Carpenter Elementary School’s gym was filled with excitement, visiting, much laughter and lots of greetings and hugs on a beautiful, warm — and a little rainy — June 13 evening when 153 alumni and guests of Eastern Laramie County schools — Egbert, Hillsdale, Burns and Carpenter — gathered for their 59th annual banquet. Guests registered from Nebraska, Colorado, Idaho, California, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Missouri, and of course, Wyoming.
Attendees included 54 years of graduates — from 1925 through 1979. Altogether, grads and guests totaled 20 from Egbert, 35 from Hillsdale, 42 from Burns, and 56 from Carpenter High School. Tables were festively decorated with crepe paper streamers in school colors, as well as cells of impatiens that were given as door prizes at the end of the evening.
Master of Ceremonies Larry Armstrong, Burns 1956, welcomed the group and led the Pledge of Allegiance. He gave special recognition and introduction of longtime EHBC Alumni worker and organizer Joan Hatcher Humphrey and her new husband Verlin Reidel. A "Best Wishes" certificate was circulated for people to sign and was presented to the couple at the end of the evening. Larry also offered the invocation.
Seven 80- and 70-year graduates were recognized and presented corsages and boutonnieres. Honored were 100-year-old Evelyn Deck Johnston, 84 years, from Egbert’s Class of 1925; Burns grads Doris Bare Anderson, 74 years, class of 1935; Gladys Fuller Bode, 72 years, Class of 1937, and Joe Edmunds, 71 years, class of 1938; and Carpenter 1939 grads Don Morse, Francis Oline and Everett Rhodes, all celebrating 70 years since their high school graduation. All graduates still live in Laramie County except Gladys, who lives in Fort Collins, Colo.
Following the delicious Salisbury steak dinner, prepared by Vicky Wilson and her helpers from Cheyenne, 50-year pins were presented to members of Hillsdale, Burns and Carpenter classes of 1959. Last year marked the final 50-year graduating class from Egbert High School. Judy Acheson True, Hillsdale class of 1957, presented pins to her brother Fred Acheson and Patsy Stoner Hood. Unable to be present was Carolyn Blevins DiStasio.
Clarence Steege, Burns 1958, presented 50-year pins to 1959 graduates Roberta Humphrey Derr and Gary Palmer. Unable to attend were Harry Weber, Gerald Pauli, Edward Riedel, Hanford Woolington and Linn Stubbs. Deceased are John Atwood, Lloyd Anderson and John Laycock.
Carpenter’s 1959 grads receiving pins from Barbara Miller Wilkinson, Class of 1951, were her sister Colleen Miller Johnson, Jerry Foster and Gary Walden. Unable to be present were Jane Poelma Lambert, Ken Rochlitz and Jean Ward Gibson. Deceased are John West and Shirley Campbell Stang.
1944 graduates celebrating 65 years were Barbara Kent Reinholz, Carpenter, and Ivan Stoner, Hillsdale. Only one 1949 graduate — Carpenter’s Loretta Hammond Hart — was present to celebrate 60 years. Fifty-five year grads answering roll call were all five surviving Egbert Class of 1954 members: Lois Bomhoff Huckabee, Richard Marquiss, Shirley Woolington Wiggin, Marietta Minnick Weyand and Joe Miller; Hillsdale’s Joan Hatcher Reidel; and Carpenter’s Loretta Noyer Jewell. Mark Anderson, Burns 1969, celebrated 40 years. Thirty-year grads from Burns’ class of 1979 were Suzanne Nussbaum Deselms and Robert Kelley.
Many teachers responded to roll call, several of whom were also alumni, and several generations of graduates were recognized. MC Armstrong read names of the 15 Burns High School 2009 graduates and welcomed them to the EHBC Alumni organization, however, none was present.
Gordon Lyon, Burns 1962, led a Power Point memoriam of the 21 alumni who have passed away since last year’s banquet.
Bill & Phyllis Plambeck Smith, Martinez, Calif., and Marietta Weyand, Anahein, Calif., tied for the farthest distance traveled, and Shirley Wiggin brought the oldest class ring, which had been her aunt’s in 1930. Dinner refunds were offered to these folks through a gift received several years ago from Hillsdale’s Lois Nicodemus Birt.
All enjoyed reminiscing through memorabilia that had been brought, including yearbooks, pictures, autograph books, sweaters and class rings. Also on display were three large albums containing scanned duplicates of original picture composites of Egbert, Hillsdale and Burns’ graduates throughout the 1950s. Plans are to include duplicates of all senior pictures from these schools, and it is hoped that can be accomplished in the near future.
Helping with banquet preparations this year were Joan Reidel, Ruth Reynolds, Barbara Reinholz, Beverly Poteet, JoAnn Soto, Judy True, Billie Corso, Jan Hansen, Jack Talkington, Larry Armstrong, Gordon Lyon and Sue Deselms.
The committee will hold a wrap-up meeting this fall and will start planning for next year’s banquet, which is always held on the second Saturday in June, which in 2010, will be the 12th. Details as to location and further information will be developed during the coming year. Name and address updates, both physical and e-mail, are also constantly needed. To work with the committee or to help in any way, contact Joan Reidel at 634-6447, Ruth Reynolds, 634-6453 or Barbara Reinholz, 632-4008. Inquiries and updated information would be welcomed by Joan at jodyannhum@juno.com.
