mchs newsletter 2012 mchs alumni€¦ · murial schmidt holloway nora kyne keesler (dec.) marie...

MCHS Newsletter 2012

McPherson County High School Alumni Association Newsletter 2012

MCHS ALUMNI You and a guest are invited

to the Annual Alumni Reunion of McPherson County High

School

Saturday evening May 26, 2012

McPherson County High School Tryon, Nebraska

Catered Meal 6:30 p.m.

$12 per plate

Reservations required by May 21

Business Meeting at 8:00 p.m.

Grand March 8:30 p.m. Reception for honored guests Dance 9:00 to 12:00 a.m.

Refreshments will be available during

the dance

Alumni Dues - $5.00 each member Guest Admission $5.00 each

Membership and reservation form is found on the next to last page of this newsletter and may also be downloaded from: http://athena.esu16.org/~mchs/ alumni.html

Enjoy dancing to

The Nightlife Band Dance is open to public

9 p.m. to 12 a.m. Public admission $5 per person

2012 Executive Committee President- Cecil Bullington – 587-2522

Vice President – Josh Streiff – 587-2344 Secretary – Toni Kemp Powers – 587-2224

Co Secretary –Ruth Gage – 582-4463 Newsletter and

Address Chairman – Gayle Neal – 587-2352

Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament

& Pitch Tournament

MCHS Commons Area 3:30 p.m. Entry Fee $10

1952 Student Council –Back: Betty Neal, Bob Cotton Duane Neal, Velma Newberry, Front: Robert Neal Lois Miller, Russell Miller, Genevieve Wade.

MCHS Newsletter 2012 2.

Honored Classes

1922 Edith Baker Embree (Dec.) Hazel Neal Geneau (Dec.) Elsie Winters Moore (Dec.) Arthur Reneau (Dec.) Muriel Stack Smith (Dec.) Warren Snyder (Dec.)

1932 Lawerence Callander (Dec.) Murial Schmidt Holloway Nora Kyne Keesler (Dec.) Marie Callander Martin (Dec.) Katie Winters Prosise (Dec.) Nell Lockhart Swayzee (Dec.)

1942 Pearl Doyle Carlson (Dec.) Kathryn Kahoe Compton Emory Daly (Dec.) Ronald Haney (Dec.) Levona Bellew Harvey (Dec.) Loree Wilson Huffman Jean Churchill Maxwell (Dec.) Jim Neal (Dec.) Bill Patton (Dec.) Ruby Tucker Patton Freda Pinkerton Synovec (Dec.)

1952 Bernice Winters Andreason Velma Newberry Applegarth Rose Hunn Barner Doris Johnson Fischer Audrey Priest French Joanne Black Jennings (Dec.) Richard Kemp Robert Neal (Dec.) Roberta Pettit Hazel Thompson Yates

1962 Kay Trumbull Boyer Donna Neal Campbell Ron Daly Joan Paxton Farmer Karen Munson Hayes Terry Jameson (Dec.) Tom Jameson Eddie McClain Elwin Miller Elnora Waits Neal Jerry Black Neal Julie Rodewald Pettit Stanley Pettit Doug Smolik Jerry Snyder

1972 Gary Connell Joy Moriarty Connell Randy Fisher Edith Ellen Haney Gale Monty Kemp Dale Lake Shirla Kemp McCully Mart McNutt Monte Nicholson Connie Lutes Pascetti Doug Schmidt

1982 Pat Arensdorf Marsha Bullington Monte Bullington Hannah Doyle Burch Jerry Gragg Kerry Kramer Hansel Layne Pyzer Betty Bryant Roberts Bill Rundback Kim Musser Simonton

1992 Gina Streiff Davis Holee Coffman Hanke Amy Howery Travis Kemp Mardel Connell Manary Rusty Moore Billy Munson Lori Gregg Munson Mitch Musser Doug Newport (Dec.) Dusty Paxton Melissa Fisher Wacker

2002 Tyler Abel Levi Arensdorf Wyatt Arensdorf Rawnie Munson Barnes Jacob Christopher Adam Johnson Kayla Kemp Wacey Krull Eric Mumm Randi Munson Petersen Hannah Clinebell Sullivan

