Arlene Vachon (Forrester)

Tom Scott -  Congratulations to Ms. Avery!  Grandkids are so much fun!

Tom O'Brien

A big Happy Birthday to the George Brown. Hope the day is a good one for you and many more to come.

Be good today and if your not, don't get caught.

Arlene Vachon (Forrester)

Judy Schoen Grewe -  Did you survive the Missouri winter storm?

Arlene Vachon (Forrester)

A couple of weeks ago, I was blissfully enjoying a glass of wine and watching a pre-recorded episode of one of my favorite tv shows, "The Good Doctor" (it comes on way too late for me to watch it at its regular time!), when I received a FaceTime phone call from my 8-year-old grandson in Chicago who needed to interview a family member who "lived long ago!"  POOF.....with those words, I was suddently ancient!

He was hoping I could find photos of certain items that were used when I was his age, such as:  the family car (ours was a 1950 Pontiac Chief), a t.v. (small screen, black & white), a telephone (rotary dial), and pictures of what I did for fun with friends.

The next day found me digging through old family photos (a trip down memory lane that I hadn't taken in a long, long time).  I found this picture from our 7th-grade class.  I think I have been able to name quite a few of the classmates, but not all.  If you can help me fill in the blanks, that would be wonderful.  If any of my guesses are wrong, feel free to correct me - no offense taken!  Enjoy!!

Row 1:  Julie Smith, _________, Loretta Bischof, Larry Bell, Kathy Kehoe, Chris Frye, Margaret Kenedy, Jack Tillotson, ___________

Row 2:  Claudia Matela, Pete Pappas, Sue Kelly, John Mills, Andy Chwalibog, me, ___________, Mary Jo VanderPlas

Row 3:  ____________, ___________, Joe Vocson, Barbara Brune, Sandra Gryb, Terry Lopucki, Pam Morey, ___________

Row 4:  Mary Ann Shirk, Phil Anderson, Annette Lemerise, ___________, George Karam, __________

Row 5:  Tom Scott, Judy Shields, ____________, Mary Strauss, Dan Kurkowski, Sue Yowell, __________, Kathy Spicer, ____________, Sue Busch, __________

Row 6:  Dave Unger, Gayle Walker, Dennis Casanovas, Hugh Saracino, Mike Murphy, __________, Jim McGauley, Pat Trainor, Pete Turnbull

Lorrie Olesak (Bookbinder)

Arlene, what a great post ... even though I didn’t go to Shrine grade school, I recognized lots of friends (some who went to LaSalette at one point) ... by the way, row 1 far right looks like it could be Tatum O’Neil  ... 

Arlene Vachon (Forrester)

Ha!  Good one, Lorrie.  Tatum was born the year after we graduated 🥴

Jon Saulnier

OK Arlene, here from what I recall about the missing names from your post:

Row 1 postion 2 Bernard Peters

Row 2 position 7 Bob Ossowski

Row 4 position 6 Gail Donlon

Row 5 position 9 Ron Dimmer

Row 5 position Ed Fagg

Row 6 position Tom Stuve

Best as this picture can jog from those days of yesteryear.  I know somewhere I still have a few other class pictures from grade school, just not sure where.....

Tom Scott

Janet Flick (Stickel)

Amazing recall by all of you!!!!!   I recognized about half.

So I wasn't in your class.

Arlene Vachon (Forrester)

Jon - great recall.  I certainly don’t remember someone named Bernard Peters.  I thought maybe that person might be Richard Cassidy.  Thanks for your help.  Top row, last position, could that be Helene Reilly?

Tom Scott - care to make some guesses on the cast of characters?  

Did anyone notice how many more guys than girls we had in our class?

Jon Saulnier

Arlene,  I think you are correct about Helene Reilly.

Janet, I was in the classroom under the tower that year at shrine Grade School, the rest were in the maind school as I remember.

Arlene Vachon (Forrester)

One more and I promise I will put the old photos away!!  This is our 20-year reunion and thankfully, names have already been included!!  So glamorous!  We were all 38-years old.

Tom O'Brien

Thank you  one and all for the photos.

