The end of the class blog

The former Mt. Morris High School, October 2010, view from athletic field and track
Over four years ago this blog was started to jog a few memories before the upcoming 50th class reunion. Then after the reunion it sort of took on a life of its own with Lynne and Nancy S. supplying photos of class activities from the 50s, and a few memories of events in the more recent years. In fact, 2010 with their participation, had more entries than any other year. But it is time . . . I will try to clean up a few mistakes I've made in spelling names--Marian and Marion, Debora and Deborah. I think I've got Jon and Salley down now. If I'd known it was going to have such a long run, I would have made an "authority" list instead of just making up labels as I went along. You can click on any label to see what other entries share it.

We've got stories and photos of the 10th, 15th, 20th, 30th, 45th, 50th reunions, and the 52nd and 53rd "events," plus the ladies breakfasts that met whether or not the whole class did! Actually, the 50th reunion entries are a bit skimpy. If I have the correct labels, about 70 of the entries are from the 1950s (there is some overlap), there are a number of birthday parties, lots of sports stories--baseball, basketball, football, golf, track and tennis--organizations like 4-H, scouting, band, GAA, Student Council, churches, town businesses, town landmarks, our memorial tree dedicated to deceased members of the class, weddings and anniversaries (there would have been more but I didn't get photos from Jon and Phil who celebrated their 50th anniversaries during our blog's time), the class plays, current health problems of class members, and a number of obituaries, including class members who died during the time of the blog--Carolyn, Marv, Neal, Klaus and Libby, as well as our former teachers, and parents of classmates. Probably the saddest entries for me were the obituaries of the sons of our classmates, Glenn R., Lynne and Salley. Those I didn't expect to write. But we also have poetry (thank you, Lynne), some YouTube videos of songs and music of "our times," and some warm memories. As long as Blogger dot com continues, our class and its times will have a spot on the internet.

Will someone please answer my question from the first entry?
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Update July 15, 2011: Sharon Lynn Genz Thomas
Sharon's daughter, Tara, posted on her Facebook page that Sharon died on Thursday, July 14, and the funeral is July 20. Sharon came to our 50th in 2007 accompanied by a grandson. A month after our graduation she joined the Navy where she met her husband Lonnie (d. 1993). After her service she went to college and became a teacher retiring in 1999. She had a lot of hobbies and really enjoyed traveling--having visited all 50 of the states.

Update July 25, 2011 Classmates Glenn R., Francine K., and Diane B. have recently had surgery and might appreciate hearing from classmates as they recover. Please contact Lynne at the above e-mail address, or check your 2007 class reunion roster.

Congratulations Jon and Dixie Martin

The Martins celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 11, 2010 with a family cruise to Alaska. Congratulations!

I Dare You Honor Roll--Danforth Foundation

I found this little certificate inside the I Dare You book, which had become too moldy in a box in the basement* even to read. I don't remember that I ever read it--and according to this site, it is considered a classic of self-improvement books. Maybe I was voted the girl most in need of improvement? Were the book and certificate given out with a different award? How many of these were given? It's not mentioned in the 1957 yearbook than I can find. Here's a summary:

"Fourfold development. Think tall, stand tall, smile tall, live tall. I Dare You; You can be bigger than your are; Are you one of the priceless few? I dare you to adventure; I dare you to do things; Now for the start; I dare you to be strong, think creatively, develop a magnetic personality, build character, to share; Launch out into the deep; I dare and share.

This self-empowerment classic is specifically written for the young and young at heart. This book encourages young readers to "dare" themselves to do things they should be doing, but fear or dislike doing. Things like getting up in the morning, doing their homework, trying out for the team, going to the dentist, etc.

This book is a classic in motivation and success that ranks right up there among such titles as "Think and Grow Rich", by N. Hill, "How to Win Friends and Influence People", by D. Carnegie, "The Power of Positive Thinking", by N. V. Peale, and "The Geatest Salesman in the World" by O. Mandino. This is truly a message that is just as valuable today as it was the day it was written. This is a wonderful book for both the young and not so young. The advice is invaluable for helping anyone achieve a positive and "can do" attitude.

"I Dare You is for the daring few who are headed somewhere. Those afraid to Dare might as well pass it up. It will weary the lazy because it calls for immediate action. It will bore the sophisticated, and amuse the skeptics. It will antagonize others. Some will not even know what it is all about. It will not be over-popular because it calls for courage, swift and daring. But in the eyes of you, one of the priceless few, I trust will come a renewal of purpose as you read on. You can be a bigger person than you are and I am going to prove it to you". - The author"

*For 34 years we lived in a house with no basement and no attic and we had no moldy papers.  Finally we have storage, and poof, most of it is unusable or smells bad.