2012 Sam Ascherl Katee Daly Riggin Harper Tyler Heerten Alecia Paxton

Please keep your address current by sending it to MCHS Alumni, PO Box 51, Tryon, NE 69167 or email it to Gayle Neal. [email protected]

This is a listing of deceased members since our last newsletter. Please help the committee keep records current by informing them of the deaths of members. E. Lavelle Stoddard Class of 1947 D. April 14, 2011 Nona Bassett Moore Class of 1934 D. May 7, 2011 LaVona Bellew Harvey Class of 1942 D. October 2011 Wanda Bellew Losh Class of 1944 D. October 21,2011 Lila LaVon Neal Shimmin Class of 1948 D. November 13, 2011 Terry C. Jameson Class of 1962 D. February 17, 2012 Kathy Thompson Crawford Class of 1971 D. March 14, 2012 Merlin Pettit Class of 1959 D. March 30, 2012


Greetings from Hayden, Colorado! Hayden is about 25 miles west of Steamboat Springs in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. I attended two different country grade schools in McPherson County and graduated from MCHS in 1972. Our class was small but 7

of the 11 of us have gathered to celebrate our 20, 25 and 30-year anniversaries. We plan to gather again this year for the big 40. The fall after graduating, I moved to Omaha to attend Grace College of the Bible, which is now Grace University. I graduated from college in 1976 and went to Maranatha Bible Camp to work for a summer. I met my late husband, Gary Miner, there. I worked at the camp and the Berean Fundamental Church for over a year before taking a job as bookkeeper with Nebraska Machinery Company. I worked there until February of 1979 when Gary and I were married at Hall Church and moved to Lakewood, Colorado. Gary worked at Penney’s Auto Center and I began working for Jefferson County Public Schools as a receptionist at their warehouse that summer. We bought our first home in 1979 and stayed there until 1984 when we moved to Hayden. Our first child, Matthew Allen, was born in 1982 and we both knew that we didn’t want to raise our family in the city. Since Gary was born and raised in Steamboat Springs, he wanted to move back to the Yampa Valley. He applied for jobs in Oak Creek and Hayden and Wagner Equipment Company in Hayden hired him. He began working there in May, staying with his parents during the week until Matt and I moved up there in June. I was a stay-at-home mom until the fall of 1986 when I began working at Yampa Valley National Bank (now First National Bank of the Rockies). I worked there for three years and then stayed home during the winter of ’89-’90 before taking a part-time secretarial job with Bear River Realty. I worked there for a year before taking time off to spend time with Matt and make preparations for the birth of our second child, Christopher Ray, born October 23, 1991 on his great-grandfather’s 99th birthday. Amy Laverne was born a little over 2 years later on December 26, 1993.

I continued to be a stay-at-home mom until January 1997 when I took a part-time job as bookkeeper for the Hayden Cemetery District. I began working full-time at First National Bank of the Rockies in April 2005 as a teller and continued working for the cemetery district until August. Gary passed away on August 10, 2005 so it was a blessing that I was already working full-time and didn’t have to look for a job then.

Gerald Pascetti and I began dating in February 2006 and married on July 2, 2006 at the park in Tryon. Ironically, he is a mechanic at Wagner Equipment Co., the place where Gary first worked when we moved to Hayden. He encouraged me to move to a part-time position with the bank in January 2007, which I gladly did! When the secretarial position at Bear River Realty opened up again in May, I accepted that position and have been there ever since.

