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11/21/09 03:40 PM

Jim Warncke

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Jim

01/04/10 05:51 PM

Bill Sweet

Hey Guys,

One of the best class reunions I attended was my wife's in Indianapolis in 1987. They had a place with several rooms and the band was in a room where the door could be shut. The idea was for old classmate to be able to sit down in the other rooms at a number of tables and talk. Most had no interest in dancing or the band.

I suggest that we have something like that for our 50th. I want to be able to talk to some of my very oldest friends I have not seen in decades and do not want to yell over the band. Can we do this?

Also, one clever thing they did was issue name badges with names and the high school picture of the graduates so people would recognize them. They also had name tags for registered spouses, which made it interesting for conversations with spouses of their friends ("tell me all the dumb things he has done since leaving Defiance High School...")

Other activities that weekend (just speaking for me) are golf (I don't play, but I can caddy---my dad made me caddy for years so I know the moves; if Kellermyer plays I'll caddy for him...); skeet shooting (I love shooting and have a pistol range and reloading bench in my basement); picnic at Independence Park; Friday evening hamburgers and fries at whatever spot is hot (Barnes' still there?), tour of the old high school we attended; meeting with any of the old teachers still around...

Since I am coming from California, I can come early or stay late in the week to visit friends---be happy to go out to dinner with some on the days other than the weekend activities...

Anybody else got any ideas? Anxious to see you all, even though I probably won't recognize many of you!

01/29/10 02:04 PM

Doug Davis

Bill, It's good to hear that you're planning to attend this years reunion. I have been on numerous reunion comittees but this year due to some health problems have said no. I do like your idea of not having a band or loud music when you're there to visit. We have , in the past, toured the old high school which everyone enjoyed. It's now the Jr. High. A lot of changes have been made, for instance study hall 27 is now the library. I have grandkids going there now. Hard to believe. I understand the old Skylark Club has been bought by a local Dr. and renovated into an apartment. Maybe we could get a tour of the place to bring back memories. As far as the living faculty is concerned, there's not many left. Some of the teachers I know that are still around are Chiz Wahl (math) Marv Blanchard (band) Ned Prucha (driver ed) Lou Pixlar (science) Otto Biendorf (math)and Myrle Hinesman. Oh yes Marie Schlegel is still going strong too. ( I think). I'll be seeing some of the comittee soon and will pass on your suggestions. Take care and keep in touch. Doug

03/29/10 04:34 PM

Bill Sweet

Thanks Doug.

BTW, I have a video tape of a silent 16mm film taken after a fire drill one day in 1959 or so that shows everyone filing back into the front door of the high school (except me---perhaps I was out sick that day...). I'm not sure where my copy is today. Do any of the rest of you have that VHS tape? It would be a good thing to show at the reunion. Perhaps if I can find mine I can convert it to a DVD and we could post it on the reunion site. I'll go look again. I think it was actually 2 VHS tapes...

05/23/10 04:01 PM

Dave Dodt

What with all you people not posting any pictures. Come on how hard can it be. It's just camera, you smile and click. Simple isn't it?

06/09/10 10:38 PM

Judy Derrow (Stykemain)

Hey Dave I've got pictures but I'm not very photogenic(?). How do you like the website? Any suggestion on how we could get the classmates to write more stories? (And add pictures). In the last two days approx. 55 classmates checked out the site but I found no new comments or news. Help!!!

07/29/10 07:46 AM

Lois Farris (Little)

Dave Dodt, Dave Dodt, let's see...oh, yes, I remember him. I think we were confirmed together, along with George Ford, Jane Block, Doug Davis, Jean Agler, Pam Beardslee, Barb Healless, someone named Vanda or something like that (Vada Wiselogle?) and was Bill Parker part of that group?... (I know that isn't all, but my forgetter has been working really well latelyl)...I still have that picture around here somewhere.

