Carol Rinkel Markham

Hello Classmates,
Well it has been an interesting 50 years! After graduation, my plans were have a great career; marry a loving husband; have three or four children; own a character home surrounded with floral gardens and to be all paid for to enjoy an easy retirement. Well, career opportunities immediately took me away where I lived in 19 cities within 14 states. Sad to say, I am an expert at packing up and moving! So all of you who were lucky enough to still be living in Mandan, you lived the life I only dreamed of! Tried to be an above average citizen where ever our family lived: Devoting 40% of my time to my family; 30% to my career; 30% to my community and my church. That adds up to many hours of volunteerism for every non-profit or charitable organization. My career has been accomplished. Helped four multi-millionaires become insanely wealthier. I have the loveliest of possessions, but nobody special to share my life with now that I am retired. But I was definitely unlucky in love. My first husband was Alex; we were married for almost twenty years without any children. Then he and a co-worker had his first born son. Did not feel I could help raise their baby when I wanted my own child. So sadly we divorced. Spent many lonely years all by myself living in Denver. Yes, great career earning a high salary and dancing the night away at ball room dancing classes. Then nearing 40 years old and after a one month vacation with James a military man; much to both our surprises we discovered we were pregnant with Chloe my only child. Then comes the age of computer dating, where I had 60 first dates. Yes, there was a good reason those men were single. I had to carry on both sides of the conversation. Then the last blind date was Perry Markham; who I thought was my reward for all the years of heartache suffered the first half of my life. Raised his older son along with my daughter; moving from one state to another. We had mortgages on so many upscale homes, but always kept moving to a new state for his next work assignment. Always being the new kid, our children never had lifelong school friends like we all had growing up in Mandan. Well, after I helped build up his career, Perry decides he was going to need all his money for himself in his old age. Perry did not want to be responsible for a wife or children or even grand-children. Both his son Nick and my daughter Chloe are to this day emotionally scarred from the rejection of his love. My daughter a double dose as her biological father also rejected her. Earning a Buffett College Scholarship, Chloe graduated UNO Summa Cum Laude and that gave her once in a lifetime career opportunity where she should be set for life and not have to struggle. Tho, Chloe may be in therapy her entire life as she does not feel worthy of true love. Chloe sabotages relationships with men who would be great husbands and wonderful fathers. Instead she clings to the typical bad boys. Perry robbed me of growing old with someone special and being a wonderful grandmother as I will probably be so old or even deceased by the time Chloe decides to have children if ever! So here we are now and I still help neighbors in need. But wish my life would not be so lonely and my heart is sad! Now, I am sure there are many of your great life stories from so many of my MHS classmates. This Class of 1972 50th Reunion will be so exciting and I am so looking forward to “Reconnect and Reminisce” with each one of you to hear your life stories!

When I first went to high school, I wanted to get to know students from all four grades, not just classes with other freshman. So, Choir was an option, but I could not sing. Theater was an option, as I was artistic and could have designed sets. Then there was Band where you could also join Marching Band; the best deal kind of two classes to meet other kids. This was risky as I could not read music, but in all the four years never learned and had to memorize the music. There was one interesting person, I thought was special to get to know, but I never saw him have a date with another girl. I could have asked him out, but in those days I do not remember girls being so bold. Now, since there were four years of kids, nobody would guess who that young man might have been, so do not even try to guess! I will never reveal his name!

One of my BEST MEMORIES was when our World Famous Band Director Ernie Borr somehow arranged a road trip by bus to the county of Canada. We were the first American marching band students to play on national television before the entire population of Canada. My family was not wealthy. How my family could afford to pay for that trip, I will never know. There were four generations living in our modest home down by the swimming pool. In the winter, the neighbor boys would throw snow balls at all us girls as we walked to school. There were nine people living there all sharing one small bathroom: my great-grandmother; my grandfather and grandmother; my dear mother; and us five girls! YIKES, but somehow it all worked. Now, I ask the other band students this question: Us girls were perfect angels and never did or got into trouble the entire trip. I always wondered if the same could be said for all the boys; did any of you get into trouble on that trip? Does anybody from band remember that trip to Canada? Please tell me your story of what you remember.