The following article was originally printed in the Washington County Post on August 11, 1955.
Class of 1948 Has Reunion Recently at Brick Hotel
Twenty-one Members Attend – Enjoy Steak Dinner – Renew Acquaintances
Saturday evening, July 23, 1955, the class of 1948 held its first reunion at the Brick Hotel with 21 persons in attendance. Donald Bates led in Grace, which was followed by a delicious steak dinner. Robert Tuttle acted as toastmaster and started an informal “Round the Table” introduction of each person.
The class history with accompanying annual pictures compiled by Mrs. Hanna (McKernon) Alexander was read by Mrs. Alice (MacArthur) Geelan and Mrs. Janice (Hillman) Alexander. Mrs. Joyce (Royal) Bentley presented a “Remember When” feature. Mrs. Ida (Furfuro) Hayes read the future plans of the class of ’48.
The reunion was enjoyed by all and renewed contacts and memories. The class history is as follows:
Editor’s Note: The Red Brick Hotel was built on the southwest corner of Park Street and Main Street in 1842. It was demolished in November 1965. Over the yeas it was also known as Comstock’s, Fenton House, and Irving House. Cumberland Farms now occupies the spot.
History of the Class of 1948
Nineteen years ago this September began the good old school days for many of us. Miss Eva Carpenter, who had previously greeted a good many first grades, was on hand to give us a sweet smile and a few words of encouragement also. Since then, however, that well-known and much loved teacher has passed away but I’m sure she’ll never be forgotten.
The small people that she took in and guided in that year of 1936 included: Ruth Thompson, Norma Arnold, Barbara Butts, Harvey Hahn, Larry Coulter, Ruth Marra, Alice Marra, Joyce Royal, Donald Coulter, Pauline Motsiff, Larry Wyman, Howard Montgomery, Eugene Nixon, Janice Hillman, Mary Lee Wright, Jack Ross, Lorraine McLenithan, Barbara Holcomb, Edith Watkins, Bobby Peabody, Paul Welch, Ernest Weber, Franklin Thompson, Leah Knapp, Hanna McKernon, Charles Vickers, Orson Spurr (in those days), Caroline Mullen, and James Mulligan. From that beginning class of 29 pupils only 5 of the original members were in the graduating class of 1948. They were Janice Hillman, Joyce Royal, Hanna McKernon, Charles Vickers, and Kirk Spurr.
As we remember our days in first grade we will probably think of the play house the girls especially enjoyed and the little weather dolls Miss Carpenter would display on the window sill as the weather changed from day to day.
Everyone seemed to have passed on to the second grade the next year with Miss Charletine Ostrander as our teacher. Alice Mulligan, Howard Granger, Louis and Edward Holcomb, Wesley Brown and a boy by the name of Burdick joined us. In our second year of school we felt quite important to be going to the Methodist Church where we all made friends with the janitor, Mr. Church, who never seemed to tire of our endless questions and constant chatter.
Third grade with Mrs. Janey Coulter, I’m sure we’ll remember for a while because of our field trip outings. Hastings Meat Market, the Cambridge Bakery, Mr. Arnott’s dairy farm, and Fisher’s and Pemrick’s Dairy Plants were all on the agenda. Last, but not least, was our picnic at the end of the year down at Rockside where we all went swimming in our BVD’s. That year Joe Herrington, Carl Granger, Jerry Robertson, and Arthur Jordan joined us.
Passing on into fourth grade we met tall, dark, and prim-looking Miss Rebecca Bell, Fred Hover, Harry Clark, Pat Gibbons, Charles Haynes, Wilma Green, and Kathleen Deegan. From the windows of grade four we could easily see the diamond and watch different classes taking gym, for this we often got scolded. Another couple of remembrances of the fourth grade are the many drawings and paintings we always had on display around the room and a noon-hour in which Charles Vickers was greeting everyone in the cloak room.
Of course over a period of a few years, some people moved away and others were left behind, but because we don’t have an accurate account of these, we are not naming them.