Services for classmate Carolyn Manis Reynolds

From the Daily Herald: Carolyn A. Reynolds of Round Lake Beach; Carolyn A. Reynolds, 71, passed away Sunday, Dec. 5, 2010, at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville. Private services are being held at the Burnett-Dane Funeral Home, Libertyville. Carolyn was born Oct. 13, 1939, in Freeport, Ill., and was raised and went to school in Mount Morris, Ill. She was a former Libertyville resident and had lived in Round Lake Beach for the past five years. Surviving are her husband, Herbert J. Reynolds; sons, Chris (Patrice) Reynolds of Wauconda and Michael Reynolds of Round Lake Beach; grandson, Tyler Reynolds; and brother, Lynn Manis. She was preceded in death by her brother, Jerry Lee Manis.

The most recent photo I have of Carolyn was taken at our 1987 class reunion, and mine is a very poor scan, so I'm posting this one of a girl scout outing. If you have something more recent, please forward. You'll remember that Carolyn was struck down with polio shortly before the vaccine became available, and returned to class, I think in 6th grade, on crutches. She gamely kept up--I remember hiking with her to Camp Emmaus and that she was active in CBYF! Few today younger than us remember this terrible scourge--our little community was hit hard.

And thanks to Jon M. who noticed this item in the Daily Herald and alerted Lynne.

Update from Nancy's archives: 1987 reunion photo of Carolyn

Two photos from 1972 Times

Nancy has recently sent along two photos from the 1972 Mt. Morris Times, but taken 20+ years apart. The first one is our classmate Barb and a nice story for the home town on her career. The second is a "down memory lane" photo of the split 6th-7th grade class with Mrs. Westfall in 1951. If you click to enlarge you can read the captions.

National Honor Society election 1956

No date on this Index photo, but it says we were juniors (1955-56), and in the Yearbook photo the girls are wearing white shoes, so induction must have been in the Spring, because you know we all followed those fashion dictates in those days. The Yearbook reported that only 15% of a class can be elected, and the Index said the upper 25%, and both that the standards were rising. The class of 1956 had 8 members, ours only 5.

King and Queen of 4-H--Dwayne and Mary Jane

You can click to enlarge and read the story about two members of our class, Mary Jane and Dwayne being crowned King and Queen of the Ogle County 4-H clubs in Spring 1956. Nancy L. another class member was included in the Royal Court. What a lovely slight this must have been during the candle lighting ceremony.

Cheering on the team 1955

Actually, I'm taking a stab at the year--1955. I didn't get a story or a date with the scan of this Index photo. However, I see Donna Lamm, Judy Garrison and Pat Claussen, class of 1955 in their Pepster outfits, and possibly Jean Davis, and it's indoors, so we're pretty sure it's basketball. Almost in the middle I see Gayle Dickson, class of 1956, then to her right is Judy Thomas, and in front of her maybe Sig Shook, possibly Jane Kiplinger, and Diane Bechtold, and down in front Don Raney and possibly Chuck Wean; near foreground Darlene Ruter, Dolores Saunders, Janet Fleer, and on the end is Sybil Dohlen. They weren't even in high school yet! Lynne was able to spot herself, but I couldn't; think I see Darlene and possibly Mary Lou. Anyone else want to take a guess and who, what and when?

Birthday parties were big for the ladies of '57

Click to enlarge

Can't be sure of the years, but I'm guessing the Lake Ripley event was May of 1952 or 1953,  and the party at the Olsens was 1954.  Does anyone have photos? Nowadays, everyone would have a cell phone camera and there would be 25-50 photos of each party!

A thank you note to the Kable Brothers Company

The bronze marker on the rock located behind the band shell on the campus and in front of the community gym reads:

1948

50th anniversary

Kable Brothers Company

In grateful appreciation of the contribution made by its co-founders Harvey and Harry Kable, to the printing industry and the life of this community, their giving spirit has set a high standard of enterprise, integrity and kindness to our American way of life.

Erected by the businessmen's league of Mt. Morris, August 28, 1948.

Lynne sent in this photo and reports she doesn't remember the dedication and wonders if anyone else does.

Sophomore sports photos

The caption of the photo doesn't tell the whole story. The night before our guys creamed Mt. Carrol, a town much closer to our size. And even so, the varsity did beat Dixon, after a record setting performance the night before against Mt. Carroll.



I don't have all the golf scores, but it looks like the Mounders did well against schools our own size, and the yearbook says the backbone of the team was Glen R., Dick M., Ken Z. and Dick Z. Norm G. and Jon M. played with the junior varsity.

Music activities from 1955

Sylvia T. won a first at District Music Contest along with Mary Ellen K. and Jon M., and then went on to play at the University of Illinois at the State Music Festival in Urbana (I don't have the outcomes for the others). In this Index photo she is going over her music with Wayne Johnson. She still plays in the town band and is the organist for the Church of the Brethren. Band members also played for school assemblies, marched in the Homecoming parade, played for football and basketball games and with the choral groups participated in the Blackhawk Music Festival.