Fall classmate newsletter now posted

Thanks to the continuing hard work by our newsletter editor and publisher, Diane (Sauer) Hughes, the current edition of our Hiliners61 newsletter is now posted on the blog. You'll find it in the Newsletter Archive on the right side of the screen or, for this latest edition, simply click here. Diane's newsletters in the PDF format are emailed to everyone on the Hiliner61 list. Barb (Shepard) Lang, diligently and at her own expense, prints the PDF and mails it through the regular postal mail to all classmates without computer access to email. Thanks, Diane and Barb...you've done it again!!  Larry G 9-16-2024

This blog is now an ARCHIVE, with a few update exceptions

It was just over 15 years ago, during my first year of retirement from a career in corporate communications, that I bought a "Dummies" book on blogging. Setting up a blog was the latest new rage in using the Worldwide Web as a communication tool. The book showed me how to create this blog, Hiliners61, as a way of encouraging attendance at our celebration of the 50th year since the Class of 1961 graduated from Valley City High School. We would reach that milestone in 2011, but because of an "All-60's Reunion" being conducted in 2010, we celebrated our anniversary a year early, an event put together through a lot of hard work by our Organizing Chair, Barb (Sheppard) Lang and her committee. She has continued to organize celebrations at various milestone points and the "Lunch Bunch" luncheons over the past 15 years. Thanks, Barb!

We've found that Diane (Sauer) Hughes's newsletter works best for communication with our remaining classmates. So many have passed on - God bless their memories. As those of you who are on our Hiliners61 email list know, the newsletter is sent out via a PDF document to our entire email roster and Barb generously has those PDF's printed, mailing them to those without email. She continues to do this at her own expense, and we thank her for that service plus the donating of the costs involved.

WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS, NEW ITEMS WILL NOT BE POSTED ON THE BLOG. Exceptions to that "rule of thumb" will be the adding of new Classmate Interviews, updating the Remembrance List on the right side of the screen and the posting of the latest edition of Diane's newsletter. We'll continue those items for the foreseeable future. Beyond that, all new photos, announcements of events, etc. will be communicated to all classmates with email addresses through the newsletter, via PDF and printed copies will be mailed by Barb to those without email addresses.

The Class Roster will be maintained, as it currently is, by classmate Ron Morsch. and the roster includes a list of deaths. Updates will continue to be emailed with the newsletter and printed copies will be sent to those without email addresses.

As Bobby Zimmerman, a.k.a. Bob Dylan, once wrote and sang, The Times They Are a-Changin' and that's certainly true for our aging Class of 1961. Through the changes I've reported here, it is hoped your Communications Committee can help hold us together throughout our ninth decade. - Larry Gauper, Blogmeister, 6-29-2023

Photos from Pizza Ranch gathering will be in the Hiliners61 Newsletter

 Selected photos from the 15 I shot at the Pizza Ranch gathering of 61ers on June 17, 2023, will appear in the Hiliners61 newsletter to be published by Diane (Sauer) Hughes sometime in the near future. A new focus on the newsletter, sent as a PDF to all those on Diane's email list and printed and mailed to those without email by Barb (Sheppard) Lang, will be where you will see photos and other current items of interest by and about the Class of 61. Major changes to our fifteen year-old blog will be announced soon as we move past our 80th birthdays and as we go forth into the future.  - Larry Gauper 6-20-2023

YellowBird stops for a visit at Panera Bread!

L-R: Tom Kahler, Larry Gauper, and Dave Johnson

Our traveling 61er in his YellowBird Mustang joined Tom and me for our regular Wednesday morning coffee at Panera Bread in Fargo on May 31, 2023. Panera manager Nancy kindly shot this photo of her three happy customers. It was great that Dave took the time to stop by. We had a talkative visit for over two hours. That's when I had to leave but Tom and Dave continued chatting, for how long I don't know. There were so many interesting topics and classmates to visit about! If you're ever in the Fargo area, please join us for coffee at Panera - excellent coffee and an ideal place to visit. As Dave did, give us a call or email to make sure we're not on an off date (seldom but it happens). Thanks for stopping, Dave! 

As I departed our gab fest, I caught this photo of Dave's YellowBird Mustang parked at Panera in Fargo. Not sure where he's headed from here so keep reporting, Dave. Fun to keep track of you and your many visits with classmates all over the USA! - LG 6-1-2023

'61 Lunch Bunch goes to school in Nome, North Dakota!

Lunch Bunch gathers in Nome, ND, at the old school there, May 2023.
Click on picture for larger image.

Front row, left to right:  Colleen Bryngelson Zick, Mary Ann Musch Gamrath,
Jan Zaun Arneson, Barb Sheppard Lang and LouVay Ruemler White.

Back row, left to right:  Cheryll and Barry Borg, Charlie Zick,
Claire and Gary Swenson, Janna Zaun, Dave Johnson, Gerry Gamrath, Dave Maasjo,
Doug and Judy Peterson and Tom Kahler.

Thanks to Tom Kahler for the photo and Barb (Sheppard) Lang for the caption and for a picture of the plaque indicating the establishment date of this historic schoolhouse (shown below):

Two classmates meet for lunch in South Carolina!

