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Alumni gather for landmark reunion |
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Friday, 20 June 2008 |
By KAY LOUTH
Staff Writer
ST. MARYS — Eight members of Memorial High School class of 1935 and six members of the class of 1936 met Thursday at Otterbein for their 73rd and 72nd class reunions.
Class of ’36 alum Ed Noble said there were 72 members of his graduating class. However with most of them of in their 90s, the six classmates attending Thursday all lived in the area.
“Four of them live here at Otterbein,” Noble said.
Back then, the nation was in the midst of severe economic times and there weren’t any extra curricular activities for students to participate in for fun.
“I always say we were right in the midst of the depression,” Noble said. “Everybody was poor, but didn’t know it. There weren’t any extra curricular activities, not a single one.”
Noble said one year even basketball was canceled because the school wouldn’t pay for uniforms.
Football was the big thing, Noble said, adding he played football during his senior year and played basketball every year of his high school career. In sports and academics, things were much different than they are today.
“There was one coach for everything,” he said. “We had marvelous teachers, we got a marvelous education, though they (teachers) were poorly paid.”
Weedie Derr, class of 1935, said her graduating class had 110 students and they thought they it was a great time in their lives.
“Everything has changed so much,” Derr said. “We thought we had it the best, it really was good. We had a fun class, but there aren’t too many left. I lost two this year.”
St. Marys Mayor Greg Freewalt provided a look back in time noting that most of them had probably ridden in horse drawn buggies.
“I graduated in 1966,” Freewalt said.
During their era, Freewalt said, the classes of 1935 and 1936 had seen 12 presidents, lived through the Great Depression, witnessed Hitler’s rise to power, saw the repeal of prohibition and watched as America put a man on the moon.
When Freewalt asked if anyone knew what the minimum wage was back then, a few guesses came back in the range of $1. Freewalt then told the audience the rate was 25 cents an hour.
Freewalt brought chuckles when he named some of the songs that were popular during their high school days such as” Pennies From Heaven” and “I’m Putting All My Eggs in One Basket.”
St. Marys School Superintendent Ken Baker also was a guest at the reunion and took a few minutes to tell the classmates about the new school project.
“We have a wonderful opportunity in front us with the school system,” Baker said, noting the community faced a huge decision not so long ago on whether to renovate the 1923 high school or build new.
Renovation costs outweighed new construction costs, Baker said.
The superintendent said it would have cost $2 million just to add a sprinkler system to the Memorial High School building.
Baker also relayed the history behind Memorial High School’s name. Baker said he always thought it was called Memorial High School to honor those who served their country.
It turns out the Neeley family donated the land for the high school and the building was named in honor of one of their fallen family members.
The new high school Baker said, will be named Memorial High School and that will encompass both traditions — in honor of the Neeley family and of those who served their nation.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 25 June 2008 )
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