The 65th Reunion – We Just Did It!

65th Reunion T-Shirt

65^th Reunion – Just Do It? We Just Did!

We celebrated the 65^th anniversary of our East High School graduation on September 19-20 at the beautiful old Broadview Hotel in Wichita. We may have been less agile than 65 years ago, but the sparkle in our eyes conveyed our pleasure at being together again. We ate well, laughed a lot, talked seriously and unseriously, and finished the reunion with a bang.

Who Showed Up?  Nearly 40 classmates participated in events on Friday and Saturday, accompanied by 24 spouses, friends, children and one grandson. Names below. Read on.

Classmates Attending (1):  Lee Ayres, Jim Banks, Dennis Callan, Nancy Ballard Colleran, Kay Brinnon Alldritt, Kay Ellen Consolver, Fred Elder, Suzie Fisher Turner, Barbara Hammond, Ron Haun, Gerald “Jake” Jacobs, Norman Johnson, Dan Kinney, Jack Kleinheksel, Eric Knorr.

What Did We Learn About Ourselves? 

 Obviously, those who attended are still able to travel across Wichita and/or from all parts of the US, literally from the East to the West coasts. Some of us were aided by canes, walkers, wheelchairs and kids, but most were mobile on our own. Yes, there was a lot of white hair. And there were lots of grins, handshakes, and hugs.

Diane Zinn and Marilyn Bellert kept the action moving. An oral questionnaire, “This is Us,”  that just required raising hands to answer the questions yielded the following commonalities:

• A majority of those attending live independently in their own homes
• Nearly all engage in regular exercise and fitness programs, and some are still playing golf, pickleball, or other organized sports.
• Most enjoy traveling in the U.S. and about a quarter are still traveling internationally.
• A large majority have been married 50 years or more, some to more than one spouse, but nearly all had committed to long-term relationships.
• More than half are cancer patients or cancer survivors.
• More than a third have recently lost a close relative or friend since our last reunion.
• Most are technology users; most use smart phones; a few still have landline telephones at least two have never touched a computer and don’t plan to start.
• A total of 26 classmates attending have written stories for the website.
• Two people raised their hands in answer to this question: “Are you satisfied with the direction our country is going?” We did not ask any follow-up questions. A curmudgeon commented, “By the time you are 83, you are not satisfied with much of anything.”
• Most of us are worried about the future for our grandchildren.

Classmates Attending (2): Mary “Mert” Lancaster Curtis, Sebrun Lathrom, Sam Lindeman, Don Lowe, Jerry Martin, Molly Mulloy, George Palmer, Dick Richardson, David Robinson, Glenna Payne Hartman, Ralph Schmidt, Becky Siebert Machacek.

Department of Lost Lambs – One member of our class spent Friday night with the Class of 1962, meeting in the hotel space next to the Class of 1960. He stayed all evening. When asked whether he had made new friends, he said, “I could not figure out how I could not known anybody in the room!”  On Saturday night, some ’62 Ace ushered him to our ballroom, where he knew just about everyone. We were all glad to see him! 

Tour of East High – On Saturday morning, a group from our class toured East High – new and old – with Iain McHugh, an assistant principal who graduated from East himself and taught at the school before joining the administration. Besides visiting new athletics spaces, theater and other arts facilities, and new academic program sites, McHugh introduced us to the Aviators Club, which is developing into a museum of East High artifacts. Note to downsizers: If you have East High memorabilia, they accept donations.

Gene Carter found his photo. Linda Soderberg McKay eventually found hers  but only when she thought to look under “S” instead of “M.”

Downtown Wichita Renovation Tour – David Robinson arranged for a reasonably comfortable, air-conditioned (!) school bus. About 30 of us learned from David and Hal Ottaway, ’61, about the makeovers, reuse, and redevelopment of many buildings we used to know like Innes Department store and Dockum Drugs (now a hotel). We saw new architecture, museums, arenas and athletic facilities. We also drove through old favorites like Riverside Park. After a visit to the iconic Nifty Nut House for fresh nuts, fruits, and candy, we ended the tour at the Keeper of the Plains monument on the point at the confluence of the Big and Little Arkansas Rivers.

