Jim Cissell

Thanks for all the great photos, Liana.

If you didn't notice, or weren't there, we had a professional videographer there to document the entire Saturday night event. It's the same outfit that did a great job producing a DVD of our 40th reunion--Raines Video. Everyone for whom we had a mailing address will soon receive a letter about purchasing a DVD of our 50th. I believe it's $29--and it didn't cost the class anything upfront. Not bad for being able to memorialize the evening, or enjoy it vicariously if you weren't there. If you don't receive the Raines letter, please email me your mailing address and I will see that you get one.

By the way, early reports show that thanks to all our generous classmates, we raised enough to keep this website active for another 10 years AND still have about $3500 left over for a scholarship/legacy fund. More details to follow after our debrief meeting on Tuesday, August 12th. Thank you one and all!

Clifton Orcutt

Liana, your pictures were wonderful. You have such a God given talent !

Carla (Bailey) Orcutt

Liana Linder (Nordell Wiik)

Thanks, Jim and Carla.

Polly Kaiser (Heinselman)

THIS MESSAGE WAS SENT TO ME BY MONNIE
From:     Monnie L Bell Rogers

I just want to say a special thank you to the whole team that put together this years reunion. My husband George and I had a wonderful time and thought everything was done with great detail and well planned out. Thank you for a wonderful weekend. 

Donna Miller (McLain)

Yes, we had a wonderful, hard-working support team!  My husband Paul who is a Class of '64 grad. from Sweet Home, OR, has never been contacted or heard of a reunion of his class -- but enjoys ours!

Donna Miller McLain

Frankie Thurrott (Elder)

Hello all ~  another very large THANK YOU to all those who helped in organizing the reuntion weekend !  It was so good to see and talk with many who attended and also to those who contributed to the website info and forum !

Altho I wasn't able to attend all the events I did take some pics of a few, and have put together on a photobucket:  You can add additional comments and/or pictures that give a fuller picture of so many things that happened over the 3 days.   Hope you can access OK.

Polly Kaiser (Heinselman)

I was so surprised to see how many in our 1964 class shared my Halloween birthday!! So I'd like to wish a Spooktacularly Great Day to: Dean Jacobus, Frankie Thurrott Elder, Mike Mitchell, Tom Woods and of course my own wonderful twin brother Paul Kaiser.  I'll see Paul next week, but hope to see the rest of you again at the 55th reunion in 2019. Happy Birthday!!

Jim Cissell

Even though I attended the Mt Rainier Class of 1964 50^th Reunion, when I watched the DVD that Richard Raines produced, I was pleasantly surprised. It was great! The quality of the video was so good that it was like being there with my old classmates all over again. I watched the WHOLE THING, as you’ll soon see. If you haven’t ordered a copy, call Richard at 800-654-8277. It’s only $34. You’ll not only see all of your old friends and find out where they are and what they’re up to -- you’ll learn WHO:

Had a crush on whom, who dated whom, and who got turned down…

Got kissed on the first date…

Had the most dates…

Had the fewest dates…

Married which classmate (Gretchen Rohrscheib/Doug Sonju, Doug Sanford/Marcy Dreyer, Sherillyn Carroll/Karl Myhre, Mike Collins/Janet Williams, Kathy Kilmer/Rick Simpson, Rick Meek/ Gwen Mangini, Brenda Nitsche/Ron Isbell, Craig Martinson/Shannon Buck, Don Morgan/Donna Martin, amongst others)…

Is single and maybe available…

Still looks like their senior picture -- and who doesn’t…

Had the coolest car (Mike Mitchell had a Pontiac convertible, but Jim Hackman’s GTO won back the heart of Susan Bohn--56:40 on the DVD)…

Drank underage…

Got into the most trouble (Phyllis Skau and Leslie Harris for painting Highline High School?—hey, THEY burned our new lawn!)…

Has the most grandkids (Lianne Linder 12!)…

Enlisted, who got drafted, and who fled to Canada…

Lives locally (Tom Hennen, Stephanie Berry, Ron Fuller, Diane Ridge, Craig Martinson, Roger Cecil, Norma Byers, David Hueston, Michael Brown, Marilyn Miller, and Jim Arkills still live in Des Moines! 204 of us live in WA state!)…