God is good and has blessed me with a wonderful family. Besides Matt, Chris and Amy, I have a stepdaughter, Lisa and a stepson, Angelo. Lisa is married to Randall and has three children: Dominic, Isabelle and Paris. Angelo is married to Steffi and they have no children yet. Matt is engaged to Ingrid. Matt and his first wife, Kim, blessed me with a grandson, Jacob. Thanks for allowing me to share my story with you. Connie (Lutes) Pascetti - Class of 1972

Senior Year--- Katee Daly—Class of 2012 People keep telling me enjoy this year its your last year and it goes by fast. I didn't believe them until now, when I'm putting together my slide show and trying on the cap and gown that everybody envies. It's all becoming so clear just how right those people are. The days go by faster with each second it seems and soon I will begin a life far different than I know now. My first day of senior year was very important to me. I even convinced my mom that I had to have that new wardrobe for my first day, and come to find out the next week after that as well, because once you start shopping its hard to stop. I was all ready after I had received my wardrobe and knew my first day was coming up rather fast. I remember telling my brother “This is it, I'm officially almost an adult.” He smiled looked at me and said, “Little sister, you're not even close.” I was a little mad at first but like all good sisters I had to get over it, and I knew he was right. I walked in the school that looked so familiar, but this year it was different. This year I was the top dog in the school, this year I was going to rule the roost, little did I know, it would be just like all the other years just more important and more memorable. The days went by and soon came Homecoming, my favorite week ever! I dressed for the part on all our dress up days and practiced all week for our big volleyball game. It was a devastating loss for all our girls, but it was the worst for us seniors, because we all knew it was our last Homecoming game ever. It was hard until the dance, then let's just say we all forgot about the game. The night went by fast and of course so did the days to follow. Everybody was looking forward to Thanksgiving break when it came around but that flew by just as fast as Christmas and before we knew it, it was a new year. Walking back into school after each break it got harder and harder for me to concentrate, I was so excited to get done. Then it occurred to me, I haven't even began to apply for my next step in life, COLLEGE! I knew it had to be done and as I started looking at prices, it became really apparent to me that I would definitely have to have scholarships as well. This made me realize just how much of an eye opener life was going to be after high school, and that made me think “am I really ready for this?” When February rolled around and our basketball season was coming to a close we all wanted to win that last game and go to state. Then March rolled around and we lost sub-districts, and all the girls were sad but the seniors were the saddest because our sports were dribbled to an end. The next thing was track but I never really cared for running, so I was focused on getting a scholarship and being accepted into a college. The next big thing for all seniors came up, senior sneak. It was rather fun for all of us I think. We had a four day trip to Terry Peak in South Dakota. We left early Friday morning and were at the cabin we rented by that afternoon. We settled in to our cabin played some games, and watched TV, but the thing we were all looking forward to was skiing. It was hard for the beginners, but it became fun as we ended the day of skiing. It became apparent after taking two hours to get down the bunny slope that skiing wasn't really my strong suit. Shopping was of course about an equal tie to skiing for us girls, but it was apparent the boys were bored, when at every stop they would just stare at us like this is just like the last store we went to. When senior sneak ended it was sad to leave, but great to get home to good ol' Nebraska. Now April is here, and next is prom. I can say I have enjoyed this year a lot, but as it comes to an end I am praying to God and hoping he finds it in his grace to get me into the next step of life. I have complete faith he will open my next doors that lead me closer to him. I believe now that all those people who have entered my life in the last four years entered it for a reason, and I'm glad to say most of them are now my friends.


Kathryn Kahoe Compton -- Class of 1942 War had been declared. I was 16 and about to graduate from MCHS with the class of 1942. I remember our “Sneak Trip” to the Black Hills. Many of us had never been out of the state before. Like many Normal Training graduates, I taught in the county for 3 years; going to summer school each summer. I attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln for a term and was married. I completed my college degree at Northern State Teachers College in Aberdeen, South Dakota. While my husband was in college at emporia, KS; I worked at Hallmark. In 1953 we moved to Wichita, KS and both worked for Boeing airplane Company. When our son Carl was born in 1961, I became a stay at home mother and community volunteer------ (Methodist Church, PTA, Daughters of the American Revolution). I was elected to my local Board of Education and served 8 years. Through the years I judged many Debate and Forensic tournaments, and served as supervising judge on election boards. For 25 years I was a Volunteer Income tax Assistant for the IRS at my local library for the poor and the elderly. I have a “bucket list” of things I want to see and do. I saw where the Kahoes lived in Ireland and the Kincaids were in Scotland. I attended two reunions of the Pennsylvania Dutch relatives in PA. Have visited all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Korea. Have survived 2 broken hips and a 5 by-pass heart surgery. My husband and I observed our 66th anniversary this year. We both still drive and live in our own home. Our son Carl and his wife, Suzie, live 10 miles away with their 5 children. I have always been involved in their lives. This year 3 are in college and Claire will graduate in May from OSU. Carl is Chief Financial Officer for the Kansas Turnpike authority. I feel an obligation to decorate the graves of my relatives at Miller Cemetery and to attend the MCHS Alumni meeting when I can make the 900 mile round trip.

