Three new trees for the campus

Pictured here are three new trees recently planted on the Mt. Morris square, commonly know as "The campus." Several ash trees have succumbed to the Emerald Ash Borer and sadly will eventually need to be removed. A former Mt. Morris resident and alumni of Mt. Morris high school class of 1957 became aware of the situation and generously donated the funds for tree replacement. I chatted with the  nursery guys and had them check out our memorial tree...I am happy to report it is in good health.  Story and photo submitted by Lynne.

Class meets for Halloween breakfast at The Pines

“The Class of '57 had breakfast together Halloween morning at the White Pines Inn...we had ten attending on a typical late fall rainy day...we were a chatty and happy group able to put aside any issues with health we might be dealing with for the day and just enjoyed being together...we briefly talked of our next reunion-our 60th coming in 18 months....time that will fly by...having it again at the Pines was considered as the past reunion memories linger and were recalled as we sat and talked.” [Lynne]

Diane Bechtold Thompson, 1939-2015

Diane M. Thompson - 76 7/28/1939 - 10/5/2015 Mt. Morris, Illinois Mt. Morris – Diane M. Thompson, age 76, died Monday, Oct. 5, 2015 at Pinecrest Manor in Mt. Morris. She was born July 28, 1939 in Sublette, IL the daughter of Jay and Mary Alice (Price) Bechtold. Diane graduated from Mt. Morris High School in 1957. She attended Secretarial School in Dayton, Ohio and was a Secretary for the Air Force Base. She married Jimmy Utley on July 18, 1958. He preceded her on Aug. 28, 1965. She than married Charles Thompson on July 8, 1966. He preceded her on Oct. 21, 1993. Diane worked for Country Companies Insurance as a Secretary, she also worked in the zoning dept. at the court house, retired from the Ogle County Sheriff’s Dept., and was owner and operator of Al’s Place from 1978 – 1993. Diane was a Lioness of the Dixon Lion’s Club, member of the Dixon Elk’s Club, and Rochelle Moose Lodge. She was predeceased by her parents, her 2 husbands, and an infant daughter Debbie. She is survived by her 3 children; Jill (Timm) Carlson of Mt. Morris, Jim (Jessica) Utley of Dixon, and Susan (Dale) Price of Dixon, Brother David (Jan) Bechtold of Norcross, Georgia, 6 grandchildren; Tyler (Liz) Carlson, Trace Carlson, Erica Utley, Rachel (Zack) Jones, Kevin Utley, and Alex Price, 2 Great Grandsons Carter Jones and Emmett Carlson, and adopted son Chris (Becky) Cox. Funeral service will be 7:00 pm, Friday, Oct. 9, 2015 at the Farrell-Holland-Gale Funeral Home, 110 S. 7th Street, Oregon, IL 61061. Visitation will be prior to the service Friday from 5-7 pm at the funeral home. Private burial will be in the Riverview Cemetery in Oregon. A memorial fund is established for the Mt. Morris Ambulance Service or the Pinecrest Manor Good Samaritan Fund.

Class of 1957 has July 4 breakfast at the Mt. Morris fire station

As has become custom, the class of '57 MMHS met for breakfast just as we have done for 57 years on or around the 4th of July... This year we gathered once again at our local fire station. About twelve locals attended plus spouses and siblings with various town folk stopping by to say, "Hello." Good to see everyone and we will indeed do this again next year...The 4th of July was warm, sunny with clear skies . . .something we haven't seen a lot of thus far in our summer...the moon was full and the fireworks were wonderful on such a clear summer’s night...our home town celebration continues with golf tournaments, memorial walks, parade, and yes, even the queen contest...and the fireworks finish--remember what they were like in the '50's?" (Guest blogger, Lynne, with photos by Sylvia and Lynne)

A Mounder 57 fire truck!

Marion and Nancy

Handsome table decorations with a happy Nancy and Moe.

Lynne and Nancy

Must have been a funny story.  Nancy and Moe, Sylvia and Dave.

Ladies Spring luncheon

A few of the ladies of the class of 1957 gathered for lunch on April 4, and for dessert we nibbled what was left of the "photo cake" of the fall reunion.

