School: Neillsville H.S. Class of 1956 (25th Reunion - 1981)

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

Surnames: Albrecht, Smigelski, Ayers, Bruhn, Raines, Burmester, Dettmar, Crockett, Duchow, Patterson, Gall, Wirkuty, Gutenberger, Hoffmann, Hubing, Jacobs, Nantz, Janisch, Cortese, Kalsow, O’Leary, Keller, Krause, Lindner, Nauertz, Mabie, Holt, Marden, Lindner, Mills, Gerber, Randall, Hotchkiss, Reams, Cheney, Reese, Enerson, Schwellenbach, Seif, Stone, Fabian, Stucki, Markus, Thompson, Turville, Ulrich, Trunkel, Ziegler, Bell, Bills, Drescher, Eisentraut, Hagie, Meredith, Larson, Meinholdt, Wavrunek, Overman, Johnson, Pettit, Meier, Schmidt, Struensee, Urlaub, Zank, Evans, Foemmel, Bush, Hediger, Dodte, Sharp, Hunsberger, Berndt, Hoard, Staffon, Covell

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 7/09/1981

Neillsville H.S. Class of 1956 (25th Reunion - 1981)

The Neillsville High School Class of 1956 gathered on Saturday evening, July 4, at the Neillsville Country Club. A total of 43 out of a class of 71 members attended. They were joined by 38 others including spouses and former teachers.

Sarah (Albrecht) Smigelski served as mistress of ceremonies.

Among prizes awarded were: Greatest distance to reunion – Howard Krause, Judy (Reese) Enerson and Sarah (Albrecht) Smigelski, all of California.

Most children- Ben Urlaub, with eight; Most grandchildren- Maureen (Petit) Meier, with three;

Newest married – Lewis Hoffmann; Avoiding marriage- Robert Struensee and Eileen Zank.

Youngest child- Lewis Hoffmann, Harry Ayers and Walter Schmidt, each with a three-year-old.

First to reply- Connie (Duchow) Patterson and Bob Bell.

Among the guests attending the celebration were C. Scott Hunsberger, now of Green Bay, the class’s band instructor; Richard Berndt, now of Stevens Point, the class’s biology teacher and coach. Invited but unable to attend were Sally (Hoard) Staffon, now Edgerton, who was coach and girls’ physical education teacher; and Marie Covell, Neillsville, who served as a secretary to the school’s administration in 1956 and to whom the class dedicated their yearbook.

Among the graduates attending were Sarah (Albrecht) Smigelski, San Jose, Ca.; Harry Ayers, West Bend; Winifred (Bruhn) Raines, Clay, NY; Ann (Burmester) Dettmar, Sarasota, Fla.; Eugene Crockett, Wichita, Ka.; Connie (Duchow) Patterson, Franklin; Alice (Gall) Wirkuty, Waukesha; Fritz Gutenberger, Freeport, Il.; Lewis Hoffmann, Fond du Lac; Delano Hubing, La Crosse; Charmette (Jacobs) Nantz, Chicago, Il.; June (Janisch) Cortese, Norridge, Il.; Edna (Kalsow) O’Leary, Humbird; and Kenneth Keller, Bloomington, Mn.

Also attending were Howard Krause, Yuba City, Ca.; Edith (Lindner) Nauertz, West Bend; Cheryl (Mabie) Holt, Black River Falls; Betty (Marden) Lindner, Eau Claire; LaVonne (Mills) Gerber, Madison; Vivian (Randall) Hotchkiss, Robinsdale, Mn.; Elaine (Reams) Cheney, Kenosha; Judy (Reese) Enerson, Carpinteria, Ca.; Edward Schwellenbach, Janesville; Wendell Seif, Palm City, Fla.; Maxine (Stone) Fabian, Greenwood; Erma (Stucki) Markus, Kewaskum; Charles Thompson, Hixton; Ann (Turville) Thompson, Rockford, Il.; Grace (Ulrich) Trunkel, Tomah; and Gary Ziegler, Hales Corners.

Classmates from the Neillsville area attending were Bob Bell, Kay (Bills) Drescher, Arne Eisentraut, Mary Lou (Hagie) Meredith, Douglas Larsen, Joan (Meinholdt) Wavrunek, Kay (Overman) Johnson, Maureen (Pettit) Meier, Walter Schmidt, Robert Struensee, Ben Urlaub, Thomas Wavrunek and Eileen Zank.

Joining the graduates were former class members Carol (Evans) Foemmel and Dixie (Bush) Hediger, both of Neillsville; and Lucy (Dodte) Sharp, Ogden, Ut.