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.

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.

Class reunion helps restore history
There will be a partial unveiling of lost murals when the pilot project for restoration of WPA murals in the Wauwatosa (WI) High School main lobby. Nationally recognized mural curator Tony Rajer of UW-Madison will open a "window' through the plaster and tile work that will reveal at least three feet of the murals. This will allow specialists to examine and appraise condition of the artwork that has been hidden under the plaster and ceiling tiles for almost three decades.
Rajer has already seen portions of the murals and determined they represent a truly significant example of deco-style lobby. See portions of these murals on the web site, www.raider-room.com and we'll be posting more photographs as they become available. The pilot project was paid for by contributions from a reunion of the Tosa Class of 1951.

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.

Just too, too clever
Sacramento (CA) High School calls its 50th anniversary reunion too, too, too much of a party. The date (whether by accident or intentionally) is definitely 02/02/02 and can legitimately be called too, too, too which is how much fun they say they’ll have.

... 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.

Class reunion notes
The combined reunion of the 1969 graduating classes of Oelwein (Iowa) Community High School and Sacred Heart High School will be the end of July in Oelwein, Iowa. Organizers have been using the Web and e-mail to good effect: finding "lost" classmates, generating enthusiasm, getting feedback and test-driving what they want to put in print and pay to mail to classmates.

One of the things "the 69ers" did in their newsletter was to ask 'mates to donate door prizes. The reunion committee solicited coupons from local restaurants and other businesses to include in the reunion packet. "We'll get them to town; whatever you put in our packet will get them into your business place." They also invited musically inclined class members to bring instruments and have a jam session, at the reunion site while the decorating committee does their thing, then, give a brief "all-star" performance at the reunion.

The organizers are developing a file to pass along to the next committee including lists of places to get information, what was done in the past, how much it costs and a few notes about why they made certain decisions.

One of the ongoing challenges with this class has been a reluctance to have the reunion at a nice restaurant "because the per-person price always sounds high." The committee voted (again) to have it at the Knights of Columbus hall, have food catered and do their own decorating. They want to give the next committee some bottom-line data on all the considerations because some believe a restaurant will cost about the same but require much less committee coordination and effort.

Reported by Mary Thiele Fobian and Colleen Roling Brownworth who feel:
"We're almost 50 years old; it's time for us to have a meal in a restaurant!"

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.

Free Trial Issue

Send us your name and address to receive a sample copy of Reunions magazine.

Reunions Forums
Share your planning advice and experiences with other reunion planners, attendees, newbies, and the editors of ReunionsMagazine in our Reunions forums!