School: NHS Class of 1929 (50th Reunion - 1979)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Alyea, Higgins, Anderson, Swenson, Barton, Davis, Betz, Hansen, Imuslund, Ehlers, Junchen, Bandelow, Braatz, Letivon, Sonheim, Stacy, Vine, Zille, Lynch, Steurwall, Horswill, Dietrich, Halverson, Frantz, Keach, Schmidt, Neff, Gustman, Thoma, Lynch, Meier, Wagner, Pederson, Schweinler, Bruhn, Gress, Hagedorn, Qualley, Gaden, Gerhardt, Haugen, Huckstead, Beyer, Lepke, May, Prock, McConnell, Reindell, Mills, Redmond, Moberg, Reimer, Reinhard, Boer, Rowe, Borde, Schlinsog, Turner, Stelloh, Walters, Warneske Baird, Meyer, Dwyer, Gillis, Ferguson, Kuehn, Bruley, Lambright, Cooper, Lastofka, Hackett, Raether, Saxe, Smith, Nelson, Weaver, Zaeske

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 5/31/1979

NHS Class of 1929 (50th Reunion - 1979)

The Neillsville High School Class of 1929 gathered for a 50-year reunion this past Saturday at the Bali Hai Supper Club. Of a possible 44 alumni, 32 attended.

Mr. and Mrs. William C. Hansen and their daughter, Helen, of Stevens Point came for the occasion. This was Hansen’s last class as principal of the school. Those attending stated that Hansen, 87, “looks great.”

Also in attendance was Clarence Imuslund, Eau Claire, who was the class advisor in 1929 and history teacher.

Tables were decorated with the class colors of blue and silver and the class flower centerpiece of lilies of the valley, were set for the 56 attending.

After dinner was served, a program was conducted by Lawrence Junchen, Sherrard, Ill., a former industrial arts instructor and a member of the class. Also given was a report by each class member on their activities for the past 50 years.

A candle was lit, and a memorial service given for thirteen classmates who are deceased. They include Marlin Bandelow, Helen Braatz, Owen Higgins, Mary Letivon, Phillip Sonheim, Emma Stacy, Anita Vine, Leona Zille, Walter Lynch, Eileen Steurwall, Halbert Horswill, Lovella Dietrich and Edwin Halverson.

A prize for coming the farthest went to Edward Frantz of Nevada City, Calif. Mrs. Edward Frantz won the centerpiece. Other awards went to Jeff Keach, Waupun, who was the last to marry; Mrs. Ed (Genevieve) Schmidt, with the latest grandchild; Frederick Anderson, Bismarck, N.D., the least hair; and Harriet Gustman, Neillsville, for the most descendants.

Center of attention was a cake made and decorated by Virginia Thoma, which featured mementoes and pictures from the years gone by.

The gathering closed with a thank you to the organizing committee, which included Lawrence Junchen, Sherrard, Ill., Dorothy Meier, Alma Pederson, Ione Bruhn and Gertrude Hagedorn, all of Neillsville.

Attending the event were: Mrs. Grace (Alyea) Higgins, Marshfield; Fred Anderson and wife, Bismarck, N.D.; Ruth (Anderson) Swenson and husband, Brantwood; Leona (Barton) Davis and husband, Neillsville; Brank Betz and wife, Janesville; Erwin Braatz and wife, Eau Claire; Leonard Braatz and wife, Crystal Lake, Ill.; Evelyn (Ehlers) Junchen, Green Bay; Alice (Ferguson) Qualley, Granton; Edward Frantz and wife, Nevada City, Calif.; Genevieve (Gaden) Schmidt, Loyal; and Irving Gerhardt and wife, Madison; Gertrude (Gress) Hagedorn and husband, Hiram Haugen and wife, of Neillsville; Ruth (Huckstead) Beyer, Manitowoc; Lawrence Junchen, Sherrard, Ill.; Jeff Keach and wife, Waupun.

Wade Lepke and wife, and Dorothy (Lynch) Meier, Neillsville; Florence May, Washington, D.C.; Harriett (Neff) Gustman, Neillsville; Lucille (Prock) McConnell and husband, Greenwood; Helene Reindell) Mills and husband, Loyal; Ruth (Redmond) Moberg and husband, Greenwood; Ernie Reimer and wife, New Era, Mi.; Florence (Reinhard) Boer and husband, Marshfield; Fern (Rowe) Borde, Albany, Ore.; Ruth (Schlinsog) Turner and husband, Wis. Rapids; Ione (Schweinler) Bruhn and husband, Neillsville; Clarence Stelloh, Shorewood; Alma (Wagner) Pederson, Neillsville; and Mildred (Walters) Warneske, Stone Park, Ill.

Classmates unable to attend were Mildred (Baird) Meyer, Marshfield; Kathleen (Dwyer) Gillis, Flushing, N.Y.; Louise Ferguson, Owasso, Mi.; Hazel (Kuehn) Bruley, Chippewa Falls; Wilma (Lambright) Cooper, Meriden, Miss.; Mildred (Lastofka) Hackett, Saukville; Norman Neilson, Birlely, Mo.; Sister Caroline, Manitowoc; Verna (Raether) Saxe, Glendale, Calif.; Helen (Smith) Peterson, Black River Falls; Walter Weaver, Jacksonville, Flo.; and Elmer Zaeske, New Berlin.