HISTORY OF THE CLASS OF 1960
[TAKEN FROM THE 1960 CARDINAL YEARBOOK]
Well kids, just look at us now! Here we are getting ready for graduation. Graduation from four of the most wonderful years of our lives. If we could only relive them all for a few minutes. At least, it’s worth a try. Let’s do it!
Our Freshman year started out with a group of thirty-two scared little freshmen. Among them were Denney Anderson, Jerry Anderson, Janne Beedle, Robert Bornholdt, Delbert Brehmer, Cheryl Cordes, Wayne Cordes, Carolee Eilenstine, Carol Ann Forsythe, Frances Frederickson, Billy Griffith, Johanna Hall, Carolyn Holst, Larry Jacobsen, Jim Johnson, Melvin Larsen, Lotus Luth, Joan Mickelsen, Mary Etta Nash, Trudy Nissen, Carol Palmer, Marlene Popp, Dwight Saemisch, Arnie Sampson, Cathleen Sievers, Monica Sievers, Kenneth Suhr, James Walter, Mary Weir, Linda Wilson, Jo Ann Woltmann, and Gene Young.
Our first memory of high school was the hair-raising night that the seniors initiated us. After recovering from that, we had to get down to business and elect our class officers. They were: Carolyn Holst, President; Jerry Anderson, Vice President; and Jo Ann Woltmann, Secretary-Treasurer. Soon we were approaching the big week of homecoming. Cheryl Cordes and Trudy Nissen had been nominated as homecoming queen candidates. As a result of our hard work on our float, “Walnut Weds Victory,” we received third prize. During the second semester we lost Mary Etta Nash, Trudy Nissen, and Carolyn Holst, but gained Sharon and Mary Jo Grinstead, only to lose them in a couple of weeks.
Twenty-eight members returned to enter our second year of high school. At the end of our Freshman year Janne Beedle transferred to Atlantic, but we gained Darryll McMaster. Those returning to continue their education in the Walnut High School were Denney Anderson, Jerry Anderson, Jim Beyers, Robert Bornholdt, Delbert Brehmer, Cheryl Cordes, Wayne Cordes, Carol Ann Forsythe, Frances Frederickson, Johnny Graham, Billy Griffith, Johanna Hall, Larry Jacobsen, Jim Johnson, Melvin Larsen, Lotus Luth, Darryll McMaster, Joan Mickelsen, Marlene Popp, Arnie Sampson, Cathleen Sievers, Monica Sievers, Kenneth Suhr, Jim Walter, Mary Weir, Linda Wilson, Jo Ann Woltmann, and Gene Young.
As in the year before, the first thing we had to do was to select class officers. They were; Delbert Brehmer, President; Darryll McMaster, Vice President; Cheryl Cordes, Secretary; and Kenneth Suhr, Treasurer. The next important thing to our class was homecoming. For our float we had “Walnut Climbs to Victory” with Mary Weir chosen as our candidate for queen. As the year progressed, many honors were given to our class in sports, music (instrumental as well as vocal), and many other things. In the spring six boys and girls were chosen to wait on tables for the Junior-Senior Banquet. Many of us will always remember the black charcoal that we had to wear on our faces.
Nine months later we were in the Junior ring of graduation. Darryll McMaster and Linda Wilson left; but we gained Sylvia Jantz, Douglas Gries, and Delores Butts, leaving us with 30 Jolly Juniors. Our homecoming float was “Dragon AvoHa.” Cathleen Sievers was honored by being nominated as homecoming queen candidate. As in other years, we elected our class officers. Jerry Anderson was President; Cathleen Sievers was Vice President; Cheryl Cordes was Secretary; and Carol Ann Forsythe was Treasurer. The selling of hot dogs, maid-rites, coffee and pop during the football and basketball seasons helped us to put on a very successful Junior-Senior Banquet with the theme Arabian Nights.
The final year has come–the year some of us have been looking forward to for 12 years. We all have found our four years of high school have gone fast. Now that graduation is here, we realize how much school has meant to us.