Update: Class of 57 reunion 57

Class President Mike B. observes: "The 1957 graduating class from Mt Morris High School held our 57th reunion at the fabulous Barnacopia between Polo and Mt. Morris on hiway 64. We had 19 classmates and 2 former teachers in attendance. A wonderful buffet including roast beef and chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, salad, broccoli and cauliflower, Macaroni salad, and soft drinks. For dessert we had cupcakes with a lighted candle on each one. The anniversary cake had a picture of our 8th grade class on it. We sat around and reminisced with guests, the two Warrens, Reckmeyer and Burstrom. It's amazing how young they looked. A tour of the venue provided a great finish to the wonderful evening. Everyone left with a very warm feeling of love and affection for each other. We look forward to the next time we can get together. We have a great class indeed.

Lynne, Nancy, Priscilla and Fran

The pizza dinner before the reunion

Class reunion decorations

Barnacopia, west of Mt. Morris

Marker placed by class tree

Five summers past the Mt. Morris High School graduating class of 1957 dedicated a young maple tree on the campus on our village square-most commonly called “The Campus.” Many mature trees had been destroyed in a recent storm and had been removed. The members of the MMHS class of 1957 thought they would much like to see the trees restored and be a part of this restoration and also memorialize their deceased classmates. Autumn Blaze maple was chosen and classmates donated the funds for purchase. The tree flourished in all seasons, especially in fall as a living memorial to friends. Recently a bronze marker was placed simply stating “Mt. Morris Class of 1957,” thus serving as a reminder to future generations that though we no longer have our high school and we may have lost a few classmates along the way. . . we know not age, nor weariness nor defeat and will not be vanquished. While attending one of the many concerts and programs on the Campus this summer please visit our tree and view the marker.

Nelson Potter, Jr. Obituary

Death of Nelson Potter, Jr.
---------------------
Nelson Thomas Potter Jr., September 22, 1939-May 12, 2013
Nelson, or Tom/Tommy as we knew him growing up, was the son of Nelson and Hazel Park Potter. He was our class validictorian and a wonderfully sweet guy who put up with us as his head was usually somewhere else. He graduated summa cum laude from Monmouth College in 1961 with degrees in philosophy and English. He continued his education and recieved a PhD in philosophy from Johns Hopkins University in 1969. He was a member of the faculty of Philosophy at the University of Nebraska from 1965 until 2010, having served as chair and director of UNL's Centennial Education Program. His specialty was Immanuel Kant.
In 1978 he married Kathleen Johnson and they had a daughter Sophia, a talented musician. In addition to his wife and daughter he is survived by brother Jim and wife Ann, nieces and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents and sister Barbara Potter. Interment was in Wyuka Cemetery, Lincoln, Nebraska, and the funeral was June 22.
Books of poetry by Ted Kooser have been donated to the Mt. Morris Public Library in his memory by class members. Kathy wrote that Nelson relied on the Mt. Morris Library for interlibrary loan materials to expand his horizons. As his widow and a librarian, she was very appreciative of these gifts in his memory.

Valentine Party

Jerry Blake

Gerald E. “Jerry” Blake, 74, died Friday, Jan. 25, 2013, at Serenity Hospice and Home in Oregon. He was born on May 22, 1938, in Rockford, the son of Walter and Kathryn (McKee) Blake. Jerry attended Mount Morris High School. He worked as a material handler for Kable Printing Co., and he also was a diesel mechanic for Binkley Enterprises. Jerry loved his “old time” country music, Blue Collar comedy, golfing, bowling, swimming, riding motorcycles, and snowmobiling. Jerry is survived by his past wife Joan Moore of Salton City, Calif.; and their children Cheryl (Joseph) Ciuffreda, of San Diego, Calif.; Becky Bailey, of Durand; Kathy Rude, of Sycamore; Esther Martin, of Marengo; and Cliff (Jill) Blake, of Polo; and past wife Connie Blake and their daughter, Cassie Blake, both of Oregon; 12 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Jerry was preceded in death by his parents; stepmom Bertha Blake; brothers Darrell and Lloyd Blake; and sister Janice Johnson. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Finch Funeral Home, 405 E. Hitt St., in Mount Morris. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home, with the Rev. Doc Newcomb officiating. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery in Mount Morris.

55th class reunion photo, White Pines State Park

Sharon Lynn Genz Thomas

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.

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!