A Month of Reunions

Champion High School Class of 1956 60th Reunion

The month of August was a very busy month for me. I was on a panel for indie-published authors at a library in Cleveland. I was interviewed about my books on a TV Station, WCTV. Then there was a retired teachers annual picnic, and an annual sisters day, my sister-in-law has for my two local sisters and me every year. The biggest events were two reunions at my house which took a lot of time preparing for in addition to cleaning and hiding some of the stuff in my library/dining room/ office.

Mingling or getting hors d'oeuvres

The first one was our 60^th class reunion from Champion High School that was two days. The first day was on Saturday evening, August 13^th at a banquet hall.  I was one of a committee of three who planned it. Out of a class of 57, there were twenty class members who came plus eleven spouses. Of course, some of the class has passed on, and we honored them that night. Some were in no condition to travel, including one who’d had a stroke a few days before, and a few who have never come. There were also those we couldn’t locate who’d changed their last names and moved away.

For those who came, we had a wonderful time catching up on what’s going on. We used to have our reunions every five years, but because of our ages, we now have them every two years. There were a few who hadn’t been to one of our reunions in years, and a few who never missed any before, but this time didn’t respond to letters, emails or phone calls so we don’t know what happened to them. 

He was a great entertainer.

The food was delicious, and the conversations enjoyable, but the highlight of the evening was Elvis Presley. Of course, the committee knew about this, since Jim Tallman, who was sort of in charge, knew the guy who portrayed Elvis from his church. Everyone enjoyed him, as well as his wife who played a keyboard, and his son on drums. In fact, people from a rather noisy wedding in a room next door, slipped in to listen to Elvis. He not only did a wonderful impersonation, but  he filled us in on all sorts of facts about Elvis and changed his outfit several times during his performance to match the period of the music from Elvis’s first days until his later days.”

Just a few of the people there in my living room

The next day, I had the class picnic at my house. It was an off and on rainy day, so it was held inside. My house isn’t very large, but there are always fewer people who come to the next day picnics because if they’re from out of town, they often have other family to visit, or even if they’re local, sometimes they have other commitments. There were about seventeen here, I think, and almost everyone brought something to add to the meal.

The woman on the right & the man in black are mystery lovers.

The thing about having something like this in my home is that others who have never been here and mostly know me only from our high school days or the brief reunions now got to know me better. Almost everyone was fascinated by my large collection of books, and one couple, who had not been to a reunion in years were really fascinated, especially when they found out I wrote mysteries.  A few already knew that and have read them. This couple absolutely loved mysteries, and that’s about all they read. They were so excited about knowing a real mystery author that I had to autograph the first book in my series and give it to them. Later a friend I knew from elementary grades through high school, and her husband stayed a little longer to catch up. She told me she’d read most of my books and really enjoyed them, so I autographed the next book in the series she hadn’t read yet and gave that to her.

My cousin Jack, a deceased cousin Tom, my ex, & Uncle Bill.

The following Sunday, I had the Jones Family reunion here. My Uncle Bill looks forward to it. He’s the only living sibling of my mother and is 94 years old and will be 95 next January. He’s still mowing his yard, but his kids took his car keys away from him a year or so ago, and I can see why. He’s unsteady on his feet and a little forgetful. 

Most of  the women congregated at one table.  

There weren’t a lot of people there.  That side of the family was never as large as the other side of my family.  But everyone enjoyed themselves, and there were some there we haven’t seen since the last reunion so there was a lot of catching up to do. Several weeks before the reunion, I mentioned to my sister-in-law that when Uncle Bill passed on I probably wouldn’t have the Jones reunions again, but she objected strongly saying we needed to keep in touch with all those remaining in the Jones family. So I will, and for the next class reunion in two years, I’ll have the picnic for that reunion, too. God willing.

 

My great-grandchildren looking for goldfish and frogs

Do you go to class reunions? How about family reunions?

What do you like best about those you go to?