BUNNI LABOUNTY HASLERUD

I am very sad to say I will not be able to attend the reunion as planned. I cannot tell you how disappointed I am that my plans didn't pan out. Please keep in touch my grade school friends and I will try again for the next reunion.

I moved to Nyssa from Superior WI when I was four years old. I attended grade school and junior high and then my family moved to California after I finished 8th grade. My entire childhood was spent with all of you and I still consider Nyssa my "hometown". My memory is so bad - can those of you that remember me send me your memories of me or my family during those years? There is so much I have forgotten. Here are some fuzzy memories I have of you (warning...I remember odd things):

I do remember having outside sleep-overs in my back yard under the stars, stealing cherries from the tree across the street, playing endless games of hide and seek, and birthday parties at Brownie's Cafe. I remember sleep overs and playing Barbie's with Barbi Wilt and Patty Lowe and swimming in Barbie's swimming pool in the backyard. I remember her Dad's trains in the basement of her house and how much fun it was to see them in motion.

I spent a lot of time with Georgia Hagler, Alicia Huffman, Sally Smith and Rhonda Lynch as well as Roxanne Mason, Anita & Janice Pierce (do you remember when we tried out for cheerleader), Shelley Schulties, Linda and Ann Colby (they loved the Beatles). And Margaret Doherty was the best tether ball player on the playground in 6th grade.

I have such great memories of Faith Lutheran Church (who remembers "Re has Hisen"-now I can't remember the pastor that shouted it as his opening line on Easter), the public swimming pool, and the Nyssa Rodeo. Does anyone remember when the horse died during the opening ceremony one year at the rodeo? It just keeled over during the parade.

On the day President Kennedy was killed, I was playing hopscotch by the old gym when Mrs. Hendricks came back from lunch and told a teacher nearby that he had been shot. Roxie and I were afraid, thinking that Castro was going to come to America and take over.

I remember Alica and I were going to sing in some kind of talent show in junior high and practiced "If I had a Hammer" up in the balcony of the big gym. We used it as an excuse to get out of class, it worked, and we never did sing in the show.

I had a crush on Mike Hight who lived next door, Pat Eastman, and David Wilson in Jr. High.

The day we moved I remember being in our front yard at 28 Park Ave. and seeing David Wilson, Craig Lewis and a bunch of my friends (I can't remember who else was there-do you?) coming to say goodbye. It was very difficult to leave home, my school, and all my childhood friends, most of whom I would not see again for 35 years at the last class of 1970 reunion in 2000.

Please know how much I wish I could be there with you all this year. I have been working on getting there since I found out it was happening. I will be there in spirit.