64th “Reunion” Lunch Event - A Lively and Fun Experience.
(See photos in PHOTO ALBUMS)
On September 12th, a total of twenty-five people, which included seventeen classmates and eight guests, met for a relaxing and lively lunch at Bur's restaurant in Lakewood. The event was held mid-week, at noon, for maximum ease of attending. Everyone had a good time conversing with different people. The event was purposely kept simple without extravagant fanfare. The result was a casual and relaxed experience.
The venue was a test to determine whether a restaurant was a good place to hold the event. While it was great, as usual, to see our friends, the conclusion was that a different setting would be more suitable for our next event. The reason for that conclusion was that the room, while private, was noisy, which made conversation challenging for those of us with less-than-perfect hearing - there were too many hard surfaces. Also, the configuration of the tables was not the best. There were three long tables for seating, which made conversation with different people a bit challenging. The high noise level meant that you often had to get up and walk to the person you wanted to talk with, and there wasn't always a seat available to sit and chat.
A final consideration for this venue was that the cost per person would be low ($21). Despite the challenges, everyone seemed to enjoy themself. We all managed to make opportunities to do some precious catching up with different classmates. Toward the end of the event, Gail Kieffer, got everyone’s attention to discuss a date for our next one. The consensus was that we should have another casual lunch event sooner rather than later. Hence, the end of January 2024 was the popular choice.
To ensure that we have a venue that is quieter, allows easy mixing with classmates, and is easy to get to, the cost per person is likely to be a bit higher than it was for this event. Before the end of the year, the committee plans to have details to distribute to classmates regarding an end-of-January 2024 event.
As always, we are excited to see each and every one of you at the next event!
Best wishes to all for a happy, safe, and healthy remainder of 2023.
Your Reunion Committee.
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Our 63rd Reunion Picnic Event Was a Success!
The event was well attended. Warm, sunny weather greeted classmates and guests. Several circular tables were nicely set for comfortable socializing and eating while having a spectacular view of a sparkling American Lake. The food was healthy and tasty and was available buffet style. The event's highlight was a surprise ceremony to honor Charlie Bergeron for his 50 years of committee leadership, which produced 10 successful reunion events.
See the "63rd Reunion Picnic" tab at the left margin for details.
A photo album for the event has been added.
The photo below is a group photo of all who attended the Reunion Picnic.
November 17th, 2022, Event at Meadow Park Golf Club:
A total of 19 people attended this recent event. Another 7 signed up but canceled at the last minute due to injury, illness, and other unavoidable issues. So, if everyone had been able to attend, there would have been at least 26 attendees. Based on the actual attendance, the no-shows, and the time of the year, our guess is that the next event, in the Spring, will likely have a much higher attendance.
Everyone liked this venue. It has good potential for future events. Everyone agreed that we should do it there, again, in the spring. The setting was pleasant for a large group. The menu was good for a lunch event. The single-level and level-entry-layout were also appealing. Plus, Meadow Park Golf Club is easy to get to with good parking. So everyone was in good spirits and having a good time.
Be sure to note on your calendar that we will be doing it again in the Spring. The date will be determined in January, and an email notification will be sent out. Even though this one was the 3rd “reunion” event since August, a lot of classmates seem to be up for multiple events during the year. Our age undoubtedly has something to do with it.
We hope to see you at the next one! It will be a great opportunity to let your teenage self come out.
Classmates who have recently left us:
Neva Jo Berg Conzatti, July 22, 2020, Centralia, WA
George Ivie, April 2020
John Link, September 2, 2020, Tacoma
John McConaghy, October 26, 2021, Sarasota, FL
Brian McGuire, February 11, 2022, Palm Springs, CA
Donna Michaelson Ruthardt, March 11, 2022, Beaverton, OR
Mel Neighbors, February 23, 2020, University Place
Audrey Ockfen Charles, February 21, 2020, Sacramento, CA
Kay Swift, December 2022
Dawn Walker Baty, June 29, 2021, Gig Harbor
Roger Woodcock, April 11, 2020, Lebanon, OR
Gary Wooten, April 2020
Amazing Sketch of Jerry Storvick
In "PROFILES" at the left margin, see the larger rendering of this amazing sketch of Jerry along with the story about the sketch and how we came to possess it.
HELP! Your help is requested to locate classmates listed on the "Help us Find..." list. Also, check the "In Memory of..." list and
let us know of a classmate who has passed away and is not on the list.
Your help is greatly appreciated. If you have information,
please contact Gail Keiffer, Ann Darrah, or Rich Longstreth.
Ann Cook Darrah needs some expert help with our Access database
If you are or you know someone who is a Microsoft Access guru, who can give a couple of hours of your/their time, Ann would greatly appreciate the assistance.
Reunion Committee Meeting Schedule:
To be announced.
"PROFILES" - Recommend a classmate to be profiled (See "PROFILES" link at the left). This could be someone who has had an extraordinary experience or who has extraordinary success in their career or life pursuit. Contact Rich with your candidate's name.
<<< See photos of the 63rd Reunion at the Photo Album link to the left
