Fourth of July Festivities 2011

Our 50th Reunion was held just before Marengo's 4th of July celebration so some people were able to continue the celebration on Sunday.  Thanks to Evan we have some pictures.

The first two are from the car show which our classmate, Darold Slaymaker organized.  I understand the first one is his hot rod!

The next one shows some cars from our school days!.

Then some parade scenes with, as far as I know, none of our classmates visible.

(Note:  By clicking on one of the pictures you can bring up a slideshow with all of the pictures.)

Memorial to Our Classmates

We have ten of our classmates who are deceased.  Claudia prepared the above display recognizing each of them for our 50th Reunion and included them in our program.  On the Classmates and Classmates M - Z pages we have their birth and death listed with an asterisk after the information.  The individual remembrances pictured above are available on the In Memoriam page.

The deceased class members are:

James Byram
Terry Cronbaugh
Elaine Prieto (Dimmer)
Robert Hawkins
Marjorie Angerer (Kennell)
LaVerne Murphy
Larry Olson
Erna Wickwire (Radtke)
Robert Smith
Lowell Vogt

They are missed by all of us.

Thank You to the Class of 1962

Several members of the Iowa Valley Class of 1962 joined us at our gathering at Phat Daddy's.  They shared their memories of our times together and our effect on their lives.  Modesty, and the statute of limitations, prevent my repeating some of the stories.  Thank you to Diane and Pete, Rosemary, Ron, and Jim, as well as the spouses of our class members from their class.  My apologies if I have missed anyone.

Best wishes to the Class of 1962 with their reunion next year.  I hope they also have a great time at their events!

50th Reunion Picture Published

The latest issue (July 28, 2011) of the Pioneer-Republican has the group picture taken outside before the 50th Reunion at the Ox Yoke Inn.  Thank you Mary D. for arranging this and thank you Dianne Kinzenbaw for taking this great picture!
You can see a larger version of the picture by clicking on it and then clicking on the picture again.

Reunion Trivia Quiz

For the reunion program, Evan created a trivia quiz. The questions are shown  in the picture to the left.  Many of the answers came during the program.  For those that did not or those you missed hearing, you can see the trivia quiz with the answers here.

Reunion Cake - July 2, 2011

Thank you to Carol Ann for making an outstanding reunion cake!  As a cake fanatic - my wife accuses me of marrying her only because of the wedding cake; which is not true, it was the wedding cake frosting - I can testify that both the cake and frosting were great.  Just looking at the picture makes me hungry for it again (I don't think any of it remained)!

Reunion Program - July 2, 2011

Thanks to Mary D. and to Evan, our Master of Ceremonies, our dinner was followed by reminisces and memories from several of our classmates.  Evan provided a humorous overview and a special trivia quiz.



Gary Cooney reminded us of the sports accomplishments of the Class of 1961.  Among these were being co-winners of the football conference, Gary winning the State 50 yard dash, and Jim Freeze placing in the shot put at State.

Claudia had prepared memorials for the classmates who have passed away and shared them with us.

Lenny provided a salute to our classmates who have served in the military.  There have been ten who served in the different services.





Sheryl and Rich lead us in singing the Iowa Valley/Marengo Fight Song and then our class song - with updated lyrics!  My apologies to both of them; I was busy singing along and missed getting a picture of them.  Did anyone get a picture we can use here?

Thank you to everyone for a great evening!  It was a great program and a great reunion!

Thank You for the Tours

Thank you to Mary D. for making arrangements and thank you to all the tour guides at our four Marengo stops!

The tours were the Marengo Memorial Hospital, the Marengo Public Library,  the Iowa Valley High School, and the Pioneer Heritage Museum and Resource Library which are part of the Iowa County Historical Society.  All of these have changed greatly, or even been created, since we graduated.  

 If you did not get a chance to see them, be sure to check them out next time you are in Marengo!

Tours - Saturday, July 2, 2011

You should all have received the list of tours from Mary D.  Just in case, it is posted below.  Hope to see you there and tonight!

