NUHS/RHS Alumni Banquet and 40th Class Reunion Written June 19, 2005   My Class of 1965, Richwood High School, held our 40th reunion on June 4, 2005.  We had a good turnout, with 20 of the 68 surviving members in attendance. Some of our class who couldn't attend sent notes. For instance, one of Roxye Carter's three children is studying for the priesthood in Rome.  Roxye and Joe traveled there twice last year and met Cardinal Ratzinger, who is now the Pope. And Nick Taylor has an amazing resume.  His hobbies include ragtime piano, genealogy, and photography.  He was a pilot in the Air Force and Reserves and flew for a commuter airline for two years.  Then he worked in geriatrics as a registered nurse in Colorado Springs for 19 years.  Finally, last July he became an Anglican priest in Des Moines. Kelly Drake said he thought that our class had the highest number of graduates going on to get a college education.  He may be right. Here are a few pictures that I took that evening.

The activities began at the year-old elementary school on the northwest edge of town, where the 89th annual North Union High School / Richwood High School Alumni Banquet was held in the cafeteria. There were at least a couple of hundred people on hand.  Although only a few of them were younger than our 40-year class, older classes were well represented. The Class of 1965's Criss Somerlot was the featured speaker, sketching the story of his career leading to becoming an Olympic coach.  He started by telling how he found on my website the speech that I gave at our commencement 40 years ago ("I mean, who saves that stuff?  But there it was") and proceeding to quote part of it. Criss said he has several other projects in the works, including a made-for-TV track meet next month in Finland.  He's sold a design to Nike, and he's developing a movie. After the dinner, Dianne Steele's younger sister (in pink) talked to Linda and Kelly Drake (in blue and green), while Ted Sieg of the Class of 1955 looked on.  Dr. and Mrs. Drake are practicing medicine and law respectively in Macon, Georgia. Judy Rubeck, the local librarian, booked the new meeting room at the downtown library for our class party after the banquet.  Examining the composite class picture are Kelly Drake, Tonya Davis (obscured), Sally Ballard, Dan Rush, and Spencer Jordan (pointing). A good time was had by all!