Cooleemee High School Class of 1945 celebrated its 69th reunion (get-together) on Sept. 27 at K&W in Salisbury.
Mildred Nail Seamon welcomed the group and Andrea Cornatzer gave the invocation. Twelve people including five of the original class members were present.
Class members, spouses and guests were Mildred Nail Seamon and daughter; Mary Tom Spry Carter and daughter; Pauline Carter Deal and husband and daughter; Reba Saunders Holt; Mildred Chappell Turner and daughter. Also attending was Evelyn Howard Ridenhour and husband.
No program was presented, there was just fellowship and reminiscing.
The 57th anniversary of the 1957 Class of Boyden High School was celebrated through a number of activities during the time period of Friday, Sept. 19 through Sunday, Sept. 21, where 40 1957 graduates and 23 spouses and guests participated in the celebrations.
The feature event was fellowship and a barbecue dinner at the home of Myron and Mary Goodman on South Fulton Street on Saturday evening.
Prior to the meal, group pictures were made and many memories rekindled. J.C. Ludwig presented Mary Goodman with a framed proclamation making her an honorary member of the Boyden Class of 1957, an action unanimously approved by the class at its 55th reunion.
Other weekend activities included lunch at Wink’s and dinner at Blue Bay on Friday and lunch at DJ’s on Saturday . A farewell breakfast was held at the Comfort Suites on Sunday morning.
Don Rink, who chaired the committee which organized the reunion, pointed out the ironic fact that, at the time of this 57th reunion, the class of ’57 had 57 members who had passed away.
Harold Cornelison of Sandy, Utah, travelled the greatest distance to be part of the celebration. Other out-of-state attendees were Jerry Basinger of Hohenwald, Tenn.; Buddy Brown of Greer, S.C.; Richard Cashwell of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Marget Goodman Hall of Hoschton, Ga.; Sara Kay Hinson Canter of Charlottesville, Va.; Zeb Harry of Steele’s Tavern, Va.; Hugh Julian of Surfside Beach, S.C.; Nancy McCartney Moffitt of Marietta, Ga.; and Nancy Morris Barksdale of Nashville, Tenn.
Other out-of-town members of the class in attendance were: Sarah Aldredge Butler, Winston-Salem; Steve Browning, Charlotte; John Davis, Cornelius; Millie Heilig Miller, Burlington; Bill King, Lake Junaluska; Elizabeth Miller Horton, Bethania; Elizabeth Newsom Humphries, Winston-Salem; Jan Pittman Ballard, Greensboro; Willie Plummer, Sparta; Bob Rodgers, Mooresville; Jerry Shank, Mooresville; Buena Still Lambeth, Raleigh; and LaSelle Thompson Miller, Concord.
Local class members in attendance were Rachel Allen Dunn, Joe Blake, Gary Burleson, Bob Cook, Carl Eagle, Ruth Eller Kepley, Raymond Elliott, Jim Emerson, Myron Goodman, J. C. Ludwig, Reid Patterson, Sylvia Lewis Peeler, Don Rink, Sue Porter Rink, Bill Waller and Jerry Winecoff.
Forty members of the Boyden High School Class of 1954 celebrated their 60th Reunion Sept. 26–27. On Friday evening, class members and their guests enjoyed bar-b-que and Cheerwine at the home of Norma and Roy Campbell in Milford Hills.
Saturday evening they gathered at the Country Club of Salisbury for dinner, reminiscing and fun. A class picture was made by Steve Norman. James Jarrell, who also crafted the name tags displaying graduation pictures, gave a memorial message for the 19 class members that have died since the last reunion in 2009. Roy Campbell, who was Co-Chair of the Reunion Committee with his wife, Norma, was Master of Ceremonies and introduced Committee Members: Ann Atwell Morris, Shirley Barnes Freeze, Meetta Carlton Lampert, Nancy Eagle Coggin, Buddy Evans, James Jarrell and wife Nancy; Mack Lampert, Betty Dan Nicholas Spencer and husband Bobby; Mary Jane Smiley Thompson, who created the table decorations using the school colors of black and gold, and Pat Freese, widow of deceased class member, Bob Freese.
Matthew Weaver entertained with musical selections on the piano and hammered dulcimer and vocals. Mary Jane Smiley Thompson, Nancy Eagle Coggin and Mack Lampert regaled the group with items from the “Bucket Lists,” of those present which were prepared during the evening. Special recognition was given to Norma Campbell, who so graciously entertains the class along with husband Roy, and is vital in the record-keeping and communicating for the class.
Classmates attending from Salisbury were: Ann Atwell Morris, Shirley Barnes Freeze, Nancy Brown Austin, Roy Campbell, Meetta Carlton Lampert, Nancy Eagle Coggin, Buddy Evans, Patricia Hoffman Harris, James Jarrell, Bob Kimball, Mack Lampert, John Lowery, Bill Miller, Telka Mowery Weant, Betty Dan Nicholas Spencer, Jim Rabon, John Robinson, Mary Jane Smiley Thompson, Carole Jean Stoessel Zvonar, Peggy Swaringen Looney.
Also in attendance from North Carolina: Nancy Coggin Cothran and Jim Morton, Charlotte; Jean Parrish Dinkins, Clemmons; Gale White, Durham; John Rainey, Enfield; Jack Brady, Greensboro; Sarah Sharpe Wilson, Linwood; Doug Graham, Matthews; Martha Ellen Copley Scruggs, Mooresville; Martha Thornton Fleming, Winston-Salem.
