School: Neillsville H.S. (Class of 1920 First Reunion - 1969)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Hoesly, Irvine, Albrecht, Christofferson, Johnson, Gilbertson, Pickering, Carson, Smith, Brown, Knippel, McKean, Anderson, Bartlett, Kearney, Broihier, Hauge, Hubing, Halsteel, Frei, Neverman, Rice, Imig, Olson, Schiller, Ziebel, Guest

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/05/1969

Neillsville High School (Class of 1920 First Reunion - 31 May 1969)

Thirteen of the original 29 members of the Neillsville High School class of 1920, and one of their teachers, held their first reunion last Saturday night at the Silver Dome Supper Club.

John Hoesly of Pigeon Forge, Tenn., former class president and named “The Globetrotter” by his classmates because of his travel throughout most of the world during his 39 years with Goodyear, met Donald Irvine of Marshfield and they thought a reunion was in order. After contacting some of the members and getting the names and addresses of all of them, Mr. Hoesly turned the list over to Mrs. Emilie Albrecht, who called in Mrs. Margaret Christofferson of Neillsville, Mrs. Ellen Johnson of Wausau and Mrs. Gertrude Gilbertson of Granton and soon a reunion was well on its way.

The 21 people present sat on the outside of three u-shaped tables facing the fireplace. The table cloths were white, with a strip of gold and one of green, the class colors, on the full length of the tables. On each was a bouquet of yellow roses, the class flower. At the end of the evening, each member was given a rose to keep. The remaining ones were presented to Mrs. Albrecht for her work in preparing for the event.

The class motto was: “Don’t dodge difficulty - Dig!”

Mrs. Ellen Johnson led the prayer before the dinner. Following the dinner, Mrs. Albrecht introduced Leon Pickering as master of ceremonies. He, in turn, called on each classmate for a short resume of his life since graduation.

A poem, “Departed Friends,” by Edgar A. Guest, was read by Mrs. Albrecht as a memorial to 11 members of the class who have died.

One former teacher, Mrs. Mary Carson Smith of Neillsville, was present. Three other living teachers were unable to attend. They are: Mrs. Brown of Whitewater; Mrs. Herb Knippel of Portage; and E. J. McKean, retired principal of Tomah High School and former Neillsville teacher.

Those present other than Mrs. Smith included: Esther Anderson Rottjer and husband of Loyal; Vivian Bartlett Kearney and son, Allen, of Merrillan; Lorene Broihier Hauge and husband of Neillsville; Marie Hubing Halsteel of Iowa; Emilie Frei Albrecht and husband of Neillsville; John Hoesly of Pigeon Forge, Tenn.; Don Irvine and Mrs. Irvine of Marshfield; Irma Neverman Rice and husband of Black River Falls; Louise Imig Olson of Wisconsin Rapids; Ellen Olson Johnson of Wausau; Margaret Schiller Christofferson of Neillsville; Leon Pickering and Mrs. Pickering of Sheldon; and Gertrude Ziebel Gilbertson of Granton.

Five members were unable to attend.

 

 


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