News and Updates

Once a Viking, always a Viking.

What a day it was!!  Words are hard to describe the amazing time we had on Saturday July 27.  A brief summary of both events follows:

First of all, the planning committee consisting of Judy Klang Harrington, Nancy Wallaert Wales, Rhonda Dettling Lai, Dawn Rogers Schmaltz, Craig Bradley, Greg Nolz, Tracy Ham and Mark Washam  would like to thank all of those who were able to attend and helped to make it a very special day.  Suffice it to say that our planning efforts since last December for this event couldn't have imagined how well everything went.  What an amazing team!  An added bonus to our planning efforts was our reconnecting again with each other and renewing old and initiating new friendships.

First event: Noon till 2:00 pm in the CHS Multipurpose Room.  

Any and all CHS attendees were invited and we had about 70 people show up.  After getting name tags with our names and class year assigned (necessary because some of us have changed a lot physically since our high school days :), we mingled and reaquainted with past classmates. Others spent time looking through our memory table with photos, yearbooks, graduation and school memorabilia from our days at CHS.  Delicious pies, brownies and cookies were provided by the Colton Cafe for everyone to enjoy.  

After awhile, we all gathered together to honor five former teachers/administrators from our time at CHS.  Diane Meiser (Lundberg)-Home Economics, Larry Benthin-Drivers Ed., Gary Hedeen-Science, Barbara Axemaker Hill-Girls PE and coach, and Duane Stanbro-Superintendent.  They shared some of the memories they had of their years teaching and demonstrated again how dedicated they were to their students and fellow staff.  We laughed a lot.  Then it was time for former students to share their favorite memories of teachers and their appreciation for the impact they had on their lives.  Kit Marr (1976) surprised everyone when he stood up and said he wanted to sing a song to his former teachers.  He then proceeded to sing an absolutely beautiful song of tribute and love.  I can honestly say not a few had a moist eye or two after that.

The time in the Multipurpose room concluded with a PowerPoint slide show, accompanied by hit songs of 1974-75.  The show featured photos of former teachers and school staff, Then and Now photos of Colton landmarks like the Colton Market, the Lutheran Church, etc. and a variety of photos taken from yearbooks from the 1970-1975 era.

Eric Bjarnson facilities director of CHS (and husband of Chris Wilcken Bjarnson-1975) then unlocked doors to the Gym, locker rooms, and classrooms in the high school for anyone who hadn't been in those hallways for 50 years to explore once more.  Some places, like the music room looked exactly the same as they did when we were in school.  Others were completely different, like the old library that has now been made into two separate classrooms.  I personally don't believe in ghosts, but walking those hallways and corridors certainly brought back lots of memories and the presence of teachers and fellow students who once called this place their home away from home.

The second event: 3:00-7:00pm 1974/1975 class reunion at the home of Judy Klang Harrington and her husband Keith.

What a beautiful setting along Milk Creek for our relaxed time of reconnecting, reminiscing, remembering and rekindling friendships. The weather and grounds were perfect. We took a break to get class pictures taken and prepare for a fabulous meal.  Judy had cooked a ton of delicious pulled pork the night before that we made into sandwiches. We also enjoyed sides and salads that participants shared.  We ate REAL good and way too much for our (maturing) bodies.

After the meal, we gathered again to focus on a different PowerPoint slide presentation focusing on the classes of 1974/1975.  The last several slides were of our classmates, that we know of, who have passed beyond this life.  A time of silent reflection was followed by the Vince Gill rendition of the song "Go Rest High On That Mountain".  I then gave a brief challenge and encouragement to "live out the dash" in our lives and the days we have left. Our time concluded with Tracy Ham singing and playing his guitar, just like he did at our graduation in 1974, to our class song by Cat Stevens, "Oh Very Young".  Jim Hargie also shared his personally created prints and invited everyone to take whatever they wanted home for free.  Thanks Jim!

Filled with joy at seeing and sharing with one another after the passing of 50 years and reflecting on what is still most important, our small crowd of about fifty began to drift away and return to our most important task.  Making the most out of the lives we have left and the relationships we cherish the most.  Until next time...

Mark

Multipurpose Room All Year Gathering

                                    Kitt Mar                                                                                            Bruce Remington                                                Mark Wilcox, Jim Lundgren, Grant Stanbro                                                 

                                 Alpha Matthews                                                                                        Group 1                                                                                                   Group 2

Tracy Ham, Grant Stanbro                                                Teachers: Diane Meiser Lundberg, Larry Benthin, Gary Hedeen,  Barbara Axemaker Hill, Duane Stanbro                                                                                    

                                                  Craig Bradley in Music Room                                                                                                          Old Library, now two classrooms

                                                            High School office                                                                                                                                   Keyboarding/Typing

                                                 Mrs. Mansker's classroom                                                                             Mr. Randall's classroom, Craig Bradley, Jim Hargie

                                                  Hall way                                                                                                                                                Gym/Stage

                                                             Gym/Bleachers                                                                                                                                                       Back Stage

                                           Tracy Ham in Boy's Locker Room                                                                                                                     Girl's Locker Room

Classes of 1974/1975 Reunion at Judy Klang Harrington's Home

                                                                         Class of 1974                                                                                            Class of 1975                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                          Combined class of 1974 and 1975

Greg Nolz, Karen Hewitt Schiewie, Karen Howe                Mrs. Diane Meiser Lundberg and husband Wayne                     Tracy Ham and Mark Washam

Nancy Wallaert Wales and husband Rob, Judy Klang Harrington and husband Keith, Rhonda Dettling Lai                                                                                      Jeanette Orengo Hanson

                                                               Then, 1974                                                                                                                                 50 Years Later