CLASS OF 1968 HISTORY

 

Kindergarten

The 1968 graduating class took its first step by enrolling in one of the kindergarten sessions. While most children this age fight over who gets to nap on the tables, interests of Mrs. Shover’s afternoon session turned strictly musical when we decided to serenade the poor tired kinds in the class. Instead of sleeping, we hot-footed it over behind the piano for more fun and games. Starting the endless route of education together are:

       Bonnie Barnts                        Ruth Dulity                    Janet Lambert

       Jean Bemrose                       Dan Eby                        Junelle Lehman

       Marilyn Bemrose                   Sally Eby                       Paul Martin

       Kathy Blayney                       Glen Erickson               Michael McNeill

       Gary Boots                            Jean Edwards               Doug McVay

       Robert Boots                         Becky Ehlts                   Connie Paulsen

       Gary Broneman                     Gary Grom                    Roger Pierce

       Billy Buckner                         Sandy Harms                 Bruce Rickels

       Mike Chaplin                         Naomi Huebner              Dan Reyner

       Jean Clark                             Kathy Knight                  Perry Snow

       Debbie Crow                         Linda Ladehoff               Tom Stead

       David Dahl                             Judy Lahr                       Dianne Steiner

       Ken Davis                              Bonnie Lambert              Clarence Tuel

First Grade

First grade was great fun. Miss Arink introduced a new method and the first graders got their first taste of discipline. Everyone who talked without permission rated his name on the board, and lost their noon hour. Did you ever wonder why Debbie Crow is so slim? Adding to the growing list of names were:

       Tom Barclay                           Peg Harlan

       Jeannette Bohlken                 Sue Rickles

       Diane Bradford                      Leanna Smock

       Roger Griffith

Second Grade

Learning how to carry the 10’s column was the chief difficulty of Theresa James, Yvonne King, and Lucille Warner’s second grade classes. Masters on this subject were, of course, Mike Chaplin, Ken Davis, Paul Martin, and Dan Eby. New recruits to our class that year were:

       Linda McElmeel                     Delbert Anderson

       Craig Baumann                      John Jaeger

Third Grade

Peggy Harlan started birthday parties off on a high note this year. They were so enthused over a television program that they couldn’t help themselves from keeping the memory alive. After writing Zorro all over the school, the whole party was kept after.

Delbert Anderson with his tremendous vocabulary headed the list of third graders. Poor ole Delbert; I wonder if he ever did learn the difference between restroom and lavatory! Additional headaches to Mrs. Page and Mrs. Coyle were:

       Vicki Fitzsimmons                  Dennis Gray

       Emily Oltmann                       Gloria Ricklefs

       Ann Robertson                       Sherry Wilson

Fourth Grade

Fourth graders interests clashed a bit. While many boys started chasing girls, Tom Stead and Dave Greenawald engaged in what was then a foreign language—they swore at them. But this disease was catching. Just ask Bonnie Lambert at the Legion Hall; she got capital punishment in those days. Oh, that school soap!

This was also the first romantic year for many of the little fourth graders. Noon hours and recesses turned into love-ins. Dan Bauer got the award for being the fastest runner in the class. Little Peggy Harlan didn’t stand a chance. But we can’t forget Naomi Huebner and Terry Meeks. Terry wasn’t quite as fast as Dan, but then Naomi didn’t object as much as Peggy. Seeing things from unbiased opinions are newcomers:

       Dan Bauer                             Rawleigh Harr                  Galen Muller

       Galen Behrends                     Dick Heeren                     John Nason

       Dave Bohlken                        Jane Heiken                      Marjorie Novak

       Tom Bohlken                          Sandy Heiken                   David Paulsen

       Linda Bossard                        Zana Herren                     Connie Picray

       Marilyn Brockhohn                 Jim Hogan                         Warren Rieniets

       Cindy Buol                              Kahnie Hubbard                Sue Rigby

       Peg Cooper                            Donna Hugh                      Sandy Schafer

       Sue Covington                        Linda Janssen                  Jerry Schneiter

       Ronnie Ehlts                           Bob Kehoe                       Karen Schneiter

       Stanley Fitzsimmons              Mike Kraus                       Dan Specht

       Dave Greenawald                  Ron Lange                        Charlotte Tobiason

       Don Haas                               Joanne Loehr                    Ron Weber

       Harlan Hanken                       Callie Miller                       Stan Willms                           

       Steve Hanken                         Marty Miller

Fifth Grade

During the summer of our fourth grade year, Mr. Stumbaugh’s ears were seriously impaired. The sounds our band put forth can’t be equaled even by Dan Schoon’s.

