Grant community high school

Class of 1952

 

September 2001

CLASS NEWS LETTER

 

 

 

Dear Classmates,

Hope you are all doing well. Jim, I am enclosing a $10.00 check for you. It’s not much but you can use toward postage. It’s really nice what you are doing for the class reunion and the news letters.

 

We could have the class reunion in lake county for the simple reason some people won’t be able to afford the cruise or going to a resort area. The fifty year reunion is a once in a life time event 

and I wouldn’t want anyone to miss it.

 

My last fifty years have been very good. I married Sharon forty four years ago. 

We live in Antioch and have one daughter named Julie and two grandchildren.Jennifer age 15 and Matthew age 5. We are very blessed.

 

Six years ago I retired from the plumbers union, but that only lasted for about two years. I then started my own business, Creative Copper. We make copper gazebos, arbors, trellis and other

lawn ornaments made of copper.

 

I see Stu kounty every once in a while. Also Mary Graves and Jim Lumber. Tom Strauser, class of ’51 is coming in from California to see his family as well as Sharon and I. Tom had a heart transplant two years ago and is doing fine.

 

Connie Walker class of “51 was in town last year and some of the classmates had lunch together.

 

Hey Bill Swanson I don’t have your phone number give me a call at (847) 395-1597.

Have to go now will write more in the next letter best regards your classmate

Jim Lumber

                               

                       

 

 

Hi Jim.

Keep up the good work! Enclosed is the $10 that was laying here to go in my last letter. (Sorry about that, I should have sent it right on.) I know the cost of paper, ink and stamps that goes into a project like this. We really appreciate your time, which is worth more than anyone could pay you. This picture was taken in April and the best recent one that I could come up with but anything is better than the high school ones!

I will drop you an e-mail also. Thanks again 

 

 

 

Dear Jim

Enclosed is a check for $50.00 to help defray the cost of the newsletter that I anxiously look forward to. Hope to have the reunion in the Fox Lake area.

Hope the plans are falling together to have a good turn out, keep up the good work.

                      Sincerely Fred Knaack (708) 246-6425

     

 

 

Class Reunion

The 50^th Anniversary of the Class of ‘52 Reunion plans are underway. This will include a commemorative booklet that is also in progress. We would like to include a senior class picture of each classmate and a biographical sketch. We would also like to include an up-to-date photo.

 

We would like these pictures to be the best possible resolution, for the best results in reproduction. A scan of an actual wallet size would work best for this. 

 

Like many of you, I exchanged pictures with my fellow classmates. A list follows that includes the names of those we have a picture of, so we DO NOT need the following graduation pictures: 

 

Ann Erickson, Barbara Johnson, Bonnie Sagel, Carla Andrews, Carol Edgren, (yes, we do want the deceased as well as the living), Gordon Cole, Jean Robin, Jim Kramer, Jim Lumber, Kay Kennel, LaVerne Beskow, Marilyn Barrile, Nancy Arnesen, Oral Krueger, Pam Hartigan, Rose Marie Marquis, Stuart Koutny, Sue Floto, Tom Hansen, John Stob, Leora Rostad and myself, Phyllis Werhan.

 

If you have a graduation picture of anyone not on the list, and can send a scanned .jpg file, we would appreciate it very much. If you cannot send a scanned image because you do not have a scanner or do not know someone who does, then we would appreciate ever so much if you would send the wallet photo(s) to us and we promise to return the same by mail within days.

 

As Jim Umbarger mentioned, we would like to have an updated picture of you. If it is with your family, that is OK. We will use the family picture in the Slide Show presentation. If need be, we can crop you out of the family picture and use just you for the booklet.  However, again, if you have a small size photo of just you, or you and your spouse, that will work best for quality of final product. 

 

We also need a biographical sketch of “who you are” at this point in your life. While some of our class have been, and still are, making a fine contribution to society, some of us have perhaps made our contributions in a smaller way. Wherever life has led you, we would like to hear about it. This is not a brag session -- just a sharing of our real life adventures, big and small.  Please let me hear from you with this biographical sketch.

 

The Reunion is still a year off, but please do not delay in getting these pictures to us, as we are working on this project now. I realize the biographical sketches may take a little thought, but sometime just start thinking about it and write your thoughts down. I am pretty good at editing, so don’t worry about grammar and spelling. Tell us about your life work, your family, military service, education, hobbies, favorite pastimes and that sort of thing.

 

Please help us to make this a Class Reunion that will become part of our cherished memories.

 

Your fellow classmate of ’52,

 

Phyllis (Werhan) Bauer

 

Later: I have just had the opportunity to see what Jim has put together so far for a slide presentation at our reunion. It is great and I know you will be very pleased with it when you see it at the reunion.

 

The pictures used in the slide presentation that were scanned from actual wallet pictures are beautiful, but the ones from the yearbook are not so good. We really need a good response from you classmates on supplying as many of the originals as possible. If you don't have a scanner or know someone who does, please send the orginals to one of us so we can scan them and we will send them back pronto. 

