Published: Saturday, August 21, 2010
Arlington High School Class of 1950's reunion could be its last
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Dan Bates / The Herald
Claude Nelson (right, Arlington High School Class of 1949) tells stories Friday to Irving Nysether (left, Arlington Class of 1950), and his wife, Nancy Nysether (a youngster -- Marysville H.S. Class of '61), at the start of what could be the final reunion of the Arlington High School Class of 1950.
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Dan Bates / The Herald
Gary Lindquist (left) and Herb Larson, both Class of 1950 grads, talk Friday just before having dinner at the class reunion, which was held in Stanwood.
Many of the 77 kids who graduated from Arlington High School in 1950 grew up on farms.
They listened to Big Band music and wore green and gold sweaters to school basketball games. If they were lucky enough to drive, they paid less than 20 cents a gallon for gasoline. And they wondered about the future.
It all happened pretty fast.
They served in the military, went away to college or stayed in town, got married, raised children, made a career and then retired.
Through it all, they never stopped getting together. Every 10 years, the Class of 1950 had a reunion. The first few gatherings were at the American Legion Hall in downtown Arlington.
On Friday, yearbooks and old reunion group photos were among the decorations at a celebration of the 60th anniversary of their graduation. The party at Gil Emory's place near Stanwood attracted most of the remaining 50 class members.
"This is probably our last hurrah. Not many of us will still be around 10 years from now," said Lola Wolfe Rogers, who smiled while she brushed a tear from her cheek. "You betcha, everybody is getting lots of hugs and kisses today, and I'm not going to let anyone leave early. I'm locking the door."
One of Rogers' favorite teachers, Ruth Porter Munizza, attended the reunion. Only a few years older than the Class of 1950, she fit right in.
"I was the PE teacher and the drill team coach," Munizza said. "This was a great class."
Nancy Edfast Matthiesen, 78, of Silvana, said the afternoon reunion probably saw the best turnout ever.
Her classmate, Delores King Vanwinkle, who still lives in the house where she was raised on King-Thompson Road, said many at the reunion had to take a hard look at the name tags on their friends' shoulders before saying hello.
"I am 3 inches shorter now, no wonder they didn't see me," said Herb Larson, who now lives in Olympia. Dressed in a retro bowling shirt, Larson still combs his hair straight back from his face, looking young for his near-octogenarian status.
"I won four gold and one silver medal in the Washington State Senior Games this year," Larson said. "I guess not many guys my age still swim the butterfly."
The class was full of talent, from athletes to artists, Ellen Bergevin Dodge said.
"Herb was an actor, many were good dancers and then there was Lola and her duet partner Frank Prather."
Prather, a retired music teacher from Stockton, Calif., shyly admitted to the title of "songbird" of the class.
"I hope this isn't our last reunion," Prather said.
"I think we can make another."
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.
They listened to Big Band music and wore green and gold sweaters to school basketball games. If they were lucky enough to drive, they paid less than 20 cents a gallon for gasoline. And they wondered about the future.
It all happened pretty fast.
They served in the military, went away to college or stayed in town, got married, raised children, made a career and then retired.
Through it all, they never stopped getting together. Every 10 years, the Class of 1950 had a reunion. The first few gatherings were at the American Legion Hall in downtown Arlington.
On Friday, yearbooks and old reunion group photos were among the decorations at a celebration of the 60th anniversary of their graduation. The party at Gil Emory's place near Stanwood attracted most of the remaining 50 class members.
"This is probably our last hurrah. Not many of us will still be around 10 years from now," said Lola Wolfe Rogers, who smiled while she brushed a tear from her cheek. "You betcha, everybody is getting lots of hugs and kisses today, and I'm not going to let anyone leave early. I'm locking the door."
One of Rogers' favorite teachers, Ruth Porter Munizza, attended the reunion. Only a few years older than the Class of 1950, she fit right in.
"I was the PE teacher and the drill team coach," Munizza said. "This was a great class."
Nancy Edfast Matthiesen, 78, of Silvana, said the afternoon reunion probably saw the best turnout ever.
Her classmate, Delores King Vanwinkle, who still lives in the house where she was raised on King-Thompson Road, said many at the reunion had to take a hard look at the name tags on their friends' shoulders before saying hello.
"I am 3 inches shorter now, no wonder they didn't see me," said Herb Larson, who now lives in Olympia. Dressed in a retro bowling shirt, Larson still combs his hair straight back from his face, looking young for his near-octogenarian status.
"I won four gold and one silver medal in the Washington State Senior Games this year," Larson said. "I guess not many guys my age still swim the butterfly."
The class was full of talent, from athletes to artists, Ellen Bergevin Dodge said.
"Herb was an actor, many were good dancers and then there was Lola and her duet partner Frank Prather."
Prather, a retired music teacher from Stockton, Calif., shyly admitted to the title of "songbird" of the class.
"I hope this isn't our last reunion," Prather said.
"I think we can make another."
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com.
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