07/31/10 01:51 PM

Doug Davis

Hi Lois,good to see you on the website.I don't think Dave Dodt was in our confirmation class because Rev. Hax was the pastor and Dodts came later. Other names that I can remember were Denny Frederick, Keith Schaffer, and Bill Spencer. Hope you can make it to the reunion. Doug

08/02/10 02:20 PM

Lois Farris (Little)

Yeah, Doug, you're right. Thanks for setting me straight.

08/23/10 01:01 AM

#10

Judy Derrow (Stykemain)

Boy, there sure were alot of Lutherans in the class. When we were figuring out the grade school for everyone attending the reunion, the catholics out numbered the public schools. Maybe if we counted St. John and St. Pauls that are coming they might out number St. Johns and St. Marys. I'll have to check that out. Nice to see people are starting to chat back and forth. There is still a few more days left to register for the reunion at the Elks, but don't forget you can stll come on out on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to the WELCOME CENTER. Thanks to everyone who has responded so far. We are still in NEED of homemade gifts for door prizes made by classmates or spouses. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the reunion and reiminising about the good old days. Ha! Judy Stykemain

09/16/10 11:32 AM

#11

Tom Warnimont

Sounds like the 50th class reunion was a great success and fun for all. Looking forward to seeing pictures posted and stories on this web site.

Tom Warnimont

09/17/10 05:32 PM

#12

Bill Sweet

I typed a long message and then backed up to check on some names and lost it. So here I go again...

Ditto to what Jon Roesti said. I had a wonderful time and to our surprise, so did my wife, Pat. We got to visit my old homestead (220 Riverdale) and talk to the Switzers (neighbors), and talked to a lot of old classmates, and I do mean old! (What happened to you guys?...)

I got to spend a lot of time with Dave and Connie Kellermyer, and we discovered we had a lot in common (guns, kids, politics, relative problems, etc). Since Kelly and Steve Spurgeon and Jim Shroyer were my best friends in high school (at least the ones I got in trouble with the most), and since Jim is dead and Steve won't leave home, I stuck to Kellermeyer like glue much of the time. I hadn't seen him for about 50 years. I got to go to a DHS football game and see Chiz Wahl (the guy who gave Spurgeon and me the board in 8th grade), and eat breakfast at Kissner's (much overrated and yet nostalgic)

You reunion guys did a great job and I hope you do it again in 5 years! Judy, you and Tom and the rest of the gang were fantastic! Thanks again for the 50-year old Crescent News paper and the great food and the whole organizational effort---even the candy was good. I will complain about the singing Saturday night (my wife said I fell asleep), the rain Saturday (you all said you had a drought going), and the inability to visit the old high school (I wanted to walk the halls again), but that's a pretty sad list of complaints when stacked next to all of the wonderful things you guys did to organize a hell of a reunion!

If any of you get to the San Jose California area, call me 408-398-7715 bill@swetgang.com, and we'll do something fun together. We've been in California for 32 years and have done it all, so we'd be glad to do some of it again if you show up!

Bill Parker, send me the class photos you took and I'll PhotoShop the various shots so everyone is looking their best and nobody is blinking or looking drunk. That way we'll all have a good photo of the reunion gang to remember.

Happy Trails...

09/24/10 03:27 PM

#13

Gerry Moser

The "committee" batted 1,000...PERFECT planning and execution which a "professional" party planner could not have done better! Thank you all for your hard work and contribution in making the 50th Class reunion very, very memorable for the rest of your classmates. Special thanks to Judy and Tom Stykemain for making The Welcome Center available to use. All classmates are special people and those attending deserve a "thank you" too, for caring and taking the time, some at considerable travel expense, to attend. Those classmates , for whatever reason, that were unable to attend need to know they, too, were thought about by those in attendance. Perhaps next reunion they will somehow find a way to attend?

The "Memorial Table" was especially fitting and appropriate and was done in great taste. I'm sure we'll keep those who have passed in our thoughts and prayers and I'm sure some of us felt their presence Saturday night. All the deceased were wonderful friends and classmates and I'm sure, missed by all who knew them.

