Cotter High School alumni gather

Thirty alumni and guests were in attendance for the annual gathering of Cotter High School on Saturday, June 8, 2024 at 11:50 at the Pizza Ranch in Washington where they enjoyed a buffet lunch and much reminiscing.

Ivan Arthur, whose father, Kenneth Arthur was a member of the 1937 graduating class of Cotter High School emceed the event.

Some of the highlights were memories of extended families spanning four-five generations of alumni. For some, it was the learning, working and playing together for twelve years and for others, it was seeing their children and the children of friends attend the grade school there after the Cotter High School moved to Columbus Community School in 1957.

Classes often encompassed two grades, utilizing a handful of teachers for a variety of subjects in a single day. Drama was learned as everyone participated in the Junior and Senior class plays, often borrowing underclassmen to fill roles. They also had a school newspaper, the Kotter Key and the Blue and Gold publications.

Seasonal sports included baseball, softball and basketball throughout the history of the Consolidated School for both boys and girls. It was recalled that the girls team was suspended to be reinstated in the fall of 1950 with the team wearing gym suits to play in since there was no money for fancier attire.

The first school in the Cotter vicinity was established in 1869 and 1870. On the 25th of June in 1919, 1/3 of the eligible voters voted in the affirmative and on October 23, the final vote was cast.

The Cotter school was consolidated in 1920, taking in five country districts--Yankeetown, Lincoln, Edwards, Dutch Ridge and Cotter School. They began the construction of the new Cotter school building in the spring of 1919 and finished in the fall of 1920. Kindergarten started in 1940.

The community support and spirit made Cotter great, leaving a lasting bond between all who went to Cotter Consolidated School!

This event, which I have been fortunate to be a guest at for the last few years, thanks to Raymond Hendrickson, is much looked forward to and everyone attending enjoys reminiscing and telling tales and pranks which they recall.

This was the 100th anniversary of the first graduating class of 1924.

The oldest alumni present was Gladys Boyd Orris, of Iowa City, who graduated with the class of 1944 and the last class of 1957 was represented by Sharon Peters Mapel and Janet Thomas Pretz of Columbus Junction and Keith Murphy of Washington.

The group vowed to meet again next year.

CRAWFORDSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL GATHERING

Alumni and friends of Crawfordsville High School met for their annual gathering in the Fellowship Hall at the United Church of Crawfordsville at 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 8, 2024, with 17 in attendance. Even though the numbers were small, everyone enjoyed meeting up with former classmates and friends.

The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Gerry Chalupa Farrier conducted a short business meeting. A treasurer's report was given. The group voted to meet again next year on the second Saturday in June.

A table filled with items relating to the school and Crawfordsville Community was on display. Larry Fletcher provided this remarkable collection of memorabilia. Everyone went around the table and shared memories of the school days and Jerry Mitchell mentioned his son in Des Moines saw on Facebook that someone had the scoreboard that hung in the Crawfordsville gym for sale and he had purchased it.

United Church Women provided refreshments of cookies, cheese and crackers, as well as lemonade and coffee. These were served by Debbie Lowe and Margaret Patterson.

Attending were Ed Chalupa, Carl and Martha Chalupa and their daughter, Deb Fox, Doug Chalupa, Gerry Chalupa Farrier, Phyllis Lowe Eisele, Ruth Davis Erwin, Larry and Donna Fletcher, Shari Hamil Franz, Kenneth Lee, Jerry and Patti Mitchell, Louise Wells Schmitz, Beth Wells, and Allaire Davis George.

This year's committee members were Carl and Martha Chalupa, Phyllis Eisele, Ruth Erwin, Gerry Farrier and Larry and Donna Fletcher.