LOGIC - TRUTH - COURAGE - PERSEVERANCE - SELF DISCIPLINE - HUMILITY - REVERENCE - RESPECT

 

 Links:                                  MHS CLASS OF 1959                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Email
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1953

We have a 50 year High School class reunion next year...2009 





Starting in 1955, a Freshman Class eventually did graduate!
Marshfield High School Class of 1959

 

MHS Class of 1959

Let me use a metaphore, there seems to have been alot of "water under the bridge." Of the many experiences that I have had, one still stands out. While serving as a U. S. Navy recruiter in Pasadena, CA, I had an old ex serviceman that used to come into my office and chat. He was a little "nutty" but I suppose we all have our ways. His "metaphore" refered to "water over the bridge." I thought at first that that was an unusual way to put it, but upon further thought I now understand fully what he meant. Most of us have had normal lives and then there are those of us that have had life deal us a little "water over the bridge" too. There have been times of inundation with a feeling of complete helplessness, and than as if by some kind of magic, we seem to make it through and find that maybe we are better off because of the adversity that, in hindsight, turns out to be often less than what it seemed at the time.

A little humor along with a little philosophy helps us to not take ourselves to seriously. We do what we do and thank God we are all different. Out of our class of '59 we have at least 200 stories and probably enough to write a full length book. The problem is, would anyone read it? I am sure that if all the stories were put together into some classified manner we may even come up with a BEST SELLER???!!! The GOOD OLD DAYS are so long ago that it takes a little effort on my part to REMEMBER some specifics. One method is looking through the year book to recall names, places, and faces. Then the flood of remembrances start to flow.

Questions start to pop into mind. Does Judy (J) still play the piano? Is Betty still a cheerleader? Is Chuck still as tough as ever? Is Leroy (great guy) B. still as energetic as ever? I suppose we are all still close to the same age. Maybe some have gained a few years and lbs and others lost some, but on the average we are still the Class of '59 from Marshfield High School.

A 50 year class reunion is significant and should be fun. In looking up flights into North Bend, Alaska Airlines appears to be the only commercial carrier in and out of Coos Bay area. Alsaka? What happened to Wes Coast Airways? I don't know enough about the Coos Bay of the high tech era. I am sure it is now a more modern town with high rise and all???? I may be stretching that a little.

I live in Reno, NV now. We raised our family in Truckee, CA for nearly 28 years and for some reason the kids all moved to another part of the country. Matthew works for Dino De Laurentiis, movie producer since the 40's in Hollywood. Renee and husband run a contractor business in the Sacramento, CA area. Melannie has two children in Reno, NV and is a RN at St Mariy's Hospital. We moved to Reno last spring and it was a tramatic experience. It was difficult to leave Truckee at first, but now we enjoy a little less snow. We have a nice home overlooking Reno area, Truckee River, and we now look up at the snow covered peaks. The Northgate Golf Course boarders our back yard with the master bedroom overlooking the Chipping Green, Clubhouse, and golf course. We have had only a few balls in the back yard and have had no broken windows yet.

I spent 26 years in the military and 30 years in telecommunications and I am retired from both. I built WEB pages for awhile, but that was more trouble than it is worth. We don't have $millions, but we are comfortable and have more free time outside of those things we now do for free. Guess I should find a paid volunteer position somewhere? That doesn't seem to be possible. I served 8 years on the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District School Board and that was for free too. We had a total of $120 million new construction projects and everyone else was paid except the board.  I Guess that was our fault, but politically a stipend would not have been prudent.

Over the years I have know a few notable individuals. The first that comes to mind is Rex Ravelle. He had been a stunt man for Johnny Weismuller in Johnny's Tarzan movies. Rex was my body building trainer for a few years. Newt Gingrich was another acquaintance. Met him in Georgia at a "Team Teachers" conference while he was teaching the Renewing American Civilization course. Mills Lane, the boxing referee, was another. Jim Gibbons, present Nevada governor, was in the Operations Group, Air National Guard, when I was first sergeant. I suppose we could all name drop a little, but in the long run it isn't who you know that is important, but it is who you are. I am a small part of an elite group called, Marshfield High School Class of '59 and I am looking forward to the reunion. Hope to see you all there.

Mel                              

1959 2007

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