REAL WISDOM

When I was at the “U” back in ’82, Down Lincoln, Nebraska way,

Some professors asked a question That really made my day!

“What have you learned while with us?”

These men of letters asked. They thought that I would praise them

Instead of leaving them aghast---

“Why, Sirs, I’ve figured out one thing While in these hallowed halls.

My dad, with eighth grade education Is much wiser than you all.”

“He knows how to use common sense

And how to think things through. What he does will work and last

Which is more than I can say of you.”

“For practical application seems A stranger to your realm.

Just give me an old rancher any day To be steering from the helm.”

A few of them could understand The truth that lie in my words

But the others were plumb baffled. I don’t think they even heard!

The wisdom of the ages

Can be found in just one book And in nature all around you,

Everywhere you look.

It’s not a complex issue, Just a simple one of faith

And studying what’s around you That helps you make that grade.

J.R. Trumbull 22 February 2006

In memory of Ray Trumbull

Levona Bellew Harvey – Class of 1942 Letha "Levona" Bellew Harvey, of North Platte, died Oct. 23, 2011. She was born on Feb. 11, 1925, to Charles and Ethel Newberry Bellew at Tryon. She grew up south of Tryon, and graduated from McPherson County High School. On July 25, 1942, she married Jerold W. Harvey and the couple lived on a farm/ranch for many years. The couple moved to Chadron in 1964 where they owned and operated the Westerner Motel. They later retired and moved to North Platte. Levona was dedicated to her family and enjoyed spending time with them and her many friends. She was a member of the Odd Fellow Rebekah Lodge in Tryon and American Legion for many years. After the death of her husband, Levona has lived at the Premier Estates and was active in the North Platte Senior Center.

Seniors of 1992


Lila Neal Shimmin - Class of 1948 Lila LaVon (Neal) Shimmin, 82, of North Platte, passed away Nov. 13, 2011, at Linden Court Nursing Home. Lila was born on July 24, 1929, to Loren and Nancy Neal in McPherson County. On Jan. 25, 1948, she married Bennie Richard Shimmin in Tryon. The couple made their home in North Platte where they raised their four children. Lila worked for Sixth Street Bakery and was known for her love of cooking and baking. She was always willing to baby sit for anyone and lending a hand in any way she was needed. She had a special love for her grandchildren and spent countless hours reading to them, playing hide the thimble and many other games, baking cookies or whatever her grandchildren wanted her to do. They all had a way of talking her into it. Lila's family was extremely important to her, but she always put the Lord first. In her younger days she was very involved in her church, missionary group, Sunday school classes and helping at Maranatha Bible Camp. She spent countless hours crocheting and embroidering tea towels for family and friends. Lila was a very loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother and friend.

Jacque Trumbull - Class of 1967 Respect old people: They graduated from high school without Google or Wikipedia. I’m not even sure we knew what computers were when I was in high school or if we did, we knew that they

filled an entire room and probably did less than a sophisticated calculator does today. I can remember that one the students at North Platte Junior College had a calculator that did logarithms and square roots. Wow! That piece of equipment cost about $250! Why would anyone want one of those? You could figure the same things on a slide rule. No, don’t ask me to show you how. It has been too many years and I do like my pocket calculator and my computer just fine. I still like to read real books and when I look something up, there are times that I refer to a real encyclopedia. One time I was looking for some information on U.S. history and the U.S. Constitution. I finally ended up going to a post WWII set of encyclopedias to find the answers. It was easier than sorting through the thousands of sites that the computer brought up. While I do admit that I enjoy my computer, I often find myself shaking my head at the lack of common sense in many situations today. One lady actually was insulted when I told her to use some common sense when looking at a certain situation. It must be on the bad word list or something.