I would not know half of you if we passed on the street.

It's always funny to me how people get better looking as we get older. I guess it works for some but I guess i'm not old enough yet to get there.

Great memories.

Janet Flick (Stickel)

Jon,

We must have been in the same class as i remember being in the church basement one year - just didn't remember when.  Weren't we lucky!!!!

Mike Young

Happy Birthday Janet Samida!!   I hope the day and year are as sunny as you are.  And a Merry unbirthday to the rest of you, or as the phrase in my neighborhood would be "A Merry Unbirthday to all y'all".

Congats, again, to Avery, Scottie, you gotta be smiling from ear to ear.

Terrific pictures, Arlene, thanks for posting them.

Fred George

I too was in the church basement in 7th grade.  But I could recognize a lot of the people.  I think the guy on the far right of row 3 was Mike Kill.  Mike and Ron Dimmer went to Franciscan seminary high school in Cincinnati.  Mike went on to Duns Scotus seminary college, at 12 Mile and Evergreen as I recall.  Mike dropped out before being ordained.  I believe he's passed away.

The Lurker

Tom O'Brien

Happy Birthday to Janet, Happy Birthday to Janet. Hope your day is fiiled with good things and wishing you more to come. Enjoy each and every day, we earned them.

Happy, Happy.

Tom O'Brien

Just a note about the 7th grade class in the dungen.

I to was in that class, I sat two seats  behind Phil Anderson. I believe the nun was Sister Michael Clare.

She was the tall cool one, she was tall.

I missed the pictures because I was in the hospital for two weeks from an injury to my right knee during basketball practice in the gym. Broke a piece of bone in the knee and it went into the cartlidge. No surgery was done, they let it heal by me staying flat on my back for 10 days.

Sister even visited me in the hospital, (to bring me my work to catch up on)

Oh, the good old days.

Arlene Vachon (Forrester)

OB -  Sr. Michael Clare was the nun who went through a gross of pointing sticks with rubber ends by smacking/breaking them on a student’s desk to reprimand or get their attention.  I always wondered if Fr.Coughlin knew how much money was spent in her classroom.  We usually had splinters stuck in our hair from flying debris. However, in her defense, keeping that many students under control, such tactics were probably necessary. Can’t imagine teachers getting away with anything like that nowadays.

Tom O'Brien

Arlene, amen to that, And now kids complain if they don't have enough windows in the classroom.

Were you  also in a class in either 5th, or 6th grade in the little building that is now the gift shop?

Between that one and the dungen I was feeling they didn't want us in the big building across the street. But it wasn't all bad because for two years we didn't have to smell the mashed potatoes and ground beef gravy through out the entire school every Thursday for lunch.

Mike Young

Happy Birthday Gayle Walker.  You always seemed wise beyond your years.  I do recall going with you, Pam and Al Scruggs to the Big Boy for your birthday one year.  Al had brought a cake and asked the Carhop to bring us a knife so we could cut it.  The manager got on the squawk box and asked what we wanted a knife for.  He laughed and said he'd send the knife if we sent him a piece of cake.  That part was a piece of cake.  I do hope that your day, year and life are as good as you are.

Tom O'Brien

A Happy Birthday to you Gayle, May your day be filled with joy and love. Many more to come.

I hope you make it through the cold and windy temps. Stay safe and warm.

Mike Young

A Happy Birthday to Avery's proud Granpa, also the inventor and promoter of "Comb Hockey".  Scottie I hope your year goes as well as Avery's and that you are whole and hale for our outing in August.  Your off beat humor always lightens the day - you've got a brew coming from me.

Tom O'Brien

Tom, Wishes for the best birthday you've had yet.

Sounds like the grand daughter is doing great and hope your knee is reacting well to the treatments.

Take care and eat all the cake you can get.

Happy Birthday.

Arlene Vachon (Forrester)

OB -  Yes, besides the dungeon with no natural light, was also ensconced in the small building that previously was the nuns’ chapel (I think 🤔).  I take it you were not a fan of mashed potatoes and beef gravy Thursday!

Tom Scott -  Happiest of Birthday celebrations to you!  Hope you are well.