While a group of Hiliners61 classmates gathered for a lunch bunch in Nome, North Dakota, two other 61ers enjoyed their own "Lunch Bunch of Two" in Ft. Mill, South Carolina. He didn't arrive in a Yellowbird Mustang like our nationwide classmate traveler, Dave Johnson, but John Manstrom's brand-new Acura MDX wasn't too shabby. What a cool car with a navigation screen that would rival one of my tv sets! (John is pictured above on your right, I'm in the red shirt)

My son, Dave, dropped me off at our luncheon spot, Hobo's on Ft. Mill's historic Main Street, where we dined outdoors in super-pleasant Carolina weather and reminisced about our mutual days of yore at Valley City High School. We also covered anecdotes from our work and family life. His career seemed more exciting than mine, given his landing planes on aircraft carriers during his Navy days and many years in his "office in the sky" as a Delta captain. I could tell him about corporate life in my ground-based office (somewhat boring!) and my years in media (more interesting at times). At any rate, we had plenty to talk about during our three-hour lunch. John is a great conversationalist and, fortunately, both of our memories are still working. Praise God!

We also visited about our kids and grandkids. After the high school graduation ceremony for our granddaughter, Olivia, here in Ft. Mill on Saturday, JoAnne and I are heading up to Durham, North Carolina, to see, in-person for the first time, our first great grandchild, Luke. Capt. Manstrom was heading out on a winding route back to Atlanta and, one never knows, he might run into that Yellowbird Mustang along the way!

(Triva about Ft. Mill: Not all that far from the town's historic Main Street. where John and I were lunching, Jim Bakker and his wife, the late Tammy Faye, founded and ran Heritage USA, a "Christian-themed" amusement park. It began operation in 1978. At its peak and before a federal judge put "Rev. Bakker" in an orange jump suit, it was the third-largest park in the USA behind Disney World and Disney Land, attracting almost six million visitors annually)  

Submitted by Larry Gauper, 5-26-2023

April, 2023 classmate newsletter posted!

 This blog has posted Diane (Sauer) Hughes's April 2023, Hiliners61 Classmate Newsletter and she has emailed a PDF copy to all those on her "classmate email list." Barb (Sheppard) Lang, our Organizing Chair, will be mailing printed copies to those without email. Accompanying the newsletter is the latest edition of Ron Morsch's Hiliner61 Roster. Thanks to Diane for her energetic work on the newsletter; thanks Ron for his diligence in keeping our roster up-to-date; and many of our gang without email appreciate Barb's efforts in personally printing and mailing these documents to those without access to email. 

PDF copies of all of Diane's newsletters along with the current edition, are available in the NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE located on the list on the right side of this blog. Or, for the latest edition, simply click here.   (Posted by LG 5-9-2023)

Lunch Bunch gathers in Valley City!

Click on picture for larger image

8 classmates gathered for a Hiliners61 Lunch Bunch at Sabir's Restaurant in Valley City (ND) on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. Some in the group attended the funeral for classmate Gary Triebold, prior to this luncheon. Although attendance was rather "light," our Organizing Chair, Barb (Sheppard) Lang, reported enthusiastic conversation until the restaurant closed at 1:30.

Pictured above - left side of table: Denny Gillund, Barb Lang, Dave Maasjo; Right side of table: Tom Kahler, Gary Swenson, Claire Swenson, LouVay (Ruemler) White, Marleen (Miller) Pytlik.

Thanks, Barb, for the photo submission and report.  Posted by LG 4-28-2023

'61 classmate Gary Triebold passes away

Gary Triebold, senior portrait from the

1961 Sheyenne Yearbook

We were saddened to hear of the death of our Hiliners61 classmate and friend, Gary Triebold. He passed away on April 18, 2023. The funeral service is scheduled for Wednesday, April 26, 2023, 11:00 A.M., at Epworth Methodist Church in Valley City (ND). In high school, Gary liked outdoor sports and driving his motor scooter. One of his favorite hobbies was playing piano. As a freshman, Gary was an FFA (Future Farmers of America) member and for all four years he played the French horn.

The obituary provides details on his high education and his career as a Registered Pharmacist. He is a graduate of the NDSU College of Pharmacy. To read Gary's obituary, click here.  Arrangements are by the Lerud-Schuldt-Mathias Funeral Home of Valley City. 

Condolences to Gary's family - he was a classmate we will always remember for his enthusiastic attitude and cheerful smile. May God bless the memory of Gary Triebold, Class of 1961, Valley City High School. Posted by Larry Gauper 4-21-20

New newsletter feature: Hiliners61 "On the Road" Travelogue

This is a new Hiliners61 Newsletter feature. Classmates are invited to send us a photo or two - with caption - showing where they've been lately. Maybe it's just a short trip near where they live to our Newsletter Editor, Diane (Sauer) Hughes, and she'll publish them in her next classmate newsletter. Newsletters are sent out via email. If you aren't receiving these excellent publications, let Diane know your email address.  Diane's email address is hughesdiane.45@gmail.com. We'd love to see the area around where you live or, as with Dave's photos, where you've been lately!

While she especially likes to see photos with classmates in the picture, it is not required. Diane shows us a couple examples of her photos, below, with informational captions. She writes:  "On a beautiful March Sunday, my daughter and I took a day trip to witness the beauty of poppies in the desert around Phoenix. They are particularly spectacular this year after our extra-rainy winter. Desert poppies are not true poppies. They have seeds which dry out, break open, and fall to the ground until brought to life the following year. If the seeds are buried deeply, some species of poppies can lie dormant for up to 100 years. For instance, World War I trenching, bombing, etc. caused the ground to be disturbed and brought poppy seeds into the light creating beautiful poppy beds among the horrors of war." Photos below by Diane (Sauer) Hughes.

                ,                                                                   Near Wickenburg, northwest of Phoenix

 Along the Bush Highway near Apache Lake northeast of Phoenix

A couple examples of photos with classmates, from Dave Johnson, are shown below:

Latest photo from Travelin' Dave!

 

Dave and Roy, two 1961ers from North Dakota -- March, 2023

Dave Johnson is out there on the move. His latest photo is with classmate Roy Lang in Arkadelphia, about 45 miles southwest of Hot Springs, Arkansas, where Roy and spouse Lorrie reside.

