I want to thank the 50th Class Reunion Committee (Marsha Yetman Coogan, Sue Halupowski Evans, Elaine Hayden Roy, Sue Ellen Tagg, and Barry Robertson) for organizing such a wonderful weekend of events. They chose a variety of locations and planned several different activities (e.g., bus tour of historic places in Danvers, a cocktail party, a tour of the Richmond-Holton school, a breakfast) -- each drawing a mix of classmates. Over 70 people attended the Saturday night dinner and dance party.
This was the first time I'd been invited to a Danvers school reunion (because I had left Danvers High before graduation). Quite a few other classmates were also coming back for the first time. I enjoyed making some new friends and well as connecting with old pals. A fun time!
I especially enjoyed the stories told by my classmates about their experiences growing up in Danvers. I hope to share many of these stories in coming columns or on this blog. I've invited my classmates to write down their memories and send them to me for inclusion in "Remembering Danvers."
See my August column "Reflecting on a High-School Reunion" (published in the Danvers Herald August 4, 2011). Or view this version of it:
Reflecting on a High School Reunion
By Sandy Nichols Ward
Nametags! Thank goodness! That was my first thought as I entered the patio area where Danvers classmates were gathering for an informal "Welcome Cocktail Party" at the start of our 50th Reunion weekend. The people did not look familiar, but some names jumped right out at me. I then looked from the nametag up to the face and gradually recognized features of the younger student I once knew. This was my first-ever reunion with the Holten High School Class of 1961. I had left Danvers schools after 10th grade, so I was now attempting to recall faces from 52 or more years ago.
Friendly smiles and a few greetings of "Hi Sandy!" helped draw me into conversations. Whether they really recognized me, or were just reading from my nametag, didn't matter. We were soon exchanging stories about where we grew up and what we remembered. Ken Beck recalled the dinner parties my mother and father used to host before square dances. That reminded me of the fun of being able to invite FOUR boys and three girls to join me in making a "square" for a dinner and dance date. The only trouble was that these boys would then meet my beautiful younger sister and flirt with her, not me. I laughed with Ken about these long-ago memories.
And so the weekend went, with much laughter and story-telling among classmates as each story triggered someone else's memories. "Do you remember Nesson's Dept store?" asks one; "I worked there!" answered another. Orpheum Theater (25 cents for 2 movies, 1 cartoon, and world news)… Snow's Bakery… good fries at Woolworth's… the Rat Hole … late night visits to Cherry Hill… the soda fountain at Almy's…
On and on the stories flowed, especially on Saturday morning during the bus tour of Danvers. George Meehan, our tour guide, talked of historic sites and events in the 1600's, while we told of our own history and experiences in the 1950's and early 1960's. He took us to visit the Endicott Pear Tree, now safely preserved behind a high fence. Some classmates recalled climbing on it or painting it; others never before had seen the famous tree. We were quite impressed that a tree planted in the mid-1600's survives and STILL produces pears! The 50-year span since our high school days seemed trifling compared to lifespan of that tree.
I discovered that I wasn't the only first-timer. Helga, a German exchange student, was returning for the first time since her 1960/61 school year when she had resided with a Danvers family. She and I had never met, but we quickly connected. She's from the Munich area, which I had visited. Her son works in scientific research at Stanford University, where I had worked as a science librarian for 15 years. Helga needed a ride back to her hotel, which turned out to be the same one I was in! I enjoyed getting to know her. One of the joys of a reunion is making new connections as well as renewing old friendships.
Of course I had fun reconnecting with old childhood friends. I'll write more of our stories in future columns. I thank Gordon Lindroth for telling me about the reunion and passing my contact information to the organizing committee. I thank the organizers for a very well-planned weekend that included a variety of activities from which to pick and choose.
I am SO glad that I attended this special reunion.
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