In grade five there was no class picture so we don’t have the names of those who came in that year. Our teacher was Miss Ethel Carey. By now we also had a separate teacher for art, which was taught to us by Miss Record. During our fourth and fifth years of school we started having our first so called “gripes”. In one or the other of the grades ahead of us had been taking a trip to the capital of NYS each year but when we came along the trips stopped because the board said they couldn’t afford it any longer.
By now we had worked ourselves from room to room up and down the same corridor until we came to grade six and the end, with blonde, blue-eyed Miss Button who had to put up with us for a year. Into this class with us came Don Decker, Don Bates, Douglas Edleston, Diana Coomber, Blanche Mullen, Floyd Granger, Darwin Woodcock, Frances Kyser, Jane Shields, Bessie Danio, and Charles Smith. By now we had become pretty fair gum chewers, note passers, and eraser throwers. How the dust did fly in that little room with the big globe.
Seventh grade, the place of hushed silences and long speeches, Phil DeMarco, Agnes Rogers, Bob Catellier, Ida Furforo, Hazel Loveland, Alice MacArthur, Ruth McLenithan, Bob Small, and Jack Faulkenbury joined the rest of us that year in going up “fools hill”. How long did it take us to get it anyhow? Miss Marguerite Lansing tried her utmost to make ladies and gentlemen out of us that year. We felt quite grownup anyway to be changing into the eighth grade room for some of our classes. T did give us a break – a break to pass more notes and slug erasers faster and farther. In grade seven we also held our first election of class officers. But as we write this none of us can remember them.
Most of us escaped into the eighth grade to Mrs. Olive Noteman. One of the highlights during the winter of 1943 was a Christmas operetta, “The Magi’s Gift” in which the seventh and eighth grader participated.
After all our exhausting regents we were quite anxious to begin high school. Thus we began our freshman year with Miss Margaret Hotaling as our advisor; Donald Decker, pres; Donald bates, vice-pres; Diana Coomber, sec; Ruth Faile, treas; Charles Vickers and Ida Furforo as student council representatives. The class of 1945 put us through a freshman initiation and what a day! Not only did we have to fetch and carry for the upper classmen but we also had to dress to please them. We probably looked like wrecks but we sure had a lot of fun!
In our freshman year we also had a party which was our one allotted activity of the year. After postponing it a couple of times we finally had it on April 13th at the recreation center with Miss Van Duzer and Miss Hotaling as chaperones. Charles Vickers and Hanna McKernon planned the games and refreshments for the group of thirty-five and we guess everyone had a good time. Also that year most of us had the thrill of appearing in our first Spring Concert. It was another first for many of us to be found in the annual popularity contest which always caused a little excitement. Coming to the end of our first year of high school the headlines read – Thirty Students to Graduate form Jr. High, June 22. The salutatorian, Kirk Spurr, greeted the audience by presenting some problems of “The Peace Citizens”. The valedictorian, Charles Vickers, based his speech on the class motto: “Labor Omnia Vincit” (toil conquers all). After Rev. James Hunt, the guest speaker, gave his address the board of education presented diplomas to: Donald Bates, Wesley Brown, Bessie Danio, Donald Decker, Philip DeMarco, Alice Dumal, Ruth Faile, Ida Furforo, Marilyn Harrington, Janice Hillman, Hazel Loveland, Alice MacArthur, Hanna McKernon, Ruth McLenithan, Stanley McLenithan, Ruth Marra, Margaret ulligan, William Nolan, Jerome Robertson, Joyce Royal, Jane Shields, Orson Spurr, Frank Thompson, Edward Tollison, Robert Tuttle, and Charles Vickers.