TOURS     SATURDAY, JULY 2, 2011

11:00 A.M.:  MARENGO MEMORIAL HOSPITAL

  Renovated in 2004-05, the hospital is a 25 bed critical access hospital. Among other services, they offer in-patient services, ambulance, dialysis, ER, imaging, lab, respiratory therapy, cardiac rehab and clinics.  They have a gift bag for anyone taking the tour.

11:30 A.M.:  MARENGO PUBLIC LIBRARY

  The Marengo Public Library is one of the libraries that was established with the help of Andrew Carnegie in the early 1900's.  In 1903, an item in the Marengo Republican newspaper noted, "Marengo is the smallest town in the country to receive an offer of $10,000 for a library from Andrew Carnegie."  In May of 2007, after seven years of planning, fundraising, and building, a beautiful addition and renovation of the original building was completed.  The cost of the building was just over $2.1 million.  The new building contains a community meeting room, state-of-the-art computer room, a children's programming room, an elevator for accessibility, and much needed additional space for patrons and staff.

NOON:  IOWA VALLEY COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
  Since our graduation in 1961, the school has added on classrooms, gymnasium and weight rooms to the west.  The old auditorium/gym was recently updated to include painting, restoration and new seating.

1:00 P.M.:  IOWA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY/PIONEER HERITAGE MUSEUM

675 E. South St.  No fee/donations gladly accepted.

  The ICHS maintains and operates the Pioneer Heritage Museum and Resource Library located in Marengo, IA. This half-block site includes an 1856 log cabin, 1861 log house, 1890’s rural farmhouse, the relocated Chicago Rock Island RR depot from Victor, and a 1930’s gas station from Hartwick, IA. The filling station display includes an antique race car and 1938 fire truck. The various structures house exhibits of farm machinery as well as household and country store items, clothing and military history. The museum's collection of uniforms and military gear span from the Spanish American War through the Civil War, World War I, World War II (includes both men's and women's uniforms), Vietnam and Desert Storm.

In addition to the museum grounds the ICHS also maintains the Gritter Creek Country School located west of North English 3 miles off the main Millersburg North English road. We also have original furnishing from the Gritter School. This is the only remaining brick one-room school building in Iowa County and is open to the public at all times.  Resource Library is available and they are capable of helping people do research on families, communities, churches, schools, businesses, etc.

I sincerely hope many of you will consider going on one or all of these tours. The last one, the historical building, you can spend ½ - 2 hrs. as you wish.  Personnel at each of these destinations have graciously arranged their schedules to accommodate our visit and each of them are eager to show off their buildings.  If you haven’t been back to Marengo for a while, you will be amazed at what you see at these places.

1^st Tour, let’s meet at the hospital parking lot – just east of the front door or meet at any of the other sites @ the time noted if you only wish to take certain tours.

Great Times at Phat Daddys!

There was a good turnout from the Class of 1961, and some from other classes, for our get-together at Fat Daddys.  Hope to see you at the tours today and the reunion tonight for more!

From the 45th Reunion

While we don't have a group photo from the 45th reunion (yet - hint, hint!), thanks to David Schafbuch we do have a picture showing some of the good times.  I'm sure the 50th will be even better!

Faculty

We were blessed to have a friendly and supportive faculty for our classes.  Thanks to Linda Gates Kamp we have a candid photo of some of them before class.

Junior Class Play

Thanks to Linda Gates Kamp, we have a couple of pictures from the Junior Class Play for your enjoyment and amazement.  Do you remember what the play was and who these people are?

2001 at Lake Iowa

Thanks to Mary D. for this picture from the 2001 (40th) gathering at Lake Iowa, Iowa County Park.  My apologies for not posting it when she first sent it to me.  I must have been still recovering from the holidays (New Years Day) at the time.  I'm told everyone in the picture really did have a great time.

You can also see this picture on the Reunions page.

