Memories, a poem

Lynne F. submitted a prose poem for the blog about memories, and I looked through Nancy's photos and thought this one of some of us looking in the distance might fit. We are actually watching a spring baseball game (March 1953), and it must have been muddy so we're standing on a board. Look at those white shoes! I sort of like the far away look, like we're trying to figure out what will happen. Tina, who is now a great grandmother, looks right at the camera and smiles; Lynne, who grew into a real sports fan, is looking somewhere else.


Left to right: Lynne (back turned), Sylvia H., Carol S. (class of 58), Priscilla D., Norma C., Marion D. (partially hidden), Francine K., Sara Y. and Tina K.

". . . but memories remain forever. Real memories of happier, more innocent days before we came to know the world. But they are always with us, running parallel to the present, shining like stars in a cup of water, as some poet said, lighting up our path, and never going out." by Lynne Fleming Wilburn, 2002

Ladies' Breakfasts

The women of the class of 1957 have often met in July before the class reunion for breakfast. I'm a bit fuzzy on the details, although I've attended quite a few over the years, but here's the history as Lynne recalls it:

"For fifty years the ladies of our class have met for breakfast. After our graduation, some married, some went off to college and trade schools, others entered the work force. It became our custom to get together as often as we could, as many of us that could. These early breakfasts were held in my mother's kitchen or dining room depending on how many showed up. We sent out notes or called--e-mail hadn't been invented yet! All came who could. We'd catch up on boyfriends, work opportunities or college activities. The subjects changed over the years to finding jobs, finding husbands, having babies, and buying houses. Then we moved on to middle age issues (for some finding new husbands and new houses) such as the right school for the kids, and then on to aging parents, retirement and for some, widowhood."

At some point, it became a bit more formalized and we began meeting in restaurants. The first one I remember attending was around 1979 and I think it was at Maxon's. The photo below, sent by Nancy S., was taken at the restaurant in the Oregon Conover Square, and because I'm wearing glasses and had a perm, I'd date it as 1993, but she says 1990 was written on the back.


Left to right: Francine K., Diane B., Sara Y., Jean M., Sylvia T., Nancy S., Norma C.

This photo is from 2003 and the women of the class of 1957 met with those of class of 1956 at the restaurant at the White Pines State Park. Neither class was having a reunion that year, so there weren't as many people in town.


Front row left to right: Diane B., Francine K., Priscilla D., Katie Dirksen, our PE teacher in high school, Carolyn D. (56), Jane K. (56), A.J. O. (56) Sylvia T., Beverly B. (56), Phyllis G. (56). Back row, left to right: Marion D., Jean M., Norma C., Barb N. (56)

Lynne F., Sylvia T. and Norma C. in 1999
Lynne writes: "We'll all be looking forward to meeting again on June 30 (time and place tba) for the annual ladies' breakfast."