The class of 1968’s outspoken girls started with Janet Lambert and Michael McNeil standing in front of Mr. Prull’s fifth grade. Michael always had the wisecrack, but Janet supplanted full force with her famous laugh. Bobby Kehoe started this year off with a bang with a loud “Hi Emil” as he greeted his teacher in the hall. Carpenter added a new section to the school this year. Enjoying the benefits of the new rooms and a list of adventure-seeking students are:

       Keith Annis                             Judy Keating                       Mike Tschantz

       Ronnie Hanken                      Judy Roeglin                       Dayton Yousse

       Marianne Holub                     Rick Sampe

Sixth Grade

The sixth grade superiority reigned over the school. However, one boy’s lightheadedness came down to earth when little Patrick Himebaugh fell off the slippery slide. Physical education proved to be an interesting subject this year. Not only did we learn exercises, but dancing was encouraged. Typical of child reactions, Mrs. Kenny’s class repelled the whole idea. Bound and determined not to do anything as crazy as this, we solemnly marched back to regular class, laid our heads on our desks like obedient little children and reverently repented our unforgiveable sin. After receiving our apology note signed by everyone in the class, Mrs. Stubbe tried another approach, but never did really reach too many.

Student government was in force this year. Elected members wrote the rules of the game and made sure they were carried out. Dan Reyner learned how to control his tongue after writing for Dave Greenawald “I will not lose my temper” 2,000 times. Sixth grade was also a year for romance. Peggy Harlan couldn’t make up her mind about which one to like—Tom Stead or Dave Greenawald. But ole “Greeney” slopped out again when Tom moved out of town and left Peg all to him. This was a year for class trips. Some of the classes went to the Amanas and some went to Iowa City. While visiting the house of a famous statesman in Mt. Vernon, Terry Meeks, Curt Krouse, and Dave Greenawald took another trip—only this one was to the bus.

A fine performance of the operetta “Molly Be Jolly,” directed by Mr. Sundet, concluded the year. Starring in the title role were Junelle Lehman and Cindy Buol, who danced their way through the night on their gorgeous sixth grade legs. Spending many enjoyable hours with old members were:

       Judy Fabert                           Tom Kurtz                      Robert Warren

       Hans Hankemeier                  Steve Otten                  Jim Zimmerman

       Louise Kleis                            Candy Petersen

Seventh Grade

Junior high marked the beginning of the party age. Couples were slowly beginning to pair off. Usually by the end of our class parties the boys would tire of running outside on girls’ choice dances and the girls would decide they had no need of the girls’ restrooms, so everyone danced the last dance. One boy enjoyed our seventh grade replica of Jackie Gleason. "Glamour Girl" Warren Rieniets threw his furs around all night and added more entertainment for the night. Several notorious parties blossomed from this first attempt at social life. How about that Dennis Gray, Linda McElmeel, and Ann Robertson? Cindy Buol and Junelle Lehman had some parties, but they weren’t related to the class parties! Curt Krouse and Donna Siebels didn’t care—they had fun anywhere!

Heroes of our junior high years were Mr. and Mrs. Joffe. Mr. Joffe delighted the band with his statement “Come on, slap those little pinkies down on those tubas.” Mrs. Joffe gave everyone a well-balanced education—not necessarily math! Here we learned how to eat candy and get away with it while Larry McChristy found a unique way to get cigarettes—he used his foot and his math teacher’s purse. Members joining the seventh grade class were:

       Sue Aitchison                         Marlin Garien                    Allen Martensen

       Connie Doden                        Jim Hankemeier                Larry McChristy

       Patricia Faas                          Dwight Howard                 George Snyder

       Pam Fuller                              Mike Jones                       Eileen Vesta

Eighth Grade

The seniors’ ability to play basketball was proved way back in 7^th and 8^th grade, when we proudly hailed our undefeated basketball team. Eighth grade must have really been a tough one. Everyone was banged up: Jim Zimmerman’s foot, Bohlken’s leg, Gray’s wrist, Cindy fell off the swing rope in gym and hurt her knee and teeth, Junelle was too weak for Miss Kirk and dislocated her wrist bones trying to catch a softball throw, and Greeney’s knee.

But the eighth grade class held more than one terror. Big Daddy Hrez tried to develop soloists in the group. Every time someone talked out of turn, up to the front of the room he marched being pulled by the ear. Dave Greenawald developed an unusual talent from this course. Paul Martin had more fun standing with his nose in a circle on the chalkboard. Even Greg Jansen joined in the games when Mr. Hrez tried a more defined language on him.