You ALL made my 50th class reunion very memorable and I thank each of you. I'm only sorry I could have had more time to talk with each of you. Did anyone, other than myself, feel like they were having a "downer" for a day or two after our reunion was over? Hope to see you all again...here on earth or "upstairs"!!! Best Regards, Gerry Moser, 9/20/2010

09/24/10 09:00 PM

#14

Carole Oder (Etchie)

To All The Reunion Committee~ what a wonderful job you all did!!! it was fantastic~ to the classmates who could not attend you were thought of by many, to the ones who are no longer with us we felt your presence, the memorial tribute to all of you was touching and in each of us stirred up a special memory of you. WOW! i am like jerry moser. perfect planning. to jim, judy & tom, thank you for opening up the welcome center. we were all welcomed and want to thank you for it. i felt even the spouses enjoyed themselves. mary cupp , bill tubbs , connie morris and i were all in the same confirmation class at st john evangelical & reformed church (now the st john united church of christ) i had not seen mary in all of these years, how very nice that she came and i got to enjoy her company again after all these years. I enjoyed every minute of the 50th class reunion & THANK YOU!!! Larry Mcmillian, make sure you are here for the 55th reunion, we all enjoyed your conversations & humor. you were great. carole oder

09/25/10 04:26 PM

#15

Judy Derrow (Stykemain)

To all of my classmates you made my day!!! I was kind of ornery in school and scholastically did not do my best but for some reason I wouldn't change a minute of it. I loved my school days and also I think we have a great class. The committee was great, the guys did a wonderful job of doing all the hard work. Tom & I enjoy people so it was nice so many showed up at the welcome center. Thank you all for coming and know you are welcome anytime. Don't even call ahead because you know then "If I know your coming I'll have to bake a cake." Ha!

Until we meet again, God bless you all. Sincerely, Tom & Judy Stykemain

10/01/10 12:12 PM

#16

Patricia Knoll (Engle)

Well done! Even though I got sick just before serving the food at the banquet, all the rest of the reunion was great. Just seeing how old people looked, I had to look in a mirror to see if I really belonged to that group. Seems like I did.

Great job Judy and the rest of your team for all the work you put into making the 50th outstanding.

10/10/10 06:16 PM

#17

Eugene Brown

Thanks to the committee for a great job very well done, and an extra special thanks to Judy and Tom stykemain for going over a above with their great, and gracious hospitality. it was so enjoyable eating and talking with Jon Roesti, Jon Boes, Charlie Chase, and their wives. So many others that I met and talked with like Doug Davis. Gary Scheuerman, Ray Feeney and their wives, and so many others whose names escape this old brain at the moment, one more Sharon Dirr and her husband.

I am so looking forward to the next reunion

to everyone take care, be safe, and enjoy life!

10/21/10 10:38 PM

#18

Judy Derrow (Stykemain)

Hi Everyone! Just wanted the class to know that the committee is having another party Sunday evening for a potluck dinner at the Welcome Center. We had so much fun planning the reunion we decided we just have to get together once in a while. John Goldenetz had put a fun trivia game together for the reunion, which we did not have time to play on Saturday night at the Elks, so we're playing it after dinner on Sunday. Each couple is suppose to bring a couple of white elephant gifts. Do you know what that is?? I'll take pictures for all to see. Would love for all classmates to write once in a while on the message forum. Bye for now, Judy

12/08/10 09:51 PM

#19

Don Dunbar

Thanks to everyone who sent birthday wishes on 12-8

I found a missing old photo that everyone might enjoy and it is posted at the bottom of the " Photos From The Past " section

Don

12/13/10 09:42 AM

#20

Lois Farris (Little)

Dear old classmates (and I do mean old!!)I would like to take this time to wish you all a blessed Christmas. I really do wish for all of you a wonderful time not only of celebrating Christ's birth, but of fun and laughter with friends and family.

Lois Little

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