Many things have changed since I graduated in 1967. Some things are coming back into fashion. I didn’t like the mullet or the reverse mullet hairstyles the first time and I still don’t. When I got my new glasses, I most certainly did not get a pair of frames like those I was wearing in my senior picture. No thanks, I’ve worn those before. I can also remember when people who were 70 were really old. I’m not there by a few years but it looks younger every day! Maybe I do seem like an old fogey to some of the younger grads of MCHS but don’t worry, in 20 years the grads will

Catered Meal Kathleen Fisher, Class of 1974 is returning as the caterer for the meal served in the MCHS Gym at 6:30 p.m. The meal will be a roast beef dinner, with salad and dessert. Meal cost is $12 per plate. Send in your reservations for meals with your membership form found on page 7 of this newsletter. We ask that reservations be made by May 21st. Please send money with the reservation.


Sixty Years Ago----MCHS Class of 1952

Sixty years have rolled by since the MCHS Class of 1952 received their diplomas at the Tryon Commmunity Auditorium, located just north of the present Post Office in Tryon. This hall was used for many activites, including high school and grade school graduations, class plays, public dances on Saturday nights, a movie theatre on Wednesday evenings, basketball games, high school freshmen initiation parties, fundraisers for the Red Cross, polio drives and more community funtions including talent contests, card parties, and much more.

The new high school building, with its gymnasium, had not yet been constructed. The first year of high school for our class started September 6, 1948 with 14 students. They were John Andre, Arlene Bedker, Joanne

Black, Don Bullington, Vera Daly, Rose Hunn, Doris Johnson, Richard Kemp, Dolores Kinsman, Robert Neal, Velma Newberry, Roberta Pettit, Audrey Priest, and Hazel Thompson. Some class members moved away, but others joined us, and at graduation time we had ten in our class. They were Joanne Black, Rose Hunn, Doris Johnson, Richard Kemp Robert Neal, Velma Newberry, Roberta Pettit, Audrey Priest, Hazel Thompson, and Bernice Winters.

Of those ten, two are now deceased: Robert Neal in 2006 and Joanne (Black) Jennnings in 2009. They are greatly missed by all who knew them.

Bernice (Winters) Andreason recently moved to North Platte from Alma, NE with her husband, Don. Rose (Hunn) Barner and Audrey (Priest) French have both lived in Stapleton, NE for some time, where they helped in the business places of their late husbands, Dennis Barner at Denny’s Grocery Store and Arthur French at Creative Printers. Art published several newspapers for 51 years. Art and Audrey purchased The Tryon Graphic in 1957. Audrey continues to be publisher of The Stapleton Enterprise/McPherson County News, The Arnold Sentinel and The Thomas County Herald.

Doris (Johnson) Fischer is living near Lewellen, NE; Richard Kemp and his wife, Carolyn, live on a ranch north of Tryon; Velma (Newberry) Applegarth and her husband, Bob, are at Cozad, NE, and those living out of state are Roberta Pettit of Brighton, MN and Hazel Thompson Yates at Elkron, KY.

As we look back on those high school days, there are many fond memories, including the Junior-Senior Proms, a trip to Denver and the mountains in Colorado for our senior sneak trip; also class picnics and reunions, as well as memories of our teachers who included Superintendent and Mrs. D.D. Brown, and Barron McIntosh (Principal) 1948-1949; Supt. And Mrs. Brown and Richard C. Davis (Principal) 1949-1950; Richard C Davis (Supt.) Robert Jelden (Prin.) and golda M Berglund, 1950-1951; and Richard C Davis (Supt.0, Maude E McIrvin, and LaVonne Lawson, 1951-1952.

I hope to see everyone at the 2012 Alumni reunion, Saturday, May 26, 2012 at Tryon for our 60th Anniversary!! Audrey (French) Priest -- Class of 1952

Seniors of 1972 1962 Choir at MCHS

Kathy Jo Thompson Crawford, November 12, 1952 - March 14, 2012.