Thanks for the photo, Dave, who writes: "Getting together with Roy and Lorrie was a great way to end a fun trip. We had time to reminisce a little about the old days, share stories about our careers and talk about some of what we are doing during retirement. We had lunch at a place called the Hamburger Hut in Arkadelphia. When I told my kids the name of the town, they thought I made it up. I did not. I enjoyed getting to know Lorrie. It was a great get together!"  DJ, blog-posted by LG 3-26-2023

Bonnie (Cruff) Burchill passes away

We were saddened to learn of the passing of our 1961 classmate and friend, Bonnie (Cruff) Burchill, age 79. She died on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at SMP Health-St. Raphael in Valley City. We remember Bonnie in high school and she was part of our "Lunch Bunch" group. The above photo was taken in July 2021, when our alumni gang gathered in Buffalo, North Dakota. She will be missed by all of us. Condolences to her family and may God bless her memory. 

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, April 1st, at Epworth Methodist Church in Valley City. Visitation will be held on Friday, March 31st from 5:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. and one hour before the service on Saturday morning. A prayer service will be held at 7:00 P.M. Friday evening at the church (680 8th Avenue S.W.). Inurnment will be in Woodbine Cemetery in Valley City. Bonnie's obituary and tributes are available by clicking on the following link:
Obituary | Bonnie L. Burchill of Valley City, North Dakota | Lerud-Schuldt-Mathias Funeral Home (lerudschuldt.com)

Bonnie, as we remember her in high school. this photo is from the 1961 Sheyenne Yearbook.

On the road again with Dave Johnson!

 As Willie Nelson sings (and Dave does): 

On the road again

Just can't wait to get on the road again

The life I love is making music with my friends

And I can't wait to get on the road again

On the road again

Goin' places that I've never been

Seein' things that I may never see again

And I can't wait to get on the road again!

And there goes Dave again, off to see our 1961 classmates, family members, and friends--this time on the East Coast. Pictured above is his cool "Yellow Bird" Mustang and below is a classmate he visited in Roswell, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta.

Dave caught up with John Manstrom (on the left in Roswell). 

When I think of Dave and his travels around these United States, I keep hearing one other song besides Willie Nelson's. With all his visits with classmates all over the country, I keep hearing the Beach Boys and their hit record, Get Around, Get Around, I Get Around!

Thanks for these photos, John and Dave. Keep on truckin' and we'll see you again when you get up to North Dakota. The snow should be gone by late May or June.  - LG 3-22-2023

Winter edition of Newsletter posted

 Our diligent and hard-working newsletter editor, Diane (Sauer) Hughes, just published the latest edition of our Hiliners61 classmate newsletter. It's the "winter edition 2023" edition and, if you didn't receive your copy via email, you can access it in the Newsletter Archive section in the list on the right side of your screen. All of Diane's excellent newsletters are archived there. By the way, if you aren't receiving these newsletters in your email inbox, please let Diane know. Contact her at hughesdiane.45@gmail.com

Diane does a fine job of covering this  "winter" we can't seem to get rid of. March is here and those of us in North Dakota and parts of Minnesota have several feet of snowbanks near or around our house. However, the weather has not been at seasonal norms in several parts of the county, as many of you know.

However, as I look at lots of snow in March, I remember that I was born in a blizzard back in 1943. My dad, a Soo Line depot agent at a small town called "Benedict, ND," had to enlist the railroad's "section gang" to shovel a path for the car that was trying to take my mother to the hospital in Minot. That was in the fourth week of March!  So, maybe, what we're experiencing is not unprecedented. Does that help? Probably not.

Thanks, Diane, for another great job! And thanks to our always thoughtful Chair, Barb (Sheppard) Lang, for having the newsletter printed and then she mails copies to those without email. What a great service to help keep us all connected!

If you would like to go directly to the PDF of the latest newsletter, click here.

- Larry Gauper, Blogmeister, 3-17-2023 - Happy St. Patrick's Day to all the Irish
  (if we have any in our 1961 class!)

Addendum from classmate Roger Taylor--Roger writes: "Relative to your speculation about the possible Irish descent of our classmates, I suspect that would depend on what counts as "Irish." My paternal grandmother had three grandparents born and raised in Ireland.  That makes me (at least) 18.75% Irish.  Anyway, I figure that's sufficient to justify the green shirt I'm now wearing and the green beer I plan to soon be drinking. Furthermore IMO it's in any case appropriate to wish everyone, even those descended from Norwegians, a Happy St. Patrick's Day!"  ###

New photo from Dorothy Sorenson Puklich!

When your Hiliners61 Communications Committee came up with idea of doing Classmate Interviews during COVID isolation in 2020, our first interview subject was classmate Dorothy Sorenson Puklich (pictured above) of Bismarck, where her daughter owns and run the Puklich Chevrolet dealership. Because this was the first in our series of what grew into 17 classmate interviews, we were learning to do this project technically when we did this first interview. I was in Fargo; Dorothy was in Bismarck and we conversed via Microsoft's Skype service. After this first chat, we went to the Zoom service, which has a few more options for me as interviewer and editor. And we've used Zoom ever since.  

Dorothy did an exemplary job with her end of the interview, and we thank her for her cooperation. We also thank Dorothy for the suggestion she gave for her's and future interviews. She asked me to aak each classmate what their first memory in life was. I proceeded to do that, but I didn't ask everybody, I missed a few. Good intentions, bad memory. Many, though, had fun with the question.

