching 40 and seeing many of their personal and initial career goals fulfilled. At their 30th reunion, members of the class seemed more sober and introspective as they contemplated the radical changes that had occurred in their lives. Divorce had ended 47% of the women's and 25% of the men's marriages, while 91% of the women had shed the role of full-time homemaker for careers including newspaper publisher and optician. As for overall happiness, on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being happiest) 88% of the men and 84% of the women rated themselves a 4 or 5. Parade revisited nearly half of the class at their 40th reunion, where they appeared to be graying happily. Now pushing 60, these children of the 50's seemed eager to forgo any trappings of status and embraced each other like long-lost family members. According to a class survey, 28% of the respondents have retired from jobs as varied as air-show entertainer and social worker. As for relationships, 84% are married; 53% still in first marriages and 33% married 35 years or more. Twenty-six percent have been married twice, 7% three times or more and 3% stayed single. Two percent are great-grandparents. Thirty-five of the original 673 have died. Random interviews suggest that few members of the Class of '58 are slowing down with the passing years.

Devotion to Jewett High School
by Phillip Williams
In the 1940s, one of the popular songs was Time Changes Everything. It was definitely not written with Jewett, Texas, in mind. For over fifty years, Jewett stood almost changeless. The outskirts have changed (new processing plants, metal reclaiming plants, cafes). But not the town. It is almost like it appeared from the beginning; little red, boxy, two-story brick structures joined in a primitive shopping center. You almost expect Wyatt Earp to come down the boardwalk with a six-shooter on each hip.

In the early forties Jewett was my hometown, my big city, my bright lights, my population center (200 souls), and I thought it would never change, just like the song.

In 1959 the unthinkable happened. They closed and razed Jewett High School. What an irreverent act! Now a flagpole and a plaque are all that recall the school. But the spirit of Jewett High lives on in its reunions. Former students return each October to where the school stood. They come from all over the US to remember and exchange stories of long ago.

This unusual reunion includes students from the classes of 1928 to 1959. Starting as a modest gathering of one class, it now encompasses thirty-one classes. In 1997, 165 persons attended.

Among the students who gather are veterans of the great war, world travelers, participants in the first A-bomb test, survivors of hurricanes and typhoons in the South Seas, car wrecks, tornadoes and diseases. Some did not survive. Others watched compatriots fall. Don't forget the teachers, and their feats and accomplishments. They are a part of the reunion.

Students went on to be doctors, lawyers, mechanics, farmers, ranchers, school teachers and fighter pilots. They scattered all over the world, from the Far East to Europe, from the North Pole to South America.

And the breeze whispers through the cottonwoods where the boy hit the home run that won the game, and then it dies down again. The whispers die away, but one can swear he saw the children. He definitely heard them. They were real. Though Jewett High is now gone forever, the spirit lives on. The students who gather in October each year will not let it die. The history of it will live as long as time lives.

About the author
Phillip Williams lives and writes in Willis, Texas with several novels, many published short stories and essays to his credit. He's a graduate of the Univerwtiy of Houston and is publicity director for the Montgomery County, Texas, Scribbler's Club.

Reunion memories
Daphne Moses, Houston, Texas, 10-year class reunion, The Academic High School, Jersey City, New Jersey. "My reunion was good because I was happy with where I was (in life). I wasn't concerned with what others were doing. I just went and had a good time."

US Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, 40-year class reunion, St. Mary's of Notre Dame, Indiana. "I recently attended my 40th reunion and it was so refreshing. I caught up with old friends and played bridge until I couldn't play cards anymore. The companionship brought back so many great memories. Reunions are important even if you don't want to attend. Everyone should make the attempt to go because it is good for the soul." The Congresswoman added, "Reunions are a time to reflect on times past and revisit and renew old friendships. The one thing I would tell graduating seniors is to remember your roots and the good friendships you made in school. They are the foundation on which you grow."

Lynn Gray Norris, 50-year class reunion, McDonogh #35 High School, New Orleans, Louisiana. "We danced and had a good time. We had so much fun we want to do it every three years now."

Classic class reunion
Among movies this year, Romy and Michele's High School Reunion, was reviewed as good summer entertainment – coming just at the beginning of the reunion season. Stars and "ditz queens" Lisa Kudrow (Michele) and Mira Sorvino (Romy), are were "cooler than the nerds in high school but too dorky to be on the school's 'A' list" and "mentally never left high school." They fake success rather than finding jobs just before the reunion. Michele tries to pass herself off as the inventor of Post-it Notes. Described as charmingly eccentric they redeem their image when they discover that former 'A' listers are now losers.

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