News from Roger Kinnear

Roger and Nan Kinnear are regular attendees at GHS reunions.

Roger Kinnear now lives in Collierville, Tennessee. He is retired from a career as plant manager of food plants, and is enjoying visiting with grandchildren in the area and traveling to see others. Roger and Nancy have 4 children and 8 grandchildren. In high school, Roger was a member of the GHS Ski Club and served on the Stage Crew for four years.

After the Ball is Over...

Following our 50th Class Reunion in July, most people returned to their homes and daily routines. Some stayed in the area and visited with friends and family. Others completed other planned trips or extended vacations in New England. Classmate Louis Paul Migliozzi had other pressing business, as shown.

If anyone remembers who won the wine basket that Lou donated for our Reunion Raffle, please let us know. We didn't keep a record of who won what at our 50th Reuinion, but we promise to do better next time.

Remembering Pamela Prime

Pamela Prime Miller died on July 25, 2006. This picture, taken in 2001, was provided by Nancy Ball Griffin of Columbus, Ohio. Nancy writes that Pam and her husband, Cledith, were the parents of two sons. After living for a while in Germany, Pam and Clete lived in central Pennysylvania from the early 1970's until she died. Pam worked as an occupational therapist throughout her career. She enjoyed hiking, camping, swimming and the company of their dog, Peach.

News from Jeanne Charest Mallet

Jeanne Charest spent only two years at Gardner High School, but made friendships that have lasted a lifetime.

Jeanne was born in Gardner but spent her early school years in South Royalston. She feels that she was underexposed to the larger world -- she never experienced a library before going to high school. Going to high school in the "city" (of Gardner) was a big deal, but it meant getting up early to get on the train every day to go to school. She writes, "At first I was overwhelmed and felt awkward. I found out that there were uptowners, downtowners and "us"-- out-of- towners. That's hard to figure out when you are a kid with so little experience socially."

Soon Jeanne made new friends and that made a big difference. She lists Ginny Blake, Connie Lesneski, Sue Skamarycz, Joanne Bogdanski, Jackie Tousignant, Donna Blake, and Judy Bishop as her social circle. She felt academically overwhelmed but her goal was to play on the girls softball team in her freshman year. Earning her letter was a special reward.

By the time sophomore year arrived, Jeanne was more comfortable in Gardner but then discovered that Royalston was going into a regional high school with Athol. "The prospect of change was distressing but after every effort to find the money to stay in Gardner, I realized I'd have to go with the flow. " There, Jeanne lettered in thre sports and found total acceptance."

Jeanne married her boyfriend from Gardner, Barry Glinski. "We have three very successful daughters and five grandchildren. Our marriage didn't last and after a divorce, I married Phil Mallet from Athol. We have been together for the better part of 30 years and continue to be happy. We are both presently retired and live in a condo in West Boylston."

Although she only went to GHS for two years, Jeanne acknowledges that "Ginny Blake and I have been friends for 54 years, which means that my short stop at Gardner High School had an everlasting effect on my life."

More Band News

Our own Major Domo, Richard Goguen, at the Amercan Legion National Convention in Hawaii

Richard Goguen writes, "Our Waltham American Legion Band of which I am a drum major and drummer received an invitation to march in the Gardner 225th Anniversary Parade in September. I haven't marched in a Gardner parade in about 50 years or so. I hope that I can connect with classmates again on the parade day. I am furnishing a bio and pictures to the parade committee.

50th Reunion Group Photo

This is a low-resolution, poor quality facsimile of our 50th Reunion group photo taken just before the Saturday Dinner.

For a guide to who is pictured in each row, please go to http://mysite.verizon.net/vzep7fvn/attendees.htm

You can still order print copies of the 8 x 12 photo by sending $10.00 to the photographer.

Paul Lehoux

Lasting Memories

157 West Street

Gardner, MA 01440

(978) 632 0966

FACEBOOK friends have access to the photo ID guide and albums of informal snapshots taken at each of the three reunion events, with names of classmates "tagged" in each photo.

Did You Take Pictures?

Attending the GHS Class of 1960 50th Reunion Dinner on Saturday, July 24 were Priscilla Dionne McKillop, Dianne Roy Young, Barbara Reed Fuller, Janet Therrien Miller, Shirley Long Smith, and Alice Teles Stone.

If you have digital photos from any of the three reunion events, please send them to us so we can put them into online albums or feature them on our GHS Web Log. Attach them to an e-mail message you send to dfleming373@verizon.net.

Thanks to classmate Shirley Long Smith for sending this photo.