Saturday Night – Five Zoomers joined us: Calvin Ross, John Van Slyke, Charlie Briscoe, Skip Granger, and Perry Ann Porter. They joined the Wichita crowd in discussing three questions: how you managed to live to age 83, your best hopes for your grandchildren’s future, and what you plan to accomplish in the next two years.

• 83? The first answer was “good whiskey and good cigars.” A number of men credited their wives with increasing their longevity. Tom Tatlock finished on an inspirational note, talking about how love can keep us healthy, happy, and coping. So poignant, he said all we need is someone to love and someone to love us back.
• Although some of us worry about the state of our democracy, several classmates spoke about their confidence that their bright, kind, and talented grandchildren will provide excellent leadership for their families and communities in the future. Around the room, heads of proud grandparents nodded in agreement.
• Plans for the next two years included travel, publishing books they are writing now, and keeping in touch with classmates and other friends.
• John Van Slyke expressed gratitude to the East High community for instilling values and influencing his life in positive ways, emphasizing the importance of acknowledging the contributions of others to our own successes. 

Jacob Bump, Carol Weaverling Chambers’ grandson, asked to speak. Attending a second reunion with his mother and grandmother, he expressed gratitude for the wisdom shared by the group and emphasized the importance of love and support from family. His admiration for his grandmother extended to her classmates and their generation.

At left, Jacob Bump, photo by Gene Carter. Right, Carol Weaverling Chambers in 1960, who still sings the entire Alma Mater – in tune!

Awards: Lee Ayres and Calvin Ross presented the  “Blue Aces Heroes” awards to Marilyn Bellert, Diane Zinn, and Fred Elder for their leadership of the class over the past five years in accomplishing two reunions, a website with 900 stories, 35 Zoom sessions, and 80 newsletters.

Classmates Attending (3): Diane Rusch Zinn, Linda Soderberg McKay, Glenna Stearman Park, Johnny Stevens, Mick Sullivan, Tom Tatlock, Jane Thompson Olson, Dan Tontz, Marilyn Tompkins Bellert, Ronnie Troy, Carol Weaverling Chambers, Carolyn Wharton Holloway.

Future of The Virtual Reunion – Marilyn and Diane are going into semi-retirement. The website will remain online for the next year and will publish new stories from classmates and new obituaries. They will also print a final copy of The Messenger for mailing to the 380 classmates for whom we have active addresses. They will lead their final Zoom on October 16 at 2 pm. Future Zoom sessions will be managed by Dan Tontz, Calvin Ross, and Linda Soderberg McKay.

Will there be a 70^th Reunion? When asked if they would, if able, attend a 70^th reunion, 100% of the audience said yes. Another reunion will require volunteers to take over organizing it. So far, no volunteers. Several classmates recommended a reunion in two or three years, not five, and suggested an afternoon picnic or other daytime event instead of two days as in the past.

THANK YOUs s to Reunion Supporters – A large group of donors provided funds to keep individual  reunion costs low.

Gene Carter maintained the class database, as he has for 65 years. Ronnie Troy continued to act as Reunion Treasurer. Barb Hammond added to the Deceased posters, a focal point for nearly all participants throughout the two days. Glenna Stearman Park and her son Dan created the 65^th Reunion logo. David Robinson organized the bus tour.

Jane Thompson Olson (below) designed the glittering table decorations, which were arranged by Jane, Kay Brinnon Alldritt, Barb Hammond, Molly Mulloy, Carolyn Wharton Holloway, Linda Soderberg McKay, Nancy Ballard Colleran, and Glenna and Joel Park. Gary Bellert took photographs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marilyn Tompkins Bellert and Diane Rusch Zinn made it all happen with a lot of help from their friends.

And finally – Airplanes, Bangs, and the Big Picture – Barb Hammond distributed materials for making paper airplanes, which then flew all over the room, certainly a fitting ending for all of us Aces! At Glenna Park’s suggestion, we concluded  the evening with a bang, popping the blue and white balloons by sitting on them. (The Curmudgeon said that was so much fun he wanted to hug everyone.) Mick Sullivan’s son Tim again organized a group photo, which you can see below. As you can tell, this crowd was having fun!