 

 

     I enjoyed having lunch and visiting yesterday afternoon with Kay (Kennel) Saxby. We were especially close friends in grade school. If you would like to put a little info about her in the newsletter, I can tell you her husband Maynard passed away three years ago from cancer. She is a substitute school teacher. She is also a Lay Minister in her church where she is very active with various aspects of church life. She is also the devoted mother to five children and grandmother to 13 grandchildren. She spends as much time with her family as she can, even to the point of going on a camping trip to Mexico's Baja area with a family entourage of 19 people. She enjoys sewing and needle work, often making dresses for her granddaughters and quilts for the new babies in the family.

     I also talked to Mouse she is real busy now because her husband just had knee surgery and now it is up to her to harvest all of their vegetables and fruits. They have a lot of fruit trees and bushes, so she is ultra busy.

     I received a "memory booklet" from Bill Swanson that he and his wife printed for her 35th class reunion. He said they would be happy to do one for the Class of '52, as well. 

 

 

 

 I have a new e-mail address it is jacksonb65767@yahoo.com.Could you please send me a list of classmates and also of those who have died.

 

My mailing address is;

Jack Brown

P.O. Box 241

Urbana, MO. 65767

 

 

Mary called to give me Jean Robin and Nancy Arnesen’s address they has not been getting the news letters, And were listed as lost contact there are only 16 missing now.

      

 

Hi Jim,

 

   Thanks so much for the newsletter, I Loved it!!

My return thanks has taken time, summers are are as busy with visitors, as well as our lovely winters. Unfortunately the only time our daughter and family can visit seeing they have a husband and father as a pastor. So yes, they get to share our 100+ degree weather.

   I've not taken the time to write Bob as yet. But will do so. Especially wonder about Shirly (Peckous) Kafka. Whom was one of my best friends, other than Winnie Tascher who I have lost contact with.

 

Thanks again Jim,  

                        Dorothy

         Converse  sarahconverse@netscape.net

 

 

Jim, in answer to your e-mail, attached are some pictures you may (or may not) wish to use. Included are graduation, Don Rosing's hula skirt in 1953, latest picture of me with a nice steelhead (yes, I still hunt and fish after all these years), and a picture of Linda, with our two dogs, Annee' and Max.We do a lot of bird hunting together.

Brief biographical sketch:  graduated 1952, attended University of Washington, where I ended up on a football scholarship, and then went into commercial construction as a carpenter journeyman, foreman, then to project superintendent and manager. I was at these endeavors for 42 years.

I retired in 1993 and now have Cowlitz/Columbia Fishing Guide Service. I fish mainly the Cowlitz and Columbia Rivers here in Washington state for salmon, steelhead and sturgeon. I don't deer hunt any longer; now strictly pheasant, duck, chukar and quail.  Linda and I spend a lot of time at this as we enjoy the exercise also.

Collectively, Linda and I have seven children, thirteen grandchildren and one great grandchild. Linda is employed at a local community college in the admission's office.

 

 

Dear Jim,

Thanks for all your updates.  As for myself,  it doesn’t look like Illinois will be on my travel calendar for 2002. But, keep me posted, you never know....things do change.Keep up the good work, many thanks. Bonnie Sagel-Virnala

 

 

 

 

Damn, you are sure doing a swell job with this reunion coordination.Kudos to you my friend.

I would vote for a two day affair as I believe that will give everyone a chance to really talk to one another. Wherever is decided to be held, I will be there.  Irwin 

Note: Irwin sent this picture to me via e-mail

 

 

Jim—

Mark me down for Crystal Lake! Have been in touch with Phyllis re the reunion book. Will talk more with her later.

Bill Swanson

 

 

 

 

    

If I had a say I would vote for the Holiday Inn in Crystal Lake.Thanks for the many newsgrams and info. You are a prince of a man.

 

John Stob

 

Hi Jim, Glad to see your getting some help planning this reunion.  I am in San Diego for the summer, but as soon as I get back to Az. I will send you some pictures, although I didn`t graduate, I do have some fun old pictures of some classmates. I think a 2 day party at the Holiday Inn would be fun. Then no-one would have to drive after partying.  Take care.

Rita Frankenstin

I like the two day deal at the Crystal Lake Holiday Inn maybe we could have a DJ and dance too, I would like to spend some time with all of the old gang. For the next three months I will have a new E-Mail address at PEGALEGG1@EARTHLINK.NET   
As I got a free printer and scanner for signing up for three months any one who signs up will get the same deal and if you mention my E-Mail I will receive another month free.  
Hope you come to a conclusion will be waiting to here Peggy  Rogers Krotz.   

Can anyone give me the date of death for Gloria Sorge, Carol Edgren, Mitchell Stanton and Joanne Guetzloff and could Joanne also be Dolores.

 

 

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the info re: 50th Reunion.  As I will be coming from California, a two day affair would certainly be more enjoyable, however, why a hotel in Crystal Lake?  Are there not hotels nearer the Fox Lake area which could accommodate us?  Whatever is decided upon, count me in!!  Can't believe it's been nearly 50 years since our graduation.

 

Nancy Arnesen Williamson