Our sophomore year came along next under the leadership of Mr. Kenneth Wilbur and class officers as follows: Jerry Robertson, pres; Bob Tuttle, vice pres; Jane Shields, sec; Pat Poole, treas; Kirk Spurr and Ruth Faile as student council representatives. The new additions to our class were Irene Lunos from Long Island and Pat Poole from New Jersey, and also Bill Mason from Manlius School. That year we also bought our class pins. In May we had one of our money making projects which was a treasure hunt and dance. If you recall the treasure was finally found near St. Patrick’s Cemetery.
Our junior year under the guidance of Miss Ruth Weir seemed to be a fairly busy one. The only new addition was Ward Sherman, who came back to finish school after being in the Navy. Bob Tuttle was elected president, Hanna McKernon vice president; Irene Lunos, secretary; Ruth Faile, treasurer; Ida Furforo and Don Decker, student council representatives. Our long-awaited rings came in February and of course everyone got all excited over them, even though some didn’t keep them very long. If you’ll remember we sold candy and soda at basketball games and noon hours. We also had a food sale and a white elephant sale that year. On May 9th in 1947 we had a dance at Lake Lauderdale which proved to be quite successful. Chaperones for the occasion were: Miss Weir, Mr. and Mrs. Nash and Mr. and Mrs. Gallup. Bess Wurm’s orchestra furnished the music. In June we would up the year with a picnic at Hedges Lake. The girls went up in the afternoon to make preparations for the supper while the fellows had baseball practice. Everyone stuffed themselves as usual and Kirk Spurr gave us all a ride in his motor boat. Later in the evening roller skating was enjoyed by those who stayed on their feet. Thus ended one year packed with work and fun.
During the summer of 1947 our famous old school suddenly caught fire and quickly burned. The opening of school in September was postponed a few days until the board could find room for every class. Every available church hall and building including the old school annex were put into use that fall.
When we started our senior year we found ourselves going to the seed house office with a few classes in the annex. In this, our last year, Mrs. Thomas Shiland was the adviser with Hanna McKernon, pres; Ida Furforo, vice pres; Janice Hillman, sec; Alice MacArthur, treas; Ruth McLenithan and Jerry Robertson student council representatives. Only one new member came to us in this year and that was Al Campbell who came from New Jersey. Of course, our last year was the very best with so much going on. Besides all the food sales we had a St patrick’s Day Dance at the grange hall. At this was featured a cake walk ad music was furnished by Doc’s Band. Winners of the cakes were Rogers Gorman, Warren Skellie, and Wendall Walker. Our chaperones were Miss Holden and Mr. Wallace. Although we didn’t make any money on that deal we did have a lot of fun. Finally came our Easter vacation and the trip to the big city of New York which we had been eagerly looking forward to for many years. Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Shiland our chaperones and the Van Zile Tour Co, we all had the time of our lives. After that, in May we had a very nice combination Jr and Sr Banquet and Dance, the first of its kind to be held in place of the usual Jr Prom, which didn’t seem to go over well in our school.
However, since the new school has been in operation the situation has greatly improved. The report on this year’s Prom is that it was a great success. Our last important act took place Monday June 28th 8 o’clock at the United Presbyterian Church, our commencement. Charles Vickers had the honor of being our valedictorian and Kirk Spurr had the honor of being the salutatorian. The remainder of the graduates were: Hanna McKernon, Ida Furforo, Janice Hillman, Alice MacArthur, Ruth Mclenithan, Jerome Robertson, Donald bates, Alfred Campbell, Philip DeMarco, Alice Dumal, Ruth Faile, Betty Guile, Bill Mason, Margaret Mulligan, Donald Decker, Patricia Poole, Joyce Royal, Jane Shields, Edward Tollison, ad Robert Tuttle. Thus ends our grade school and high school memoirs.
However, one sad note in our past was the tragic and sudden death of Bill Mason at the end of the summer of 1948. I’m sure Bill will always be remembered be us all.
In these last seven years some of us have gone on to school, been in the service of our country, gotten married or held various jobs. We are gathered here tonight to catch up on these things, to renew old acquaintances, and to make new ones. So let’s live it up a little! Carl Rissland took group photos after the dinner.