Another of Our Memorable Years - 1996 = 35th Reunion Year

Thanks to Linda (Gates) Kamp we have a picture from the 1996 All School Reunion.  Looks like we were well represented at that gathering, which would be the year of our 35th Reunion.  You can also see this picture, and all the reunion pictures as we find them, at our Reunions page.  (Click on the picture and click on the picture that comes up by itself to see a larger version.;)

Help Us Contact Other Classmates - Updated

Earlier we had asked for your help contacting other classmates. Thanks to your help we have been able to contact Gary Martin, Cindy Walton, and Rancy Watkins.  We still need help contacting these other classmates.

Looking for any contact with these people:

• Audrey Lillie,
• Donna Lininger
• Beverly Susan Punke

Also, we have had contact with the following, but are wondering if anyone else has heard from them:

• Kathleen Smith 
• Stan Smith 

You're welcome to leave comments below or contact Mary D. or me.  Thank you for your help.

Planning for the 15th Reunion

No, that's not a typo.  Thanks to Sheryl, we have the notes from their planning for the 15th Reunion.  Does anyone have pictures or recollections of the result to share?

A meeting for the purpose of planning for the 15^th reunion of the IVHS class of 1961 was held at 8 PM on Feb. 28, 1976, at the home of Paul and Betty Gardner.  Betty called the meeting to order promptly at 8 PM.  Paul immediately suggested all business be tabled until some of the committee arrived.  The suggestion was accepted.

By 8:20 PM, all of the members had ceased their aimless wanderings around the Iowa countryside and had finally zeroed in on the Gardner home.  Those present were:  Mr. and Mrs. Gary Miller, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Peshek, Mr. and Mrs. David Schafbuch, the aforementioned Gardners, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hogan, Mr. and Mrs. Al Cooperider, Judy Frimmel, Milt Gauger, and the biggest damn horse you ever saw!

 

The meeting got off to a rather slow start when Betty announced that class president Lowell Vogt was unable to attend because he said his wife was ill.  Mary D. finally left the room to use the john and was immediately and unanimously elected president pro  tem.  (Because of this action, no one else dared to leave the room while the meeting was in session.)

Sheryl then gave a most interesting and very complete list of the many places available for our class use in the city of Clarence.  They ranged from The Office Bar to the Methodist Church parlors.

Joan reported on the Ponderosa in Cedar Rapids.

A suggestion was presented on having a catered dinner at the Isaac Walton clubhouse in Iowa City with possibly a juke box or Rich Sherman’s band for music.

Dave Schafbuch then generously offered the use of his creek and cornfield.

It was about this time that acting class member Paul Gardner (who decided to transfer from Williamsburg High School Class of 1960 to IVHS ’61) suggested Sandersfields’ New Colony Village as he knew they planned to open by that time. 

Mary D. appointed Dave and Judy to go with her to check out the food and make necessary arrangements.  Dick P. moved to accept this.  It carried.

Discussion followed as to whether the last Saturday in July was the 25^th or the 31^st.  It was finally suggested that Betty check the calendar.  Our reunion will be July 31^st.

A suggestion was made that minutes be kept for this meeting.  Since Sheryl was the only one with a piece of paper, Mary D. appointed her secretary pro tem.

Albert was appointed to serve as MC for our reunion.

Mary D. will send post cards to all class members and request a deposit by July 1.  The cocktail hour will be from 6 – 7, with dinner at 7.  Reservations are to be sent to Mary D.

David began to feel a little uncomfortable, so he moved to adjourn.  Sensing his plight, the others ignored the motion and began to discuss appropriate attire for the reunion.  Betty, out of concern for her sofa, finally seconded the motion.  It carried, and David rushed out.

Refreshments were then served, after which no one could really remember what took place, but we all hoped we would not run into Patrolman Gary Cooney on the way home.

Respectfully submitted,

Sheryl Cooperider

Secretary Pro Tem

Sophomore Class Pictures

Thanks to Len Matthias, here we are in the 1959 Tiger.  Again, you can see a larger version of the picture and read the names by clicking on the picture and then clicking on it again.

If you have pictures you would like to share with us, please let us know!

Reunion T-Shirts

 Jim Freeze, Mary D. and Evan have been working on class t-shirts for the 50th reunion.  More details will be coming from Mary D. with her next letter.  Here is a sneak preview!