By the way, we are still doing interviews so if you're willing to be a participant via Zoom, please contact out excellent and friendly leader Barb (Sheppard) Lang at BarbLang@csicable.com

Thanks, Dorothy, for this recent photo and your willingness to be our "pioneer" subject in the interview project. God bless you and your family and have a Merry Christmas and a healthy 2023!  To view Dorothy's interview, go to the Classmate Interviews section on the right side of your screen or simply click here.      Larry Gauper 12-22-2022

Visiting Gary Skramstad!

Two of us 61er's enjoyed an afternoon coffee visit with classmate Gary Skramstad at his new residence in the Elim Care Center in Fargo on Tuesday, December 20, 2022. The "two" were classmates Tom Kahler and me, Larry Gauper. Gary moved in recently from St. Raphael's, formerly the Sheyenne Care Center in Valley City. and he guided us on a tour of this extensive and quite amazing new facility. Elim provides comfortable residences for any of us "getting on" in years and they also offer physical therapy services as well as complete skilled nursing care. This one level new structure, which replaces the building extensively damaged by fire about three years ago. It is a completely new structure with state-of-the-art electronic capabilities, a chapel, and a number of alcoves and rooms for meeting and visiting. It was good to see Gary again, who has attended a number of our "lunch bunch" gatherings, and being Elim is not far from where JoAnne and I live in south Fargo, I expect to stop in now and then for a visit, just as Tom Kahler and I enjoy a weekly coffee chat at Panera Bread in Fargo.

Gary, Tom and Larry visiting at Elim - three 61ers rekindling memories from the days of yore.

Click on photograph for larger image.

DECEMBER 2022 NEWSLETTER POSTED!

 Diane (Sauer) Hughes, editor and publisher of our Hilines61 Classmate Newletter, has just published her latest edition and this issue has been sent out via email to our Hiliners61 "list." If you haven't received or simply want to go back to but can't find your emailed copy, got to the Newsletter Archive on the right side of the blog screen or click here. Thanks, Diane, for another excellent issue!  LG 12-26-2022

Lucky 13 Lunch Bunchers attend Holiday Party!

L-R: Gary Swenson, Dave Maasjo, Denny & Barb Gillund, Barb Lang, Art Todd, Bonnie Burchill,
Dave Johnson, Tom Kahler, LouVay White, Mary Ann & Gerry Gamrath.
Not pictured: Claire Swenson

 Our Organizing Chair, Barb (Sheppard) Lang, sent us the above photo of the classmates and their spouses attending the Holiday Party "Lunch Bunch" on December 8, 2022, at Sabir's, in Valley City.  Thanks, Barb, for the photo.  Click on picture for larger image. LG

WOODBINE CEMETERY NEEDS FINANCIAL SUPPORT

As Hiliners61 classmate Colleen (Bryngleson) Zick informed us during our reunion this past summer, Woodbine Cemetery in Valley City needs money for maintenance. As you may know, the cemetery is owned and managed by the Valley City Masonic Lodge #7. Curt Van Dyke and Al Schuldt sent a memo to Colleen informing her of the situation and urged her to pass the word to our class.

The memo she received reported:  "The spring of this year (2022) has certainly been a challenge. The wet environment has prevented us from getting the cemetery in the shape it deserves. We continue to work on it and are gaining ground in between rain events.

"The perpetual care funds allow the interest to be used for upkeep of the cemetery. But with the recent interest rate environment, money the funds earned has been really stretched." According to the memo from Curt and Al: 

Money you would donate will be used for:
1. Tree Trimming
2. Tree removal
3. Road resets
4 Other maintenance and improvement work the cemetery continually needs

If you'd like to talk to those involved in Woodbine Cemetery management contact:

Curt VanDyke
Cell: 701-490-0340

Allen Schultz
Cell: 701-840-0326

Please make your check payable to "Woodbine Cemetery" in any amount, specifying "for maintenance" and send your donation to:

Woodbine Cemetery
P. O. Box 144
Valley City, ND 58072

If you want monument installation or re-set work done, contact Dakota Monuments in Fargo They do cemetery work all over the state, particularly in the East and at Woodbine in Valley City. For monument work, call Dakota Monuments first and they will work with Woodbine Cemetery to re-set your family's monument or whatever work you want done.

Dakota Monuments Company
1212 4th Avenue S.
Fargo, ND 58103
701-237-4343 - ask for Tyler, or any their staff will help you

If you'd like more information on this, contact our classmate Colleen in Grand Forks at 701-330-6276. This information is repeated on a special page accessible in the list on the right side of your screen.

(Posted by Larry Gauper 9-13-2022)

Capt. John Manstrom remembers 9-11-2001

 Each September for the last 21 years (as of 2022), we remember those who lost their lives in the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, in that Pennsylvania field and at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. I've always wondered what our two Hiliners61 classmates were doing on that morning when they were confronted with the news. Although Capt. Roy Lang retired in 2000, Capt. John Manstrom was in his Delta cockpit getting ready for a flight to Salt Lake City. He was about to fly the same aircraft type that attacked first the north Tower of the WTC and then the South Tower in New York City. I visited with John regarding what he remembers about one of the worst days in American history. To view my interview with John, click here.

Speaking of aviation, our Hiliners61Organizing Chair, Barb (Sheppard) Lang adds: "My husband, Art Todd, a private pilot, was able to ride in the back seat of an F4 with the Hooligans  back in the 1980's when he was a state senator (Capt. Roy Lang was member of the "Hooligans.").  

"Art had to have clearance from Washington, DC, then a bunch of training at the air base in Fargo in order to be able to "get out" if necessary, then they flew to the Grand Forks Air Force Base, where he was allowed some "stick time" and do touch and go's . . . then on to Devils Lake where they did some aerobatics!  It was about a two hour experience.  Art says the pilot was Jim Nelson, who was a Vietnam vet, and had over 100 missions in Vietnam.  Art's comment is that the F4 was a very responsive airplane.  He loved it, and has the pictures hanging on the wall to prove it!  