From California, Jerry Sechrest; from Colorado: Ann Cornelison Hughes; from District of Columbia: Liddy Hanford Dole; from Florida, John Yantsios; from Georgia: Ron Beacham; from South Carolina, Janice Davis Holbrook, Mary Sue Earnhardt Cooper; from Texas, Tom Mattox; from Virginia, Buren Aldredge.
Special guests were wives of deceased class members Pat Freese (Bob) and Mary Ann Weddington (Harry).
Members of the Granite Quarry High School Class of 1955 met for their 59th Year After graduation Reunion at Ryan’s Restaurant in Salisbury on Saturday Sept. 27. Those present were President Perry Julian, Secretary Elaine Fisher Williams and husband Jesse, Jay Ritchie and wife Shelby, Phyllis Brown and Riley V. Robinson, J.D. Ludwig and wife Nancy, Richard Holshouser and wife Rachel, Dixie Miller and husband Tom Talbert, Lynda Andrews and husband Roy Pethel, Larry Barringer and wife JoAnn, Betty Joyner and husband John Johnson, Ann Peeler Winkler, David Hess, Nancy Eagle Parrish, Nancy Lyerly Agner, Carolyn Barringer Corl and Carolyn Hutchins Hampton.
Past faculty member Mrs. Doris Ritchie and classmate friend Peggy Holshouser, spouse of former classmate Eddie Gray Holshouser, also attended.
Business matters included a financial report, a discussion on memorial gifts for deceased members and plans for our next gathering which will be on Sept. 26, 2015.
The Rockwell High School Class of 1959 met for its 55th reunion on Saturday evening, Sept. 27 at the Organ Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall, Rockwell.
The reunion was well attended with 51 people present, of whom 30 were classmates.
Ann Brown Miller provided appetizers and punch for the group to enjoy prior to the buffet dinner which was served by Debbie Suggs Catering.
Classmates and guests were welcomed by Sybil Penninger Baker, chairperson of the Planning Committee, and John N. Trexler gave the invocation.
Following dinner, Carolyn Cauble Hartung presented a poem in memory of classmate Jo Hoffman Ford, who died in January 2014.
John N. Trexler and Joe Freeze gave presentations on “Laughing at Ourselves” now that we are over 70 years of age. Much fun and laughter was enjoyed by all.
The class banner, “Let us never forget each other” was brought to the reunion and classmates who had not previously signed the banner did so at this time. Members of the class who are experiencing health issues were noted, and classmates expressed their concern. Door prizes of fall flower arrangements and gift cards were awarded. Classmates agreed that the 56th reunion will be held on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015.
The Reunion Planning Committee included Sybil Pennninger Baker, Christine Bame Graham, Ann Brown Miller, Carolyn Cauble Hartung, Joe Freeze, Brenda Heglar Cooke, RL and Sandra Beaver Mills.
Those attending the reunion from Salisbury: RL and Sandra Beaver Mills, Joe Freeze (Phyllis), Wayne Goodman, Dan Kesler (Archer), Sybil Penninger Baker (Bill), Carolyn Cauble Hartung, Robert Efird (Linda), Jerry Morgan (Mary), Jimmy Shaver, Ellen Ludwig Marsh (sister Susie Wilson), Gailya Fowler Kluttz (Johnny), Larry Shipton (Iris), Betty Sue Petrea Sifford (Jimmy),Charles Earnhardt, Robert Goodman; from Rockwell: Anis Maners Boyd (Bobby), Mickey Holshouser (Nancy), Pat Holshouser Beliveau (George), Brenda Heglar Cooke (Carroll), Ann Brown Miller (Clarence); from Richfield: LeeRoy Kirk (Jeannie), Larry Morgan (Loretta); from Greensboro: Christine Bame Graham (Bob); from Kannapolis: Gaynell Galloway Funderburk (Wayne); from New Bern: Loy Morgan; from Indian Trail: John N. Trexler (Ruth).
Descendants of the late Walter Adolphus Lyerly and Minnie Morgan Lyerly gathered together on Saturday, Sept. 27 at the American Legion building in Faith for their annual reunion with 27 family members present. Hosts for the barbecue meal were Rodney and Brenda Fulk and Wesley and Christie Fulk.
Wes Fulk, president, welcomed everyone and presided over family business. The following were changes in the family history since last year:
Births: Abigayle Kayelynn Best, born Feb. 5, 2014, to Jamie Best and Heather Thacker; Townes Brandon Caskey, born Feb. 13, 2014, to Brandon and Brandi Caskey; Carson Jace Friel, born March 20, 2014, to Robert and Kristan Friel; Audrey Lynn Benfield and Cannon Walter Benfield (twins), born May 24, 2014, to Daniel and Leah Benfield.
Deaths: Betty Lippard on Jan. 27, 2014; Dennis Lyerly on Feb. 13, 2014; Dorothy Caskey on June 25, 2014.
Marriage: Jennifer Jarrett Miller and Michael Hoornstra on Sept. 14, 2013.
Attending from out of state were Ron and Betty Hicks of Newport News, Va. Attending from out of town were Max and Deanie Webb and Melanie Williams of Madison.
Officers for next year are: Wesley Fulk, president; Tim Lyerly, vice president; Gaynelle Morgan, secretary and treasurer.
The next reunion will be held on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015, with Melvin and Gaynelle Morgan as hosts.
The Rowan Redbuds Garden Club met Thursday, Sept. 25, at Rowan Public Library. President Anganetta Dover presided. Kaye Brown Hirst gave a program on Hydrangeas: Preserving, Drying and Using Hydrangea Blossoms.
If you are interested in visiting the Rowan Redbuds Garden Club call one of these numbers for more information: 704-638-0575 or 704-636-9526.
Those interested in a workshop on visiting clients in a skilled nursing setting, call Glenda Walters at 336-250-1988.