Is the furthest away (Gordon Riley, Florida--but Mary Russell lived in Africa)…

Has been married the longest (after dumping George Breeden, and dating George Geyer, Sherilynn Caroll took up with Karl Myrhe and they made it to their 50th! -- as have Doug Sanford and Marcy Dreyer—apparently with no dumping involved)…

Had the most interesting job (Victoria Cohn taught in New Delhi and Taiwan, Mike Williams was an Oregon State Trooper, Fred Bickford a movie animator, and Denise Morgan a truck driver)…

Attended a reunion for the first time (Rita Rogers, George Geyer, Clif Orcutt and a few others—while about 20 attended all 5)…

Knew what they wanted to be in high school and who actually did it…

Had no clue what they wanted to do and still don’t…

And WHAT:

Teacher Hugh Albrecht had to say about us and school hamburgers…

Really happened at the Gaslight GoGo?!

You’ll also see and hear:

Jerry Childs on monogrammed underwear and showers with Larry Martini (at 49:40)…

Jim Cissell confess to cross-dressing (50:50)…

Why attending a reunion is such a risk when you look like shit (52:28)…

Jerry admit to plagiarizing a poem which his date already knew! (53:25)…

Cindy Bain get Toni Alquist and Bruce Devereaux to reveal how they got evicted from the Lewis & Clark theatre for necking while in the 8^th grade! (54:58)…  

Mike Williams tell how a cow shit all over him as he conducted a cattle-truck stop (1:01:46)…

Don Morgan admitting that he and John Reuland came back to Mt Rainier trolling for younger girls (1:05:13)…

How Jim Sloan stole his mother’s car at 2 AM to go on dates (1:08:22)…

Why Mt Rainier girls didn’t date Mt Rainier guys (1:11:20)…

How many guys (and gals) Diane Ridge dated (1:12:40)…

George Brower use the “pirates dream/sunken chest” line on Jan Hawley (1:13:22)…

Larry Blais admitting he didn’t get a first-date kiss from Diane Poolman or Cheryl Swope but did kiss Gary Busey in 2^nd grade (1:14:10)…

How every guy loved Phyliss Skau, even Johnny Golando (1:15:45)…

Everyone singing Alma mater and our class theme song (1:19:00)…

Craig Martinson confess to stealing money from the pop machine (1:20:50)…

The tribute to our lost classmates (1:25:33)…

How good John Robertson’s band was (1:39:07+, Doug Sonju 1:42:55+)…

Who’s the best slow dancer (1:1:39:44-1:42:40)…

Who’s smooching whom? (Gordon Riley 1:40:20, Jan Hawley 1:47:20)…

And much, much more.

After you watch it, I dare you to tell me it wasn’t worth it.

See you at the ‘55^th!

Jim Cissell

Hedrick Hueneke

Wow!!  The news of Don passing is so sad.  I will pray for his family.  May God bless him and all of his family and friends.  He was a wonderful human, a good friend and a great classmate.  He will be missed.

Jim Cissell

Thanks, Rick. I don 't think we have begun to realize what a big void he has left.

Karl Myhre

I'm dreadfully sad about Don's passing. He was such a generous and sweet person and I'll always remember his sharing at the reunion dinner about the love of his life, Donna, and his encouraging words about how we are to live to love each other. My prayers go out for Donna that she may somehow find peace and comfort and love from those friends and family surrounding her. Sherilyn (Carroll) Myhre

Jerry Childs

Awful news about Don, Shannon and I send our condolences and prayers to Donna and the family...

Buzz Stambaugh

Wow! Don's Passing will leave a void never to be filled again! God Bless!  Buzz

Polly Kaiser (Heinselman)

Our prayers go out to Donna and the family.  Such a gentle giant of a man, leaves a gigantic hole in everyone's heart that he ever touched.   