"He got to take his camera along and was told that if we had to eject for any reason, he had to be sure to get rid of the camera so that it would not be found in the wreckage.  Apparently, at that time, the government did not want details of the cockpit floating around.  We just looked at his 4x6" pictures again this morning, and Mr. Nelson, the pilot, most definitely looks like a hotshot - a Tom Cruise look-alike!!  Wish I had been able to take that ride."

Thanks, Barb, for that bit of history and I deeply appreciate Capt. Manstrom's willingness to share his memories and his thoughts about aviation and pilot training today. - Larry Gauper 9-21-2022

Lee Samson passes away

                                              
 We sadly report the passing of our VCHS 1961 classmate, Leland "Lee" Samson. He died August 4, 2022. He and his spouse, Carolyn (Eggert) Samson, also a 1961 graduate of VCHS, lived in Fargo, however, the services and burial will be in Valley City. Oliver-Nathan Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.. To view Leland's obituary, click here.

Visitation will be from 6:00-7:00 P.M. on Monday, August 22, at the funeral home, with the service at 10:30 A,M. on Tuesday, August 23, 2022 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Valley City.

A link to the "memories and tribute" area is available through the link below:

https://www.olivernathanchapel.com/obituaries/Leland-Samson/#!/TributeWall

According to the Sheyenne yearbook, "Lee was mainly interested in sports. He played basketball all four years of high school and was a member of the state championship team. Other sports activities that he participated in were football and tennis in his freshman year. Leland belonged to Drama Club as a freshman."

May God be with Carolyn and their family and may the memory of Leland Sampson be blessed. The Class of 1961 will never forget him. - posted by Larry Gauper 8-05-2022

Ruth Bode interview posted!

 Thanks to our classmate, Ruth Bode, for participating in our classmate interview project. Hers was the 16th interview we've completed, and she did a fine job! 

Along with some interesting memories of ol' Valley High, you'll also learn about Ruthie's life as she shares what she's been doing since high school. She had two children, a son, Thad, and a daughter, Elizabeth. Sadly, Thad passed away in 2000 from a very rare but extremely difficult form of cancer.

Thad earned a degree in photojournalism and advertising from Minnesota State University, Moorhead. He was employed at a Fargo manufacturing company at the time of his passing. Elizabeth is an NDSU industrial engineering graduate and works for a manufacturing firm in Fargo, She makes her home in Fargo, where she lives with her partner, Stacie.

We appreciate Ruthie taking time to be one of our interview subjects and we'd like YOU to be a participant in one of our interviews too. If you're interested, contact our Hiliners61 Organizing Chair, Barb (Sheppard) Lang, at BarbLang@csicable.net.  

All of our interviews to date are available in the Classmate Interviews area on the right side of your screen. To hear Ruthie's interview, you may simply click here.   Larry Gauper 7-19-2022

SALUTE TO VETERANS VIDEO POSTED!

 During the 61st Reunion of the Class of 1961 at Valley City (ND) High School, we  honored the 19 living military veterans from our class. Ron Morsch, now of Dillion, Colorado, identified our living Vets and Maureen "Mo" Petersen Young who now calls Evansville, Wyoming, her home, gathered together a team of quilters to make a quilt for each and every one of our veterans still living. As you may have read in Diane (Sauer) Hughes's excellent 31-page newsletter recapping our reunion on June 17-18, 2022, Veterans quilts were presented to each of those in attendance and the remainder have been mailed to those who could not attend our gathering. I put together a video that also honors our quilt recipient Veterans and summarizes how this amazing project was conceived and completed. The video will be permanently available in the Newsletter Archive, or you can view it by simply clicking here.

The Clsss of 1961 also posthumously honors eight of our classmates who were also military veterans. Names are followed by each year of passing: Bob Anderson - 2005, David Henke, 2013, Dave Nelson - 2000, Lyle Pedersen - 2014, Elvin Schlotman 1998, Harley Schmidt -2000,  Jerry Viseth - 2006, James Walker - 2018  - The Class of 1961 salutes these eight classmates who served in the military after graduation. May God bless their memories both as our classmates and as military veterans. 

Thanks to Ron, Mo, Diane, for their work in honoring our Vets and our Class of '61 Organizing Chair, Barb (Sheppard) Lang for her leadership in organizing and staging one terrific and memorable reunion!   Larry Gauper, your Blogmeister, posted on 7-10-2022

31-PAGE REUNION RE-CAP NEWSLETTER POSTED!

From the desk and computer of Diane (Sauer) Hughes in Tempe, Arizona, comes her latest Hiliners61 newsletter and it's packed! Lots of newsy items, people photos, and reporting on all of our 61st reunion events. The file is a bit large so may take a few moments to open and/or download. You can view it online by simply clicking on the file. To download it to your computer: first, open  the PDF of the newsletter and then click on the little "arrow" that points downward. Find a place to save it and it's all yours. If this is confusing to you, simply get a hold of your nearest grandchild. 

This latest edition is stored, available and viewable from the NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE on the right side of your screen OR simply click here.  Thanks, Diane for an outstanding effort once again and you truly outdid yourself with this edition!

I am currently working with Ron Morsch, Mo (Pedersen) Young, our Chair, Barb (Sheppard) Lang, and Diane (Sauer) Hughes in putting together a video tribute to the miliary veterans in the Class of '61.  That will be available soon and you will be able to view it through a link on the blog. Stay tuned!

Also coming up just a bit further down the road, another classmate interview! This time with Ruthie Bode. Am in the editing process now, so also stay tuned for this latest contribution to our interview library!