Kathy Jo, 59, of Broken Bow, NE, surrounded by her children, peacefully went to live with her heavenly father on Wednesday, March 14, 2012 after a courageous 5 year battle with cancer. She was born in Broken Bow to Donald and Mahala Thompson. The second of four children, she graduated from McPherson County High School in 1971 attending Kearney State College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1976. She taught at several small schools in the Sandhills region of Nebraska. In the 1980’s she settled in the North Platte region where she was blessed with four children, Brooke, Michael, Kenneth and Eve. Kathy and her family stayed in Central Nebraska while she completed her degree in School Psychology from the University of Nebraska, Kearney. Settling in Wichita, KS. she became a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. Kathy had many leadership callings in the LDS church in Kansas as well as Nebraska. Her love above all was her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and her family. Her second loves involved teaching, music and painting. She sacrificed many opportunities to devote care and time for her family and love ones. In 2007, she was diagnosed with cancer and returned to Nebraska, remaining active within her church and devoted to her family until her passing. Her heart and mind truly were devoted to the service of others.


Share your Memories Bring high school memorabilia to the 2012 Alumni Reunion to display and share with your fellow alumnus. We will set up a table for the display. Might be nice if you would label exhibits and have a card with description of object.

McPherson County High School Alumnus Membership Form

Name ________________________________________ (Husband) grad year._______(Wife) grad year ________ (If both, husband and wife are alumni members, please list both names and year graduated) Address __________________________________City ______________________State _________ Zip __________ E-mail if you have one : ________________ I am paying my membership dues of $5.00 (Husband and wife alumnus total $10) $____________ I am paying my guests admission of $5.00 $____________ Reserve __________ catered meals at $12.00 each. Due May 21, 2012 $____________ I want to participate in the Texas Hold ‘Em Tournament $10 Due May 24 $____________ I want to participate in the Pitch Tournament $10 Due May 234 $____________ Checks for dues and meals should be made to MCHS Alumni Association Total $_____________ Money must accompany meal reservations. I am sending a donation for the scholarship fund. Checks for the scholarship fund should be made to Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation. $______________

McPherson County Alumnus Association PO Box 51 Tryon, Nebraska 69167

Keep Your Address and Email up to date! It is a quite a job to organize and plan for the Alumni reunion each year. The years I have been a part of the planning and organizing there have been good people on the committee and they get the job done. My job is to keep the addresses up to date and put this newsletter together. Thank you to those of you who sent in news and addresses. I know everyone is busy. Next year the classes ending in a 3 will be the honored ones. I am asking now for stories from those people. I will take stories from anyone who has graduated from MCHS. Poems and prose, not just biographies, memories of highschool days, present accomplishments, etc. would all be nice. Thanks, Gayle Neal, Class of 1969 [email protected]

Merlin Dean Pettit – Class of 1959 Merlin Dean Pettit, 70, of Lincoln, died Friday (3/30/12). Born 5/4/1941 in North Platte, Neb. to Donald and Helen (Van Meter) Pettit. Merlin was a machine operator for Goodyear for 34 years. He was a member of the United Steel Works local #286. Merlin loved to fish, hunt, camping, was a Huskers and Rebels fan. He enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren watching their sporting events. Family members include: wife Vera; son, Mark Pettit; daughter, Kathy J. Philpot; son & daughter-in-law, Tim (LaDonna) Pettit; two sisters; three brothers; six grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews and friends. Preceded in death by parents; son, Jason Pettit.

McPherson County Alumnus Association Scholarship A $750 scholarship was offered this year. The deadline for submitting an application was the end of February. Hopefully the winner can be announced at graduation in May and we will announce the winner at our reunion. If you would like to donate to the scholarship fund you may include a check made out to Mid-Nebraska Community Foundation with your membership and dues form. Please indicate on the memo line that it is for the McPherson County Alumnus Scholarship


McPherson County Alumnus Association PO Box 51 Tryon, NE 69167-0051

Return Service Requested

Seniors of 1982

Class of 2002

mchs newsletter 2012 mchs alumni€¦ · murial schmidt holloway nora kyne keesler (dec.) marie...

Documents