Peabody High School class of 1953 celebrated its 60th reunion Memorial Day weekend with a gathering of 15 class members, spouses, and guests. The class was the last to graduate from the high school building built in 1923.
The evening of May 25, at Nita Watson and Pat Hunnell’s annual porch party, seven class members and their spouses visited with alumni from around the state and country.
On May 26, class members met in Whitewater for an afternoon of conversation and renewing friendships. Scrapbooks and photos of high school days and the class’s senior trip were on display. Monte and Carolyn Fisher were hosts. Thirteen class members, spouses, and guests attended and had pizza supper provided by the hosts.
A puzzle game involved identifying class members. A list of every student who had been in the class of 1953 at one time was distributed along with a memory booklet filled with photos of past reunions and favorite memories of growing up in Peabody. Photographs were taken of class members, spouses, and guests.
On Memorial Day, more class members and friends joined the group for dinner and more photographs at the Brown Building.
Those in attendance during the three-day gathering were Ray and Carmitia (Buell) Yust, Belton, Mo.; Melvin and Charlene Burdorf, Fort Worth, Texas; Barbara (Craig) Hodges, Topeka; Dick and Maxine Davis, Hamilton, Texas; Sally (DeForest) and Paul Attwater, Wichita; Faye (Fisher) Helmuth, Loveland, Co; Monte and Carolyn Fisher, Whitewater, Joan (Goering) and Tony Epp, Ponca City, Okla.; Shirley (Koslowsky) Bartel and Robin Hazen, Albuquerque, N.M.; Bob and Arlene Moffett, Peabody, Bobbie (Mott) and Myron Harris, Peabody; Carol (Mott) and Ray Peirce, Hesston; Barbara (Vantuyl) Atkins, Kansas City; Beth Christiansen, Chanute; Lynn Watts and Jerry Higgins, Marion; and Thelma Jean Seibel Friday, Newton.
Three classmates were unable to attend: Darrell Jordan, Hawaii; Jennie (Torres) Garcia, Newton; and Billy Burke, Wichita.
The class of 1953 had 24 members. Seven class members are deceased: Judy (Baker) Fife, Richard DeForest, Avis (Graham) Burke, Loretta (Hague) Lackey, Pat Hodges, Norma (Schiffner) Neufeld, and Jerry Watts.