A great time, I believe, was had by all at our 61st reunion on June 17-18,2022. Thanks to Barb and the committee for putting together a wonderful and memorable reunion!   LG - 7-2-2022

A musical tribute to a native North Dakota daughter!

 "Oh, what a night!"  Of course, that's a Frankie Valli line from the Four Seasons's hit record, December, 1963, but I'm going to apply it to the Peggy Lee Tribute Concert on Friday night, June 17, 2022 at the new Center for the Arts auditorium on the campus of Valley City State University. A good number of our 1961 classmates were on hand for this free concert conducted by band leader and vocalist Myron Sommerfeld and his orchestra along with his daughter, vocalist Bonnie Sommerfeld. Planners for Valley City Rally Days hope to make this Peggy Lee Day tribute an annual event.

New on the Valley City State University Campus

Myron Sommerfeld (in the blue sport coat) participated in the vocals as he played the drums with the orchestra, while his daughter (in the red dress) sang Peggy Lee classics. Myron did an exceptionally good rendition of Louis Armstrong's classic, It's a Wonderful World.
Click on picture for larger image

Holly Foster Wells, Peggy Lee's granddaughter spoke to the audience live via Zoom from California. She thanked everyone for honoring her grandmother and was sorry she couldn't be there. However, she plans to be in Valley City, in person, for Peggy Lee Day next year.

Bonnie Sommerfeld performed most of the vocals from the Peggy Lee repertoire, although during the serving of ice cream in Ms. Lee's favorite color, pink, some folks were commenting that one of Peggy's biggest hit songs from 1969, Is that All There Is? was not included in the tribute. However, a satisfying selection of numbers from the "Peggy Lee Songbook" were performed by the orchestra and Ms. Sommerfeld... and performed very well, indeed! Thank you!

Th

The above photo is above the mural painted on the northwest corner of the Rudolf Hotel building by Bill Cochran of Bridgetown Imprints. The mural was commissioned by the Bridges Arts Council of Valley City and it reminds us that Peggy Lee got her start in radio at KOVC in 1936. Then, she sang using her real name, Norma Deloris Egstrom of Wimbledon, North Dakota. When Ms. Egstrom moved on to WDAY in Fargo, program director Ken Kennedytold me that she auditioned at the studios in the Black Building. He told her "love the singing, but that name has to go." She asked, "what should I call myself?" Ken replied, "I think you're a Peggy." And  the rest is musical history. Imagine...about 22 years after Peggy Lee worked in those Rudolf Hotel studios of KOVC, just on the other side of the wall where her likeness is now beautifully painted, I was privileged to work there in about 1958.  

CBS Sunday Morning has produced a documentary on Peggy Lee's career and her roots in North Dakota. To view that documentary, click here.     LG 6-26-2022

Three '62ers attend Class of '61 reunion

We were pleased and excited to have three members of the VCHS Class of 1962 attend our Class of 1961 reunion in Valley City (ND) June 17-18, 2022:

(L-R) Virginia (Wire) Swanson, Paul Merrett, Barb (Rome) Gillund

Along with our fifty 1961 attendees and spouses, it was absolutely terrific to have these three '62ers at our reunion. To learn what Paul's been up to, along with his wife, Thava (who we were also glad to see at the reunion), watch his interview by clicking here.

There was a fourth member of the Class of 1962, that Paul and I visited with at the Peggy Lee Tribute Concert on Friday evening at the new Center for the Arts on the VCSU campus:

And that VCHS 1962 grad is 
Dawn (Emery) Wright

It was good to see Dawn again, Many will remember when she was a contestant in the Miss Valley City Pageant. Her talent was archery. And she was a terrific shot! I'm sure not many will recall that I was master of ceremonies for that pageant. Anybody remember the year? If so, leave your answer in the "comments" area.   LG 6-26-2022 

SEE 1961 CLASS PHOTO AND STORY BELOW, SCROLL ON!

Classmate cars and classmates on parade!

 In the Valley City (ND) Rally Days Parade and Car Show, a number of our classmates provided some cool cars and, to serve as a "float" carrying classmates, a pick-up bearing our Class of 61 signs. Here are a few photos, provided by Denny Gillund and shot by his '62 classmate spouse, Barb (Rome) Gillund. Our thanks go out to Barb for the photography and to Denny for submitting the photos below:

Classmate Dave Maasjo provided the pickup that Denny Gillund is driving, and he also modified previous banners so they could be displayed again during this, our 61st reunion. Classmates are riding inside the pickup and in the box. Classmate Barry Borg provided the cool steps so that, according to our Chair, Barb (Sheppard) Lang, "the ladies could step up onto the pickup."

That's Art Todd (Barb Lang's spouse) driving his relatively new and very sharp 2022 Corvette.

That's our newsletter editor and all-around Comm Committee worker, Diane (Sauer) Hughes waving our Class of 1961 flag while riding in Dave Maasjo's very cool Mustang convertible. Dave is driving. In the back seat is Maureen (Pedersen) Young and Barb (Sheppard) Lang along with the flag waver!

Wow! This is a beautiful 1957 Ford Convertible, fully restored by Stan Orness and his staff of vintage car restorers. A group of good-looking 61er ladies are riding in the back! Stan is driving. To learn more about Stan's amazing car collecting and restoring hobby (that turned into a business) watch his classmate interview by clicking here.

And here's another eye-popper guaranteed to attract girls. It's Dave Johnson's Mustang. He's driving and waving the 61er's flag. John Manstrom, they tell me, is riding inside. Oh, if some of us could have had this kind of vehicle when we were back in high school. Just imagine it, guys!

