Saturday Night Dinner

Our final hours began with cocktail hour at the Country Club.  The luscious dinner, arranged for by Cora York, consisted of prime rib with au jus, chicken cordon bleu, garden salad, raw vegetables, twice baked potatoes, green beans and rolls, followed by wonderful cheesecakes for dessert.   The festive room decorations were the artistic creation of Wanda Campbell.  The tables were beautifully decorated with flowers, candles, and greenery, accented with red napkins.  Balloons rescued from the soda fountain donned each chair.   The buzz of voices and laughter could not be quelled by the mere consumption of food.  So much to say, so little time.  The long-awaited weekend was drawing to a close.

 

Nadine Maloney and Sandra Shermer

Monna Sowder, June Willingham

Joy behind her 15 bottles of coke

Barbara Simpson, Joy Gunter, Kay Scarborough, JoAnn Herring

M/M A C Donell and M/M Benny Casey

M/M Paul Morrow

Charles Stephenson and Monna Sowder; June Mason and Ben Willingham

 

Married Classmates Recognized

Roy Gurley presided over the recognition service following the meal.   Married couples in our class were introduced and congratulated for their longevity.  Recognized for the longest married class couple was Wanda (Campbell) and Roger Klause with 51 years.  Nadine (Maloney) and Red Hadley were 4 days shy (June 14) of their 50th.  July would hold 50th anniversaries for Sandra (Shermer) and Jerry Taylor; and Phyllis (Little) and Ron Jackson.   Bill and Connie Brown joined the ranks of classmates married to each other.  Other classmates married but not in attendance are Anna (Fleming) and  Buell Foley; Carol (White) and J.J. Gibson; and Sue (Taylor) and Jerry Selfridge.  The distinction for the longest marriage went to Peggy (Bryant) and Ron Tremble, class of 54, for 51 1/2 years.

 

Wanda and Roger Klause

Nadine and Red Hadley

Sandra and Jerry Taylor

Phyllis and Ron Jackson

Bill and Connie Brown

 

Recognitions

Other special recognitions were: 
Most grandchildren;
Betty Banks with16;  Nadine and Red followed closely with 13. 

Traveling the furthest to attend the reunion
Rex Williams, traveling 1595 miles from Smithfield, Virginia; Beverly Atkins ran a close second traveling 1544 miles from Pioneer, California. 

Best memories would have to go to
Vic Kleiss for remembering the #1 song on the charts on our graduation day 1956 was "Heart Break Hotel"; and Sandy Hamilton for remembering the #1 song on June 10, 1956, was "Wayward Wind". 

 We all enjoyed watching Roy Gurley pay off the bet he lost to Joy Gunter that she could not get the missing list below 20.  She not only got it below 20, she got it 15 below 20.  So he settled his bet giving her 15, 3-liter bottles of coke.  If you want somebody found, challenge Joy.  I wouldn't be surprised to hear she is still looking for the lost 5.

The lawsuit of Class of 55 vs Class of 56 for copyright infringement over use of the class ring logo was settled out of court (on the dance floor).  Case closed.  (You had to be there). Note:  The representatives from each class are still on speaking terms and will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in September, at which time his contract is up for renewal.

 

Ed Prater and wife Dorothy Powell and Vic Kleiss

Bob Thompson and Larry Clemishire

Roy Gurley and Charles Shelton

Bill Brown, Ron Clemishire, Connie Beets Brown

Rex Williams (middle) and Linda Bogan

Beverly Atkins and Joy Gunter

Joy Gunter with all her cokes

Bob Thompson and June Mason (he paid me $20 for this photo)

Bob Thompson

A C Donells, Benny Caseys, James Hamiltons

 

The AmericInn, where some of our classmates stayed, may never be the same.  For one thing, they have a new waffle iron, to replace the one that one of us (to remain nameless) substituted sausage gravy for waffle batter.

Then there is the rumor around town that some people were in the pool at the AmericInn skinny-dipping, and they may have been members of the class of '56.  I did see a couple enter the pool area dressed in proper attire, but who knows what goes on behind closed doors.  I just hope no one slipped and fell, but have to question why one classmate was suddenly using a cane and another had a bruised knee.  May have to find another motel the next reunion.

The committee is to be commended for all  the time and effort expended to make it the success it was.   Roy Gurley and his assistant, Connie Short (who deserves a big round of applause), received the registrations and kept track of the money received and spent.  Roy presided over all the events without appearing too "lawyerly".  Joy Gunter diligently searched the net and made telephone calls locating all but five of our class members.   Micca Chapman assisted Joy and spearheaded the Saturday hamburger lunch,  decorating the Soda Fountain and obtaining the red BHS cups.  Sandy Hamilton collected the bios of class members and compiled them into a booklet with an attractive cover using pictures from the past and had them printed and assembled.  Cora York selected the menus for Friday night and Saturday night and provided refreshments for Saturday morning, not to mention hosting the whole bunch at her house on Friday.  Wanda Campbell arranged for the Thursday night dinner, beautifully decorated  the dinning hall for Saturday night, reserved the blocks of rooms at the motels, and arranged for Elvis on Friday (she has connections).   Sonja Wiseman arranged for the cheerleaders to cheer us on and act as tour guides at the high school Saturday morning.  Charles Hood got the golfers on the course Friday and Saturday and back in one piece by evening.  June Mason dispensed information to everyone, developed the web site, designed and ordered the canvas bags, and created the directory.  

The reunion is but a memory now.  But what a memory!  And it went by so quickly. One person likened it to Thanksgiving dinner--it takes so much time to shop, clean and cook, and it's all over in one hour. 
Somehow it just doesn't seem right.

 

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