The eighth grade year was especially interesting around Halloween time when Dan Specht turned into Mrs. Ross’s little pumpkin. And little Danny Bauer did so well in that course that she told him he could engrave his name on the desk—that he’d be there next year again. Getting their first view of the scene were:

       George Arduser                     Dennis Eilers                    Greg Jansen

       Suzanne Brokaw                    Tom Glanz                        Larry Soper

       Ken Ehrisman                         Virginia Innis

Freshman Year

Our first big year of high school started off with a bang at the Christmas party at Shannon School. Marlin Garien and Paul Martin decided that the Shannon elementary children were having too much Christmas. They had better uses for the tree holder, candy canes, and decorations.

Miss Angell’s freshman English was more of a practice pitching course. Everyone aimed spitballs toward the clock for their winter enjoyment. But oh that muddy spring!  Bushwackers, Bushwackers, Bushwackers! How’s your tractor Paul Paulsen? Pull anyone out of muddy roads lately?

One freshman boy decided to declare his major early. George Arduser wanted to go into the body business and painted a car. Yes, the freshman class learned many new things about high school, but before we go any further, it may be interesting to note that they also learned that there’s more than just soda pop for refreshments.

Sophomore Year

The sophomore year of the class of ’68 proved unbelievable. Instead of a class dance, we enjoyed a pig roast feast. The girls and boys competed in “Smashing Cars,” and the boys naturally were the most destructive. This was the year that the auto insurance doubled in Monticello. Most kids were getting their licenses. I say most because as we all know we have one confirmed peddler. Ken Carter regularly pumps his way to and from classes. With his padlock and bright orange reflector gloves, Ken will go far into the darkness of night, but we are confident that someone will find his dawn. The halls this year were very active. Cindy Buol and Greg Jansen had crutches races to get away from each other while Bob Ferrall and Vicki Pierce apparently couldn’t see enough of each other.

Serving for the Jr.-Sr. prom was a highlight of the sophomore year. Mr. Albright was especially honored. For him alone they mixed a special drink—French dressing and tomato juice. The servers had a problem of removing the garbage until Bob Kehoe discovered a new way to disposing of it.

Junior Year

New registration started off the junior year. Honor study hall was introduced and a million more headaches arose. Spitballs went wild while gossip spread like wildfire. Mr. Foster somehow had to figure out a way to compete with Playboy magazine, so one day he came to class wearing sunglasses.

The main sport for the winter was snowballing. Everyone snowballed everyone and everything until Vice-Principal Beck finally had enough. “Bye bye honor study hall,” said Mike Husmann, Greg Jansen, and Pat Himebaugh.

Magazine sales this year overpowered the previous junior class. Zana Herren was the top salesman. A couple of our juniors this year went on a campaign to help others. Tom Bohlken tried to remedy the oversupply of eggs, while Dave Tobiaso declared "Torch Season" for cars.

Senior Year

The 1967-68 school year was jam packed with delicious little events. Homecoming started the ball rolling when Mike Husmann, who was out gathering wood in a borrowed pickup rammed into the back of a parked car. A group of guys went out tearing down everything in sight (and some things that weren’t) in order to have enough wood for a bonfire. To show what a good job they did, a couple of really appreciative seniors asked for an instant replay by striking an unwanted match early one morning. Oh well, the seniors are so great maybe they needed two bonfires!

Monticello proved to be too colorless for some of the members of our graduating class. Mike Husmann, Greg Jansen, Pat Himebaugh, and Bob Ferrall tried to brighten the lives of some residential homes by decorating with bathroom tissue. The 1968 seniors were always trying to discover new paths and new ideas. We, at least, were original. Don Haas kept the pace of things going when he found a new route to Pictured Rocks. Marv’s Barber Shop lost most of the senior boys’ business this year. Oh well, Mr. Albright’s going to make it up at graduation time.

As most of you already know, the seniors are known for their cleanliness in thought and deed. To prove this, just remember our famous censored Christmas skit and Mike Husmann who tried taking a bath in a sink. He didn’t quite get the job done; it broke down. Senior days are accented by tests in every course. Some of us wrote themes, term papers, projects, and endless daily work. And as you see, we came through with flying colors. Some members of the class had perfect attendance in high school in spite of the work to be done, but Debbie Crow gets the only award for Perfect Attendance at Home on test and project days.

Many events of interest occurred which brought out the true personality of individuals. Deacon Krouse was ordained by AWB. Five senior boys were so concerned about someone stealing the school busses at the roller skating party that they found a way to stay in them to watch them.

The year came to a memorable end with the Jr.-Sr. Prom and all night party. Rumors were started, but the night survived with everyone groggy from lack of sleep and not too much refreshment.

Yes, the Seniors of 1968 have much to their history, but I’m sure everyone in the class feels the same:  From the first little race behind the piano in kindergarten to the last stop at graduation, we wouldn’t trade any of it for anything.