Our Yesterdays

The Packwood High School’s 80th alumni banquet was held in Van Voorst Hall at the Packwood Christian Church on Saturday, June 6. One hundred thirty alumni and guests attended the evenings activities. Following the invocation offered by Don Atwood, the group enjoyed keyboard music by Earlene Elliot Molkenthin as they moved to the dining hall. In recognition of the 80th alumni banquet, the group was led by Clifford Pepper in the singing “The Bells of Saint Mary’s,” a song popular at the time of the first banquet. Doris Kiews Hicks performed a solo, “Honky Tonk Angel.” After the sit-down dinner, served by Packwood TTT, President Clifford Pepper conducted the business meeting. Past president and nominating committee chairman, Doug Dickey, presented the state of the officers for the ’99 banquet. President, Bob Huffman; Vice President, Marvalene Hendrickson; Secretary, Dolpha Yule; Treasurer, Mary Ebelheiser.

Following the business meeting, Master of Ceremonies, Bob Huffman introduced the spokesman for each of the honor classes, 1928, 1938, 1948, and 1958. Songs of the time were sung by the alumni, led by Clifford Pepper, as each honor class was introduced. The 1928 year was noted by the song, “Five Foot Two Eyes of Blue.” No members were able to attend.

A letter was read from Mary Cowguill Clark, spokesman for the 1938 class, that was a compilation of notes from class members unable to attend. Marion Jones Cox and Frances Myers Russel were members in attendance. The group, led by Pepper, joined in singing.

“On Top of Old Smokey” highlighted the 1948 class as introductions were made by spokesman Kathleen Clark Roberts. Class members also in attendance were: Alma Sutton Catcott, Donna Mowry Danay, Marjorie Bonnett Lovingfoss, Zelda Cary Morris, Marilyn Conger Shaw, Kathryn Edmund Woolums, Dean Clingman, and Stan Marshall.

Former teachers of the class of 1948 introduced were: Ednore Cowen, first grade; Caroline Dickey, sixth grade, Virginia Small, high school; and basketball chaperone, one-hundred-year-old Marie Caughlin. She was given a standing ovation for her attendance.

The fifty-year class had dinner at the Fairfield Elks Club on Friday evening and had visited with family and friends at the Packwood Community Building Saturday afternoon.

The Master of Ceremonies read the ten-member class list, in the absence of the class spokesman for the 1958 class. Wayne Hadley and Ron Pickard were class members in attendance.

Merle Paxson was recognized for attending the banquet for sixty-seven consecutive years. Zelda Cary Morris and Marvin Cary were recognized for traveling the greatest distance.

The evening ended with the appropriate people thanked for their efforts and the alumni group sang “Goodnight Irene.”

Terry and Crystal Winn of Ollie are the parents of a girl, Tayler Diane, born June 13, 1998. She weighed seven pounds, 12 ounces and is the couple’s first child. Grandparents are Bill and Peggy Winn of Ollie and Mike and Carla Coleman of Richland. Great-grandparents are Rex and Jennie Chacey of Martinsburg and Verna Dumont of Sigourney.

Matthew Wolf of Packwood and Natalie Neel of Richland were named to the dean’s list for the 1998 spring semester at William Penn College.

The class of 1943 of Richland High School met for a get-together Saturday afternoon preceding the Richland Alumni Banquet at the Woolson Church Fellowship Hall. Present were Richard Long of Wayland; Howard Long of Washington; Dean Cooney, Raymond and Marian Dickinson, Bud and Helen Adam, and Wayne and Iola Parsons, all of Richland; Catherine (Horras) Millane of Fairfield; Kay (Murphy) Claridge and Cecil (Bray) Krouse of LaMirada, California; and Laurence and Beverly Murdock of East Moline, Illinois.