Thanks for these photos and...we have more photos coming, particularly of the Veteran's tribute held the second night of our reunion after our dinner at the Eagles. 

LG - 6-25-2022

Three Amigos from 1961 Hiliner's basketball team

 

(L-R) Dave Johnson, Denny Gillund, Roger Strom at our 61st Class Reunion, June 17-18, 2022
(photo submitted by Gillund, thanks, Denny!)

And what they're showing us from the 1961 Sheyenne is
the photograph below of the entire team!

Click on picture for larger image

Strong attendance at Class of 61 reunion!

2022 Class Photo - click on picture for larger image.

Fifty classmates and spouses attended the 61st reunion of our Valley City High School Class of 61 on June 17-18, 2022. Thanks to our organizing chair, Barb (Sheppard) Lang, and others on the reunion committee, arrangements were well done, and everything came off without a hitch, including the "class photo," shown above. More photos will be posted, particularly of the hand-made quilts given to all the military veterans in our class, an extensive project put together by classmate "Mo" Maureen (Peterson) Young, who presented the quilts to the vets in attendance. Quilts will be sent to those who were not present. More on that later with photos, along with more news and pictures from the two-day event! I must say, I truly believe a great time was had by all!

Here are the names of those in the photo above and many thanks to 1962 VCHS grad, Paul Merrett, for taking the photo, so your gadfly class photo-bug could be in the shot. If you see any errors, please let us know:

Front L-R:  Barb Sheppard Lang, Margaret Peterson Anderson, Mary Ann Musch Gamrath, Jan Zaun Arneson, Barb Brown Schmidt, Maureen "Mo" Pedersen Young, Kay Holcomb Gran, Colleen Bryngleson Zick, Marleen Miller Pytlik and Diane Sauer Hughes.

Middle L-R:  Coral Peterson Reberg, Stan Orness, Dave Maasjo, Ross Noeske, Beth Carlisle Anderson, Eileen Quisberg Schultz, Sue Van Duyn Pederson, Gary Swenson, Sandy Meyer Bruns, Ruthie Bode and LouVay Ruemler White.

Back L-R:  Jim Lang, John Manstrom, Doug Peterson, Dave Johnson, Roger Taylor, Tom Kahler, Dennis Gillund, Roger Strom, Barry Borg, Larry Gauper, Gary Skramstad and Ron Morsch.

                                                                                                                                                Posted 6-20-22 by LG

Class of 1962 launches blog!

Similiar to what our class, the VCHS Class of 1961 has done, Enno Limvere, blogmeister of the Class of 1962 at VCHS has created a blog and they're adding to it every day. Check it out by going to this address https://hiliners62.blogspot.com/   Congratulations to Eno and the '62ers on this new communication project!

VCHS 1962 GRAD does an interview!

This is something new for our Class of '61 blog. We're featuring an interview with a Valley City High School "schoolmate," rather than simply a "classmate." It's Paul Merrett, son of Dr. and Mrs. J. P. Merrett. Paul is a graduate of the VCHS Class of '62 and we're pleased that this boyhood pal of mine consented to have a Zoom conversation with me in April. He visited with me from his home in Las Cruces, New Mexico. How does a Valley City-to-California lad get to New Mexico, with a stop for Uncle Sam in Vietnam?

Well, living and working in California, Paul and his wife, Thava, decided to retire in 2004. They felt they couldn't do it financially in the Golden State with California real estate prices so high. Both being from small towns in the Midwest, they realized they would be more comfortable in a smaller community. They had been reading New Mexico magazine for a long time and decided to check out the towns and available properties there. In the Four Corners area of New Mexico called Aztec, they ended up buying an adobe house on an acre of land and moving there in 2005. They lived there for ten years and then decided to move to Las Cruces in the "banana belt" of New Mexico, and as Paul says, "they moved away from some winters that were almost as harsh as North Dakota. Neither one of us is a fan of snow."  - LG 5-2-2022

See and hear Paul's complete interview by clicking here.

For Diane's latest newsletter and a printable 2022 Class of 61
 Registration Form and hotel info go to our Newsletter Archive 
on the right side of your screen.
Note: these pdf's may not print unless

you're using  Google's Chrome browser.

14 attend April 28th Lunch Bunch!

It was a good gathering of conversationalists that turned out Thursday, April 28, 2022, for a Hiliners61 Lunch Bunch and pre-reunion planning session at the Valley City Country Club. 

Discussion was held regarding the Friday night dinner menu, being coordinated by classmate LouVay (Ruemler) White. It was decided to go with a some pulled pork and some chicken alfredo. The Friday night supper at the Eagles is a ham dinner plus side dishes, served via a buffet.

Barb (Sheppard) Lang led a discussion of us 61ers who wish to participate in the Community Days Parade at approximately 10:00 A.M. Saturday morning. Instead of a float, as was previously used, those who wish to represent our class will ride in open-top cars.  Five cars were lined up. 

Saturday afternoon is free to do what you came to the reunion for: visiting with classmates. Your blogmeister (that's me, Larry G) previously announced doing my "Early History of Rock-N-Roll" presentation after lunch on Saturday. However, on further thought:  I've always advocated keeping planned "events" to a minimum to allow plenty of time for visiting. In scheduling my historical presentation on the origins of the music which formed the soundtrack of our teen years, I was going against what I've long said: reunions should be for re-uniting person-to-person with classmates from our days of yore. We all need plenty of time for these conversations. Hence, you don't have to listen to an ol' geezer like me going on about the records I played on the radio. Thank goodness!

