Tom ROOS and Pete COSTER
Marilyn SORENSEN Pratt and Bill SHARP
Pete COSTER and John STANGER
Louise ZIMMERMAN Parsons and Polly POHL Houston
Ron DIBBERN
Floyd and Maria JORGENSEN
Let's keep in touch between reunions!
Please - - Send us any info and/or pictures you would be willing to share with the rest of the gang.
A mini reunion was held at Healy's West Side in Forest Park on Sept 27. A good time was had by all and Priscilla BRUCE and Louise ZIMMERMAN Parsons have promised to organize the next one.
Tom ROOS and Pete COSTER
Marilyn SORENSEN Pratt and Bill SHARP
Pete COSTER and John STANGER
Louise ZIMMERMAN Parsons and Polly POHL Houston
Ron DIBBERN
Floyd and Maria JORGENSEN
Priscilla BRUCE
Bill CHARLES and Mrs Hane (Norm's wife)
Norman Hane and Mary HOUCK Olson
Jack EILRICH and friend
Dan and Mickey WEBSTER
Bob BRUCE and Tom ROOS
Chuck LAMB and Doriss LAKIN
Polly POHL Houston and Marlene KNAPPS Wolter
John HARMAN
On July 12, our Reunion Announcement was mailed to 460 classmates. We find that out classmates have settled in 38 of the 50 states as well as the District of Columbia and in five foreign countries. It looks like most of our classmates are living in Illinois, California, Florida, or Arizona. The mailing includes a list of those classmates who are still missing even after our best effort to find them. If you have any information on the missing, please send it to Dan Webster at bryant_252@yahoo.com.
John STANGER, one of our tireless volunteers on the Reunion committee, was recently included in the "2007 Who's Who In America". I'd be happy just to remember who I am, or where my car keys or glasses are.
NOW TO BE REVEALED!!! TADA!!!
THE REUNION COMMITTEE!!!!
Back Row: John STANGER, Sonia KAMBESTAD Richards, Mary FRITZEMEIER Zavett, Marilyn SORENSEN Pratt, Mary TRAUT Sullivan, Doriss LAKIN, Diane NELSON
Front Row: Ron DIBBERN, Mary HOUCK Olson, Priscilla BRUCE, Dan WEBSTER
Lee CONGDON, Jerry VAN SANT, Courtland MUNROE, Bill DOELL, and Jack WHITFIELD having dinner after attending a Cubs game in 2003.
Bud POPKEN, George GABEL, Barb Marich, Gayle HATCH Popken, Linda PICKETT Brooke, and Ken MARICH enjoying a little Tucson sunshine.
Just received a nice compliment from Louanne FUCHS Long, who is a Professor of Piano at the University of Redlands School of Music in California.
Sadly, we received word of Pedar Knudson's passing. Not long ago we had a nice email from Pedar saying he had retired and was looking forward to seeing his old classmates.
A Chicago 2006 Christmas visit enjoyed by Diane NELSON, Mary Jane KRAMER Gaal, Priscilla BRUCE, and Mary GORKA Kedrowski.
There has been some interest in starting a page about the grade schools when we attended them. If you have any pictures you would like included, please send them as email attachments in .JPG format to bud625@charter.net. When the weather turns wet and muddy in February here in Wisconsin, Gayle and I will work on them as we sit around a pool in Tucson. We may be getting a little older but maybe a little smarter.
I think Dan Webster deserves the title of "Sherlock Holmes of the Class of 57". Based on facial characteristics, Dan felt Elsmarie Norby in the following website was our own Elsa NORBY. Elsmarie wrote back and confirmed it. Check out what Elsmarie is doing now at www.anyel.com. Our congratulations and best wishes for continued success to Elsmarie NORBY.
Keep up the good work! Our email list is being revised constantly (or as often as I can get to it) as folks as checking in and asking to be added or to make revisions. ( I was going to say corrections, but I don't make mistakes, my fingers do but I don't)
Mary Jane KRAMER Gaal sent us these photos.
L to R: Val WATTERS Smith, Val VONPLACHECKI Schmid, Dale HAHN, Judy CLARK, Joyce ZYMALI Corbett, Roberta WALFORD, and Sharon CROWLEY Santow, circa 1956
At Mary Jane KRAMER Gaal's 60th Birthday party.
L to R: Mary Jane, Judy CLARK, Marilyn KNAPPS, Mary GORKA, Janice WALLS, and Priscilla BRUCE, circa 1999.
Carol EBEL Reit and Nancy METZ Hendrick enjoying a mini reunion at Lake Tahoe, CA.
John ANDROS, Marion Gronke Gebhardt(56), Barbara , and John CLIFFORD (Juber) enjoying a get-together in Chicago in June. Cliff retired from the Unitarian/Universalist ministry 18 months ago and is now working as the Executive Secretary for their international umbrella group
Dan WEBSTER found this interesting piece of trivia about OPRFHS. A new building, designed to hold 800 students was opened in 1907 in the school's current location. Many additions to the building took place in the 1920's, including a new football field, and the first high school field house in the nation.
Louise ZIMMERMAN Parsons wrote that she lives in Florida and has been keeping in touch with Peg MCDONALD Bock and Polly POHL Houston.She also had kind words for the website. Thanks.
From Floyd JORGENSEN: "If you remember Floyd Jorgensen, raise your hands! Good, you remember me. I'm retired for the last two years, and I have spent most of my adult life in Forest Park, IL. My wife's name is Marie. It was great to see the website and the photos of some old friends that I haven't seen for years! Everyone looks just great. I definitely would attend a 50th reunion, so please put me on the list.