Those still with us after the long struggle are: Denney Anderson, Jerry Anderson, Robert Bornholdt, Delbert Brehmer, Delores Butts, Cheryl Cordes, Wayne Cordes, Carol Ann Forsythe, Frances Frederickson, Billy Griffith, Larry Jacobsen, Sylvia Jantz, Jim Johnson, Melvin Larsen, Lotus Luth, Joan Mickelsen, Marlene Popp, Arnie Sampson, Cathleen Sievers, Monica Sievers, Kenneth Suhr, Jim Walter, Mary Weir, Jo Ann Woltmann, and Gene Young.
The officers to carry on the many problems of the Senior Class are: Jerry Anderson, President; Cheryl Cordes, Vice President; Cathleen Sievers, Secretary; and Monica Sievers, Treasurer. Our homecoming was very successful with our class taking first place with our float, “Laying For Elliott.” Our class was also honored by Cathleen Sievers being homecoming queen, and Gene Young being king. Joan Mickelsen served as one of the queen’s attendants. A Student Council was organized this year with each class having representatives. Jerry Anderson, Cheryl Cordes and Jim Walter are the representatives from the Senior Class.
THIRD GRADE CLASS IN THE 1951 CARDINAL YEARBOOK
First Row, L to R: Trudy Nissen, Marilyn Baker, Haeven Pedersen, Lotus Luth, Marlene Popp, Carol Palmer, Carolyn Holst, Carol Forsythe, Mary Etta Nash, JoAnn Woltmann, Mary Weir, Melvin Larsen, Kenny Suhr. Second Row: Miss Bathurst, James Riley, Jimmy Walter, Jimmy Johnson, Bobby Rounds, Edwina Bowman, Delbert Brehmer, Wayne Cordes, Nancy Bigelow, Ronald Schluter, Charles George, Sheryl Wyant, Jimmy Beyer.
FIFTH GRADE IN THE 1953 CARDINAL YEARBOOK
Front, L to R: Phyllis Leed, JoAnn Woltmann, Tommy Morris, Dwain Blum, Carol Forsythe, Joan Mickelsen, Billy Griffith, Nancy Bigelow, James Walter, Arnie Sampson. Second Row: Cathleen Sievers, Kenneth Suhr, Marlene Popp, Trudy Nissen, Mary Etta Nash, Mary Weir, Freeman Ping, Ronald Schluter, Delbert Brehmer, Wayne Cordes. Third Row: Jim Beyer, Alfred De Shazo, Francis Fredricksen, Carolee Eilenstine, Kay Trube, Eva Mae Eilenstine, Carol Palmer, James Johnson, Haeven Pedersen. Fourth Row: Shirley Petersen, Carolyn Holst, Lotus Luth, Robert Bornholdt, Charles George, Melvin Larsen, Dwight Saemisch, Larry Jacobsen, Bobby Rounds.
50TH CLASS REUNION
The Walnut Class of 1960 held their 50th class reunion on August 21, 2010. They met in the afternoon at the Doug and Cheryl Brown farm for refreshments and snacks and then ate dinner at the Feedlot Steakhouse in Atlantic. 16 class members attended. Seven of the original first grade class went through all 12 years of school together through graduation. They were Carol Forsythe DeBruyn, Lotus Luth Goergen, Frank Bill Griffith, Jim Johnson, Kenny Suhr, Jim Walter and Mary Weir Pagett. All of these except for Mary attended the reunion and were honored with a special program.
Others classmates attending were Denney Anderson, Robert Bornholdt, Cheryl Cordes Brown, Larry Jacobsen, Melvin Larsen, Joan Mickelsen Odsather, Frances Fredericksen Penry, Arnie Sampson, JoAnn Woltmann Schuemann, and Cathleen Sievers Young.
A Sunday morning breakfast was held at Aunt B’s Kitchen in Walnut, followed by a tour of the school led by Rick Blum. Bobby Rounds, who was in their first grade class, but left after 8th grade, joined the group on Sunday.
Class members known to be deceased are Charles George (went through 8th), Trudy Nissen Lubin (left in 9th), Linda Wilson Adams (left after 10th), and Gene Young and Wayne Cordes, who graduated from Walnut in 1960.
(Thanks to JoAnn Schuemann and Carol Sampson for the information about the WHS Class of 1960 and their 50th reunion.)
KH