We snapped a couple of very quickly shot photos of the august luncheon participants assembled on Thursday, and they are below: LG - 5-12-2022

(Left to right around the table): Barbara (Rome) Gillund, LouVay (Ruemler) White, Dave Maasjo, Barry Borg, Cheryll Borg, Barb (Sheppard) Lang, Gary Swenson (partial shot), Sandy Meyer Bruns, Tom Kahler (partial shot), Denny Gillund, Dave Johnson.

(Left to right) Larry (peeking into the frame) Bonnie (Cruff) Burchill, Marleen (Miller) Pytlik Thanks to Tom Kahler for helping me with these quick attempts at snapping the photos.

Please get your reunion registration forms in and make your hotel reservations as soon as possible.   -Larry G - 4-29-2022

Reunion registration form now available!

Our Organizing Chair, Barb (Shepard) Lang urges you  o complete and send in your registration form for the 60th Anniversary of the graduation of the Valley City High School Class of 1961 to be held in Valley City on June 17-18, 2022. We're holding this in our 61st year from graduation because of the postponement caused by the 2020 pandemic last year. The registration form has all the info you need, fees, etc., and event times and location. To download and print the registration form, click here.  Hotel information is available by clicking here. Note: if you're using Google's browser, Chrome, you can print these documents with no problems. However, if you're using Microsoft's Edge browser (relatively new) then you need to download the forms before printing. This is a touch of the Microsoft-Google wars, with the user being the victim.

More information about the reunion is available in Diane (Sauer) Hughes's latest Classmate Newsletter and that's available by clicking here. Diane did another fine job with the edition and it's also available in the Newsletter Archive on the right side of your screen.  LG 3-24-2022

"Denny" Plecity passes away

During these first few months of 2022, we were saddened once again. This time it's learning of the passing of our school days' friend, Dennis Plecity, age 79, Fargo, formerly of Valley City.  Dennis went to school with us from kindergarten through our freshman year at Valley City High School. At that time, we believe he transferred to College High. Dennis was known by many of us as "Denny," however his full name was Howard Dennis Plecity. His 1958 Sheyenne Yearbook freshman portrait is below:

 1958 Sheyenne

Here's is Denny's obituary:

With heavy hearts, Denny Plecity’s family watched him pass away on March 11, 2022, at Sanford Health in Fargo, ND. He was surrounded by his loved ones and passed away just as he lived his life, peaceful, kind, gentle and quietly.

The funeral service  will be on Saturday, March 19, 2022, at 11:00 AM in Trinity Lutheran Church, Valley City.  There will be visitation on Friday from 5:00 PM until 7:00 PM, a prayer service will begin at 7:00.  The funeral will be live streamed then archived on his tribute page along with his obituary at the link below. This is where you'll also find Denny's most recent photograph.

 Obituary | Howard "Denny" Plecity | Lerud-Schuldt-Mathias Funeral Home (lerudschuldt.com) 

On a personal note, Denny was my maternal second cousin. He attended a number of our Blue Cross employee recognition nights, as he was the guest of one of our employees. He laughed (I hope!) at my corny jokes as I was the designated emcee for those evenings. It was always good to see him and we had some quick but good visits.

May God be with his family and bless the memory of Denny Plecity.  LG (3-13-2022)

Jeralyn (Olson) Behm passes away

Jeralyn "Jeri" (Olson) Behm - 1961 Yearbook photo

We were saddened to hear of the passing of "Jeri" (Olson) Behm age 78, of Valley City, who died Monday, February 28th, at SMP-St. Raphael (we knew it in 1961 as the Sheyenne Memorial Hospital). Funeral services were held March 3rd at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Valley City.

Jeralyn (obituary photo)
Lerud-Mathias Funeral Home

 Jeri was a member of our  Hiliners Class of 1961and we all knew her as a friend and classmate. She attended the North Dakota State School of Science where she obtained an LPN degree. She married Lawrence Behm on October 25, 1963. You'll find her complete obituary by clicking on this link: Obituary | Jeralyn "Jeri" Diane Behm of Valley City, North Dakota | Lerud-Schuldt-Mathias Funeral Home (lerudschuldt.com).

May God be with her family and bless the memory of Jeralyn "Jeri" (Olson) Behm.  3-4-2022 LG

CLASS OF 61 REUNION WILL BE HELD IN JUNE!

The Hiliners61 Organizing Committee, met via Zoom on February 24, 2022. The meeting was chaired by Barb (Shepard) Lang and participating were Diane (Sauer) Hughes, LouVay (Ruemler) White, Ron Morsch, and yours truly, Larry Gauper. It was decided to move ahead with our 60th Reunion on June 17-18, 2022. Hotel contact info is available by clicking here. Details and more info will be coming in an emailed newsletter from Diane (Sauer) Hughes and updates will be posted here on the blog. Stay tuned and make your plans now to attend! Barb talks about the reunion in her classmate interview available by clicking here.   LG 2-24-22

Virginia Ann (Hoff) Moses passes away

                               s

We were saddened to hear of the passing of a schoolmate, Viginia Ann (Hoff) Moses. 

Barb (Sheppard) Lang writes: "Although Virginia did not graduate with us in 1961, she was a member of our class ranks for most of our years in elementary/junior high/high school, and then she worked in Valley City for a good number of years after she graduated. She was known to all of us and the link to her obituary that you will find below summarizes pretty well her loyalty and devotion to those things she considered important in her life. She briefly attended our class reunion in 2018 and was part of our official class photo! We will miss having Virginia attend our gatherings, but as her obituary states her family is sure that she is staying very busy in heaven."  Thanks, Barb, I, too, remember the gentle soul that was Virginia, always cheerful and always an enjoyable visit.  LG - 12-31-2021

Virginia, as pictured on the Junior Class pages
in the 1961 Sheynne.

To view Virginia's tribute page and obituary, click here.