My email is fmjenterprise@yahoo.com. Please contact me, it would be great to hear from members of the class of '57."
Bud POPKEN, Gayle HATCH Popken, Barb Marich, and Ken MARICH enjoying a fun time in Hawaii.
Carol EBEL Reit caught up with Mary BREIDER Alterio and her husband Frank in Ft Myers this winter. Sharing many laughs and memories, they plan to make it an annual event.
After watching it snow today, Gayle and I may join them.
Bud and Gayle POPKEN just received a surprise gift from Ken and Barb MARICH. It seems they have created a new card game, "Tee It Up". It's a fun game even if you aren't a golfer. Their webite is www.tee-it-up.net.
Your editor would like to announce that after eleven years under construction his airplane flew for the first time on Oct 16. Having not flown for a number of years and flight testing a new aircraft caused a pretty good adreneline rush.
Did you know our school is haunted? Check out http://www.heathens-haven.com/haunted/sites/OPRFHS/
Gayle HATCH Popken thinks this picture is her reward for all the work volunteering at EAA Airventure. (Harrison Ford is the national chairman of the Experimental Aircraft Assn's Young Eagle program, where kids are introduced to flying. The annual airshow is held in Oshkosh, WI.)
From Bill LOWRY: A good motto to live by--"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming -WOO HOO what a ride!"
At least one of the website caretakers thinks they meet the profile.
John STANGER just checked in. He is a English professor at Elmhurst College and still resides in Oak Park and would love to talk to others
still in the area. Also, he hopes there will be a 50th reunion (hint! hint!) His e-mail address has been added.
Not to gossip, but I was recently sent this photo of Linda PICKETT Brooke and Don WOODS vacationing together in the North Woods.
Don KETTLESTRINGS stopped by the website recently, updating his address and email address. He resides in the Rockville, MD area. He also mentioned that Dr. Stephen NICHOLS lives in the Salt Lake, UT area.
Peder KNUDSON also stopped by and wished to be added to the email directory. Peder has his own firm of theatre consultants specializing in theatre design and theatre equipment. Peder was enquiring about a 50th reunion. Hint! Hint!
Sad to report that George JAVARAS, who was considered one of the premier tax lawyers in the country, passed away from leukemia complications. I knew George all the way back to grade school (O. W. Holmes) and he was truly a nice guy. He graduated from OPRF third in class and was an All State football player. He attended Northwestern and Chicago Law School.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER- Carol EBEL Reit sent us Ken PIRWITZ's obituary. Ken was a 20 year veteran of the U.S. Army, with two tours to Vietnam. He passed away May 22, 2002. I remember Ken from homeroom.
MERRY CHRISTMAS and the HAPPIEST of HOLIDAYS. It is with great pleasure I can report that Charles KLIMA is alive and kicking, thereby not qualifying for our MEMORIUM page. Sorry, Charles. He can be reached at 12741 Wisconsin Bay Rd., Ellison Bay, WI 54210, or at hedgehog@dcwis.com.
An OPRFHS Alumni Association was formed last year. For information, contact Oak Park and River Forest Alumni Association, c/o OPRFHS, 201 N. Scoville Av., Oak Park, IL 60302. If you would like to contact a former teacher, send letter to Association Faculty Rep, at above address and heor she will relay your letter.
Jim DOYLE and Dennis LAW about to launch for the AZ/NM desert portion
of an 8000 mile transcontinental journey in Jim's 1941 Stearman. You can
read all about it by going to amazon.com and entering BOOKS, then
entering FLYING THROUGH TIME - A Journey Into History In A WWII
Biplane. Or just enter -Jim Doyle -.
How many of you remember the Zehender Drug Store at the corner of Chicago and Marion? Well, Bill ZEHENDER just checked in at the website. His daughter will be living near the drug store. He has been living in California for the past forty years. Bill presently resides on the water in the California Delta area, northeast of the SF Bay area and would like to get together with any classmates to tip a few and catch up on things. His email has been added to the list.
John CLIFFORD,aka Cliff JUBER, recently wrote George GABEL,( okay, not so recently. What can I say?)with an update. John has been a Unitarian minister in Europe for 32 years and Deputy General Secretary of the British Unitarians for 11 years. John and I were sports equipment managers for Tony Padula in high school and he continued this endeavor while attending college.
John CLIFFORD and his bride Barbara, Edinburgh, Scotland.(Jan 2002)
Get out your Tabulas and magnifying glasses! This bevy of beauties were caught in the act at the Oak Park Country Club. Can you identify them? Barbara KASKA Miller found this picture at her Mom's house.
Dan Webster and George Gabel have been busy updating the mailing and email lists. If you do not want your email address included on our website, accept our apologies and drop us a line. We will delete it promptly.
Ken Rust just found the website. He lives in Bedford, Nova Scotia, Canada. He can be contacted by Email at kennnancy@hotmail.com. It's now on our Email page.
Mary Jo Halford reports that she has located her friend, Marianne Winter. She also wants everyone to know helpful Dan Webster was in assisting her. Thanks, Dan.
Gayle HATCH Popken after competing in the Women's 90meter ski jump. As the only competitor, she naturally won the gold medal, which after peeling off the foil, she ate.
Don WOOD , after making his mark on the Olympics, while cheering Gayle on.
Also, Jack HEATH dropped us a line. He is a retired school superintendent, now part timing it in the health care profession. It turns out that Jack and Sue GROH Potts share the same grandchildren and also live about fifteen minutes apart. He was interested if there was going to be a 45th Reunion. HINT! HINT! Also, if you need help with Sue's and Jack's genealogical puzzle, Jack can be reached at jrheath@pwrtc.com.
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