George Breeden

Our prayers go out to Donna and the family.  I have funny memories of a pie-eating contest with him in high school.  Always a smile and a prank with him around.  He will be missed!   

Craig Martinson

5 minutes with Don and you knew he loved you.  Seems like he could say the kindest words and appreciate the finer things of life like no one else in the room.  He was a joy to be with and will be missed.

Polly Kaiser (Heinselman)

BETTY CLIFTON MEMORIAL

Jim wright sent the following information concerning Betty Clifton's memorial service:  Please spread the word!

• Service Monday, Aug 1, 2016 2:00 PM  at Green Lake Presbyterian Church,
• 318 Linden Ave N, Seattle, Washington 98103 .
• There will be a reception following the service in the fellowship hall. Please come with memories to share about Betty! 

Karl Myhre

Karl and I attended the memorial for Betty Clifton on Monday and it was a wonderfully touching service. Neither Karl nor I were actually acquaintances of Betty's - We weren't exactly in the Top Ten group of the class. After hearing many amazing things about Betty and her life, we certainly realize what an opportunity we missed by not knowing her. She was loving, creative and a very caring family-oriented person. She struggled mightily, however, with anorexia her whole life beginning, apparently, at age 16 before there was much awareness of the illness.  Her brother said that, as intelligent as she was, she couldn't overcome the illness.

I wish there had been others from our class there, as her family members were very taken that we had come.

Karl & Sherilyn Myhre

Thom Leettola

Karl & Sherilyn... thank you for your post on attending Betty's memorial gathering.  I did not know her well in school, but from what I have read I wish I had... she obviously was a very special person.   Thom Leettola

Polly Kaiser (Heinselman)

Update 10/6/16 by Polly per phone call from Jan Hawley Herman:  

Sadly we learned that Jan's husband of 48 years, Russ Herman, tragically passed away as the result of a car accident very near their home when someone ran a stop sign and his car was broadsided and totaled on 6/11/16. Jan asked that I post this for her and she wanted her new phone number shared in case anyone wanted to contact her as she doesn't use a computer. Her number is 290-556-5422.

Jim Cissell

A belated notice that beloved wrestling coach Dick Brenneman passed in November 2015. At that time, Polly Kaiser Heinselman was able to identify 50 of the 52 wrestlers pictured in our senior TOR and notified them of the services. Wrestlers from our class were (alphabetical-last name) George Brower, Craig Davis, George Geyer, Lloyd Golobay, Dean Jacobus, Henry Jungers, Paul Kaiser, Craig Martinson, Bill McCall, Roy McMullen, Rick Meek, Joe Richardson, Craig Schroeder, John Shawver, and Tony White. Many wrestlers, most notably Craig Martinson, kept in touch with Coach until the end. He touched the lives of many.

RIP Richard Otis Brenneman.

Jim Cissell--your tardy scribe

Joe Richardson

Oh Lord, take unto Thyself the souls of the valiant. RIP Coach.

Frankie Thurrott (Elder)

Thanks Jim for posting the message re the passing of CoachBrenneman , he was always encouraging to those of us who participated in GAA, and I know he was such a mentor to the many young men he coached.  I do hope some are able to attend the service out at Tahoma Cemetary.  It's a wonderful, peaceful place to truly RIP. Amongst the host of others who have served both on active and reserve duty.

Frank Sousa

I was on the wrestling team in my junior year.  I'll never forget the speech that Coach Breneman gave at the beginning of the year about quitting.  I found out that I didn't like wrestling very much, but any time I felt like quitting I remembered that speech and there was NO WAY I was going to quit.  That speech has carried with me my whole life. 

As luck would have it though, I broke my wrist just a few days before the season ended and couldn't wrestle.  It couldn't have happend at the beginning of the season.

Polly Kaiser (Heinselman)

Re: Gorman Frederickson

Dear family and friends, 

Gorman has been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer that is in the pancreas, liver and spleen. He is in ICU at St. Francis Hospital, Wichita, Kansas. We so appreciate all the love and encouraging thoughts at this difficult time. ❤️
Gorman and Faie